El Justo's Cookbook Thread

El Justo's Cookbook Thread

while i am not a professional cook/chef, i had worked in the culinary field (both full time and more recently, part time) for over 15 yrs and have accumulated a vast wealth of kitchen know-how. as such, i have always been the default 'kitchen beeyatch' whenever i've had roommates. things are different now that my fiance assumes most of the kitchen duties but i still thoroughly enjoy cooking and the 'ol lady still can't touch me on many, many dishes!

some of these recipes were handed down from my family, some were learned in the field and others were either given to me by people along the way or some have been designed completely by yours truly!

i shall post them periodically in this thread and at some point, attempt to assemble them into a rough set of categories.

anyone is free to post their recipes if they so desire and i'll also attempt to assemble non-Justo recipes as well.

US/Euro Measurement/Weight/Temp Conversion Chart

Savoury Dishes ~ Meat & Fish

Chicken Fajitas by Viper275

El Justo's Famous Cocktail Sauce

Tuna Mornay by classical hero

How to best steam shrimp by El Justo

Special Stew by Plotinus

Hainanese Pork Cutlets by Ramius75

Emeril's Pork Pies by Dr. Yoshi

Seafood Quesedilla by El Justo

Killer's Quick Turkey Stew by carlosMM

BBQ Chicken Pizza by El Justo

BLT Deluxe by homeyg

Poulé D'Antoine by VoodooAce

Turkish Lamb Kebab by Rambuchan

Broiled Filet of Tilapia by El Justo

Sweet and Tangy Grilled Chicken by El Justo

Chili Mussels by Shaihulud

Pesto Genovese Chicken by carlosMM

Pollo Saboroso by El Justo

homeyg's Quick Buffalo Chicken Wings

Steak Darkshade and accompanying vittles by Simon Darkshade

Serutan's chicken and salad dinner

Dry Chicken Curry a la Ultima by Ultima Dragoon

Penne al Salmone by Rambuchan

Roast Leg of Lamb by Simon Darkshade

Boulets à la liégeoise (beef & pork) by MaisseArsouye

Chili Caserole by Dr. Yoshi

Various Authentic Mexican Dishes by Elta

Supreme Roasted CHicken a la Darkshade by Simon Darkshade

Chicken 'n Thyme by CarlosMM

La Justa's Chicken Pot Pie by El Justo

Sauteed Mussells by Drewcifer

Abaddon's Caveman Feast [turkey]

Moroccan Braised Beef by Fifty

Blackbean and Clam Sauce by Fifty

Passover Meatballs by Israelite9191

Royal Darkshade Feast of Roast Pork by Simon Darkshade

Pork Katsu Don by Ramius75

Rhein's Simple Tuna Salad by Rheinmetall

Pan Fried Tuna by mrtn

Turner's Fried Rice [pork]

Spicy Aromatic Lamb by Sophie 378

Pennsyltucky Fried Turkey by Admiral Kutzov[shotgun not included]

Paradigne's Meatloaf

Daube by Masquerouge [very similar to beef bourgogne]


Savoury Dishes & Sidedishes ~ Vegetarian/Non-Meat

Pasta Repeto by Fifty

Fried Tomatoes by El Justo

Home-made Mexican Salsa by El Justo

Roasted Chestnuts by El Justo

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice by Ramius75

Parmesan-flavored Green Beans by Viper275

Grilled Pita Bread by El Justo

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup by Norlamand

Home-made Hummus by Serutan

Mozzarella Mushroom Sandwich by Striq

Sweet Pea & Mint Soup by Rambuchan

Egg Drop Soup by Rambuchan

Jacked-Up Mac-n-Cheese by jafink

Cheesy Pasta Bake by Ultima Dragoon

Homemade Guacamole by El Justo

Red Beans and Rice by Scoutsout

Chilled Couscous Salad by El Justo

Mint Salad Dressing by Sophie 378

Portabello Burger by Bigfoot

Blackened Leatherjacker with Bittergourd by Shaihulud

Student's Spaghetti by philippe

Soul's Shakshouka by soul warrior [sort of like a tomato soufflé]

Zucchini Crumble by Masquerouge


Desserts, Sweets & Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Jasmine and Fig Milkshake by Rambuchan

