What'cha Cookin' Tonight II

Or falafel and hummus.

Here is a slow-cooked oven recipe for corned beef

1 bell pepper chopped
2 hot peppers chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pound corned beef brisket
2 bottles Guinness beer - enough to almost cover the beef
3-4 Tbsp spicy mustard
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
Preheat oven to 300° (150° C)

Rinse the corned beef thoroughly. Pat dry with towels.
Heat oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat.
Soften peppers, celery, and onion, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Wisk the Guinness with the mustard and honey.
Add corned beef to the Dutch Oven along with the beer mixture. Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat to simmer about 5 minutes.
Cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 3-4 hours, flipping the corned beef once about halfway through.
Remove from heat. It should be extremely tender at this point.
Remove the beef and rest while you make your gravy.
For the gravy, strain out the liquids into a separate bowl. You should have about 1 cup. Discard the solids.
Heat the empty Dutch Oven back to medium heat on the stove and melt the butter. Add flour.
Cook roux to a medium brown. Add the strained juices from the corned beef and reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often.
Slice the corned beef against the grain.

I won't try this one because I do not like cabbage.

Caramelized Cabbage
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ head medium sized cabbage shredded
  • 1 white onion chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers chopped into rings
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Water as needed
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  1. Heat a large pan to medium heat. A good stainless steel pan here is ideal.
  2. Add oil and heat. Add cabbage, onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook about 8 minutes to brown it all up, stirring frequently. You will form a lot of brown bits at the bottom of the pan. This is a good thing.
  3. Hit it with your white wine and let it reduce. Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan and stir. You may need to do this frequently.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 40 minutes, scraping up bits from the bottom and stirring often. You can also add the sugar about 20 minutes through and stir to speed along the caramelization.
  5. When everything is nice and brown, add balsamic vinegar and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and set into a serving dish. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the top and serve with extra lemon wedges.
 
I've had decent success with meat substitutes so I tried a new brand of faux chicken tenders. I knew I had been duped as soon as I opened the bag. The picture on the front showed plump fake tenders breaded in a thick panko batter. What I got was a thin film of flour on thin slices of dense plant protein. They weren't really thick enough to have any texture and yet were extremely dense, flavorless little planks of sadness. They weren't moist and though the batter browned pretty well in the oven, it didn't really have any texture.

The batter is what kind of grates on me because I feel that would have been a cheap, easy way to add some texture and flavor to the tenders. NEXT

I finally got to try the Beyond Meat burger (thanks @MaryKB for the recommendation) and I liked it a lot. I got it at Carl's Jr because I haven't yet seen it in the grocery store. Though I only go to Aldi's and Walmart as a general rule instead of Trader Joe's or Whole Foods so it probably is out on the market and I just miss it. Anyways, it was good and had great texture and good flavor. It was not very moist, though they had cooked it pretty well done so that's probably not surprising. I would definitely get it again and I'm pretty sure if it wasn't advertised as fake meat, most people couldn't tell the difference.

I'm not sure about the Beyond Meat burger but the tenders (and most of the other meat substitutes I have tried) are much lower in calories than the real deal, which is a big benefit for me. I'm mostly trying to cut back on how much meat I eat out of environmental and ethical concerns but if it also happens to be healthier for an overweight guy like me then I'll take it.

The one drawback is that fake meats tend to be very expensive and only come in small packages.
 
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I had a ton of small potatoes that were turning bad so I julienne cut them and fried them in a paella pan with some fake beef crumbles. I sauted onions and mushrooms on the side and fried a couple of eggs.

When the faux-beef and potatoes were done, I slapped some premium Kraft brand american singles on top and broiled it to melt the cheese. When it pulled it out of the oven, I plated it with a fried egg (still runny) and the mushrooms and onions on the side. Seasoning was simple - salt, pepper garlic and onion powder.


Spoiler Out of the oven :

out of the oven.PNG


Spoiler Plated :

Plated Hash.PNG


I could have mixed the onions and mushrooms into the hash but cooking them separate made it easier to make sure everything cooked evenly at the right time. Also I hate mushrooms and onions and didn't want them in the hash. :lol: I know people hate on American cheese but it's a great melting cheese that went well on this. I was going for diner food, not fancy.

It was delicious. I'm flipping proud I threw this one together unplanned if I may humblebrag about it.
 
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Looks like a good hash.

I want to try some cajun food this weekend so question for you guys, jambalaya or red beans and rice? Ettoufet and gumbo are too complicated for me but beans and jambalaya I can handle. Both amazing in different ways. I guess I could make both...
 
So my pasta night dinner party was a big success. Everyone liked making it, so much one couple went home and ordered a roller attachment for their own kitchen aid. We did fettuccine with a sauce I made up on the fly and spaghettini with a jarred tomato sauce and sausage and peppers. I roasted the sausage and peppers in the oven so we'd have more stove space, something I've never done before, and actually liked it better than stove top because the vegetables got a little char. Really simply roast, everything cut up and tossed with olive oil, garlic salt and some thyme.

The white sauce I seared chicken breast I had cut really thin, removed and then cooked chopped garlic with butter and olive oil. Added chardonnay, chicken stock, fresh squeezed lemon and reduced. Mixed in some salt and pepper and fresh thyme, tossed pasta right with it and served as in the photo with some asparagus too. Next time I would go heavier on the lemon and wine and omit stock I think.

Spoiler :



 
I love Cajun takes on classic French sauces. Here is a remoulade.

