OT: Share Some Simple Recipes for Shelter in Place
As many of you are probably going on week five of Shelter in Place, I figured we could share some simple recipes to help each other diversify our offerings during the next few weeks. I will start with two of our household favorites:
Ginger Ale/OJ Pulled Pork in the Crockpot
6lb pork shoulder (before removing the bone)
8oz of Ginger Ale (I use Vernor's or Canada Dry Bold)
8oz of Orange Juice
1 Yellow Onion chopped
1 18oz jar of BBQ Sauce (I use Stubb's Smokey Mesquite)
Remove the plastic casing from the pork shoulder and then use a sharp knife to remove the bone. Trim the fat as necessary, but I like to leave a decent amount for flavor. Using a fork, stab the pork like it's your enemy, to allow holes for the OJ/Ginger Ale to absorb. This helps to break down the pork for pulling/shredding when it's done cooking. Pat the pork dry when done and rub with a salt/pepper mixture. Place the pork in the crockpot and set it to low. While it begins to warm, chop the onion in medium large pieces. Add the onion to the crockpot. Finally, pour in 8oz of Ginger Ale and 8oz of OJ to the pot. Cover and set a timer for six hours. When six hours has past, remove ALL of the liquid from the pot, leaving only the onions and the pork. If the pork is starting to fall apart, start shredding it with a fork. If not, no worries. Now, add the BBQ sauce and set the crockpot to high for another 1-2 hours. Check on it every 15 minutes or so and try to shred as much as possible. I recommend Brioche buns, white bread, or you can follow my Father-in-Law's lead and sneak out to the kitchen at 5am when your wife isn't around to eat it straight from the bowl.
Basic Turkey Chili
2lbs of Ground Turkey (you can use patties, if that is all you've got) chopped into 1 inch cubes before cooking
1/2 of one yellow onion, diced
15 oz can (Drain and rinse) of each:
Light Red Kidney Beans
Dark Red Kidney Beans
Cannellini Beans
Pinto Beans x 2
2 - 14.5oz can of Diced Tomatoes w/ either Jalapenos or Green Chiles
2 - 1.5oz packets chili seasoning (McCormick or the like; look in the seasoning aisle or the International Aisle)
1 - 8oz can of tomato sauce (Sauce NOT paste, it'll be small and with the diced tomatoes above in the store)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup or Sriracha (if you like extra heat)
In a skillet, over medium heat (let the skillet get hot before you add) brown the turkey and onions. Add this to the crockpot and set it on low. Now, add all of the other ingredients, stirring between items. Cook for 7 hours on low, stirring every 2 hours or so. I serve with Fritos, lately with the new Jalapeno Frito's Scooops, and shredded cheddar.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:21 AM ^
Coffee Grounds...add water= Coffee
April 10th, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
Cold coffee
April 10th, 2020 at 11:22 AM ^
As a kid, I came up with a recipe that I still use as an adult for some disgustingly soggy cereal - just take graham crackers, crack them up into bite size chunks, toss them in a bowl, pour milk over them, and you have some homemade Golden Grahams (that aren't near as good).
April 10th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
I wanted s'mores last night and my wife forgot graham crackers when she ventured out to the grocery store. So I made my own with this person's recipe. 10/10 will make again, but may also try them as cereal per the "recipe" above.
https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/homemade-graham-crackers/
Ingredients
- 2 cups (10oz/284g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (6oz/170g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons (3 1/2oz/100g) butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/3 cup (3oz/85g) honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
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Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
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In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
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Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. You can also do this in a food processor.
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In a separate jug, whisk together the milk, honey, and vanilla.
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Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky and soft.
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Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour so it's easy to roll. Like previously mentioned this is a very soft dough, so the longer it chills the better.
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On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to a little more ¼ inch thick. Note: keep the surface and your rolling pin dusted with flour to prevent the dough from sticking too much.
