I have an EXCELLENT, crowd-pleasing strata recipe for your egg/dairy eaters, Brown Owl!
Grease/butter 9/13 glass pan. (It gets really mushy in a metal pan)
3/4 loaf Pepperidge Farm regular white bread, buttered and cubed. Spread buttered cubes out in pan.
Grate 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese. (I use 1 1/2 sticks Cracker Barrel extra sharp), spread over bread cubes.
Beat well:
6 eggs
3 cups milk (any kind) or half & half
1 T minced onion
1/2 t brown sugar
1/4 t dry mustard (I like Coleman's for the extra kick)
1/4 t cayenne
Pour egg mixture over cheese/bread
Cover pan and refrigerate overnight.
Take strata out of the fridge 1/2 hour before cooking.
Bake the strata in a shallow pan of water, to prevent burning.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes
Reduce temperature to 300 and continue baking for 1 hour, 10 minutes.
During last 15 minutes of so, you can top the strata with Corn Flakes coated with melted butter for an extra crunch.
You can make this a couple days ahead or even freeze it. And when it's finished baking, you can leave it in the oven for quite a while at the lowest temp. to keep warm until you're ready to serve.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Red Beans and Rice by Erythrosine
I made the best beans I've ever made today, so good that I need to write down the recipe so I can repeat it. They were a hit at the party we took them to this afternoon.
Red Beans and Rice
one pound small red beans
one large green bell pepper, diced
two small serrano (hot) peppers, seeded and chopped fine
(don't forget to wear a disposable glove for the pepper evisceration step)
five stalks celery, diced
two large hot onions, diced
five bay leaves
one tablespoon bacon grease
about half a pound of ham, diced
half a pound of andouille sausage (garlicky smoked sausage), diced
one 10-ounce can tomatoes and green chilies (e.g. Rotel Original))
two teaspoons "Better Than Bouillon" chicken flavor
3/4 cup white basmati rice
fresh ground black pepper
two large cloves of garlic
The beans were soaked overnight and drained, then cooked for an hour in eight cups of water, then most of the other ingredients were chopped and added, as the beans continued to cook. The second onion was cooked until slightly browned in bacon grease and then added. After another hour or two of cooking, the rice was added and cooked until done. I put the garlic through a press and added it only after I finally turned off the heat.
Red Beans and Rice
one pound small red beans
one large green bell pepper, diced
two small serrano (hot) peppers, seeded and chopped fine
(don't forget to wear a disposable glove for the pepper evisceration step)
five stalks celery, diced
two large hot onions, diced
five bay leaves
one tablespoon bacon grease
about half a pound of ham, diced
half a pound of andouille sausage (garlicky smoked sausage), diced
one 10-ounce can tomatoes and green chilies (e.g. Rotel Original))
two teaspoons "Better Than Bouillon" chicken flavor
3/4 cup white basmati rice
fresh ground black pepper
two large cloves of garlic
The beans were soaked overnight and drained, then cooked for an hour in eight cups of water, then most of the other ingredients were chopped and added, as the beans continued to cook. The second onion was cooked until slightly browned in bacon grease and then added. After another hour or two of cooking, the rice was added and cooked until done. I put the garlic through a press and added it only after I finally turned off the heat.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Slow Roast Pork with Fennel by c-beth
I rubbed the hunk of meat with lots of sea salt and pepper, and put it under the broiler for several minutes to give it some roasty color. Then I plopped it into the slow cooker, and poured about a half carton of veggie broth over it, about a 1/2 cup of whole milk, and several glugs of white wine. Then I threw in a half dozen whole garlic cloves, some whole shallots and 2 sliced up fennel bulbs. I cooked it for a couple hours on the highest setting, then gradually lowered the heat as the afternoon went on. It was probably 8 hours from start to finish.
The sauce was a drunken afterthought, really. I used a slotted spoon to remove the veggies from the cooking liquid and smashed them together with a wooden spoon. The result was sort of gravy-like, and sooooo tasty. I didn't tell folks that it was probably 75% pork fat.
The sauce was a drunken afterthought, really. I used a slotted spoon to remove the veggies from the cooking liquid and smashed them together with a wooden spoon. The result was sort of gravy-like, and sooooo tasty. I didn't tell folks that it was probably 75% pork fat.
Friday, May 9, 2008
More Tips on Breading by shell
The only thing I'd add to Aq's excellent 1-2-3 instructions is that you can add dijon mustard to the egg for extra flavor. Also, refrigerating the chicken for a few minutes after dredging seems to help keep the breading on during the cooking.
Thoughts on Parmesan-Crusted Chicken by Aquarius
I find a 100% parmesan crust to be a little tricky to execute without burning the cheese or undercooking the chicken; also, I think the flavor is a little overpowering.
My recommendation would be to mix regular or, better yet, panko breadcrumbs at about a 3:2 ratio with grated parmesan, throw in a pinch of salt, some ground black pepper, and possibly some oregano, and then do a classic 1-2-3 dredging with the chicken breasts (1. coat in flour, shake well; 2. dip in a beaten egg thinned with a bit of water; 3. coat with breadcrumbs). Then I'd pan-fry 'em up over medium heat and enjoy. Heat up a little marinara sauce, boil up some spaghetti, and serve the whole shebang together, and you've got a quick chicken parmesan.
