Let's Get Cooking !

[PapawBrett]

Ok, this may or may not last very long, but I've never seen a thread on the ECF dedicated to cooking.
Baking, Grilling, Frying, Boiling .... doesn't matter. Some of the Ladies might have some recipes/ techniques they might like to share, and I'm sure there are a few of the Men Folk who know their way around a Grill. Feel Free to contribute your favorite recipes, maybe we can each find a new culinary favorite !
So.... Let's Get Cooking !

 

[PapawBrett]

I would like to start with a Grilling recipe that everyone seems to enjoy. Takes about 10 minutes prep and about 20 minutes to grill. (I use a Weber Classic Kettle)

BACON CHEDDAR BURGERS

1 lb. Ground Beef (we use extra lean)
1/2 cup real Bacon Bits
1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp A-1 Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Egg

Combine all of the Ingredients in a large bowl, mix well, and form four patties.
Grill until internal temps reach 155*F, or about 10 minutes each side.
Serve on Buns with Lettuce/ Sliced Tomato/ Condiments.

 

[PapawBrett]

EASY GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

Four (4) Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1 gall. water
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 clove of Garlic
aprox. 1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper
aprox. 1 Tbsp Rosemary

Mix Water, Salt and Sugar to form a Brine. Place Chicken Breasts into Brine, and store in refrigerator for two hours.
After Chicken has been brined, combine Olive Oil, Garlic, Lemon Pepper and Rosemary in a small bowl. Blend with a small whisk, then place small basting brush with oil.
Remove Chicken from Brine and rinse off with cold water. Place on heated grill. Baste one side, and allow to cook for maybe two or three minutes, then turn chicken over and baste again.
Allow to cook for 15 minutes, then baste, turn and baste again.
Allow to cook another 12 - 15 minutes, or until internal temps exceed 165*F.

 

[PapawBrett]

Nothing goes with grilled meats quite like grilled potatoes, so...

GRILLED POTATOES

1 lb. Potatoes, scrubbed
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 clove of Garlic
aprox. 1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper
aprox. 1 Tbsp Rosemary

Fork and microwave potatoes for 2 minutes, then quarter long ways. Place in large bowl.
Mix Oil, Garlic, Lemon Pepper and Rosemary together, and pour over sliced Potatoes.
Grill over medium heat for ten minutes. Baste and turn, then cook until edges turn brown.

 

[stols001]

Dead Easy Weirdly Delicious Watermelon Salad

One water melon of your size choosing..

Melon ball scooper. As much patience as you got to scoop.

Slice up onions REAL thin and mix (inside the melon rind if you wanna get fancy.)

Delicious.

Anna

 

[PapawBrett]

EASY GRILLED SWEET CORN

Whole Ears of Sweet Corn
Butter (1/4 cup, of half - stick for every four ears of Corn)
Salt (1 tsp for every four ears of Corn)
Garlic Powder (1/2 tsp for every four ears of corn)

Remove husk and silks from Corn, and soak in cold water for 30 minutes.
While Corn soaks, prepare individual sheets of Aluminum Foil for each ear of Corn.
Melt required amount of Butter in small saucepan, and stir in Salt and Garlic Powder.
After Corn has soaked for 30 minutes, place each ear in it's own foil wrapper, basting lightly yet thoroughly with melted butter.
Place wrapped Corn - Directly- over coals ( or burners) on grill, and close for 30 to 45 seconds. Then turn, and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
Move Corn to cooler side of grill to warm while cooking rest of meal.

 

[PapawBrett]

and for those rainy days when you just can't get out to the grill (or whenever you feel like it), this recipe will feed three people. If you need to feed 4 to 6, double the ingredients.

LOW COUNTRY BOIL

1 lb. Small Red Potatoes, scrubbed
1 lb. Large Shrimp, Shelled and De-Veined
3/4 lb. Smoked Sausage
Four (4) Sweet Corn Nibblers
1 Tbsp Zatarain's Crab and Shrimp Boil (can be substituted with 2 Tbsp Old Bay, but remove Salt from recipe)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

In large pot, bring 1/2 Gallon of water to a boil, an add Zatarain's, Salt, Black Pepper and Cayenne Pepper.
Quarter Potatoes long ways, and add to pot. Return to boil, cover, cook for ten minutes.
Slice Smoked Sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Add Sausage and Corn. Return to boil, cover, cook another ten minutes.
Add Shrimp. Cover and cook three to four minutes, or until Shrimp turns pink.
Strain and serve.

