"Dear Chip"

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Having had some fun seeing Chip's reaction to my cooking peccadilloes, how about a new thread posting your "go-to" favourites or off-the-cuff kitchen madness?

I will begin with the breakfasts this weekend. I have some time on my hands, due to a little motorcycle fall, so I've spent some time in the kitchen.

Today, I got out the BACON (little nod to the bacon lovers)

Sasquatch Sandwich

"Sasquatch" sourdough based grain bread with:
2 rashers of bacon, pan cooked with garlic paste and sage

Topped with:
Nine year old cheddar
Danish Blue
Sweet (cocktail) pickled onion slices
Thai sweet chili sauce

The SigFem looks at me like I'm eating a live spider, so I made her:

Banana Muffin French Toast

2 banana muffins, halved by cutting off the tops (I make better banana bread but her baking skills are otherwise much superior to mine)

1 egg
Heavy Cream
Glort of vanilla
Smidge of cinnamon
Drizzle of honey

Beat these together with a fork in a shallow bowl. When you're ready to go, give the muffin halves a good soaking, top and bottom.

Finely chopped almonds
Very soft butter

Blend these together and let the butter set back up.

Orange marmalade

Pan cook the soaked muffins. Some people say only flip once but I use softer heat and make sure things are cooked through, so I flip repeatedly. Light brown cooked sides on soft heat is pretty much done.

Serve them up with the almond butter and marmalade on the side.

Goes without saying that there's plenty of coffee on hand :biggrin:

- John

[RichGem]

Who's Chip? :confused:










:wink:

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Who's Chip? :confused:

:wink:

Is that any way for a Czar to speak of his most mostly loyal subject?

[RichGem]

Is that any way for a Czar to speak of his most mostly loyal subject?

hehehe

but, seriously, my most loyal subject has been MIA for over a week. Tho, I did get a PM from Mrs. Chip.. no mention of the Mr. tho.

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

hehehe

but, seriously, my most loyal subject has been MIA for over a week. Tho, I did get a PM from Mrs. Chip.. no mention of the Mr. tho.

Well, dang. I guess he'll be back when he needs shaving support.

"Hi, my name is Chip and . . . I'm a wetshaver"

" HI, CHIP"

[MrGuy]

John, I hope you and the bike are doing fine!
My favorite breakfast that gives me strange looks is some simple fried eggs, runny yolks please, with a big shot of Balsamic vinegar that gets cooked down with a little butter salt and pepper. Just make sure that your face isn't over the pan when that vinegar hits the heat! :eek6: Soak up the liquid with some nice toasted bread, sourdough is always a good choice.



Off topic; In getting ready for my Iron Butt ride I've been watching "The Long Way 'Round" with Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor. If you haven't seen it, find it NOW!:wink: I just noticed that the only time they get into trouble with cars is in Calgary. Ewan is rear-ended and a car backs into Charlie. Maybe I need to rethink my wish to ride to Calgary:lol:

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

John, I hope you and the bike are doing fine!

Just a little sore, thanks, Andy. The bike needs a new mirror, is all. Advantage to the enduros I ride. (KLR 650)



My favorite breakfast that gives me strange looks is some simple fried eggs, runny yolks please, with a big shot of Balsamic vinegar that gets cooked down with a little butter salt and pepper. Just make sure that your face isn't over the pan when that vinegar hits the heat! :eek6: Soak up the liquid with some nice toasted bread, sourdough is always a good choice.

Sounds good to me and a nice addition to the thread :biggrin:


Off topic; In getting ready for my Iron Butt ride I've been watching "The Long Way 'Round" with Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor. If you haven't seen it, find it NOW!:wink: I just noticed that the only time they get into trouble with cars is in Calgary. Ewan is rear-ended and a car backs into Charlie. Maybe I need to rethink my wish to ride to Calgary:lol:

Not so off topic. You'll need decent breakfasts to make a long ride. :smile:

Ahh, Calgary's all right, not so different from most cities. Besides, you want that picture, don't you? :biggrin:

When is your departure date? Or not set yet?

- John

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Ummm, guys . . .