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Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2 x 5-inch rectangles. Using a knife, score the cookies down the center lengthwise, then in half across. Using a fork, prick the Grahams on either side of the scored lines. This will create the classic Graham Cracker cookie pattern. Gently transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheet.
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Bake the cookies at 350°F (180°C) for roughly 10-12 minutes. I like to bake them for 10 minutes so they are still soft and not crunchy.
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Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Eat as is or use them to make S'mores.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
Disgusting!? No way!
If you wait for the milk to absorb into the graham crackers, you can then mush everything into a semi-smooth 'paste' and it's more like malt-o-meal. Even better!
April 10th, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
Easy recipe for a great spicy mayo...
1/2 cup of mayo
6 tbsp Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
Dash or two of Paprika
stir well
We use this on grilled chicken sandwiches and/or burgers for tailgates before the games. Worth your time to try it.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
Knock-off Chick-fil-a sauce:
- 3 or 4 parts mayo
- 1 part mustard
- 1 part honey
- A couple of drops of Liquid Smoke
Mix and serve.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
You can sub a little BBQ sauce for the liquid smoke
We do this as an all purpose spread and dipping sauce. We also add cayenne for more zing.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:27 AM ^
Slow Cooker Tikka Masala
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 cups cooked rice (we use basmati but any rice will do... preferably long grain)
Saute the onion and garlic over medium high until softened. Throw in the ginger, tomato paste, and spices and combine. Throw into the slow cooker with the chicken and whole tomatoes and stir to combine and coat the chicken. Set on low for 4 hours until the chicken starts easily pulling apart. Stir in coconut milk and let cook for 15 more minutes on low. Serve over rice.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:28 AM ^
This is far from authentic but gives us a few nights of dinners and gives the youngins (1 and 2 years old) a different array of flavors and they really enjoy it.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
Working on some tuna bowtie salad for lunch. Mix pasta, tuna, peas, carrots, onions, salt, pepper, mayo/dressing of choice. Chill in fridge then chow down.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:41 AM ^
3-ingredient peanut butter cookies.
Two cups of smooth peanut butter, a cup and a half of sugar and 2 eggs, mix until "smoove" but creamy . (For a little extra flavor try adding 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and/or a generous helping of semisweet chocolate chips)
Have your oven preheating to 350°f while you mix the ingredients.
Scoop the dough onto a non-stick baking sheet, flatten with a fork, bake 8-10 minutes at 350°, check to avoid overbaking, then remove to cool and enjoy your gluten-free dairy-free treats!
April 10th, 2020 at 11:53 AM ^
Chili Spag
2/3 lb. spaghetti noodles
10 oz. pkg. National Coney Island chili sauce (Koegel's is good too) from Kroger
1 lb. ground beef
Simmer noodles for 9 minutes in salted water.
Reconstitute chili sauce with 1 1/2 cups water in large skillet.
Brown ground beef & drain.
Combine all & season to taste with salt & pepper.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:02 PM ^
Single guy. Most of my meals are simple for meal prep. I'm only cooking chicken breast en mass right now. To complete most meals I quickly steam up some broccoli on the stove and about an hour before eating I'll grab a sweet potato, cover it in olive oil and sea salt and wrap it in tin foil and stick it in the oven for 45 minutes or so depending on the size at 400. Best sweet potatoes.
I did break out the 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies since it was 3 ingredients I did have. First time making cookies in several years. Made a double batch that yielded 8 cookies. I like em big. They're delicious.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
Wow, 8 cookies from a double batch? They must have been plate-sized big!
Instead of steaming, try roasting your broccoli at 400 beside your sweet potato. You might be amazed.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:04 PM ^
Asian peanut butter sauce:
- 4 parts peanut butter
- 2 parts soy sauce (low-sodium)
- 1 part sesame oil
- minced garlic
- red pepper flakes
Stir it all until it becomes a thick dark brown color (takes about 3 minutes).
