Tawa Owakuchu cooking thread

[Veranilla]

Since several of us are at 375 cooking, I thought we could share some recipes. I'm only at 296 cooking in RL. Seemed to have hit a wall... anyway...

Veranilla's Spicy Italian Crockpot Roast

1 roast (boneless pot roast, bottom round, whatever)
1 bottle of Giardiniera vegetables
1 bottle of Pepperoncini (look in the pickle ailse, you'll usually find both Pepperoncini and Giardiniera together)
4-6 red new potatoes
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup of water

Coat your roast with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on all sides, very thoroughly with a lot of seasoning. Then sear in a pan until brown. This gets the flavors into the meat.

Wash potatoes and place at bottom of the crockpot. Put roast on top of potatoes.

Open bottle of vegetables. Pour out the juice then pour all the veggies into the crockpot. Do about half of the peppers, also draining the juice (I like mine really spicy so I do the whole bottle).

Finally add a tiny amount of water. Remember the potatoes and veggies will release water so you don't want too much.

Cook on low all day or high for 5-6 hours.

Veranilla's Sweet Crockpot Pork

This recipe is tender, moist, and great for holidays and special occasions. Also it's super easy to make!

1 pork tenderloin
1 can of cranberry sauce, jellied or whole (or you can make your own@)
1/3 cup French dressing
1 onion, cut into quarters
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix cranberry sauce and French dressing in a bowl until combined in an orange sauce. Place onions on the bottom of the crockpot. Add pork tenderloin. Sprinkle celery atop pork and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, pour in the sauce, making sure to cover the pork.

Cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-4.

Veranilla's Chili

1 bag of Carroll Shelby's chili mix (you can spice it yourself but I find using his spices a lot easier)
1-2 pounds of ground chuck beef
1 8 oz can tomato sauce, NOT spiced
1 can diced or quartered tomatoes
1 can of red kidney beans, dark or light
1 can of black beans
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 or 1 or 2 tsp of red pepper flakes (1/4 makes medium, 1 makes hot, 2 makes super fire hot)
Pinch of cayenne
Optional: leftover pork from Veranilla's sweet crockpot pork, or the spicy pot roast

Brown beef, draining grease. (I usually just pour it out into a full trashcan... all the crap absorbs the grease before it can burn the bag. Push all the meat toward the pouring end and hold down with a fork so you don't get any meat in the trash.)

Chop onions pretty finely, but you don't have to go crazy with it. Add to meat and stir for about five minutes until they're translucent. Now chop the garlic as finely as humanly possible. Add to meat and stir, letting the flavors absorb.

Now the important part... add your cayenne and crushed red pepper. The crushed red pepper is going to give you your heat, more so than the ground cayenne, so use sparingly if you don't like it too spicy. We're building our foundation right now so stir the hot spices in well.

Kick the temperature up on the burner. Pour in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (you want the water the tomatoes came in!) Now add your chili seasoning, the Carroll Shelby stuff or your own spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, etc).

Finally, pour your beans into a strainer and THOROUGHLY rinse them. You don't want any of the juices the beans came in. Pour the beans into the chili and stir heartily. Also add whatever meat or anything else you like (some crunchy peanut butter, a dash of dark cocoa powder, crushed nuts, maybe another type of bean, etc).

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover for 20 minutes or so. (I let mine simmer for about an hour to really let the flavors come together.)

If you like your chili really thick, you can add some masa flour that came with the chili pack. Follow the directions on the chili kit.

Chop up some green onions or chives, finely. Spoon into bowls and garnish with green onions on top. Be sure to have sour cream!

How about a fun drink recipe to finish us off?

Mojito: Veranilla

I've been drinking mojitos for years, though I don't so much anymore as they're really popular now.

These guys are made to serve, one glass at a time.

2 1/2 shots of light rum
1 tsp white granulated sugar
Sprite
Club soda
Lot of mint
Ice
1/2 Lime

Start with the sugar. Then place your mint at the bottom of your glass. Really crush the hell out of it with a fork or spoon, coating the glass from the bottom up. Mix the sugar in with the mint... it'll release water as you mash.

Roll your lime on a cutting board to get the juice ready and then cut in half. Squeeze out half the juice into your drink, stirring it until the sugar has nearly dissolved.

Now add ice cubes or crushed ice until the glass is half full. Your goal here is to keep the mint at the bottom of the glass with the ice acting as a buffer.

Now add your rum (I like 1/3 ratio rum to sprite to club soda!), then Sprite, then club soda at the very top. Give the glass a quick stir, being sure all the mint stays at the bottom.

