Cooking and Drinking
Cooking and Drinking
​Utilizing the monkey see monkey do approach
Cooking and Drinking
Cooking and Drinking
Cooking and Drinking
Cooking and Drinking
Stove Top Meals
A Chef John Recipe
Cut all ingredients in half to make five portions:
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Ingredients for 1 giant meatloaf (about 10 large portions):
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground chuck
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
cayenne to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about a packed 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 1/2 cups very dry white bread crumbs (not toasted!)
1 1/2 cups milk to soak (squeeze out excess)
** note, if you don't have whole milk, maybe you could use coffee creamer/ half-and-half with a little bit of water.
3 or 4 cups of tomato sauce to bake in, optional
Maybe couple with mashed potatoes.
Similar to American goulash this "Slumgullion" dish is what we remember as children. A slow cooker meal delicious a real comfort food on those cold Buffalo and Stockton winter days. We remember our father making back in the early and mid 70's
Pulled pork
A Chris Kelsey recipe favorite
Use pork loin, usually cylinder shaped. Cut into 3" chunks and add to a ziplock bag along with this marinade
I will be trying Chris's recipe very soon
These are the cooking instructions. You can stop after step 3 because I never put the meat in the oven after. Also since they are cut into chunks, it really only takes like 45 minutes until it's tender enough to shred, not 2.5 hours. Also after it's tender enough to shred I uncover it and let the juices reduce until there's about an inch or so of liquid left. Shredding the pork should absorb some of that.
Pork Carnitas Recipe
Recipe by Gina, the Italian grandma
Important note: Gina says, don't put salt and pepper on the liver until it is mostly cooked. Otherwise, the salt will dry out the liver.
The liver only took 5 minutes each side to cook.
This turned out perfect. Thin yet tender. I loved it as did Josh. (April 8th 2023)
I did what Gina said and that is not to salt it until late in the cooking so not to dry the liver out.
I made the onions first then set aside. Then made the liver. While the liver only had a minute or two to go, I put the onions back in.
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Makes 4 to 5 servings
7x 12 glass pan with 12 pieces on noodles
3 pieces per layer
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Bake for 15 min at 425 then uncover for another 10 or so.
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This was a pretty easy meal to put together. One zucchini finely chopped along with the other ingredients put in the blender along with the ricotta cheese and blend up so it's a chunky smoothness. One box of lasagna noodles. I boil them for about eight or nine minutes then put them individually on a cookie sheet so they did not touch one another - Until I need to use them. One small can of tomato sauce was used in between layers. I bought a container of ricotta cheese, one smaller bag of mozzarella cheese and one round container of ground Parmesan. It took a little while to put it all together but it was well worth it. One of the better meals I've made in sometime.
Not the easiest to make but I love this dish.
<5
I made this Jan. 17 th 2023 for the first time. It was good, pretty good but not great. Any pasta and cheese with veggies I usually like anyway. I will make it again.
Ingredients
For workday meals, gage all ingredients to allow for 3 servings at least.
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Asparagus- 8-12 Asparagus (seperate tips & slice thin the stem, remove butt end)
Sun dried tomatoes- 2-3 tbsp graded Parmesan (about 1/2 cup for topping)
Garlic- lots (2 cloves minced/ 2 cloves chopped)
Shallot- 1 finally Diced
Vegetable stock- â…” Cup
Olive oil
Spaghetti - (enough for 3 or 4 meals)
Mushrooms About 1/2 cup
Broccoli About 1/2 to 1 cup
*Brown, some mushrooms and garlic in the skillet and the other vegetables that need to be used fry up and add to mixture.
**Also, some recipes called for some Lemon zest.
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When browning the vegetables in the skillet, add the broth will before the vegetables become al dente. Otherwise, you will end up with mushy vegetables by the time the broth has boiled away.
Maybe either throw some red bell pepper or some broccoli heads in here too..... I did. Glad I did as it needs the help.
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Vegetarian and meat calzone
4 but could be a 5 with tweaking.
I bought refrigerated Wegmans pizza dough.
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This was the first time I made a Calzone. I'll be writing down the amounts I put in this time around as there was too much onion and the crust was too thick. The dipping sauce is a must. I used Louisa home made tomato sauce which the tomatoes came form Canada.
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If you roll out the dough thin (1/8") you should get enough for 3 calzones.
