Posted on 03/19/2011 6:24:41 AM PDT by libertarian27
Welcome to the 15th installment of the FR Weekly Cooking Thread.
Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or two - or six for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' recipe stack of Family favorites?
Here's the place to share and explore your next favorite recipe.
Printed this and am headed to the store....can hardly wait....
My family usues the large tortillas for the following Fajita/Burrito recipe.
Family Favorite Fajitas
Flour Tortillas
One Flank Steak
Cooking oil (I like to use olive oil, but vegetable oil works fine too)
2 –3 Red, green, yellow, and/or orange peppers, cut in long strips
One onion cut in long strips
Fajita seasoning (I have sometimes substituted with taco seasoning)
Salt and pepper
Optional toppings your family may like:
Green taco sauce
Grated Cheddar Cheese Sour Cream
Guacamole
Black olives
Green onions
Season flank Steak with fajita seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. I like to cook my flank steak under the broiler in a broiler pan in the middle of my oven, approximately 6 minutes each side for medium rare. Let it rest on the cutting board while you prepare the onions and peppers.
In a hot pan with a little oil, sauté the onions and peppers to the doneness you like with a tablespoon of Fajita Seasoning. My family prefers them to be just partially cooked so they are still crisp tender.
Slice the steak on an angle in thin slices and serve with onions and warmed tortillas. I usually serve this with Spanish rice and refried beans or a rice and bean dish.
Sometimes family members will eat this dinner as Fajitas, and sometimes they will add the rice and beans to their tortilla and eat it as a burrito. Either way it is delicious.
You can substitute chicken breast for the steak and have chicken ones too. For the chicken ones I just brown seasoned chicken breast cut into strips in the oil on the stove top before I add the onions and peppers.
Just remembered, haven’t made this in a while, this one is really good, sauce is excellent:
Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla
(copycat recipe)
SAUCE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced jalapenos, slices
2 teaspoons jalapeno juice, from minced jalepenos
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash salt
QUESADILLAS
4 flour tortillas (10”)
4 chicken tenderloins
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 slices process American cheese
Directions:
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Combine sauce ingredients and stir until smooth.
Grill chicken in vegetable oil and cut into thin slices.
Preheat skillet over medium heat.One at a time, lay tortilla into hot skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of each shredded cheese and 1/2 cheese slice on one side of the tortilla.
Arrange about 1/4 cup chicken slices on tortilla on the same half covered with cheese.
On the empty side, spread about one tablespoon of sauce.
Fold over, and press gently with spatula.
Cook until cheese is melted and slice each into pieces or serve whole.
(I’ll put a small dinner plate (not too heavy) on the quesadillas to flatten)
(Nice addition to these are fresh baby spinach leaves - put them on before you fold the tortillas over)
Wow, can people stand to be around you after you eat that?
Just kidding...sort of. ;-)
I had a friend buy some garlic fries at a ball game once. I swear it was a plate of sauteed garlic with some fries mixed in. His breath could have curdled milk...
Sounds fantastic. Thanks!
Wow, chicken one day and beef the next! Thanks.
That’s why you eat that recipe as a group....lol
Breakfast burritos are quick and easy and have served as breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper and othermeal.
My parents tried to grow asparagus at their cabin in northern Michigan. What they raised were 1/2 inch stubs. %#@! deer LOVE asparagus.
That’s an idea. Hubby would like that.
Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi Recipe
If you want to make Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi at home here is the recipe, straight from the master chef himself, Michael LaDuke.
Shrimp Scampi
Serves 4
1 Pound of Medium Shrimp - Peel it and remove the vein.
1 Tbsp of Pure Olive Oil (don't use extra virgin oil)
2 Tbsp of Finely Chopped Garlic (you can also use some already prepared chopped garlic from your local grocery store)
1-1/2 Cups of White Wine (preferably a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay will work fine)
A 1/2 cup of Fresh Lemon (use the juice only)
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning mix
A 1/2 a Cup of Butter (preferably softened)
1 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley (chop it up fine)
Flavor with Salt and Pepper
1/2 a Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (if you want to garnish dish)
Instructions
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet and then add in the olive oil, and do not allow the oil to smoke. Add the shrimp and cook it until tender and it's no longer translucent.
