What's For Dinner?

[Reptilian]

I thought it would be cool for all of us to share our favorite recipes. I've done this on another board and got great response and new recipes, which is always cool.

I'll start out with my two favorite easy ones to make. Fruity PB and J Sandwiches and Italian Chicken Pasta Salad.

Fruity BP and J Sandwiches
Two pieces of bread
Peanut butter
Jam of your choice (Strawberry works best)
1 banana sliced

Spread PB on bread, top with jam. Add Banana slices. Top with 2nd slice of bread and enjoy.


Italian Chicken Pasta Salad
1 box of Corkscrew Pasta
1 container of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 red pepper or green pepper or both
1 onion
1 bottle of Italian Dressing
1 lb of chicken

Cook Chicken till it's no longer pink. You may season it as you wish. Let cool then cube it. Cook pasta as directed on box. Drain and put in fridge. Cut all veggies and add them to pasta. Add Italian dressing. I usually go thru a bottle of it. Add chicken to salad and toss.

Tips: Try adding cubes of sharp cheddar. Try different veggies like broccoli. You can serve the pasta cold but the chicken hot if you're quick enough. Either way it's all good and great on a hot summer day.

[Jae iLL]

when it's almost time to go grocery shopping again I make Kimchee Jigae



First cook some pork with the kimchee until the kimchee is a lil soft and is cooking in the pork grease. Then fill a pot with about 1/3 water, add all the kimchee and pork and add some of the juice from the kimchee. Let that cook for about half an hour, then add some tofu, some tuna fish, whatever vegetables you want, basically anything in your refrigerator. One pot will last you a few days of lunch and dinner.

[Kagez28]

i personally like risotto with dried cranberries.... as for a recipe it's kind of second nature for me i just wing it. guess 2 years of culinary school and 5 years of working in restaurants will do that to ya.

but here is a recipe i really LOVE...

Panna Cotta

3 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
5 packages unflavored powdered gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
1 teaspoon salt
2 ounces bourbon (optional)
2 cups cranberry juice (ocean spray, ect.)
Combine 1 can of evaporated milk with four packages gelatin and bloom for five or so minutes.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the remaining milk and heavy cream to a boil. Stir in the sugar, vanilla bean, salt, and bourbon (optional). Combine this mixture with the gelatin mixture and stir until all solids have dissolved. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture into a six flute (champagne) glasses. Refrigerate overnight to fully set.

For the glaze, combine remaining gelatin from before with half a cup of regular old cranberry juice. Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups of juice to a boil and stir into gelatin mixture to dissolve any solids. Pour into a squeeze bottle (dinner ketchup kind of bottles) and leave at room temperature until panna cotta is set.

Put in fresh berries in glasses with panna cotta and drizzle the glaze over it. The glaze will set up immediately.

and last but not least ENJOY...


hope everyone likes it.

[Ginevive]

Rice Leftover Pan
I just basically make white rice, and add/mix in anything that is leftover in the fridge. Like cut-up beef, steak, chicken or pork.. veggies.. etc. A can of mushrooms is great too if you like them. Then add in some gravy.. yum! If you're hard pressed for leftovers, a simple can of chicken broth with rise makes a nice, quick soup that is great on a cold night.

[PythonWallace]

I just went shopping, so I have a few meals to make before the fish and meat goes bad.

Last night I had crab legs w/lemon butter, fresh green beans and Grecian potatoes.

Tonight I'm busting out the smoker and smoking a pork roast and a white fish for lunches while I make my turkey & black bean chili.

Chili
1 lb. ground turkey (use pork, lamb, steak or deer if you don't live w/a semi-vegetarian)
1 green pepper - diced
1 red pepper - diced
5 jalapenos - sliced
1 medium onion - chopped
5 cloves garlic - minced
2 roma tomatoes - diced
2 cans black beans
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 can chicken stock
2 tbls chili powder
salt
cumin
Oregano
2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
2 tbls red drinking wine
6-12 oz of your favorite beer. I drink pilsners, but a heavy, sweet ale works good for this)
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Provolone, chahaua, cheddar)
Olive oil