A little side-banter does not a humour thread make. I didn't post this to try to compete with "3 word" and "no title" and the like and it can't.

It would be nice if it sat out where someone would see it sometime.

So, either put it back where it was, please or at the very least someone step forward and claim responsibility for it.

Thanks.
- John

[MrGuy]

Ahh, Calgary's all right, not so different from most cities. Besides, you want that picture, don't you? :biggrin:

When is your departure date? Or not set yet?

- John

I'll be beginning the Iron Butt ride very early on September 9th, and finish (fingers crossed) afternoon on September 10th. The 10th holds some deep emotions as it will be an anniversary date of another challenge I've been on. I might have a total break down after my last gas receipt prints:frown:
I want Calgary to be next year's big ride, but we'll have to see how things unfold. Work has been threatening to freeze all vacation time for a while now, so we'll see:rolleyes:

Back on topic... If you like vinegar in your cooking, try cutting some plain white potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes, fry in a little olive oil and butter mix until they are all nice and deep brown. Then pour about 1/3 cup of a mix of half balsamic and half red wine vinegar (more balsamic for a sweeter finish, more red wine for a more acidic bite) over top and give a little stir until all the liquid is soaked up. Then, I plate it up as a side dish with some shredded Munster cheese on top.

[gollum83]

First, French Toast using muffins? Brilliant! Second...


Well, dang. I guess he'll be back when he needs shaving support.

"Hi, my name is Chip and . . . I'm a wetshaver"

" HI, CHIP"

... maybe its just me but Chip needs no introduction.:rolleyes:

[Stubblefield]

Having had some fun seeing Chip's reaction to my cooking peccadilloes, how about a new thread posting your "go-to" favourites or off-the-cuff kitchen madness?
Yes, but first I want to know: How do you cook a peccadillo?

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Yes, but first I want to know: How do you cook a peccadillo?

Let's see . . .

Begin with a dose of raw hunger and an uncertain amount and variety of food in the larder

Add rough measures of what is available

Mix with impeccable taste

Sear with the heat of brilliant insight

:biggrin:

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Looking after my niece this week along with my friend's cats, so I'm late enough getting away in the morning that we have time for breakfast.

This morning's centrepiece was:

Yoghurt Parfait

Yoghurt
Papaya
Watermelon
Honeydew
Grapes
Granola
Cinnamon sugar

Slice the fruit

Parfait glasses (or, in this case large A&W mugs that I, er, acquired a few years back)

Layer of granola in the bottom
Layer of yoghurt
Layer of one kind of fruit

Etc

Try to finish with yoghurt, so that the sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is visible. It didn't matter, since the niece wanted whipped cream on top.

:biggrin: enjoy

PS: Can't wait to see your contribution, Dex

[BrightFutur]

From my post in gentlemens essentials. I cannot get enough of this chicken!


I thought I would share my favourite lemon chicken recipe. It takes some time but it is well worth the effort. You can deviate on how you bread/fry the chicken, but the sauce is to die for, and I find the marinade pretty essential.

I really hate the standard yellow food colouring + lemon flavour + High fructose corn syrup that every Chinese take-out has. I find that a lot of the sweetness in this comes from the shredded pineapple and its juice. It's a whole new world compared to the yellow dye meets corn syrup.


Ingredients:

Group 1:

-4 Whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cut into 1 inch diagonal strips (Put the chicken in the freezer for about 1/2 an hour - it will slice easier. Or use chicken tenderloin - no slicing required)
-2 tbsp light soy sauce
-1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp gin

Group 2:

-3 egg whites, beaten frothy
-1 cup of corn starch

Group 3:

-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 cup white vinegar
-1 cup chicken broth
-2 tbsp cornstarch
-2tbsp water
-3 lemons, grated rind and juice.