Next remove the shrimp from the pan and decrease heat slightly. Add the garlic and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Try not to brown the garlic as this will render a slightly bitter flavor. Once the garlic is cooked, add the white wine.
Squeeze some juice from the lemon into the pan, and reduce the wine by half. After it is reduced, next add the Italian seasoning blend.
Now reduce the heat to low, and slowly add in butter, 1 Tbsp at a time. The butter should slowly begin to dissolve into the sauce and create a nice creamy texture. If the pan is too hot the butter will separate.
As soon as the butter is assimilated, add the shrimp back into the sauce, sprinkle the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the dish with the garnish of fresh cheese if so desired. For a great accompanying dish to Scampi add fresh pasta.
You can also saute some peppers and onion to add to the eggs or just in the burritos. I like to get frozen Three Pepper and Onion Blend. I can add a small amount to whatever I am fixing and keep the rest until the next time something needs a little kick of flavor. I use it in taco meat, soups, casseroles and hash, just to name a few.
Yea! Please let me know how you like it! Like I said, it doesn’t sound like much, but boy does it taste good. =D
Does anyone have a good recipe for Szechuan style twice cooked pork? It is one of my favorite things to order at chinese restaurants but I would like to find a good recipe to make at home.
“Bar Room Bologna - You can do the same with vienna sausages or hard boiled eggs.”
I’ve been looking for Vienna sausage recipes. I don’t know how big a “ring” of bologna is. How much Vienna sausage should be used as a replacement for bologna in the recipe?
I stumbled across something in Sam's Club the other day that might interest you. "Members Mark Marinated Green Asparagus Spears". 2 lb, 1.5 oz jar for less than $5. Very thin, tender asparagus spears pickled in a brine similar to bread & butter pickles. VERY TASTY! (I can't stay out of them!)
I have found that they make a great garnish for Bloody Marys, too.
Hmm, I wonder if you could do the same with large cubed Spam? Serve them as hors d'oeuvres with cheese, olives and crackers?
Ha, have you ever heard of a cat who looooves green olives? Mine does but you have to remove the pimento and pre-chew it for her (disgusting). She also loves spaghetti sauce so maybe it is the acidity. Crazy cat.
Had some for supper lasy night, yum.
It was wonderful....sure interesting....will become a mainstay at our home...THANKS!!!
This one may work for you.....
TWICE COOKED PORK / A SZECHUAN RECIPE
Hui Guo Rou Pork is boiled and then stir-fried in this authentic recipe from Szechuan.
1/2 lb pork
1 leek
1 green bell pepper (choose jalapeno pepper for better taste)
1 red bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pork, return to a boil, and then let the pork simmer for twenty minutes.
While pork is boiling, prepare the vegetables.
Wash and drain the leeks and bell peppers and cut into chunks.
When pork has finished boiling, remove and let cool. Cut the pork into thin matchbox slices.
Add the salt to the pork pieces with your fingers. Stir and mix to make sure the meat is coated.
Heat wok. When hot, add the vegetable oil.
Stir-fry the vegetables, adding the leeks first, then the green peppers and finally the red peppers. Stir-fry the vegetables until they are tender but still firm and not mushy.
Add the chili paste, soy sauce, and the pork slices.
Blend and cook together for 1 -2 minutes. Serve hot.
BBQ season is here! Time to stoke up the smoker.
Fried Smoked Chicken
3 1/2 to 4 lbs of chicken parts
3 cups (more or less) buttermilk to cover chicken
1 1/2 tbs tabasco or other hot sauce
2 to 3 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 lbs solid shortening (3cups)
3 tbs bacon drippings
At least 3 hours and up to 12 hours before barbecueing, place the chicken in a shallow dish. Pour in the buttermilk and hot sauce, turning chicken so it is fully coated.Cover the dish and refrigerate.
Prep your smoker, and bring temp to 200 to 220 F. The type of wood you use can have some striking variences in flavor. Use only hardwoods, never any resinous woods such as pine, the sap will produce a bitter taste. Hickory or oak work well with most meats. Fruit woods such as cherry or apple add a sweet smoky flavor. Maple is also another wood that adds a sweet flavor. If you are going to use charcoal, purchase a lump hardwood charcoal.
Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade. let it stand at room temp for about 20 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to the smoker for 35 to 45 minutes. This will be enough time to infuse the chicken with that delicious smoky flavor.
Return the chicken to the buttermilk bath. In a medium sized bag pour in the flour, salt, and pepper.
In a 12” skillet place the shortening and bacon drippings and heat over a high flame. When it starts to bubble reduce to a medium high flame.
Drain the chicken and coat each piece in the flour mix. Start with the dark meat.
Place chicken in pan so it cooks evenly. Reduce heat to medium and cover. fry 10 to 12 minutes. Reduce heat again to medium low and uncover the pan. Fry about another 10 to 12 minutes, or until a rich brown color.
Remove it from the oil and drain. serve it hot and enjoy!
Thank you!
I may have to try that, it looks good. :)
I have not been able to get the pickled asparagus spears here but I had them at my daughter’s in southeast South Dakota and they are great. My nearest Sam’s is 80 miles away but I have a granddaughter living there- I will have to check on that. I agree- they are yummy.
Thanks for reminding me. I had entirely forgotten.
We had a cat who would suck the pimentos out and eat them and leave the olive.
How funny!
You didn’t dare leave a plate of nachos alone when he was around, you would return to a plate of corn chips.
Thanks for posting that. A couple of years ago I made the mistake of picking up a jar of asparagus. My wife is absolutely hooked. IIRC the ones I got (from a farmer’s market held on the state capitol lawn, of all places) were kosher dill style, but Mrs Mag hasn’t shown any sign of being particular about the type. She does love bread and butter pickles.
I like to make pickles every season. When I do, my wife is always asking “Are you going to have any leftover juice” She then fills jars with asparagus spears, cauliflower, onions, or garlic. They are all good in either bread and butter or dill. Another thing that I bought once was pickled brussel sprouts. That sounds nasty, but I tried them and they were good.
I had forgotten about those being in the fridge. (Sneaking off towards the kitchen.)
That give me an idea. How about a thread devoted to the gentle art of pickling? Perhaps towards the end of summer?
I am just a novice pickler, but it sounds good to me.
Oh My Gosh, I tried your Tarte Flambe tonight - Awesome!
I soaked sweet onion slices in the cottage cheese/heavy cream over night and made it tonight with store bought pizza dough (I’m not a dough person:) and the requisite 1/2 lb of bacon.
It was BEA-utiful - what a delicate flavor with the onions marinating in the cream/cheese - thank you so much for that recipe.
I have a very distant cousin in Alsace and got the idea from her several years ago when I was doing some genealogical research. This recipe appears to be limited to the Rhine River (Fr and German side) with some places in France's Gold Coast offering it. I am not sure why it has not had success elsewhere.
Wonderful recipe - I checked some other recipes online after you posted yours, I’ve never seen that one before, and yours had the extra (and definitely smart) step of soaking the onions overnight.
The flavor! Wow - it didn’t even need bacon!
You would think to throw in some spices or something...but that would ruin it - it was perfect.
I just made a suggestion. Libertarian27 is who you need to convince.
When you feel the time is right just post a bunch of like-recipes here or make a specific post on pickling.
If you look back at some of these thread weeks you can see patterns of recipes - once someone asks for a recipe or idea - the flood gates can open wide with recipes.
I can post recipe listings of all pickling type recipes pretty easily too - I’ve got everything on excel and can sort recipes and weeks for references. I did something like that on the super bowl week thread - with appetizers.
I’ve never liked cottage cheese, but this recipe sounds really good and I own an Alsatian :) I’ll have to try it.
Browned Butter Fudge
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
7 ounces evaporated milk
1 tea vanilla
(I’ve had this before from Murdock’s fudge shop on Martha’s Vineyard, this fudge is on the lines of Penuche but more subtle and very rich)
Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan over low heat until golden brown (watch that butter when it’s cooking - too far and you’re throwing out a stick of butter- or making a brown roux I guess;)Up to you how deep a color and flavor you want. Tonight I made a medium golden brown fudge.