Afterward, add water to thin to your desired thickness (or use as is as a glaze for whatever protein)
It works great for noodles dishes or as a dip for spring rolls.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:15 PM ^
Today I'm making stuffed chicken manicotti off the top of my head. I'm going to mix ground chicken with some chopped spinach, mozzarella and parm, a little heavy cream, an egg, and some salt and pepper and maybe ground fennel if I have some. I'll stuff it in cooked manicotti. Then I'll make a bechamel with butter, flour, milk, and more parm and lots of pepper. I'll pour the sauce over the stuffed manicotti and bake it at 375 til it's golden and bubbling.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
Simple Chicago Style Italian Beef
* Any cut of beef (or pork) roast... the cheaper the better, about 2-4 lbs
* One large jar of pepperocini (doesn't matter sliced or whole, mild or spicy)
* 4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed or diced
* 2 cups of beef broth (1 16 oz can, or your favorite bullion cube / water mix)
Throw everything in a crock pot (including the "juice" from the pepperocini jar) on low for 4-8 hours. At the end you'll have a delicious, pull apart beef with gravy for your sandwiches, over rice, over noodles, etc. For the real Chicago Italian Beef experience, put some meat on a sub / hoagie roll with a slice of provolone cheese on the bottom, top with giardeniera (sp?) relish.
April 10th, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
As a twist on slow-cooker meats, for those who have not explored sous vide cooking yet, it really does bring a nice variety to your menu of less-hands on options.
Whereas slow cookers tend to excel with soups/sauces/chilis/etc (i.e., wet foods), the sous vide does very well for steaks/chops/filets/etc. Once you get the setup (and the machine itself is +/- $100) it does make some very nice meats. Particularly taking more challenging cuts (e.g., lean steaks that can easily get tough or overcooked) -- if you follow the simple sous vide principles, it's nearly impossible to overcook the meat.
I know people feel like they have a lot of time on their hands relative to norms, but sous viding is a great way to not have to spend your time in the kitchen when you don't want to, while still ending up with a great dinner plate. It's easy to learn, and almost dummy-proof in execution.
April 12th, 2020 at 10:46 AM ^
I do sous vide a LOT. I cook steaks via sous vide at 123F for about two hours then finish on a super hot (1000F++) charcoal grill, I raise the charcoal grate up with fire bricks to within 2" of the food grate. I pat the steaks dry then place on the grate. I flip the steaks every 30 seconds until I get an internal temp of 130. By the time the steaks get to the dinner table, carry over cooking has them at a perfect 135 for medium rare.
Iv'e done shrimp, tri tip, chicken and even bacon (overnight) sous vide. Tremendous technique
This lentil soup is bomb, and vegetarian for those who are of that persuasion. The shot of lemon juice at the end really adds a quality pop to the recipe.
Arabic “Crushed Lentil” Soup
Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr Difficulty: Easy Servings: Serves: 6 Source:
https://tastykitchen.com/recipes/soups/arabic-e2809ccrushed-lentile2809d-soup/
Ingredients
1-½ whole White Onion, Chopped Finely, Divided
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided
3 cloves Freshly Minced Garlic
1-½ teaspoon Cumin
1-½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 pinch Ground Red Chili Pepper
1-¾ cup Split Red Lentils (or About One Package)
1 whole Carrot, Peeled And Finely Chopped
2-½ quarts Chicken Stock
¼ teaspoons Ground Sea Salt
1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
1 bunch Celery Leaves (or Cilantro, If You Don't Have Celery Leaves)
⅓ cups Lemon Juice Or The Juice Of One Whole Lemon
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute the whole onion (save the 1/2 onion for later) in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until golden brown. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, chili pepper and allspice. Stir together.
Transfer the mixture to a small-to-medium sized soup/stockpot and add the lentils, carrots, broth, salt and pepper. Simmer for about an hour (stirring occasionally), until the lentils have disintegrated and are creamy. Add the celery leaves (or cilantro) about 45 minutes into it (15 minutes before serving).