Group 4:

-1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (be generous!)
-2 cloves garlic, smashed
-1/2 cup shredded canned pineapple (You can just use a whole small can, including the juice)
-3 small carrots, cut into match stick sized julienne (I usually buy a bag of matchstick carrots precut)
-1/4 head iceberg lettuce, very finely shredded
-3 green onions, finely cut
-1 whole red or green pepper, finely cut (Matchstick size)



Method:

1 - Place Cut chicken in bowl, combine group 1 ingredients, pour over chicken and marinate in fridge, 30 minutes minimum (I tend to go over an hour if possible), then drain chicken and throw out marinade
2 - Add chicken pieces to the beaten egg white, toss to coat, place corn starch on a plate and coat chicken pieces with cornstarch
3 - Add about 1 inch of oil to a large pot or frying pan and cook the chicken, a few pieces at a time - about 2 minutes per 'batch' (It will be VERY light brownish white), drain and keep warm in the oven. *
4 - Place the 3rd group of ingredients in a large pot and bring to boil, and stir until mixture thickens.
5 - Add 4th group of ingredients (Except lettuce) to hot lemon sauce, mix, let simmer for a few minutes to cook the carrots slightly, remove from heat, add lettuce and pour over chicken.**

Serve with rice.
Serves 4 very generously.

I tend to make double the amount I think I will need for two reasons:

1 - So I can have leftovers (They don't last long)
2 - Because I often underestimate how much of this my guests will eat.


If you can pull this off without making a mess of the kitchen I think you can score some real brownie points with SWMBO (Or HWMBO for that matter)


*For a lower fat alternative, you can lay the chicken out on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. It's not quite as good but is lower fat.
**My mom likes to let the chicken sit in the sauce for about 15 minutes to absorb it. I like to drown the chicken in sauce then eat right away - more crispy. It's up to you.

[rmrdaddy]

OK, for you John, I post a very rare recipe.
From "Recipes And Memories From Mama Cash's Kitchen" courtesy of Johnny "The Man In Black" Cash.

Johnny Cash's "Old Iron Pot" Family Style Chili
5 Lbs sirloin steak
3 pkgs McCormicks Chili Seasoning Mix *
Mexene chili powder *
Spice Islands chili con carne seasoning *
Cumin *
Thyme *
Sage Leaves *
Chopped Raw Onions *
Chopped Chili Peppers *
3-4 cans red kidney beans
3-4 cans whole tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Garlic Powder *
Onion Powder *
2 Tbsp. sugar
Salt to Taste

Chop steak and cook until medium, with a little shortening added. Add packages of chili seasoning mix, cook for five minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, spices, raw onions, sugar, chili powder, and/or chili con carne mix. Taste.
(NOTE: if the chili is too hot for the children, or the ladies, add one to two cans of tomatoes.) Add tomato paste. If chili seems too thick, add water. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Serve with soda crackers, Pepsi or Coke.
This will serve 12 people - three helpings each!

* Indicates that you must guess the amounts to use. I never measure them.

Note from John : This chili will be better tomorrow than today if properly taken care of overnight. I also have been known to substitute things, such as snake meat, for the steak.

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Great recipes, guys!

That chicken is going on tonight (with some plain cooked for Max, of course). As for the chili, it's going on the menu for the club meeting on Wednesday.

This could be a useful thread, as far as I see it, being a decent but often uninspired cook.

Thanks,

- John

[BrightFutur]

I have no clue how 'authentic' this recipe is, or even what its origins are. I know they are a favourite. I find them a little testy to make (My filo skills are....poor, to say the least) but every time I do I am reminded of why I love them!



Empanadas:

Ingredients:

-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 small inion, finely chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2lb lean ground beef
-1/4 cup raisins
-1/4tsp salt
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/4 tsp ground cumin
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
-6 green olives, chopped (Optional, but I love them)
-grated rind of one orange (Very important. Do not leave out)
-1 tbsp parsley, chopped
-2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
-1/2lb filo pastry, and some melted butter.

Method:

1 - Heat oil in skillet, add onion and saute until transparent
2 - Add garlic and crumble in meat - stirring constantly until cooked
3- Remove from heat and drain fat off, if necessary
4 - Add raisins, spices, orange rind, olives, and parsley. Mix well!
5 - Place a spoonful of filling on 2 buttered filo strips and add a touch of chopped egg.
6 - Roll into a triangle, brush with melted butter
7 - Bake in a preheated oven until golden 15 to 20 minutes
8 - Serve hot (Sour cream for dipping is optional)

I wish I could explain how you roll them, as I found it painfully difficult at first (And still do...). I will see if I can find or make some kind of diagram. I usually cut the filo pastry bundle in half.

