Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I had two dishes in a restaurant recently that I enjoyed so much I came home right away and looked for recipes.

The first was a salad of mixed greens with orange, walnut and Gorgonzola, very like this one:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/72876/orange-walnut-gorgonzola-and-mixed-greens-salad-with-fresh-citrus-vinaigrette/

However, the dressing was a ‘maple-walnut’ one, of which I found many versions; this one from the website ‘A Salad for All Seasons’ looked closest:

MAPLE WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

Serves: 1 CUP

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup of walnut oil

2 Tablespoons of pure maple syrup

3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons of minced shallots

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

1. Place the oils, vinegar, maple syrup, vinegar, mustard and shallots in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The website is very nice, stressing healthier eating with lots of interesting recipes:

http://www.asaladforallseasons.com/maple-walnut-vinaigrette/

The other dish was tortellini and spinach in a cream sauce, and Liz posted a nice one earlier today in last week’s thread. Pillsbury also came through with Creamy Spinach and Tortellini:

https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/creamy-spinach-and-tortellini/3d07b05a-c2a3-4a05-aeff-e4a94807757a#

And finally, this week's Lee Valley newsletter had a soup that I suggest for the first fire you light on a chilly night this Fall - Fire Broth Soup:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/newsletters/Gardening/2569//Article3.htm

-JT

[Liz]

It’s like having money in the bank.......when making that creamy dish, I sometimes cook an extra pkg of tortellini, and fridge it.

Serve the creamy spinach dish that night.

Couple nights later, I add some steamed broccoli florets to the pre-cooked tortellini and heat it up w/ marinara sauce. Serve under a shower of Parm and a drizzle of evo. Of course you can throw in any leftover spinach tortellini, if you have some.

[Liz]

That sounds like this Greek dish.Delicious little oval Greek "fritters" can be made with lamb or beef, zucchini, tomatoes or chickpeas. The "can't stop eating them" starters.

BEEF KEFTEDES / a delectable Greek appetizer

PREP Sweat onions in bit oil. Add good sprinkle of salt; cook couple min (onion is translucent); add garlic; saute 2-3 min. Cool on plate.

METHOD combine onion, garlic, meat and egg. Add squeezed milk-soaked bread (discard milk), spices, good tsp pepper. Mix evenly.

CAN DO AHEAD TO HERE refrigerate a day til needed.

ASSEMBLY Form balls a little smaller than golf balls. Then squeeze gently into long oval shapes. Roll in flour and shake off any excess. Saute hot on medium heatin oil 1/ up sides of balls (keftedes should sizzle immediately upon hitting the oil); turning once, just cook through but still moist inside and with a nice crust outside, about five min. Remove to p/towel-lined plate to drain.

SERVE Arrange on server. Grind some fresh pepper over, torn mint leaves and lemon zest; then drizzle w/ evo and a sprinkle of salt. Add lemon wedges on the side for squeezing on top.

Ingredients ◦Canola oil, for sauteing and pan-frying ◦½ cup minced or grated onion ◦kosher salt, ◦1 garlic clove smashed beneath the flat side of a knife and coarsely chopped ◦½ cup diced day old bread ◦½ cup whole milk ◦1 pound ground beef or lamb ◦1 large egg ◦1 generous tablespoon torn fresh oregano leaves, ◦1 tsp. ground coriander ◦1 tsp. ground cumin ◦⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon ◦a really generous pinch of grated nutmeg ◦freshly ground pepper (lots) ◦all-purpose flour, for dusting, ◦handful of fresh mint leaves, for serving ◦3 lemons, first zested (for garnish) then cut into wedges ◦¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

[JayGalt]

That roast sounds real nice, another thought for another week.

[JayGalt]

You are welcome, love to hear what you think of it.

[goosie]

I have been making sauerkraut for about a year and it is really easy, just two ingredients, Cabbage and unrefined salt. You can add spices of your choice. Look on YouTube.

[Dacula]

I promise to let you know.

[Jamestown1630]

Add some potatoes and carrots - but especially the carrots. They are so wonderful when they get cooked and a little bit caramelized under the meat.