Then add 3 cups of white granulated sugar, 7 ounces of evaporated milk (1/2c + 6 Tablespoons)and 1/2 cup light corn syrup.
Stirring constantly, cook this over medium heat until it boils nicely (not just the side edges of the pan but all over the top)Once it boils - stop stirring.
Don’t stir it! Place a candy thermometer in the pan (buy one - it’s worth it) to reach 235’ (or do the soft ball stage in a glass of cold water- I always screw that up)
Don’t stir. Heat the mixture over medium to medium high heat until it hits 235.
Once it reaches 235’ - turn off heat and let it sit-don’t stir- (I’m like a broken record) for around an hour - you want it to around 110’ - when it’s cooling down add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the top of the mixture - Don’t stir it in yet.
Once it hits around 110’ - that’s when the stirring comes in - and stir you will - take a wooden spoon (I have a heavy duty spatula for this) and stir-stir-stir -(no metal utensils) you want the glossy sheen to go away - when you are getting close it will be harder to stir and start looking like very thick ribbons - and it will lose it’s gloss. The stirring at this stage elongates the sugar molecules/ crystals and makes the fudge smooth - if you don’t stir it enough it will be grainy. If you stir it too much you’ll have ‘fudge in a saucepan’. (which isn’t a bad thing either in the grand scheme of things)
Pour mixture into a 8x8 (or close enough) buttered foil lined dish to set (countertop or throw in the fridge) un-mold and cut into small pieces once set(like 3/4 inch or less) - believe me you want small pieces - this stuff is rich.
My husband, who does have a sweet tooth but knows how to control himself, or so I thought, had 5 pieces of this fudge after dinner - and he’s a chocolate candy bar addict:)
(Edit: had to edit that deleted post above - forgot the vanilla - duh. Husband had a piece this morning, he never does that, I told him to take some to work and give some out to get rid of it faster- lol)
I think I'll also try it on skinless breasts later.
Recap of this week’s recipes:
Appetizer* 13 BAR ROOM BOLOGNA
Appetizer* 19 cheese crisps
Dessert* 7 Hershey’s Old Fashioned Fudge
Dessert* 11 Soda Cracker Pie
Dessert* 91 Browned Butter Fudge
Meal* 6 Tarte Flambe
Meal* 10 dad’s prime rib
Meal* 26 fajitas
Meal* 32 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Meal* 38 40 clove chicken
Meal* 47 Garlic Shrimp with Linguine
Meal* 50 Perfect Chicken Thighs
Meal* 52 Family Favorite Fajitas
Meal* 53 Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla
Meal* 61 Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Meal* 70 TWICE COOKED PORK / A SZECHUAN RECIPE
Meal* 71 Fried Smoked Chicken
Side* 14 asparagus spears
Side* 29 Baked Garlic Bulb
(Please don’t add any new recipes on this thread - visit the current week thread to post)
The current week’s cooking thread link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2694984/posts
This is called a “sope.” Pronounced “SO-pay.”
Huh, what is called so-pay? I’m so confused!
I’m on Weight Watchers, so I probably shouldn’t be reading this thread. But I was just wondering if anyone has been able to duplicate the recipe for the Weight Watchers “Peanut Butter and Chip Delight” bars, which were recently discontinued.
The bars themselves look like they’re almost all peanut butter, with chocolate chips embedded on top. I’ve googled and have not come up with anything close.
Thank you in advance!
Someone might have an idea or recipe.
Ask your question on this week’s thread!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2694984/posts
“A little hole in the wall serves a dish called cheese crisp.
Fry the tortilla just until it puffs up slightly then drain on paper towels. Next, top it with 2 or 3 different shredded cheese, then a handful of chopped onions scattered evenly, followed by a Tbls or 2 of your favorite salsa then pop it in the microwave to melt the cheese. Finish it with several slices of jalapeno.” This is a sope. I heat up the tortilla on a cast iron griddle, no grease. I eat them for breakfast with refried beans and no onions.
Thanks La Lydia, it doesn’t take much to confuse me anymore, LOL thanks for clearing it up for me.
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