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Ingredients: (shopping list)
Mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Mushrooms (I used 5 large brown baby buttons) not white button as they have lots of water.
1/3 Red onion
1 full container of spinach (trimmed stems)
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Remember after all the mixing is done you need to have enough mass to fill 3 calzone is needed.
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Oven with pizza stone inside set to 500° cook time is probably about 15 minutes perhaps a couple minutes more if I make three or four calzone
Remember to have parchment paper down on table, sprinkle small amount of cornmeal, under each of the calzones, then knock off any extra breadcrumbs to prevent them from burning and smoking
Calzones need to have vent holes three or so holes then apply and egg wash before going into the oven
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Smallest amount of diced ham or pepperoni
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a clove of fresh garlic
hold off and some of the salt and use garlic salt
One egg, for an egg wash at the end
The finely sliced 3/4 a cooking onion
fry in a pan with oil eventually introduced maybe two cloves of garlic, crushed, sauté until softened, but not destroyed sauté for approximately three or four minutes
In the sauté pan, add a little salt and pepper
Just as mushrooms and onions start to brown, and become somewhat wilting introduce a large handful of trimmed, trimmed, spinach. After the spinach has wilted into your mixture, make a well in the center and add one or two cloves of crushed garlic
Once the skillet mixture has cooled in a separate pan it's time to start adding the cheeses
Parmesan because to be graded using the larger grater as it will melt anyway. Ricotta is put in by the tablespoon or to your liking. Also, shred in some Parmesan cheese, but probably don't need to go crazy with it as it is a strong flavor.
Give the whole mixture a good stir might need to give it a squirt of olive oil to moisten it up
Key note: so far these measurements are not precise enough to know how many servings I'm going to get. I'll have to judge the mixture in the bowl if it's going to be portions enough for three or four.
After the dough has doubled in size, according to this site, cutting it into portions that will allow approximately 9 inch circle to be rolled out 1/8 of an inch thick. How many calzones I get out of one slab of Wegmans pizza dough not sure at this point.
When filling the calzone review his procedure. Good amount of filling goes on one half of the calzone filling leaving 1 inch around the perimeter of his filling. Then fold over and fold over again. The lower rim make a decorative. Oh don't forget to add a dab of water all the way around the perimeter so the dough sticks for a better seal
January 2023. Today I'm using some leftovers. Louisa has about 4 cups of refried beans in the refrigerator. After being in the frig for a few days, they were thick and in need of moistening. I added some shredded cheese along with a little salsa which did the trick.
This is for dipping the tortilla shells in and also to moisten the top of tortillas before baking
Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
2 1/4 cup water
Warning: when buying tortilla shells, make sure there is no lard in the ingredients. Also only buy shells in the dairy section.
A side dish of Mexican/Spanish rice would be nice. If you're in a time crunch you can buy uncle Ben's Mexican styled rice. Also, a dollop of sour cream might be nice also but will just add calories to the dish.
With a side of rice, one enchilada is about a serving.
4 but could be an 5
with the alterations I mentioned.
I made it a 2nd time and it was still too tangy with wine, lemon
Added Dec. 22nd 2022
NOTE: This dish didn't call for a protein so I fried up some tofu in cubes and added it.
Cut into 1/4 to 1/6 size pieces about 15 ounces of mushrooms. Best use just our reg mushrooms but you can mix and match diff one.
Shush 2 cloves garlic.
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of chili flakes/ pepper flakes.
1 generous pinch of salt
1/3 of a cup of white wine (if sweet wine use little or none)
juice of 1/2 lemon. (I don't think lemon tastes good in this dish)
I used left-over whole grain rice but I think it would be better with basmati rice.
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (no more!)
Use about 1/3 cup Sour cream and 1/3 cup Yogurt. Be carful with the yogurt and mustard as you can start to go too tangy with the flavor .
Only cook the sour cream, mushroom mixture a few minutes at the simmer. Then turn heat way down to thicken the mixture.
Add in a generous helping of ground pepper. He added a tablespoon or more. I don’t know if we need that much start with half or 3/4 tablespoon and taste.
With the rice: it might be fun if it’s sticky enough to hold to a mold, which we have above the stove you might find some sort of mold, which has a cool shap something like a small tart dish
Feta cheese and zucchini cakes with side salad
This was a Gordon Ramsay creation. But he used Halloumi cheese, which is a goat cheese. The Best Simple Halloumi Substitutes is Feta.