I cannot remember what temperature I bake them at. But it is not terribly important as the filling is already cooked, and you simply want to brown the filo pastry.

I often try to make a large batch, as they freeze quite well.

[BrightFutur]

Thought I would throw in another family favourite! (Reading the family cookbook this morning....)

This is, IMHO, the best thing you can put on a baked ham. Truly terrific!

' Curried Fruit Sauce for Ham'

Ingredients:

-1 tin each*,
-Pineapple rings
-Peach halves
-Pear halves
-1 small bottle of maraschino cherries
-1/3 bottle candied ginger, or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
-1/4 cup butter
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp mild curry powder
-2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tbsp fruit juice

Method:

1 - Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the brown sugar, ginger, and curry. Stir.
2 - Drain the fruit juice from the fruit and add it to the pot. Save 1/4 cup
3 - Dissolve the corn starch in this fruit juice.
4 - Add this to the pot and heat gently to boiling over medium heat, until the sauce thickens
5 - Add the fruit, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to glaze the fruit. Taste the sauce - the curry should be sweet tasting, not spicy. If the curry is not pronounced enough, add more by 1/8 tsps until you get the flavour you want. If the sauce is not thick enough, add another tbsp of cornstarch mixed in cold water and bring to a boil to thicken
6 - Serve the curried fruit with baked ham

*Buy fruit packed in fruit juice not syrup

[krissy]

With Summer Here, salads are always nice to have. But how about a good hearty Taco Salad. This is one of my favorite summer salads, and is often requested by my kids.

This needs to be made ahead of time because it needs time to cool. But if I'm pressed for time, I don't add the additional water and don't simmer it, just heat it up and let it cool, adding just enough water to rinse out the salad dressing bottle.

1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 can chili beans in chili sauce
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) bottle french dressing (the cheap stuff works fine for this)
1 head lettuce or buy the shredded lettuce
1-2 pkg. tortilla chips, OR doritos, OR frito chips
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
sour cream (optional)
salsa (optional)



In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown lightly onions in oil. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain excess fat.



Stir in taco seasoning, chili beans, kidney beans, french dressing.



Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.



COOL COMPLETELY



Crush chips if desired. And toss the chips in a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. Add the cooled meat mixture to the lettuce mixture and mix well.


Serve and top with salsa and sour cream if desired.

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

This is so cool

Okay, breakfast this morning:

Sirloin Wraps

Sirloin patties, quartered and wrapped with bacon (like bacon scallops)

barbequed on medium-low heat with garlic and cayenne pepper

I also made Andy's malt vinegar hash browns, as per his post above.

Sasquatch bread from Guy's on the side and plenty of coffee.

:biggrin:

- John

I'm copying and pasting like mad, into my digital cookbook :biggrin:

[BrightFutur]

Here's another one from the family cookbook...You'll have to forgive me if this one is a little hard to follow - I'm transposing the text and my mother's notes to try and make it a little more coherent....Bear with me, this is terrific!

I believe my mother originally got this out of a milk calendar, it's since been heavily modified. She notes that they originally suggested it as an appetizer, but I believe that when I was growing up we ate it exclusively as a main course with salad and bread. It works very well in the spring, when asparagus is less expensive. Serves 6

'Asparagus Rolls'

Ingredients:

- 2lbs fresh asparagus (As thin and slender stalks as possible)
- 1 cup water
- Salt
- 8 oz Maple Leaf black forest ham, shaved (You can use any shaved ham you like...)
-3 green onions, finely chopped
- Bechamel Sauce
-3 cups milk
-6 tbsp butter
-4 & 1/2 tbsp flour
-2 tbsp mayonnaise
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 & 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (Freshly grated is best, of course)
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