Cinna-Coke Float by Rambuchan

Coolio's Devil's Food Cake by CoolioVonHoolio

Saffron Summer Coffee by Rambuchan

Pecan Pie by viper275

Christmas Coffee & Aromatic Arabic Coffee by Rambuchan

Coconut Plantain Slices by Rambuchan

The Arnold Palmer Summertime Beverage by El Justo

Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes by Ultima Dragoon

Ole Time Gingerbread Cookies by Ultima Dragoon

Blackberry and Apple Crumble by Ultima Dragoon [cycle down to the very bottom of that post to find this one]

Rambuchan’s Masala Chai (tea)

Mint Tea by Rambuchan

Chocolate Fudgy Pudding by Sophie 378

RÄTTÄNÄ [Finnish, blueberries inside dough pocket] by Azash
Addendum


Something From the Bar?...

El Justo's Famous Margarita Recipe

El Justo's Famous Martini Recipe

Fancy Banana Daquiri by El Justo

The John Daly Summertime Cocktail by El Justo

El Justo's Cosmopolitan

El Justo's Bloody Mary Deluxe


Miscellaneous
Tank Guy #3's Guide to Fresh Fish Filets

Pasta Repeto!

First, make the pasta:

3 cups semolina flour
3/4 cups beaten eggs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons water

In a bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, and water. Make sure to measure accurately. Add to semolina flour in a running pasta maker. Let dough rest for 10mins. Extrude Pasta. Cook in a large pot of rigourously boiling salted and oiled water. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until "al-dente" tender but firm.

Meanwhile:

Sauce:
3/4 C olive oil, less or more depending on how much sauce you want
2-3 dried hot chili pods, sliced into small strips.
about 1/4 cup italian parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced

heat olive oil, add peppers, add garlic, saute for a couple mins but do not allow garlic to brown, toss with cooked pasta add parsley. toss. serve with bread.


yipee!

Great thread! This may be my favorite recipe, I'll add more later, though.

Chicken Fajitas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (could also use other meats, I've used steak before)
About 6 tortillas, may need more or less depending on how much food is in each fajita.
Marinade:
1 cup cilantro
1 jalepèno (no seeds, but it's ok to leave some veins in if you want it spicier, less jalepèno if you want it mild, but this isn't too hot. Oh, and wear gloves or very thoroughly wash your hands after dealing with this, NEVER touch your eyes [I've never had it happen but I hear it isn't good].)
2 tablespoons olive oil, more of needed
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
Vegetables:
2 bell peppers (any color you want, assorting looks better)
1 onion
2 potatoes
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roughly chop ingredients for marinade (except liquid and spices ) and combine all of those ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix for about 45 seconds or until you have a loose consistency and no big lumps of one ingredient. If it's too thick, add more olive oil (it's easier to thin than to thicken.) Taste, if it's a little too strong-tasting don't worry, the final product won't be as strong-tasting. Marinade in chicken for 30 minutes to an hour, I like to do everything else then take out the chicken.

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and cut the bell pepper into long, but still fairly bite-size pieces. Sautè the onion and garlic for about 30 seconds in oil, then add the bell peppers. Cook until soft, probably 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then remove from pan, just keep it warm.

Cut the potatoes into reasonably large chunks (yet not too big to not be able to chew) with skin on or off, depending on how you like it. Put in a baking dish, add the olive oil (probably about 3 tablespoons now), then toss with the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bake for 30-45 minutes (I never get the time right here, so keep an eye on them. They should be slightly soft on the inside yet crispy on the outside.)

Remove chicken from the marinade and sear or grill until done (there's not really a good estimate in time, so be careful with it.) Heat the tortillas, then serve (you can either serve already with everything in it or let people assemble it at the table.) You may also want to top with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or cheese.

El Justo said:

reserved for recipes

Click to expand...

Great idea John, I look forward to you naming one 'Dante's Inferno' and all
the rest of your recipes. Regards, Greg

dgfred said:

Great idea John, I look forward to you naming one 'Dante's Inferno' and all
the rest of your recipes. Regards, Greg

Click to expand...

thanks greg...here's one that could be an inferno:

El Justo's Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

one of my wife's faves

ingredients
kethcup
lemon
horse radish
tabasco sauce (any hot sauce will suffice)
worcestershire sauce (AI steak sauce if none)
garlic powder
sugar
black pepper
onion powder

depending on how much shrimp you have (serving size), the calls on the amounts of ingredients will vary.

this spec will be assumed to be for approx. 1 lb of shrimp (approx. 4 servings)...