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Ingredients
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2 to 3 carrots, peeled and grated
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1 large courgette, (zucchini) grated
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*** make an equal part zucchini and carrot mix.
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100g (Feta) cheese, grated
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2–4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
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2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
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2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
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2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten (you might need to use a little less of the 2 eggs so not to make the mixture too wet.)
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2–4 tbsp breadcrumbs
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Olive oil, for frying
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chilli dressing
NICE BUT NOT NEEDED
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1 red chilli, finely sliced on the diagonal
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2 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely diced
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2 tsp caster sugar
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2–3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
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2–3 tbsp olive oil
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Pinch of salt
Don't bother making the roasted cherry tomatoes for the salad- just make a good healthy salad.
4+/ 5
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To make the feta cakes put the carrots and courgette in a sieve or colander and sprinkle with a decent pinch of salt to draw out the moisture. Place over a bowl to drain for 5 minutes, then tip into a clean tea towel and squeeze out all the excess water. Might need to use 2 towels. If you leave water in the cake, they will fall apart in the frying pan.
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Put the feta, carrot mixture, spring onions, coriander and mint into a bowl, season and mix together. Add the beaten eggs and mix well, then stir in 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs. The mixture should be sticky enough to form into patties, if it’s not sticky enough add some more breadcrumbs. Shape the mixture into larger patties. Leave in the fridge uncovered for at least 20–25 minutes to firm up.
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Meanwhile, put all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
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Once you’re ready to cook, heat a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and fry the cakes until dark golden and crisp on either side and hot all the way through.
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Serve the cakes hot with spoonfuls of the chilli dressing over the top.
I made this for the first time Aug 18th 2022. Right out of the oven if was delicious.
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I added some extra veggies like red bell peppers, mushrooms...
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For the cheese I used 3/4 brick of Monterey Jack. Spices I used 1/2 a TBS of Italian seasoning, 1/2 TBS thyme
1/2 TBS rosemary.
NOTE: I did not make the added source.
<5
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1 head green cabbage
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â–¢ 1 onion, diced
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â–¢ 2 stalks celery, diced
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â–¢ 2 ½ cups cooked lentils, 1 cup dry(210g)
Filling
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â–¢ 2 ½ cups cooked brown rice, 1 cup dry(210g)
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â–¢ 3 tablespoons ground flax
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â–¢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
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â–¢ 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
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â–¢ ½ teaspoon cumin
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â–¢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
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â–¢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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â–¢ cracked pepper
Tomato Broth
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â–¢ 3 cups vegetable broth
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â–¢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
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â–¢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
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â–¢ 2 teaspoons Bragg liquid aminos (soy sauce)
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â–¢ cracked pepper
Makes about 10 rolls
This meal can take 2+ hours to make. It's a special occasion meal.
Optional sauce
Yogurt Sauce
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â–¢ ½ cup plant based yogurt
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â–¢ 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
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â–¢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
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â–¢ 1 tsp Bragg liquid aminos, or soy sauce
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â–¢ 2 tablespoons water
I made a few of these with some left-over meat balls I had and that was pretty good.
Spaghetti and meatballs​
In the large cast-iron skillet, Finally chopped one cooking onions- sauté until softened then add two cloves crushed garlic. After an additional few minutes of cooking, turn off gas and set aside.
NOTE: "NO" breadcrumbs because it will make the meatballs to firm.
In the large blue mixing bowl, add one of our usual packages of 97% lean organic hamburger.
Add About 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped or about 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.
Add One heaping teaspoon of salt.
Add 1 teaspoon pepper.
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese.
If you’re using 97% lean hamburger, add a couple shots/ shakes of olive oil.
Add the onion and garlic mixture to your hamburger and spices. Mix by hand well.
Once well mixed, make ping pong ball/golf ball size meatballs. You can also use this for making tiny meatballs for Italian wedding soup.
Makes approximately 10 ping pongball / golf ball size meatballs
** the photo to the right shows where I recently pan fried small meatballs, almost till done, then put on baking sheet for oven warm up prior to dinner.
Use large baking sheet with parchment.