- Fresh lasagna noodles - sufficient to provide 2-3 rolls per person ( 12-18 for the quantities listed above)


Method:

1 - Preheat the oven to 350F
2 - Trim the asparagus, (optionally reserving enough whole ones to allow one for each roll), and cut the remainder into 2 inch lengths
3 - Cook in 1 cup of water until tender-crisp
4 - Chop ham and asparagus coarsely in a food processor and set aside
5 - Next make the sauce. Melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and stir well. Heat the milk to almost boiling in a separate container and then slowly add it, off the heat to the flour mixture, whisking/stirring constantly. Heat slowly until thickened, add the mayonnaise and the nutmeg.
6 - Divide the bechamel sauce in half, and add half to the ham mixture, along with 2/3 cup parmesan cheese and mix well
7 - If using fresh lasagna noodles, cut into 6 inch strips and cook until al dente.
8 - Drain and add a small amount of oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
9 - Oil a rectangular baking dish and pour 1/4 cup of bechamel sauce on the bottom.
10 - Spread a few tbsps of ham filling on a strip of pasta* and roll up. Place the roll seam side down in the baking dish and continue, until all of the rolls are on the baking dish. Pour the remaining bechamel sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
11 - Bake for 30 minutes, let sit for 5 before serving.


My mother notes at the bottom of the page: 'Unbelievably good & freezes well' and also

*If you saved some whole asparagus, you roll them up so that they are at the center of the log.

Enjoy!

[BrightFutur]

Since I posted the curried fruit I might as well post a quick baked ham!

Another one from the family cookbook, my mother notes at the top

Best done in a slow cooker, then glaze in the oven for the last 1/2 an hour

This recipe can be done with any kind of pre-cooked ham section or ham slice. I've never done it with slices, only sections.

Ingredients:

-Ham
-1 can ginger ale (regular, not aspartame sweetened)
-Whole gloves - enough to do the ham every 2 inches
-Apricot jam - 1/4 cup
-1 tbsp candied ginger or 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
-1/2 tsp ground gloves
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp dry mustard
-1 small can pineapple juice

Method:

1 - Decorate the ham with the whole cloves
2 - Heat the ham, ginger ale and pineapple juice in the oven at 300F until warmed through in a covered pan - how ling this takes depends on the size of the ham - a slice takes about 15 minutes, several lbs of ham should be baked slowly (275-300F) for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
3 - Combine and heat the remaining ingredients in a microwavable bowl or pot on the stove.
4 - Brush over the top surface of the ham and bake, uncovered for 5 minutes for a slice, or 1/2 an hour for a larger piece of ham at 350F.

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

:drool:

[soapbox]

...this thread is awesome!

[RichGem]

...this thread is awesome!

So that's what Chip has been doing lately!

WAKE UP CHIP! B&B NEEDS YOU!

[krissy]

Caramel Corn

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts or other nuts of choice (optional)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1 cup margarine
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250` F (120`C) Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry to much at this point about getting all of the popcorn coated.

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with wax paper. Dump the corn out onto the wax paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.


This is the best recipe for caramel corn I've ever made.

And when I make it I use the release foil (or use regular foil and spray with pam) and line my disposable roasting pans. This makes clean up much easier, and you can reuse your foil roasting pans!!!

[rmrdaddy]

I had been hankering after some Souvlaki. My people are not Greek, so, I did some 'Net cruising a cobbled together my own version. I had beef on hand.

One pound of steak (sirloin, petit filet, what have you) cut into chunks
One tablespoon olive oil
One tablespoon (or so) minced garlic
Two tablespoons of frsh chopped rosemary

Put ingredients together into a large zipper bag, let marinate for at least one hour.

I also use wood skewers (be sure to soak them in water for at least a half hour), and a range top grill pan. Skewer meat chunks, heat grill pan on high for 2-3 mins, drizzle with olive oil and swirl to coat pan, lower heat to med-hi, then apply skewers to pan and cook on all sides. I then removed the meat from the skewers into a serving or storage dish.

I made some homemade tzatziki beforehand too.