 

[PapawBrett]

And, while I am sitting here, Mamaw is laughing at me ("You, cooking ???)
Trust me , she is a far better cook than I, so I asked her to share this recipe.

MAGIC PEACH COBBLER
"This cobbler is magic because it bakes, the crust rises up through the fruit to form a cake topping."

1/2 Cup (one stick) of Butter
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 cup of Sugar
1 cup of Milk
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
4 cups Sliced, Peeled Peaches

Preheat Oven to 350*F
Melt butter in a 2 Quart Baking Dish.
Combine Flour, Sugar, Milk and Vanilla Extract. Pour over butter. Do Not Stir.
Spoon Peach slices over batter. Do Not Stir.
Bake about 40 minutes.

 

[stols001]

I can't bake too much precision and also many ingredients look way too much like each other. Dude, sift together two tablespoons and two cups of butter, stir. Add 1.5 pinches of salt.

They're all essentially the same or they look the same but they are NOT.

Yes, I have made some interesting birthday cakes, sometimes from a box, and well, eventually I was forbidden even THAT.

Fun fact Sarah Lee or whatever food company made box cakes initially because like, all they had to do was like, add water and mix, shove in oven. The housewives' wouldn't buy em because they felt GUILTY like they had NOT DONE ENOUGH work!!!!!!!!!

Hence the box egg cake was born and has taken off. Quite frankly, I could do without that egg. Eggs are ANNOYING, they are finicky you gotta make sure they are not cracked, and then not crack them on the way home. Also they come in sizes and sometimes I feel you don't get enough guidance there....

I could totally do without the egg, but then the BANDED together and revoked my baking privileges--YES they kept me out of my own kitchen!!

LOL it was probably for the best, I got awful tired of calling my mom in tears about not being able to make bread in a BREADMAKER. She would always be like, "Honey, you can buy ANY kind of bread you want at most supermarkets. Focus on your own talents." Of course I would usually reply, "SEE? Even people in grocery stores can bake bread but not me."

Dude it got eerie though, I mean my husband one time VERY patiently followed me around and told me WHAT to put in the beadmaker in what order and what proportions etc. Still FLAT as a pancake.

I must have the type of constitution that shrivels yeast or something.

Anna

 

[PapawBrett]

I learned to bake box cakes at age 13. That would have been 1972.
Baking really hasn't changed much. Just have to read the recipe.

 

[stols001]

Nope you gotta read then FOLLOW the recipe EXACTLY for the most part. Like, there are cookie recipes where you have to like refrigerate the dough for an exact amount of TIME per OZ of DOUGH.

That's not reading. That is doing. I can read Lance Armstrong's biographie(s) as many times as I want, that doesn't mean I can blood dope myself to the top of the podium SEVEN Times OR beat Testicular cancer (I assume LOL) I mean, maybe I am beating it EVERY DAY. Take THAT Lance, I do what you couldn't every day of my LIFE.

So baking "reading" is sort of this mixture that starts out in a Field of Unicorns and wishes and ends in this blackened dystopian nightmare. Sometimes the fire department is summoned.

That's the best analogy of like the "Reading" bit I can give you.

Anna

 

[LAwaters]

Oh, yum, Brett!

SLOW BAKED CHICKEN BREAST
(Very moist and slightly spicy)


Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cane sugar (baker’s sugar, which is finer grains — but plain sugar will work)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more depending how spicy you like it)

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)

4 Tbsp butter (unsalted; 1/2 stick sliced into 8 thin pats)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325F

Prepare the rub by mixing salt, sugar, cayenne pepper and paprika. Cover the chicken breasts with a thin layer of vegetable or olive oil first to ensure that the rub adheres properly. Cover each chicken breast with an even layer of the rub.

