OFFICIAL NW' Receipe THREAD!!!!

FALAFEL

This is the best Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas (soak in water overnight, see below)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
2-4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour (can add some breadcrumb too)
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying

Serve size: 2 people...Its great in a salad or in a pita with tahini or yogurt sauce


1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain.

2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours (I did not refrigerate, just went right to next step)

4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.

5. Heat 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. ENJOY!

I haven't made this yet, but I have been DYING to make a curry chicken recipe. This one just looked so good, I had to copy it down and keep it in my file:

Curry and yogurt braised chicken thighs
makes 4 servings

1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground pepper
all purpose flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon miced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon madras curry powder
1 pound tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh corn kernles (from 1 ear)
1/4 cup greek-style plain low-fat yogurt
½ cup water
cilantro leaves, for garnish


1. In a large deep skillet, heat the oil. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour, tapping off the excess. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the ginger, garlic , chile and bell pepper to the skillet and cook over high heat until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, corn, yogurt and water; stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over very low heat until the chicken is tender and the juices are slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with cilantro and serve.

I wish there was a way that we could 'tack' this up so that It doesn't move down and people forget about it. IT would be a good idea to have a few things 'tacked' up so that people don't repeat threads and things get lost.

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Posted by Future_Farrell

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Posted by FinallyEngaged

Pork chops and Beer

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I am assuming it has to be a dark beer? Can you use a corona? lol I don't drink beer, and we have TONS left over from the super bowl , and it's mostly coronas.

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It can be any beer you like! So go ahead use the Corona.....

Here's a link to Crock Pot Recipes!

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Posted by FinallyEngaged

Pork chops and Beer

6 pork chops
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
2 onions, sliced

Sprinkle pork chops with steak seasoning. Brown both sides in skillet. After the pork chops have been browned, remove them from the pan.
Pour into skillet one can of beer. Stir around the beer until all the particles on the sides have been incorporated. Pour in barbecue sauce and place the pork chops back into the pan. Add onions and cover. Simmer on low for 1 to 2 hours.

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This sounds so good! Although DH might be upset I'm using the beer for cooking!

Shrimp Scampi

1/4 lb Shrimp
2 Cloves Pressed Garlic
1/4 tsp Salt
A dash of Cayenne
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp Sherry
I Pinch Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Chopped parsley
1 tsp Lemon Juice

In a small bowl combine the shrimp, garlic, salt, cayenne, and olive oil.
Over medium heat, in a small pan, melt the butter. . As soon as the butter melts, add the shrimp. Let them simmer on one side until they're done half way through and then turn them and cook till done.
Just before the shrimp are just done add the sherry, lemon zest, parsley, and lemon juice. Stir everything together and cook for a few seconds more.

I like to toss this over spaghetti

The 07ers had tried to put together a cookbook with recipes, but it never ended up happening.

Here's a link to our thread ... 6 pages of yummy-ness


NW 07ers Cookbook Thread

This is a make ahead recipe, for 3 meals, called power cooking. I use it in my business and for all recipes for work parties. It is simple and quick. You can divide the recipe by 1/3 and you don't have to make ahead, you can cook it right away:

3 medium onions
3 lb 90% lean ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1. Chop onions using Food Chopper.
2. Place onions, beef and garlic pressed with Garlic Press
into (12-in.) Skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 15-18
minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking into
crumbles using Mix ‘N Chop.
3. Divide beef mixture into three portions.

The one of three meals I always make is the SAUCY BEEF CHILI: finish as follows (agn no need to do the make ahead unless you want to )

1. Prepare and freeze
To one portion of Make-Ahead Ground Beef, add:
1 can (16 oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1½ cups water
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 pkt (1.48 oz) chili seasoning mix
Combine in large resealable plastic bag. Freeze for up
to three months.
2. Defrost
Microwave packet on DEFROST (30% power) 8-10 minutes
or until softened. Pour into (10-in.) Skillet and bring to
a simmer over medium heat.
(If cooking immediately, combine ingredients in
(10-in.) Skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat.)
3. Finish and serve!
• Spoon chili into bowls.
• Top with shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions
or sour cream, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrients per serving (excluding optional ingredients):
Calories 260, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 50 mg,
Carbohydrate 27 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 980 mg, Fiber 6 g
Serving Suggestions: This chili can be served on top of baked
potatoes or with purchased cornbread, if desired.

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Posted by TommysWife08

GLAZED CORNISH HEN WITH ORANGE AND
WILD RICE STUFFING

4 cornish hens
1 (6 oz.) pkg. long grain and wild rice mix
1 tsp. orange rind, grated
1 1/3 c. fresh orange juice
1 c. converted rice, uncooked
butter
1/3 c. honey
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 tsp. salt

Thaw hens completely, if frozen.
FOR STUFFING: Cook rice mix according to package directions, adding rind and 1 cup orange juice. In separate pan, cook converted rice according to package directions. Toss rices together (recipe makes 4 1/2 cups stuffing).

RINSE: Hens, pat dry; loosely stuff each body cavity with 1/2 cup stuffing; close with skewers or sew. Tie legs together with string; fold wing tips under backs. Rub with butter. Place breast side up; on rack in roasting pan. Roast at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until done.

MEANWHILE: Combine honey, remaining 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and salt; boil hard for 1 minute. During last 25 minutes of roasting, baste every 10 minutes with glaze. Heat remaining stuffing to pass separately. Garnish hens with parsley and orange wedges.

NOTE: This stuffing also very good when baking duckling. When baking duckling, bake covered for a portion of baking time, duckling will be more tender and well done at the bone.