My other tip would be to pound the chicken breasts a little flatter than they're naturally inclined to be before coating them, so that they cook evenly on your stovetop.
My recommendation would be to mix regular or, better yet, panko breadcrumbs at about a 3:2 ratio with grated parmesan, throw in a pinch of salt, some ground black pepper, and possibly some oregano, and then do a classic 1-2-3 dredging with the chicken breasts (1. coat in flour, shake well; 2. dip in a beaten egg thinned with a bit of water; 3. coat with breadcrumbs). Then I'd pan-fry 'em up over medium heat and enjoy. Heat up a little marinara sauce, boil up some spaghetti, and serve the whole shebang together, and you've got a quick chicken parmesan.
My other tip would be to pound the chicken breasts a little flatter than they're naturally inclined to be before coating them, so that they cook evenly on your stovetop.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Fish, Spinach and Tofu Soup by PaganMama
4 dried black mushrooms
½ bunch about 6 ounces fresh spinach
½ pound firm textured fish-cod, halibut or sea bass
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
5 cups chicken broth
1 pound soft tofu, drained and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover for 30 minutes; drain, cut off and discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. Wash the spinach; discard heavy stems. Cut the fish into ½ inch cubes sprinkle with pepper and set aside. In a large pot, bring the broth and mushrooms to a boil over medium high heat. Add the spinach, fish, tofu and sesame oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the spinach is slightly wilted about 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Tips: Chard or bok choy leaves may be used in place of spinach. You can use either soft or regular tofu.
½ bunch about 6 ounces fresh spinach
½ pound firm textured fish-cod, halibut or sea bass
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
5 cups chicken broth
1 pound soft tofu, drained and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover for 30 minutes; drain, cut off and discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. Wash the spinach; discard heavy stems. Cut the fish into ½ inch cubes sprinkle with pepper and set aside. In a large pot, bring the broth and mushrooms to a boil over medium high heat. Add the spinach, fish, tofu and sesame oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the spinach is slightly wilted about 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Tips: Chard or bok choy leaves may be used in place of spinach. You can use either soft or regular tofu.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Red and Gold Beet Gratin with Greens by Aquarius
3 medium red beets with their greens
3 medium gold beets with their greens
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese*
1/4 pound Prima Donna gouda cheese, grated**
4 egg yolks, beaten
Salt, pepper, and parsley to taste
1/2 cup Ritz or other wheaty crackers, crumbled
Dash grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Heat oven to 400°. Cut the ends off each beet, and wrap them in foil packets with a drizzle of olive oil (optional: include an onion or a shallot and some whole herbs such as rosemary for extra flavor). Put them in the oven to roast. Go teach the neighborhood kids to play with matches for half an hour or so while the beets are roasting.
Remove the beets from the oven and drop the heat to 375°. Allow the beets to cool. Meanwhile, combine the cheeses, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and parsley in a bowl. Set aside.
Pick out any brown or spotty leaves from the greens, and thoroughly rinse the rest. Roughly chop the greens. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the greens and garlic until thoroughly wilted and fragrant. Combine with cheese/egg mixture.
Peel the beets (they should peel easily after roasting) and slice them into thin rounds. Layer the red beets on the bottom of a lightly oiled glass, ceramic, or Corningware pan. Mix the yellow beets with the cheese, eggs, and greens.*** Pour the mixture over the red beets and top with the crackers and Parmesan.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
*Crazy random once-around-the-fridge cook that I am, I used cottage cheese because it's what I had on hand. But ricotta would probably be more traditional.
**It's a rather strong aged gouda. Can't find it? Fontina, Gruyère, or a combination thereof will do ya fine.
***Why do it this way? Because if you mix the red beets in with the cheese, the whole thing will turn pink.
3 medium gold beets with their greens
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese*
1/4 pound Prima Donna gouda cheese, grated**
4 egg yolks, beaten
Salt, pepper, and parsley to taste
1/2 cup Ritz or other wheaty crackers, crumbled
Dash grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Heat oven to 400°. Cut the ends off each beet, and wrap them in foil packets with a drizzle of olive oil (optional: include an onion or a shallot and some whole herbs such as rosemary for extra flavor). Put them in the oven to roast. Go teach the neighborhood kids to play with matches for half an hour or so while the beets are roasting.
Remove the beets from the oven and drop the heat to 375°. Allow the beets to cool. Meanwhile, combine the cheeses, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and parsley in a bowl. Set aside.
Pick out any brown or spotty leaves from the greens, and thoroughly rinse the rest. Roughly chop the greens. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the greens and garlic until thoroughly wilted and fragrant. Combine with cheese/egg mixture.
Peel the beets (they should peel easily after roasting) and slice them into thin rounds. Layer the red beets on the bottom of a lightly oiled glass, ceramic, or Corningware pan. Mix the yellow beets with the cheese, eggs, and greens.*** Pour the mixture over the red beets and top with the crackers and Parmesan.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
*Crazy random once-around-the-fridge cook that I am, I used cottage cheese because it's what I had on hand. But ricotta would probably be more traditional.
**It's a rather strong aged gouda. Can't find it? Fontina, Gruyère, or a combination thereof will do ya fine.
***Why do it this way? Because if you mix the red beets in with the cheese, the whole thing will turn pink.
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