Place chicken breasts in a deep baking dish. Stick butter pats to the sides of the baking dish. That allows the butter to melt in slowly.

Pour chicken broth into the baking dish carefully so as not to wash away the rub.

Bake at 325F uncovered for about 60 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F. To make sure the chicken tops are nicely browned and do not dry out, baste the chicken breasts in the juices 30-40 minutes into baking.

Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes and serve your perfectly baked chicken breast.

TIP:
The pan drippings make a terrific gravy.

Gravy from a roux
(No lumps!)

Ingredients Ratio (yields 1 cup of gravy — double or triple the amounts for more):

2 tbs butter or fat

2 tbs flour

1 cup broth, pan drippings, heavy cream, wine (as preferred)


Directions:

1. Melt butter over low to medium heat
2. Slowly add flour whisking constantly for 5 minutes to remove the raw flavor of flour and to prevent lumps
3. Slowly add broth whisking constantly to prevent lumps
4. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer whisking continuously.
5. Continue heating to desired thickness. It will thicken more as it cools.
6. Season with salt, pepper and any other spices desired.

 

[LAwaters]

Here’s a baked dessert... Don’t look, Anna!

Found this recipe on foodandwine.com. A galette is like a pie — but you don’t need the skills for working with pie dough to make it pretty. I don’t have those skills.

COUNTRY APPLE GALETTE

Ingredients


Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (start at 180 grams up to 225 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup ice water (cold is important to making it turn out right)

Topping

• 4 Golden Delicious apples (or Granny Smith)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon (+ a little extra if you like) honey
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

How to Make It

Step 1

In a food processor, or in a bowl using a fork or pastry blender, combine the flour with the sugar, salt and butter and process for about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and process until the pastry just begins to come together, about 10 seconds; you should still be able to see small pieces of butter in it. Transfer the pastry to a work surface (or onto a piece of parchment paper), gather it together and pat into a disk. Wrap the pastry in the parchment paper (or plastic or wax paper) and refrigerate until chilled. (You can also roll out the pastry and use it right away.)



Step 2

Peel, halve and core the apples and slice them crosswise about 1/4 inch thick. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.



Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°.

On a lightly floured work surface, or on lightly floured parchment paper, roll out the pastry to a 12-by-14-inch rectangle and transfer (still on the parchment paper) to a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle flour lightly on the rolled out pastry then spread it gently across the pastry to help absorb liquid and to keep the bottom from going soggy.

Spread the chopped apples over the pastry to within 1 inch of the edge. Drizzle the honey over the chopped apples. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the apples and dot with small pieces of another 2 tbs butter. Fold the pastry edge up and over the apples to create a 1-inch border.

Crack an egg and beat it with a fork. Brush the pastry with the egg, covering it all. Sprinkle with raw sugar (larger granules) or regular sugar.



Step 4

Bake the galette for about 1 hour, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp and all of the apples are tender. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the galette cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Make Ahead

The buttery pastry can be refrigerated overnight.

 

[PapawBrett]

Oh, yum, Brett!

SLOW BAKED CHICKEN BREAST
(Very moist and slightly spicy)


Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cane sugar (baker’s sugar, which is finer grains — but plain sugar will work)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more depending how spicy you like it)

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)

4 Tbsp butter (unsalted; 1/2 stick sliced into 8 thin pats)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325F

Prepare the rub by mixing salt, sugar, cayenne pepper and paprika. Cover the chicken breasts with a thin layer of vegetable or olive oil first to ensure that the rub adheres properly. Cover each chicken breast with an even layer of the rub.

Place chicken breasts in a deep baking dish. Stick butter pats to the sides of the baking dish. That allows the butter to melt in slowly.

Pour chicken broth into the baking dish carefully so as not to wash away the rub.

Bake at 325F uncovered for about 60 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F. To make sure the chicken tops are nicely browned and do not dry out, baste the chicken breasts in the juices 30-40 minutes into baking.

Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes and serve your perfectly baked chicken breast.

TIP:
The pan drippings make a terrific gravy.

Gravy from a roux
(No lumps!)