Also at that time, take your original saucepan and add the additional tablespoon of olive oil along with the extra half of a finely chopped onion. Saute over medium heat until brown and caramelized. Garnish the soup with a lemon wedge and a small teaspoon of the caramelized onions. Serve with pita bread. Tastes even better the next day.
Notes
*Note: if you like the soup creamier, simmer for an additional 15 minutes, or puree soup in a blender after an hour and transfer back to the stockpot to cook for an additional 15 minutes.
A simple go-to for me with ingredients that are always available in my kitchen. Can serve 4 to 6.
Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic (Aglio et Olio)
1 lb pasta (I prefer Thin Spaghetti for twirling)
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano
1 chicken breast grilled and sliced into bite-size pieces (optional)
1 small head broccoli cut up and steamed (optional)
Directions:
In a small pan slowly bring olive oil to a light boil. Add chopped garlic and red pepper until the garlic just begins to carmelize, about 1 minute, and then immediately remove from heat.
In another pan cook the pasta al dente according to the directions. Drain into a colander, and then pour all the pasta into a large bowl. Pour the olive oil over the pasta, add the cheese, and mix well.
At this point you're ready to eat, but if you want to add chicken or broccoli, do it now.
Mexican hash browns:
1 pan of homemade hash browns
One stick of chorizo
One can of black beans, drain the liquid
Shredded Mexican cheese
Fry the taters until they're crisp on one side, then flip them. Heat the chorizo and layer it into the hash browns after you flip them. One they're crisp on the other side, turn down the heat and pour the beans over the chorizo. Sprinkle cheese on top of the beans. Cover long enough to heat the beans and melt the cheese. Eat with a fork or wrapped in a soft shell.
My wife swears by this, and I think its pretty good, but she just calls it fettucine.
One box of fettucine pasta
One hamsteak, cut into cubes
Anywhere between a cup to a cup and a half of sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix it all together, and there's your dinner. It is one of her favorite meals.
Fill saucepan with milk, bring to boil and monitor carefully so as not to scorch. Insert macaroni or small pasta of choice, cook until pasta is tender. Take off heat and DO NOT dump out milk or strain pasta. The milk and flour from pasta make a pseudo-roux. Stir in shredded cheese, butter, and a little salt and pepper. Easiest homemade Mac and cheese ever and blows kraft away.
Spicy Pork Rose Pasta (this is a recipe I created)
- 1/2lb of spicy pork sausage (available in most grocery stores)
- 1 cup of heavy cream (2 cups of milk will do as well)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 can of crushed tomato
- 1 box of pasta of your choice
- Italian seasoning
- On a skillet, brown sausage over medium heat
- When the sausages start to brown add the onions
- Cook till onions are translucent
- Add tomato, bring to boil then simmer for an hour (add a bit of water if it gets too dry)
- Start cooking your pasta, and add heavy cream and Italian seasoning to the sauce and mix it well
- Add your cooked pasta (add any cheese on top if you would like)
- Enjoy!
Pretty simple. Try this video if you want to try something more exotic (made it with my daughter)
April 12th, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
My world famous sausage gravy:
1 lb. of hot breakfast sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
Half a stick of butter
7-8 TBSP of flour
4 cups of whole milk
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp table salt
Brown sausage in a cast iron skillet until no pink left
In a 12" cast iron skillet at 350F (I use my induction platform) melt the butter. Add the flour 1 TBSP at a time, whisking until fully incorporated. Repeat until the roux is very thick. Add one cup of milk and whisk. Add the remaining milk, one cup at a time. Add salt & pepper. Continue whisking as the gravy starts to thicken. Add the cooked sausage and bring to a slight boil (gravy will start to bubble). Turn to low (175F) and start the oven to cook the biscuits.
Serve over split biscuits