-take a regular sized bowl (salad bowl) and fill it about 1/3 the way w/ ketchup
- squeeze c. 2 lemon wedges worth of juice into the bowl
- scoop out c. 1 heaping tsp of grated horseradish (not that creamy stuff!) and plop into into the bowl (or to taste if you don't like it w/ alot of kick)
- make about 4 or 5 vigorous squirts of hot sauce (or to taste)
- 1 level tsp of worcestershire sauce or A1 sauce; be careful not to put in too much b/c the flavor could become overpowering
- 1 level tsp of garlic powder
- 1 level tsp of onion powder
- 1 level tsp of black pepper
- pinch of sugar

mix it with a spoon real well and refrigerate.

there are also a variety of other spices you could add in place of some of the above. i won't get into them here but would if asked.

also, i've skipped the actual preparation of the shrimp. i'd be happy to give a fool-proof way of cooking them if asked.

Enjoy!

Should i put up intructions for Scrabbled eggs? I better not. here is something that makes our family famous.

Tuna Mornay​

1 Tin of Tuna
2 1/2 packet of Peas carrots corn
3 1Cup of Pasta shapes
4 600mls of milk
5 1 lid of onion flakes
6 Grated cheese for sauce and sprinkling on the top.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water with a splash of oil for ten minutes or when cooked. At the same time put frozen veggies in microwave for ten minutes. Put milk in microwave for 5 minutes. Put in lid of onion flakes. Thicken milk with a soupspoon of cornflour. Put cornflour in the milk then back in microwave at 1 minute intervals stirring after each minute keep doing this for about three times or until thickened. Add some of the cheese and 1/2teaspoon salt Put tuna pasta veggies sauce mix thoroughly Put cheese on top. Cook in microwave for ten minutes. Brown under griller if you want.

It is very delicious.

Pasi Nurminen's Waffles

Step 1: Remove from freezer
Step 2: Place in toaster over
Step 3: Remove from toaster oven once desired crispness achieved
Step 4 (optional): Apply butter and syrup

Voila.

very nice classical_hero!

please, no insta-meal directions.

El, please DO give 'The Idiots' complete guide to cooking shrimp'.


I'll add a few of mine if I manage to find a conversion table for cups and tbsp.

carlosMM said:

El, please DO give 'The Idiots' complete guide to cooking shrimp'.


I'll add a few of mine if I manage to find a conversion table for cups and tbsp.

Click to expand...

'soytenly

How to Steam Shrimp

the purpose of steaming shrimp rather than boiling them is so that you can retain the flavor. boiling them directly in the water extracts the flavor somewhat.

steaming shrimp essentially places them right in the path of the steam produced from the boiling water and is an excellent, low-fat, lower calorie method of cooking not only seafood but other dishes such as veggies & chicken.

if desired, the shrimp should be peeled and de-veined prior to cooking. it is not entirely necessary but who likes eating the remnants of a crustacean's digestive tract? again, i'd be happy to run down this procedure if necessary. however, i won't get into that on this post.

needed kitchen components:
~large pasta-like pot for boiling the water
~some sort of steamer or fitted colinder that can be placed inside the pot thus ensuring that the shrimp won't be directly in the water
~Old Bay seafood seasoning (if desired)

total cook time: approx. 4 or 5 minutes

-fill the bottom of the pot with water about 2 or 3 inches off the bottom of the pot
- bring to boil
- plop the steamer into the pot of boiling water...make sure the water line isn't too far past the recommended height (2 or 3 inches)
- place the shrimp inside the steamer; cover it if you have a lid
- generously sprinkle in Old Bay seasoning (if desired)
- stir the shrimpies around a little inside the steamer
- once they've turned that light orange color, they're finished; touch them w/ a fork and test their firmness.

here's a pic of what a typical steamer set-up is like...of course, one doesn't need to spend all kinds of money on something like this to steam shrimp. i've used metalic pasta colinders in the past.

happy shrimping!

thanx
(10)

carlosMM said:

thanx
(10)

Click to expand...

no problem.

here's a link to a US/Euro conversion chart for measurements, weights, and temperatures.

ahhhh....