Garnish with a lime or lemon wedge and a noncrushed sprig of mint.

These will hit you hard so be careful, and don't drink em too fast unless you want to get really sloshed.

[Raga]

Here's one:

Birthday Booze Cake

1 Chocolate Cake
1 Birthday person
As many pony kegs as you can find

Mix well and garnish with lots of /cheer and /dance.

Happy birthday, V!

[Kerbadas]

Wait, it was a birthday?

Happy day!

[Grizz]

Gah, I'm a day late!

Happy post-birthday!

[Veranilla]

Everyone knows Henry Hill. Goodfellas, the half Irish, half Sicilian wiseguy who flipped and put his entire crew away for life.

Turns out he has a cookbook, and I can't even begin to calculate its degrees of awesome. Seriously, if you cook, or ever had a desire to learn, go buy this book. I've been making his recipes almost every night and I can tell you I'll never step foot in an Italian restaurant again. We made his spaghetti and meatballs -- the Manhattan wiseguys call it gravy and pasta -- and it was phenomenal. It took some time to prepare and cook, and god it made a lot of dishes to clean, but it really wasn't hard and it was so good. And it was so simple! Just fresh green flat leaf parsley, lot of fresh basil, lot of garlic, a few shortcuts on my part, and boom, you could open an Italian restaurant.

It's not just Italian either. Once Hill hits the witness protection program, he jumps from town to town in the south. This part really hit home with me cause where we live now is a swelteringly redneck culinary dump and Olive Garden (which is something like 40 minutes away) is the only Italian joint in the county and surrounding vicinity. He's forced to learn to cook with what's available. Almost every recipe has tips and suggestions for variations if you can't find the ingredients.

Also it's great if you're in college and hate the caf food or like to cook as there's a whole chapter devoted to how he cooked for his wiseguy buddies in prison!

The book's called The Wiseguy Cookbook by Henry Hill. I give it 5 outta 5 stars.

[Regatta]

Nilla! I have been meaning to tell you, we tried your pot roast a few weeks ago and it was a HUGE hit. I intend to use a different cut of meat next time because what I used was a little too fatty for my taste. But it was great and even my super picky kiddos ate it!
I have heard that cookbook is excellent, I'll have to pick it up.
I need to get some recipes together to share.

[Regatta]

Regatta Cooks Fewd:

So Good Pie Crust:
I stole this, unapologetically, from Cook's Illustrated. The only difference is, I add more salt because I love how it brings out the sweetness of the filling. Also, this way, you can use it for chicken pot pie!

2 and 1/2 C Unbleached All-Purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
12 tbs (that's 1 and 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter (I use frozen butter, much easier) cut into 1/4 in slices
1/2 C cold vegetable shortening (I freeze this too. I also use the butter flavor), cut into 4 pieces
1/4 C cold vodka (I keep mine in my freezer, you should too. I use the pricey stuff, Grey Goose)
1/4 C Cold Water (15 min. in the freezer and it's ready to go)

1. In a food processor, pulse 1 and 1/2 cups of flour, salt, and sugar until combined. (just 2, 2 second pulses). Add butter and shortening and process until it starts to clump around the blade. Add the rest of the flour and pulse until the dough breaks up a bit, 4-6 quick pulses.
Dump that into a bowl.
2. Sprinkle the vodka and water over the dough. Use a rubber spatula (or run your hands under freezing cold water and use them) to fold the mixture together. The dough should be kind of tacky to the touch.
3. Divide the dough into 2 balls, and flatten into a disc. Wrap them separately in plastic wrap and shove it in the fridge for at least 45 min. The dough will keep in the fridge for 2 days. Or, freeze it, and use it within 3 months.

To Pre-Bake: 375 oven, until golden brown. Lovely!

French Silk Pie:
I make this every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now, every August for my youngest brother's birthday. It's involved, but sooooo easy.