*Optional
Liquid smoke
Chipotles
Salsa
Hot sauce

Heat a large pot on med. high w/ 2 tbls olive oil
Heat a large skillet on medium w/ 1 tbls olive oil
Cook the meat in the skillet while stirring until it's mostly done
While the meat is cooking, add the onion and peppers to the pot and cook until they start to get soft.
Add the pan of meat to the pot and cover w/ the beans, canned tomatoes and chicken stock.
Stir in all of the ingredients except for the diced tomatoes, salt and cheese.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Taste it and add salt and chili powder to taste.
Add the tomatoes, stir and simmer for 5 more minutes
Fine tune the seasoning, turn off heat, stir in the cheese and serve
*I don't measure anything or look at the clock, so this should be pretty close. Start weak and season gradually until it's right on. You know it's done when it changes from soup to thick, hearty chili. And add whatever you like.

[PythonWallace]

Grilled filet mignon in beef wine sauce w/ garlic bread

Mix 2 cup of your favorite red wine with 1 cup water, 4 tbls melted butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 4 cloves minced garlic. 1-2 tsp steak sauce is optional. Use this to marinate the steaks for at least a few hours in the refridgerator.

In a pan, make an au juis sauce and add 1/4 cup red wine, 3 cloves of garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt. Simmer for 15 more minutes.

Cut french bread in half longways, then cut to 10" pieces. Cut the pieces diagnally in half so you have 2 8" pieces from each 10" piece. Butter the tops and broil oe grill until the buttered sides are starting to brown. Remove from heat and rub w/ fresh garlic. Keep in a warm oven until the steaks are ready.

Oil your grill grate and heat to 425. Add the steaks and cook for about 6 minutes per side, depending on how thick they are and how you like them. 5-6 minutes per side should be medium rare. When they are done, move them from the grill to a platter and top each one with a little butter. Let them sit while you spoon the sauce onto plates. Add the steak w/ the bread on the sides. Salt and pepper to taste, but the sauce should be salty enough.

If you like steak w/ grilled onions and mushrooms, thick slice an onion, and slice some baby portabellas or white buttons. Spread out on a large piece of heavy duty foil, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, wine, pepper and balsamic vinegar, and toss to coat. Fold the foil into a pouch, and put it on the grill a 5-10 minutes before you start the steaks.

[PythonWallace]

Chicken skewers

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips that are about 2" wide X 1/4" thick. Either marinade them or give them a dry rub and weave them onto wet skewers. Grill on both sides, or bake or broil until done. I'll put potatoes in the oven on 400 before I start with the chicken, then throw the chicken skewers in the broiler when the potatoes are almost ready. These are easy and delicious, with plenty of leftovers. Here are some maranades/rubs I like for these:

-Premade Jamaican Jerk sauce
-Any Buffalo Wild Wings sauces
-Lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic
-Oregano, olive oil, salt, white pepper, garlic, onion powder, thyme, lemon or white wine
-lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, tequila, salt, pepper, garlic, jalapenos
-BBQ sauce
-melted butter, garlic salt, pepper, white wine

[PythonWallace]

If you like fish, I take mahi, sword fish, marlin, shark or halibut, cut a pocket in the center, fill with a mix of cream cheese, mozzarella, pepper, paprika, garlic and either rough cropped shrimp, crawfish, crab or lobster. Brush both sides of the fish with a little melted butter and sprinkle with some seasoning, and put them in a baking pan. Sprinkle generously with bread crumbs, pour a little butter over them and top with a few lemon slices. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes or until the fish is flakey and the stuffing is bubbleing out. I first tried this w/ halibut when I had a bunch of extra crawfish that needed to be used. It was the best fish ever (besides the grilled Mahi w/ diablo sauce from Papadoux).

[PythonWallace]

What, no weekend warrior chefs on here?

[PythonWallace]

Chocolate Cicadas

24 cicadas
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbls dark roast coffee
1 tbls honey

Rinse the cicadas and dry them w/ paper towels.
Use a double boiler on low to melt the chocolate chips, while stirring.
Stir in the honey and coffee, and remove from heat.
Dip the cicadas in the chocolate and put on wax paper in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

I haven't tried this yet, as I only have 6 cicadas in my freezer, but this is how I make everything chocolate covered. They aren't bad live either. Legs tend to get stuck in your teeth, though, so if they are already dead, you might want to pull the legs off before eating. Anyone else been feasting on all the cicadas?