OK; I'll add #1 tomorrow (I hope)

here's today's recipe!

Fried Jersey Tomatoes

an excellent side dish w/ any meat, poultry or fish.

this is a family recipe handed down to me by my mother. New Jersey is famous for its monsterous red tomatoes and its inhabitants (me being one of them) have all sorts of delicious recipes for them. you don't need 'jersey' tomatoes per se to make this but you will want to try to obtain 'vine ripe' tomatoes if at all possible.

for a serving of four (4)

Ingredients
3 large tomatos (about the size of one's fist)
bread crumbs (fresh or store-bought)
eggs X 3
1 cup of flour
olive oil or vegatable oil
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

necessary kitchen utensils
large sautee pan
cutting board
salad bowl
2 plates (paper is easier for cleanup)
very sharp chef's knife or serated knife
fork
spatula

- start by slicing the ends (top&bottom) off each tomato; don't slice off too much; just enough to get through the hard core part at the top.
- slice the remaining amounts of tomatoes about 1 in. thich from acroos the top so that they're round and patty-like, almost like a mini hockey puck.
- you should have about 12-15 pieces when finished slicing.

now, slide over to the range/stove and pre-heat your large sautee pan on the range w/ a couple tsp's of oil (olive or veg.). don't go overboard w/ the oil. you can always add more in if needed. also, olive oil isn't particulary condusive to high-heat frying (veg oil is) so be careful not to crank up the heat too high (medium will suffice) or you'll get some splatter.

MASSIVE SPLATTER COULD RESULT IN A GREASE FIRE! USE CAUTION!

DUMP FLOUR ONTO GREASE FIRES! NOT WATER! NOT WATER! NOT WATER!

breading them
gather the flour, eggs, & breadcrumbs

-dump about 1 cup of standard flour onto one of the plates.

-crack open the 3 eggs into the salad bowl and whisk them. once finished, add in about 1 heaping tsp of black papper, 1 level tsp of both garlic powder and onion powder. stir it some so the spices are even throughout the egg batter.

- dump about 1 cup of breadcrumbs onto the 2nd plate

for logistical purposes, you'll want to arrange your 'batter-n-bread' line like this:

from Left-to-Right across your counter-top:
cutting board w/ tomato slices---plate w/ flour---egg batter---breadcrumbs

- using a fork, grab one of the tomato slices and drop it into the flour on BOTH sides
- grab it again and dunk it into the egg batter on BOTH sides
- grab it again and plop it onto the plate w/ the breadcrumbs; be sure to pat the tomato slice down w/ the crumbs real well so that you get maximum coverage of crumbs on each slice; especially around the edges of the tomato.

repeat this procees for the remaining slices...

Frying them

IMPORTANT: if you're using fresh, home-made bread crumbs be sure to fry the little buggers on a lower heat b/c fresh breadcrumbs are very delicate and subject to burning quickly if unattended to. i would suggest a medium heat at the most.

- now that you have all of the slices breaded, move them over to the pre-heated sautee pan and gently place each piece into the pan.

- they'll crackle a little. that's fine. cook each side until golden brown and flip each of them w/ a spatula when ready. be sure to use a non-metallic spatula when flipping so as to not ruin the teflon coating on the pan (if applicable).

- add more oil to the pan (just a tsp or 2 more if needed) if you notice it drying up.


serving suggestions:
i've used a variety of different condiments w/ them...
- a sprinkling of salt is tasty
- balsamic vinegar or sour cream are my faves.

Enjoy!

Plotinus' Special Stew!

OK, it's not *very* special, apart from my famous secret ingredient, discovered when I needed to make a stew but had no wine or ale to hand.

Serves - well, depends how much stuff you put in, doesn't it?

Ingredients:

(Vary the amounts, leave out what you will. If you include all these it will be a stew to contend with, and no mistake. But the best stews, I find, need to include meat and alcohol. I'm sorry, but there it is.)