1 pie shell, baked. (Use my recipe!)
1 C Heavy Cream/ Whipping Cream
6 Oz. Of the best, darkest chocolate you can get your hands on, chop it up roughly.
1/3 C butter
1/3 C sugar
2 beaten egg yolks
3 tbsp whipping cream
1 C whipped cream

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the 1 C of whipping cream, chocolate, butter and sugar. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove it from the heat and add a little bit of the chocolate mixture at a time into the beaten egg yolks. Do this until the egg/ chocolate mixture is warm. (If you don't you end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate. Not yum.) When the egg/chocolate mixture is warm, dump it into the main pan of chocolate and stir well.
Cook that over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble and is a bit thicker. (Think corn syrup) <- This is ganache. Ganache is love.
Remove from heat. Stir in the 3 tbsp of whipping cream.
Place the saucepan in a bowl (or large roasting pan) of ice water, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and hard to stir. (Think oatmeal)
Dump the chocolate into a mixing bowl. Take extra care not to get any water in their too. Even one drop will cause the mixture to seize and it won't set up right.
2. Beat the mixture on high for 2-3 minutes, or until it's light and fluffy.
Spread this into the cooled pie shell, cover with plastic wrap and shove it in the fridge overnight.
3. Top with the whipped cream. Receive the adoration of all who taste it.
(Seriously, the filling turns into a truffle. People look at you like you spun straw into gold, and they will get into knife fights over the last piece.)

Risotto for the Masses:
Easy, though not as authentic, but still so good. I usually double this, and when we have company, quadruple. It's not a hard thing to do.

1/3 C chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
2/3 C long grain rice
2 C water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (or 1 cube)
1/2 C Parmesan cheese (feel free to add more, I like my risotto extra cheesy)
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (you can skip this if you or your kiddos hate it. Mine love it.)

1. In a medium saucepan (on medium) cook the onion in the butter until the onion is transparent. Add the rice and cook that until the rice is a little browned. Add the water and the bouillon. Bring that too a boil, then cover it, reduce the heat to simmer. Cook that for 20 min.
2. Remove the pan form the heat. Keeping it covered, let it sit for 5 more minutes. Add cheese, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir that up. Reap the rewards.
Sometimes, I'll quadruple the recipe, and add peas and chicken and use it as an entire meal. Sooo good!

The Infamous, Hot Buttered Rum:
My husband calls this "The Milk of Human Kindness". He waits all year for this drink.

1 stick of butter
1/2 C Brown Sugar
2 C boiling water
1/2 C Spiced Rum
2 tsp Apple Pie Spice

1. Boil the water, take the pan off the heat.
2. Add the butter and sugar, stir until the butter is melted.
3. Add the spices, stir some more.
4. Add the rum.
5. Ladle into cups.


Edit: added the sugar because OMG without it, it's so gross.

[Veranilla]

Wow, what a great recipe for pie crust! My wife's the baker and she's never been able to make pie crust. We always use the packaged stuff. We'll definitely try this, thanks Reg!

We live in such a dump you can't get fresh parmesan cheese. I hate to ask, but would the stuff that comes in a bottle/can work in the risotto?

[Regatta]

As long as it's shredded and not powdered. Kraft makes a shredded one that is actually pretty good! You'll find it in the refrigerated cheese section. I use the one with the purple label when I use that. (It's also fantastic in meatballs. Mmmmm) Kraft also has a bagged shredded Parmesan that works well too. I think Sargento might carry one as well. I have also used Asiago, and Romano.
I used to be awful with pie crust. Which brings my family shame, since my grandfather was a baker his whole life and made the most amazing pie and crust. This recipe has turned it all around for me though.

[Veranilla]

Big necro bump!

I started a cooking show on youtube. Currently I have four "episodes" up.

Beer basted crockpotroast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3etbaq1begE

Vegetable soup w/ beef stock:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhbPtkV1zDk

Crockpot pork tenderloin (really easy and tastes great):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UfzZEujXlw

Spaghetti w/ meatsauce:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbQL8uAGPP0

I'm working to improve production values and try to compete with some of the best youtube cooking shows, which IMO beat the hell outta the crap that passes for "cooking shows" on Food Network these days. I need a cool and funny title for the show and also a recommendation for some good editing software. Windows movie maker is very sufficient, but it cuts into or expands several of my cuts, which is not how they were edited in the project files but seem to be some kind of glitch in the final production process. So if anyone has some good video editing software that produces your project as you cut it please let me know!