Preheat oven to 350°
Set oven timer for 15 minutes, but rotate every five minutes. When baking is complete, put in stove top pot of sauce to finish heating cooking. Or you can continue to bake for a few more minutes to finish.
<5
Making this for the first time on Dec 12th 2022. What is nice about this dish is that it is a one pan dish.
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Unfortunately it was just OK. Louisa liked it but, I think I like the dish with potatoes it is a bottom layer is better.
Spanish rice with mixed vegetables on a bed of spinach topped with soft fried egg on top. This meal is faster than doing stuffed bell peppers as I'm not blanching or baking the mixture afterwards
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* Two packages of uncle Ben's Spanish rice.
Both packages heat up 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave.
* Steam one package mixed vegetables: corn, carrots, beans and peas. I had some extra green bell pepper which I chopped up also. Steaming the vegetable should only take about 15 minutes approximate.
I put the Spanish rice after microwaving in big skillet. Waiting for the pan of mixed vegetables to steam.
* Washed and trimmed spinach.
* Have two eggs in the flat skillet ready to fry. The whole meal only takes about 1/2 an hour.
* I added 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
* I added one 8.0 oz can of Hunts tomato sauce.
* Add a little hot source to give it some heat
* add a few heavy pinches of shredded Mexican style cheese.
* Salt and pepper to taste
NOTE: don't over cook the egg. It was best with a runny yolk.
A supper quick meal. About 30 min total
Serve this chicken Parmesan vegetarian dish with a loaded salad and you have a filling dinner.
Vegetarian chicken Parmesan
Morning star chick pea, Patty
1 take a few frozen chickpea patties out and get them warming up on the counter
2 start a pot of water, bring to boil, spaghetti and salt
3 ingredients to have on hand are: garlic, salt, marinara sauce and about a 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
4 figure out how many servings you're going to use. I made three servings in the oven safe crafts. So I made enough spaghetti to swirl around in the bottom of them. Probably about 1/4 of a box.
5 broke the spaghetti in half and boiled it until cooked. After draining the spaghetti, I put it back in the pan and put some olive oil in to prevent it from sticking.
6 divide the spaghetti up in the crafts then add a few teaspoons of marinara sauce, and stir around to blend. Don't forget to add a couple dashes of garlic salt. Next, put chickpea patty on top of spaghetti. Add some marinara sauce to the chickpea Patty, then finally top off with a nice heaping of Parmesan, grated cheese.
7 preheat oven to 375° and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Check after about 15 minutes. Last five minutes use broiler to brown the cheese.
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Funny, I think I liked this better than Louisa.
Japanese Curry
From The Test kitchen
Bon Appétit
Check the price on already diced winter squash.
Shopping list:
​Mixed mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic, ginger vegetable broth, a winter squash, green onion, basmati, rice
Ingredients
4 servings
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup S&B curry powder
2 tsp. garam masala
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
8 oz. mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, royal trumpet, shiitake, and/or crimini), torn or sliced into 2" pieces
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced on a diagonal ½" thick
2 celery stalks, sliced on a diagonal ½" thick
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1- 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
12 oz. kabocha squash, scrubbed, or other winter squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1" pieces (about 2½ cups)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey
Thinly sliced (green onion) / scallions NOT shallots
cooked short-grain rice (for serving)
Things you can make ahead of time and set aside.
1) Make our standard basmati rice cover with cling wrap to prevent it from drying out.
2) you can also make the roux mixture, cover, and set aside
Preparation​
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking often, until roux is light golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garam masala and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; set curry roux aside.
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Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve saucepan.
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Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in reserved saucepan over medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened and onion is translucent, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add squash and mushrooms; simmer gently until liquid is reduced by a third and vegetables are very tender, 20–25 minutes. Whisk in honey and reserved curry roux until incorporated and roux is lump-free. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–10 minutes. Taste curry and season with more salt if needed.
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Divide curry among shallow bowls; top with scallions. Serve with rice.
Do ahead: Curry can be made 4 days ahead; let cool. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Well, Lou loved it. Me? <3 It wasn't thick and creamy the way I like.