One cup greek yogurt
One tablespoon minced garlic
One medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped fine, and squeezed out in a tea towel to remove water.
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together, and try to let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour for the flavors to marry.

I served it with sliced red onion and chopped cucumber pieces on pita.


MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[krissy]

This is my grandmothers recipe that has been handed down. It's a family favorite and is made for no reason at all, and made for every family holiday and get together. We traditionally use it to make buns, but it can also be used to make loaves of bread. And no batch is ever made without some of it being turned into cinnamon rolls as well. Least to say they never last long enough to get remotely close to stale. (they are that good)

Welsh Rolls

This recipe has been handed down for generations in my family. And they are simply the best. So light and fluffy and melt in your mouth good. Like my mother I've been blessed with the magic tough to make these just right. They certainly don't last long in my house when I bake.

They can be made into rolls but I also like to take some of the dough, and make into cinnamon rolls. To do this just follow any basic directions for making cinnamon rolls, using this dough for the bread dough. Very simple and Ohhhhhh so good.


1 pkg. yeast
2 cups warm milk
2 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups flour. Whisk together making the sponge, and let rise until double in size.

Then add:
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4-5 cups flour

Add oil, 1/4 cup sugar, eggs, salt and flour. Adding enough flour to stiffen dough. Dough should be slightly tacky.

Knead about 8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl and let rise about 1 hour in a warm place. Punch down and make into buns or cinnamon rolls.

Let rise until double in bulk.

Bake 350`
13 minutes for buns
20 minutes for cinnamon rolls

[krissy]

Super Simple Lasagna

1 carton (20 ounces) cottage cheese)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup parsley
1 tsp. minced onion
1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. pepper


Mix all ingredients until well blended. Set aside.


1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water (I put the water back into the spaghetti sauce jar and shake to get the last bit of sauce out before dumping it into the pan, why waste)


Mix all ingredients together and set aside.



9 uncooked lasagna noodles

In a 9x13x2 inch baking pan begin layering,
starting with meat sauce,
3-4 uncooked noodles,
then cheese mixture.
Continue layering, ending with meat sauce on top.

Cover tightly with foil. Bake 375` for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer, or until noodles are done.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


Don't forget to line your pan with foil to make clean up even easier.
OR use a disposable foil pan.

This freezes well. Makes a great gift. I give this often to friends who are new parents in a disposable foil pan, along with frozen garlic bread and packaged salad and a bottle of salad dressing. (Well it's actually my gift to the Dad. Simple directions he can follow for making dinner, along with a few other recipes that are super simple to make.)

[krissy]

Broccoli Wild Rice Soup


1 pkg. (6 oz) Chicken and wild rice mix (uncle bens)
5 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1-5 medium carrots, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese,
cooked cubed chicken (optional)

In a large saucepan, combine rice, contents of seasoning packet, onion and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stirring once.

Stir in the broccoli, and carrots. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and optional chicken if desired. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted.

Serve with garlic or cheesy toast. (homemade or those found in the frozen food section)

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

tried the lasagna last night.

It's a verra nice.

:biggrin:

[krissy]

Curried Coconut Chicken

This recipe has become a favorite at our house. My son who is a very finicky eater, does in fact like this dish. So it's a winner in our house. Maybe it will be in yours as well. This is an excellent recipe with lots of flavor. It's simple to make as well.

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 tsp. Salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tbs. Cooking oil of choice
2 tbs. Curry powder
1/2 -1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 tbs. Sugar
Hot cooked Rice *
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2-5 minutes.

Stir in onions and garlic, and cook another minute or two. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce and sugar into the pan. Stir to combined. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

I prefer to use basmati rice because it has more flavor but I do also often use instant rice just because it's quicker and faster. But my kids love this dish and often request it.

Lots of flavor without being spicy.

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Bannock (called apparently a "damper" in Australia)

Get peeled sticks, same length and twice as thick as marshmallow sticks.

Get your campfire down to flaring coals stage.

5 cups of flour
4 teaspoons of sugar
Pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons of baking soda
Half a pint of water
Raisins, currants, whatever

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl
Punch a hole in the dry ingredients and slowly mix/knead in the water
Consistency should be stiff enough to wrap a glob around a stick.