Also made an awesome thai fried rice the other night. Video coming soon. Here's the recipe as I made it the first time:

Thai Basil and Vegetable Fried Rice

1 cup cooked rice, white or brown, per person (for two people, I prepare one cup of uncooked rice per directions listed here)
2 Tbs Kikkoman soy sauce (Note: both soy sauce and fish sauce are calculated for a serving of two people. Add 2 tsp extra for each additional cup of rice if serving more.)
2 Tbs fish sauce (this is like ketchup in Thai cooking, and it's crucial for the Thai flavor)
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup carrot, finely minced
2 green onion stalks, chopped in 1/2 inch lengths
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 egg, scrambled
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn roughly
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, whole
1 Tbs raw, natural sugar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Thai hot pepper, crushed to pieces or finely minced (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes -- only add either ingredient if you want your rice HOT)
2 Tbs oil (many recipes I found call for vegetable oil, which is not healthy at all. I used olive oil, which worked fine, despite a few recipes warning me not to use olive oil. Coconut oil would also be good if you can find it. Actually, I plan to try coconut oil next because that will add a lot to the flavor.)
Salt and pepper, optional

Heat your wok on medium heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add both garlic and hot pepper. Stir rigourously for 1-3 seconds -- things should really be sizzling -- then add yellow onion and carrots. It's important here to NOT burn or even slightly brown the garlic. Adding the onion and carrots will slow the cooking.

Add sugar. It will dissolve and mix into the ingredients almost instantly.

Continue to stir until onions shrink and turn translucent. Push everything to one side, or make an empty crater at the center of the wok.

Add additional oil if needed.

Crack egg over empty space and cook, stirring to scramble. When egg is fully cooked, mix garlic, hot pepper, onions, and carrots together.

Add rice. Pour in soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir until rice takes on the "fried" look. Add a little extra soy sauce if the rice is not brown enough.

Now add your salt and pepper, if using.

Stir constantly, paying close attention to the bottom of the wok. You don't want the rice to stick.

Add chopped mung bean sprouts and green onion and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Turn off heat but leave wok on burner. Add remaining ingredients, the basil and cilantro. Stir well until both are fully integrated into the rice. Then remove from heat and you're ready to serve!

I like to garnish with a little extra cilantro on top. You can also add a lime wedge and some raw, cool cucumber slices. Both additions are great if you like your Thai fried rice extra spicy.

[Regatta]

I think you should call it "Kitchen Revolution" or "About the Food..."
Or! "Bring Me the Head of Rachel Ray!"
I like the last one best, but you'll probably have copyright issues...
I can not help you with editing software. I can't even remove red eye from pictures.
Also, yay for Thai food!

[Veranilla]

Hi guys,

I let my account slide for a bit. Money crunch... I had the choice of wow for two months or an awesome ebay deal on the SNES game EVO: Search for Eden, and I took EVO...

How is 3.1?

It's funny, I have YET to see a noblegarden world event. I've been playing since 2006 and have missed it every year.

Anyway, I have a new show up! Once again windows movie maker screwed my editing all to hell.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tVpXMsHg6U

This is an awesome recipe. Use red onion instead of yellow... I noticed a major upgrade in flavor.

Lol, my wife said I look like a weasel in the videos so she's now the one in front of the camera. I've decided to divorce her and return to my first love, directing and editing!

If anyone tries any of these recipes I film, let it be this one. I promise you will not be disappointed.

edit:

Reg, could you hit me up with your outdoor grilled sausage recipe?

I made grilled andouille sausage with my last batch of red beans, and wow. Before I'd boiled them with the red beans, and they lost all their flavor and added very little to the red beans as a whole.

I'm just cutting the sausages lengthwise now, cooking them flatside up, and about half as long on the skin side so the wrapper doesn't burn off.

[Regatta]

Ok Nilla, I have to say, I hate beans. HATE. But that looked so good, I think I'm gonna make it.
My sausage recipe!
1 lb ground pork or 1/2 lb ground pork 1/2 ground turkey (if you do the 1/2 and 1/2, you get a less greasy patty)
1 tbs Penzey's Italian Sausage seasoning (if you don't have it/don't want to order it, make your own! in a jar mix equal amounts of salt, fennel seed, black pepper, and sugar)
That will make what we always called "sweet sausage". It has little to no spice.
For spicy or "hot" sausage, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper (depending on the heat you want) and 1 tsp of red wine vinegar.
Mix it all up and make your patties! Grill them to just before they're done, then let them rest until they're the right temp. Grill up some onions and green pepper for on top.
Sooo good.
Penzeys is my spice Mecca Nilla. They have scads of spices and fantastic prices. They also almost always chuck a free sample in to boot! www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html
I have tried pretty much everything they make, so if you wonder how something tastes, just ask. I highly recommend their Italian Herb mix, the Italian Sausage mix (of course) and their Herbs de Provence.
Have you thought about doing a food blog?
Here's some of my favorites!
simplyrecipes.com/
msglaze.typepad.com/paris/
steamykitchen.com/blog/
www.insanitytheory.net/kitchenwench/
smittenkitchen.com/
thepioneerwoman.com/