½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chili paste
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 green onion heads, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from half a lemon
1 tsp Creole seasoning blend
S&P and cayenne powder to taste

Put everyting in a tall bowl and mix to combine. Used a stick blender to remove chunks.
J
 
Remoulade is the bomb. Now I need a recipe for something to put it on! I guess we could go with grilled shrimp. Frying is too messy.
 
I would suggest poaching something strong, like salmon, but grilling works too.

Some people call it crab-cake sauce if that's a hint.

J
 
Crab meat is too pricey, krab meat is gross, but maybe I'll try a salmon cake!
 
I had to work last nigth, so today I'm at home. I am cooking a porrusalda for lunch before my wife arrives from work.

2 potatoes
4 carrots
4 leeks (I would have used 6 if I had)
500 grams pumpkin
1 liter of broth

Cod or beef may be added if desired. I never add them

Peel potatoes, carrots, pumpkin and leeks and cut them in dices.

Put them in a pot, add the broth and cook over high heat until starts boiling and then cook over medium heat for at least 40 minutes (if potatoes are hard after boiling, you may boil it about an hour).

I never remember the exact time because I use pressure cooker, I cook it for 20 minutes since It has started boiling
 

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I think I've had steam ums once before. Kind of chewy, cheap beef. Not very good. I'd rather buy actual cheap fresh beef and slice it thin myself. Some cheap stuff is ok like spam, if you fry it, is just fine.
 
I made french onion soup today and it took ffjapffawf 5 hours and a really expensive piece of gruyere cheese but was well worth it in the end. also ate an ice cream sandwich and feel like a piece of shoadwdag
 
After caramelizing all those onions it almost seems a waste to use them on one batch of soup. I'm all for the Gruyere, though. Good cheese needs no excuse, just a platform.

J
 

I made chef johns jambalaya. It’s not hyperbole to say it might be the tastiest dish I have ever made, at least in recent memory. And it’s quite easy to make as well. I followed the recipe except I also added boneless skinless chicken thighs when browning the sausage, used white rice instead of brown, added diced yellow onion, and I couldn’t find andouille so I used regular smoked pork sausage from johnsonville. Really, really good.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220126/chef-johns-sausage-shrimp-jambalaya/
 

I made chef johns jambalaya. It’s not hyperbole to say it might be the tastiest dish I have ever made, at least in recent memory. And it’s quite easy to make as well. I followed the recipe except I also added boneless skinless chicken thighs when browning the sausage, used white rice instead of brown, added diced yellow onion, and I couldn’t find andouille so I used regular smoked pork sausage from johnsonville. Really, really good.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220126/chef-johns-sausage-shrimp-jambalaya/

yo you've got some good plating skills. simple and delicious. nice one!
 
thanks! I scooped it onto a plate and sprinkled onions on top and a dash of hot sauce. Pretty easy. I'm making red beans and rice tomorrow. It's my Cajun weekend.
 
that's what it's all about: highlighting your dish without any pretension. ima try to cook that next week :)
 
thanks! I scooped it onto a plate and sprinkled onions on top and a dash of hot sauce. Pretty easy. I'm making red beans and rice tomorrow. It's my Cajun weekend.
I was just looking at crawfish etouffee. Churches do crawfish boil fundraisers. It's a good place to get heads and shells to make stock. Here's the recipe I was looking at.

Shrimp Etouffee
1 pound shrimp shelled and deveined (shells reserved)
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil + 2 tablespoons divided
3 tablespoons flour
1 green bell pepper chopped (or use jalapenos for a spicier version)
1 medium onion chopped (scraps reserved)
2 celery stalks chopped (scraps reserved)
3 cloves garlic chopped
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
15 ounces diced tomato canned or fresh, with juices
1 tablespoon Creole seasonings + 1 teaspoon divided (or use Cajun Seasonings + extra as desired)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon hot sauce plus more to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme or use fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked white rice
Fresh chopped parsley spicy red chili flakes

Heat a medium sized pot to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chopped onion and celery scraps along with
reserved shrimp shells. Cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors mingle.
Strain the stock and discard the solids. Set aside for now.
Heat a separate pot or large pan to medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil along with 3 tablespoons flour.
Stir to form a paste. This is your roux.
Stir the roux continuously for 10-12 minutes, until it darkens to a light brown color. Do not stop stirring or the roux can burn.
Add the peppers, onion and celery. Stir and cook it down for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in the reserved shrimp stock until it all incorporated.
Stir in 1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasonings, Worcestershire, hot sauce, dried thyme, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer at least 20 minutes to let the flavors mingle and develop.
While the etouffee is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan.
Season the shrimp with 1 teaspoon Creole seasonings, then sear the shrimp a couple minutes per side, until they are cooked through.
Alternatively, you can simply add the shrimp to the simmering sauce and let it cook in the sauce for 5 minutes, until it is cooked through.
Add cooked white rice to plates. Spoon sauce over it. Top with shrimp​

Using chicken stock as a base for the shrimp stock has possibilities, in my case crawfish stock.
Roux is roux, so make it the way you like best. Toasting flour in a hot skillet is also a winner. Once the roux is done, this is a simple recipe.
He suggests jalapenos instead of bell peppers. Any large stuffing pepper would also work, eg Anaheim or Pablano. You get good flavor without excess heat.
Rather than Worcestershire sauce, I might try Thai fish sauce which is lighter.

This is Emeril's Cajun seasoning mix

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika.
2 tablespoons salt.
2 tablespoons garlic powder.
1 tablespoon black pepper.
1 tablespoon onion powder.
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper.
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano.
1 tablespoon dried thyme.​

J
 
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