Ingredients Ratio (yields 1 cup of gravy — double or triple the amounts for more):

2 tbs butter or fat

2 tbs flour

1 cup broth, pan drippings, heavy cream, wine (as preferred)


Directions:

1. Melt butter over low to medium heat
2. Slowly add flour whisking constantly for 5 minutes to remove the raw flavor of flour and to prevent lumps
3. Slowly add broth whisking constantly to prevent lumps
4. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer whisking continuously.
5. Continue heating to desired thickness. It will thicken more as it cools.
6. Season with salt, pepper and any other spices desired.

So, just for definition sake, what you are calling a "butter pat" is actually half of a tablespoon of butter, correct ?

 

[LAwaters]

So, just for definition sake, what you are calling a "butter pat" is actually half of a tablespoon of butter, correct ?

Yes, sir!

 

[PapawBrett]

Saturday night is supposed to be Eat Out at Home Night. Mamaw choses the restaurant, we order, and I go get it and bring it home. Doesn't matter what she would like, she gets her favorite meal in the comfort of her home.
Tonight she decided she would rather have a Low Country Boil than anything from a restaurant.

 

[Plumes.91]

Rosemary garlic lemon pepper grilled potatoes sound good. back when I was a chef, we'd bake huge sheet pans of chicken thighs, then we'd plate the chicken and we'd sprinkle down the chicken grease with garlic and salt and extra olive oil, some parsley, and we'd drop the little fingerling potatoes right onto the sheet pan and into the oven. The best baked potatoes are baked in chicken grease in my opinion!

 

[LAwaters]

Technically, this isn’t a recipe, but it is saving me hours of time, so I’ll share it here.

This is for anyone who loves homemade pomegranate juice.

Someone who has a pomegranate tree has just given me about 3 dozen. The first one I deseeded took me more than half an hour. That’s picking them out by hand. The little buggers are packed with seeds!

Internet search to the rescue! This technique brought it down to a few minutes. Bonus: it’s great stress relief as long as you don’t smack your hand with the wooden spoon.

How to Deseed a Pomegranate

First, score through just the skin all the way around the middle. If you slice it all the way through, you lose a lot of juice.

Next, break it open.

Next, soak one of the halves pith side down in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Then break it open further.

Grab a wooden spoon and hold a section with one hand and proceed to smack the heck out of the skin side.

Voila! Seeds tumble out into the water.

Keep turning the section and smacking where needed to get all of the seeds.

The pith floats to the top and can be scooped up and thrown out.

Use a slotted spoon to get them out of the water. Don’t let the seeds soak too long or they’d will lose their juice into the water.

 

[kayakiit]

Technically, this isn’t a recipe, but it is saving me hours of time, so I’ll share it here.

This is for anyone who loves homemade pomegranate juice.

Someone who has a pomegranate tree has just given me about 3 dozen. The first one I deseeded took me more than half an hour. That’s picking them out by hand. The little buggers are packed with seeds!

Internet search to the rescue! This technique brought it down to a few minutes. Bonus: it’s great stress relief as long as you don’t smack your hand with the wooden spoon.

How to Deseed a Pomegranate

First, score through just the skin all the way around the middle. If you slice it all the way through, you lose a lot of juice.

View attachment 914231

Next, break it open.

View attachment 914235

Next, soak one of the halves pith side down in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Then break it open further.

View attachment 914233

Grab a wooden spoon and hold a section with one hand and proceed to smack the heck out of the skin side.

Voila! Seeds tumble out into the water.

Keep turning the section and smacking where needed to get all of the seeds.

The pith floats to the top and can be scooped up and thrown out.

Use a slotted spoon to get them out of the water. Don’t let the seeds soak too long or they’d will lose their juice into the water.

God this looks delicious, can't wait to try. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[sonicbomb]

'Sexeh AF' Salad

Very simple, very tasty, very salad.
Make a bed of iceberg lettuce in a bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, sliced avocado, cucumber, grated cheese and very finely chopped crispy bacon bits. Add a vinaigrette or a reduced balsamic dressing. Or add some toasted pine nuts or croutons.
Winner.