Adjust proportions for three potatoes instead of four
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4 Large Russet Potatoes, washed, scrubbed
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1-1/2 cups of Cooked Broccoli Florets, finely chopped
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1 tsp of Granulated Onion
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1 tsp of Granulated Garlic
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1/2 cup of Sour Cream or yogurt
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3 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
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About 1/2 cup of Whole Milk
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Salt and Pepper, to taste
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1-1/2 cups of Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar
Instead of using sour cream I used yogurt since we have that often at the house along with some half and half. Good opportunity to use up older vegetables.
Meal comes from Chef John. It's always good. Other information including tricks and tips will come later
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1 pound dry spaghetti
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 cup olive oil <.5
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
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​Don't forget to add a vegetable, such as steamed broccoli or roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts
Loaded Mac and cheese
Louisa's recipe
<5
Although this was Louisa's recipe, she does not really care for mac & cheese and I don't think I am either.
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Elbow macaroni. I have used both regular and whole wheat elbows to make this veggie mac and cheese with great.
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Olive oil. Any neutral oil works great here! It's just to sauté the vegetables
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Vegetables. Use 2 cups of your favorite veggies! In this particular batch of vegetable macaroni and cheese I used 1 cup broccoli (cut small) and 1 cup shredded zucchini.
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Other ideas: yellow squash, carrots, bell peppers, onions, peas, tomatoes, cauliflower, butternut squash, etc.
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Butter. This recipe calls for salted butter! Unsalted butter works equally well, you may just need to add a touch more salt in the end!
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1/4 cup Flour. All-purpose flour is used to thicken the cheese sauce.
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Garlic Powder. The garlic powder really adds a subtle but important depth of flavor to to this dish! You can also used minced garlic, just sauté it with the vegetables!
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Whole Milk. Any percentage of milk works well in this vegetable mac and cheese recipe! Just remember, the higher the fat content, the creamier your mac and cheese will be.
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Sour cream. Full-fat is best, but I also use Greek Yogurt quite often with great results!
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Cheese! I prefer to use sharp cheddar or a mix of cheddar and gouda (yum). You can use your favorite cheese!
COOK PASTA
Start by cooking your pasta of choice! Always add about ¼ tsp salt to the water used to cook the pasta for the best flavor! When it's finished, drain but do not rinse the noodles. The cheese adheres to the macaroni better if it is not rinsed!
SAUTÉ VEGETABLES
While the pasta is cooking, sauté the vegetables in olive oil until they are ALMOST COOKED. The amount of time needed will depend on the veggies you choose. This is when the vegetables are cooked, so it's important to make sure to cook them to your liking!
MAKE CHEESE SAUCE
Once the veggies are cooked (or while they're cooking) make the cheese sauce. Start by making a roux with the butter and dry ingredients. Then whisk in the milk and sour cream and finally add the cheese.
PUT IT TOGETHER
Once the sauce is thick and the noodles and veggies are cooked, it's time to put it all together. Add the cooked macaroni into the pot with the cheese sauce and stir.
Tofu:
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2 blocks of extra firm tofu
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1–2 tablespoons cornstarch
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olive oil and salt
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2 small (or 1 large) head of broccoli, cut into florets
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2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
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1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
Peanut Sauce:
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1/2 cup peanut butter
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1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
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2 tablespoons sesame oil (toasted or dark)
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2 tablespoons rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons sambal oelek or chili paste (this is where the “spicy” comes in, so add to taste) I used a few drops of Louisa's HOT source
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2 tablespoons sugar, honey, or agave
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a small knob of fresh ginger, peeled
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a clove of fresh garlic, peeled
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1/4 cup water
One-Pot Enchilada Rice
Servings: 4-5
NGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ cup red onion, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
3 cups water
1½ cups rice
1 cup black beans
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup shredded cheese (optional)
½ avocado, cubed (garnish)
Start the rice to finish cooking at the time you want to serve. Also, only use basmati rice as Jasmine is to gummy.
Ingredients I have lying around:
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First time doing this, I cleaned out the large cast-iron skillet and will used vegetable oil because of its high smoke point. I need to have the heat high to stir fry the vegetables not steam them.
carrots
Broccoli
Mushrooms
snow peas
Bell peppers
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***Remember to take the lid off the basmati rice after cooking and fluff it up with a fork or the rice will continue to cook and become gummy.
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5+
Defiantly use this sweet and sour sauce
4 Tbs ketchup
4 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp corn starch
3 tbs vinegar
2 tbs water
Heat sauce for 2 or 3 min until thickens.