Wrap medium thin glob around stick and turn over the fire, far enough from the coals that the inside has a chance to cook. When it's light brown on the outside and slides EASILY off the stick, it's done.

Use the convenient stick hole to drop in butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, fruit jams, whatever you like.

Goes very well with apple slices lightly dusted with cinnamon and sugar, washed down with cold apple cider.

- John

PS: If you actually measure your ingredients, you're not really camping :biggrin:

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Any chance this thread could move to The Mess Hall?

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Can't be bothered dinner salad

Ten minutes to make

Mixed Baby Greens
Cooked sliced chicken breast
Walnut Pieces
Green Apple slices
Celery slices
Mandarin Orange slices
Mushroom pieces

Shredded cheese to top with and a piece of favourite toasted bread on the side.

found some nice "japanese ginger" salad dressing to splash on

Ephemere Apple Beer to drink

Max Cat got his chicken cooked plain in a bowl, the way he likes it.

*burp*

:biggrin:

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

The idea for this thread came about from another, well loved thread:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=85742

The SigFem is off doing something female tonight, so with many thanks to MurchMB for the original recipe and to MrGuy for the vinegar hash browns recipe, I fixed myself a St Louis Slinger:

Two sirloin patties, with aged cheddar on top.
Andy's Vinegar Hash Browns (page one of this thread)
Two eggs sunny side up on top
Covered with chili (Hormel makes a fine canned chili when you're lazy)
Topped with mixed cheddar and mozza.

If someone will wake me up in about, oh, April should do it, I am going to go digest . . .

:biggrin:

- John

[Scissors]

gO8EiScBEjA

A great recipe and a great video from the director of Sin City and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. It's a delicious dish; I've made it for guests and then watched the movie. :001_smile

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Friday night coming down . . .

Salad to start . . .

Wannabe Waldorf:
Lettuce mix
Green onion slices
Pecan pieces
Apple slices

Protein blast . . .

Chicken Flocking Chili

Can of small diced tomatoes
Can of mushrooms
Can of mixed beans
Chop a pepper of your colour choice into coarse pieces.
Chop a red onion up pretty fine.

Get a big pot and put some olive oil in the bottom. No, it doesn't matter a bit how virgin it is. Mix in some garlic powder. No, it doesn't make a bit of difference if it's powder or paste or smashed ripe cloves. I've been cooking for close to half a century and there is zip difference. Stir, stir, stir over medium heat until the garlic smells sweet. Dump in the onion and cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns a bit translucent. Add some black pepper and cook a couple more minutes.

Dump everything else in. Add some chili powder, cayenne pepper, whatever else you like as you bring it back to a fast simmer. Now, toss in about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Trust me.

Now, add enough large chopped, cooked chicken breast to double the volume of whatever is there already. Bring it back to a fast simmer, stirring it pretty often for about five minutes and then knock it down to a slow simmer. Longer the better but it really only needs about fifteen minutes.

You're going to want some really starchy bread to break the heat. I recommend nice big crunchy kaisers. I personally like garlic butter on mine but suit yourself.

Slice up some aged cheddar to put on top of the chili in the bowl and of course, you need to wash it down. Tonight, I used Howe Sound Rail Ale. :biggrin:

The finish . . .

Simple fruit salad was what was in the fridge tonight, so a nice splash of orange brandy on top made it dessert.

I'm finishing the litre of Rail Ale as I type this. That might explain the long rambling text above :biggrin:

You ought to be grateful that it all pretty much came out legible.

Best Regards,

- John

[MoreSaltThanPepper]

Chopping up some back bacon (Canadian bacon, peameal bacon, whatever else you call it) this morning, I realized that I had already started the toast, without thinking. I desperation, I wrapped the bacon in paper towel on a dish and tossed it in the microwave.

Final result? Gawdawful. The texture was like . . . like . . . well, never mind. I wound up doing it again from scatch, properly. What a waste.

How do YOU cook your bacon?

Regards,

- John