A packet of stewing steak, appropriately cut up
A packet of kidneys, also cut up
Quite a few potatoes
An onion or two
A couple of carrots
A parsnip or two
Half a swede, cut into chunks
Some sticks of celery
Lots of mushrooms, quartered through the stalks
Half a packet of dried lentils OR a tin of cooked lentils (much more convenient)
Some pearl barley (don't be stingy with this)
Some garlic
A big pile of herbs. Dried herbs are fine, but for the love of God don't touch dried tarragon, which is an abomination. So is dried parsley, but why put parsley in a stew? You want rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram and suchlike.
A couple of handfuls of linseed. Failing that, cornflour or maybe okra (not sure if I've ever tried that, though).
And most important - WHISKEY. Yes, sounds vile, but stick with me here.

Method:

Chop up the meat and fry it in a pan until it's "covered". Drain off any revolting fat that emerges and rinse.

Throw some water in a big saucepan and turn the heat well up. Note, if you're making a big stew you will need a BIG saucepan. If you don't have one, you could use a casserole dish if you have a big one. If you are doing this then you will need to cook it in the oven rather than on top, and I can't help you because I have never done this. I suspect you will want a seriously hot oven to penetrate all the way through, and it will take a lot longer - maybe 90 minutes. When it's done you will have a casserole rather than a stew. Identical except to the highly trained chef. I've made stews like this in a slow cooker, which is good fun, although it takes all day. Also, my slow cooker wasn't very big, but perhaps you can get huge ones. If doing this, simply add everything in one go in the morning, turn on, and retrieve your splendid stew in the evening. No problem.

Put the potatoes in. Ideally these are baby potatoes and go in whole, otherwise cut them up first. Leave the skins on. Fibre fills you up and makes you regular! Put the meat in as well. Ideally you haven't already cooked it all the way through in the frying pan, so you should still get nice juices coming out of it to make the stew all gravylicious.

Chop your garlic and add it, together with lots of herbs. If you're feeling heretical you can put in a vegetarian stock cube as well. Other possibilities include a generous splurge of Worcester Sauce or something similar. You could use brown sauce, but I wouldn't speak to you again if you did.

Pour in a *generous* amount of whiskey. Really generous. Don't skimp on this. Use your imagination. Honestly, it will work. Wait! Don't go overboard. Are you insane? And yes, if you don't have whiskey, you can use red wine or some decent ale if you prefer. You would want half a litre of ale, and don't have any water; or maybe three or four glasses of wine, and a bit of water to make up the numbers. If you do either of these you will have a good stew, but it won't be Plotinus' *special* stew.

Chop the onion(s) and throw in as well.

Add the swede, parsnips, and carrots in approximately that order. Chopped, obviously. Nice and thick.

Throw in the pearl barley.

Give it all a big stir. It ought to be boiling by now, so turn the heat down and cover. It ought to simmer for - oh, I don't know - say 20 minutes? Make it 25 to be on the safe side. Depends how soft you want it all, but please don't liquefy it as that's a bit disgusting. Halfway through this, add the lentils (you did boil them already, didn't you? unless they're the tinned kind, of course). Near the end, add the mushrooms and celery. Also stir in the linseed, which makes a sort of glop rather like that caused by okra and thickens it admirably. Failing that you could always use okra and go all Nwarlins on us. If you don't have any of that either, then put a couple of spoonfuls of cornflour in a cup, add a bit of cold water, stir vigorously, and then mix that into the stew. If you don't have cornflour either, you will have runny stew, and there's nothing wrong with that. Just don't try to balance the plate on your knees whilst watching hilarious TV comedy, or you could create some hilarious comedy of your own, but you won't be laughing.

Serve generous portions and consume. The leftovers can be liquidised later to create nourishing soup, especially if you add an extra tin of lentils or two.

A packet of kidneys, also cut up

Click to expand...

very good! it's just that 'kidney' pieces kinda freak me out

And yet you eat shrimps?

Kidneys are fabulous - very yummy and very good for you. And pretty cheap too. There's nothing like a steak and kidney stew!

El Justo said:

very good! it's just that 'kidney' pieces kinda freak me out

Click to expand...

I'll ask my mom for her secret 'sour kidneys' recipe

Plotinus said:

And yet you eat shrimps?

Kidneys are fabulous - very yummy and very good for you. And pretty cheap too. There's nothing like a steak and kidney stew!

Click to expand...

ah, i'm just playin'.

remember though, shrimp aren't bodily organs

keep 'em coming though!