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I want to try this recipe-it sounds great and I've been wanting to make cornish hens lately. Can't wait to try it.

This is a GREAT slow cook recipe for a chilly winter night!

Beef Short Ribs with Mushrooms (I made these for DH and his
friends. They were to DIE for!)

3 1/2 pounds meaty short ribs,
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 3 ½ pounds
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups good-quality beef stock
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Preheat oven to 325° F. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge
the short ribs. Heat half the olive oil in a Dutch oven over
medium-high heat, then sear the beef on all sides until golden brown,
3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef and set aside. Add the onion
and garlic and cook until brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
Add the stock, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Return the beef
to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to the oven. Cook
until the beef is fork-tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours. In the last 15 minutes
of cooking, heat the remaining oil in a heavy skillet over medium
heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Toss
with the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove the ribs to
serving dishes, place the pot over high heat, and reduce the cooking
liquid until slightly thickened. Serve with the mushrooms and cooking
liquid.

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole

2 cups of elbow macaroni
4 tbsp. of flour
1 tsp. of salt
1 lb. of Velveeta cheese
4 tbsp. of margarine
3 cups of milk
¼ tsp. of pepper
1 cup of buttered crumbs (about 2 tbsp of butter mixed with bread crumbs – just enough butter to coat the crumbs)


1. Cook and drain elbows and place them in a buttered casserole.
2. Melt margarine in a medium – sized pot. Add flour, salt, and pepper and then blend together. Add milk slowly until the sauce thickens.
3. Cut cheese into cubes and add to sauce, stirring constantly until cheese melts.
4. Pour sauce over elbows and top with previously buttered crumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Bread Balls

- 2 cups of Italian bread crumbs
- ½ - ¾ cup grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 1 – 2 eggs
- 1% or 2% milk (optional)

1. Start with one egg and mix all the ingredients together. If the mix is too dry then add
2nd egg and some milk accordingly.

2. Coat frying pan in olive or vegetable oil over low-medium heat.

3. Use tablespoon and drop the mixture into pan.

4. Fry on both sides until golden brown.

5. Drain on plate lined with paper towels.

If making sauce, place bread balls into pot ½ hour before it is finished cooking.

Rum Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding
½ cup oil
4 eggs
¾ cup water
¾ cup rum
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter

1. grease and flour a bunt pan
2. beat cake mix, pudding, oil, eggs, and ½ cup water and ½ cup rum for 3 mins
3. pour into pan and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees
4. Sauce: boil sugar, butter, and ¼ cup water for 2 mins
5. add ¼ cup rum and boil 1 more min
6. Cool cake in pan for 20 mins.
7. Prick entire bottom of cake with a toothpick and brush about 2/3 of sauce over it using a basting brush
8. Invert cake onto plate.
9. prick top and sides and brush remaining sauce all over, including inside of center hole.

This was a Rachel Ray recipe that was actually good. (as if you couldn't tell by the instructions to 'eyeball it'. I've made this a few times.

Frutti di Mare

1/2 pound angel hair pasta
Salt, for pasta water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil -- 2 turns of the pan
2 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes -- eyeball it
1/2 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
1 pound small fresh clams, ask for them scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed
10 to 12 large shrimp, deveined -- ask for easy peels at the fish counter, tails removed
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
20 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips or torn
Crusty bread, warmed

Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook angel hair to al dente.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, saute shallots and garlic with crushed pepper 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Add wine and reduce 1 minute. Raise the heat a bit. Add crushed tomatoes and bring sauce to a bubble. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Add clams and mussels and cover the pan. Steam until shells open, about 5 minutes. Remove any unopened shells. Add shrimp to sauce and cook until just firm, 3 minutes.

Add parsley and basil to the sauce and shake the pan to incorporate it. Adjust seasonings, to taste.
Combine drained pasta with a few ladles of sauce and pile pasta into shallow platters or bowls. Top with arranged mixed seafood and sauce. Serve with warm, crusty bread for dipping

vodka sauce

* 1 stick butter
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 cup vodka
* 1 can Italian crushed tomatoes
* 1 1/2 cups Parmesan Reggiano cheese (fresh, not Kraft or anything like that.)**
* 1 cup heavy cream

Melt butter over medium heat until bubbly; add red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
Raise heat to high, and quickly add vodka; simmer for 2 minutes The alcohol burns off, but makes tomatoes 'come alive'.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute.
Add the two cheeses, mix rapidly and simmer for three minutes
Add heavy cream and simmer for at least 3-4 minute.

*Sometimes I use 1 cup of Parmesan and 1/2 of Romano cheese instead. Usually just when I don't have enough Parmesan.. lol. It tastes the same to Tom but I notice a little difference.

In total the sauce is maybe 10 minutes. Get out all of your ingredients and line them up, because it moves fast! lol. I always put the water for the pasta up to boil first. Then I get all the ingredients ready. I start the sauce right then. When it's done if the pasta isn't ready yet I turn the sauce to low heat, leave it uncovered. When the pasta is ready, mix it all together.

I think I have a girl crush on Ina Garten!

Here are 2 recipes that i've used over and over again!



Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Ingredients
* 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
* 2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
* 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.



Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Ingredients
* 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 (16-ounce) can Hershey's chocolate syrup
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

For the ganache:
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and coffee granules and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the muffin pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache. Do not refrigerate.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 9 oz package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup All Purpose Baking Mix

Heat Oven to 400 Degrees

Stir Soup, Vegetables and Chicken in a 9' pie plate.

Stir Milk, Egg and Baking Mix in a medium bowl. Spoon over chicken mixture. Bake for 30 mins or until crust is golden.