[Aliska]

I love my lentil soup; my kids liked my split pea soup better. I ream them through my Foley food mill like my mom did. I use the brown lentils and you have to get past the color of the soup which I did. I tried red lentils from the health food store and they wouldn't cook soft (I don't think I soaked peas or lentils overnight)

Could you please post the recipe for the duck and mushroom soup? I once had duck and black mushrooms in a Chinese restaurant that closed as they so often eventually do, and it was so delicious but I don't remember what else was in it.

I've had bad luck with ducks, bought a frozen one and it had a couple strings of meat and nothing but fat. How do you pick a quality duck? Please don't tell me to go buy one from a farmer.

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks. His parents tried it once, and got something ‘living’ on it that scared them; and they thew it out. We’ve thought that it was probably natural ;-)

We’ve been looking this week for a proper crock.

[Jamestown1630]

That sounds a lot like it - and the lemon may have been the part that did the trick!

I remember having a meal in a Greek lady’s house - roast lamb, and those wonderful garlic/lemon potatoes that they make.

[JayGalt]

Thank you : )

[goosie]

I use a wide mouth mason jar and bought some lids on Amazon. They allow the gas out and don’t let oxygen in. After the first time, it is easy. It is full of probiotics.

Save the crock after you see if you like it.

[CottonBall]

Ok this isn’t exactly gourmet food, but I’d love to be able to replicate Dairy Queen’s buffalo chicken melt. I can’t find any copycat recipes out there.

[CottonBall]

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup - a lot like Olive Garden’s but with spices

1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
½ cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
2/3 lb cooked, cubed chicken
4 cups chicken broth
16 oz pkg mini gnocchi*
6 oz baby spinach leaves**
4 tsp cornstarch
2 Ts cold water
1¼ cup half-and-half cream
salt and black pepper
¾ tsp thyme
½ tsp marjoram and tarragon
*or cut regular-sized gnocchi in half
**or swiss chard, use stalks too

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cubed chicken and chicken broth; bring to a simmer. Stir gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 3 additional minutes. Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture and half-and-half into simmering soup, if needed. Cook until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

[CottonBall]

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Rollup

Dressing – whisk all and refrigerate
3 T honey
1 1/2 T rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Grey Poupon
1/4 tsp sesame oil
Chicken
one breast, cut in long strips.
Mix 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Whisk 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk. Dip chicken and egg, then crumb mixture. Fry.
Salad
3 cups Romain
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup Napa cabbage
1/2 cup carrot
Shred Romain, cabbages, and carrot and mix.
per serving: 1 T slivered almonds, 1 green onion, chopped, 1/3 cup chow mein noodles
Assembly
Place salad on a tortilla and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with green onion, almonds and chow mein noodles. Add chicken and roll up.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve never had one, but maybe someone will come along with ideas. I wonder if you could put some buffalo chicken dip in a tortilla with some cheddar cheese sprinkled on, and bake it?

http://www.franksredhot.com/recipes/franks-redhot-buffalo-chicken-dip-RE1242-1

[Jamestown1630]

Fungi sent me his recipe for Lamb Blintzes (I think I would probably up the spices ;-):

Lamb Blintzes

One pound ground lamb
One bunch parsley, finely minced
One bunch cilantro, finely minced
One small onion, finely minced, I —use yellow,
Red is fine if you prefer
Three or four cloves garlic, pressed into lamb
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
I teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Method:

Add spices to lamb first and mix well with hands. Add rest of ingredients and mix well with hands. Allow to sit refrigerated for a half hour.

Make oblong rounds about two inches long, you will have about a dozen. Grill over a hot grill wiped clean with an olive oil laced towel. Grill till done to your liking. Can also be threaded on a skewer or grilled on a griddle, but nothing takes the place of a grill where the fat cooks off onto the coals for that added flavor.

I was conservative on the spices for your sake. The true recipe has a teaspoon of each.

[CottonBall]

I’m not sure about using the dip. I’m just going to wing it tonight. So to speak :-) I’ll use some chicken that I cook, whole breast pieces. Make a buffalo wing sauce and put that over along with some cheese and ranch. And heat it to melt the cheese. I think I would rather have the ranch cold-but it would be hard to take the thing apart after the cheese is melted. When I had it at Dairy Queen it was more like a very saucy and cheesy wrap with larger pieces of chicken in it.

[Jamestown1630]

You’re making me hungry for Buffalo Chicken Dip; haven’t made it in a long time.

[Silentgypsy]

“Special” meat sounds really scary.