What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[Ms Music]

Borek, normally I pick when they fall off the tree, but that doesn't help you. :D They are a hard and crunchy pear, so maybe give it a day or two to sit on the counter. They are naturally sweet though, so even if unripe, should still be decent.

Does anyone have any good ideas for simple crock pot meals? Minimal preparation is great for me, while appealing to a variety of eaters (picky to I eat anything) is what I need.

Any ideas?

 

[Jasongreat]

Borek, normally I pick when they fall off the tree, but that doesn't help you. :D They are a hard and crunchy pear, so maybe give it a day or two to sit on the counter. They are naturally sweet though, so even if unripe, should still be decent.

Does anyone have any good ideas for simple crock pot meals? Minimal preparation is great for me, while appealing to a variety of eaters (picky to I eat anything) is what I need.

Any ideas?

Is there such a thing as a bad meal coming from a crockpot? :) They work wonderfully for anything that cooks slow and long.

I love to put a couple hot italian sausages, couple cans of diced tomatoes, some italian seasoning and vegtables, go to work and come home to a ready made spaghetti dinner.
Another is a can of decent beer and a roast(any kind will do, I especially like venison), add some veggies and you have a great stew. Use pork and some bbq sauce and you have pulled pork dinner waiting.

One great advantage of the CP is that one can use cheaper cuts of meat, and they still come out tender.

 

[Ms Music]

Is there such a thing as a bad meal coming from a crockpot? :)

Right?! I actually call it the crack pot, because its all so addicting good!

Spaghetti sounds good and simple, do you cook the spaghetti in the crock pot, or on the stove just before eating? And if on the stove top, have you ever cooked the spaghetti in the crock?

I was thinking I might do a (pre cut) ham with potatoes and carrots for this weekend, but I need varieties unless I get a favorite among all the kids. Spaghetti might be better...

 

[Jasongreat]

Right?! I actually call it the crack pot, because its all so addicting good!

Spaghetti sounds good and simple, do you cook the spaghetti in the crock pot, or on the stove just before eating? And if on the stove top, have you ever cooked the spaghetti in the crock?

I was thinking I might do a (pre cut) ham with potatoes and carrots for this weekend, but I need varieties unless I get a favorite among all the kids. Spaghetti might be better...

I usually cook the noodles on the stove top, but I suppose one could cook them in the sauce, like is done with some lasagnas. I like my noodles full length and I don't think you could keep them from breaking, but that might just be me. The noodles can be cooked anytime, then when you get ready to use them just run some hot water over them.

Your ham reminded me of one of my all time favorites, split pea and ham soup, turns out spectacular in a crackpot. :)

 

[netgypsy]

Regarding tapas, there is a great stuffed grape leaf that uses a combination of chick peas and rice, a little tomato, mint, lemon, olive oil. I think it's a Lebanese recipe.

LOVE split pea soup - just finished a huge pot.

Regarding Asian pears I ate them crispy and they were quite good.

Chicken chili is a great crockpot dish. White beans, onions, garlic, poblano peppers, ham or bacon if you wish. I used the breast of a grocery store barbecued chicken and add it when all the rest is done. I like the beans done with stock rather than water but either way is good.

 

[Evo]

Someone brought up fried rice the other day. So tonight, I had rice, I had eggs (thank you dl and Roger :!)), but no veggies, so I made veggie less fried rice. It was so delicious. Probably the best I've ever made. Veggies would have been good though.

 

[turbo]

Someone brought up fried rice the other day. So tonight, I had rice, I had eggs (thank you dl and Roger :!)), but no veggies, so I made veggie less fried rice. It was so delicious. Probably the best I've ever made. Veggies would have been good though.

Veggies? OK Rachael Ray. Are you going to extol EVOO for cooking next? You need to get out more. That cooking channel is rotting your brain.

 

[netgypsy]

had this at camp a million years ago. it was really good and the name was so funny. We put all the ingredients in foil and cooked it over a campfire.

----------------------------
RING-TUM-DIDDY

1 lb. bacon, diced
2 lg. green peppers
3 (1 lb. 3 oz.) cans tomatoes
3 med. onions
1 pound fresh corn (3 small cans niblets corn)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb. cheese
12 slices toast

Dice and fry bacon. Wash, seed and chop green pepper. Slice onions thin. Add pepper and
onion to bacon. When pepper and onion are browned, add tomatoes and corn and season to taste.
Heat thoroughly and add cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Serve on toast. Serves 12.

There is an alternative that is essentially Welsh Rarebit with added tomato and it's spelled Rinktum Ditty. Once source says it's English, another said Armenian, so who knows, but it's good.

 

[Monique]

hoping for more great recipes

super easy eggplant Parmesan

1 jar GOOD pasta sauce like serafina or Gia Russa cherry tomato
herbs and garlic as desired
1 medium eggplant
6 to 12 ounces mozarella cheese - grated or you grate it

I've been breaking my head over this recipe, indeed the idea sounds good I remember having something like this in an Italian restaurant. Two questions: shouldn't it be called eggplant mozzarella since there is no Parmesan in the recipe? And how do you grate mozzarella cheese? Oh, and third question: does the mozzarella really melt? I once made a pasta out of the oven with slices of mozzarella and it just dehydrated and became rubbery.

 

[netgypsy]

Sorry - you can sprinkle parmesan or romano over the top and you can sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. You can also add grated parmesan to the tomato sauce along with fresh basin, oregano, garlic - just whatever you like and have in the house.

There is no pasta in eggplant parmesan in case some of you have never had it. Restaurants serve some type of pasta usually with marinera sauce as a side with it.

You can buy mozzarella cheese already grated or use the largest opening on a grater. I prefer a box grater but a cheap flat grater from the goodwill works just fine. It's quite easy to grate and you'll have fairly large gratings cause it's gooey. I've actually just sliced it before and put squares of mozzarella over the eggplant and tomato sauce. You can use a meat sauce instead of the cherry tomato sauce but since there's a lot of cheese you really don't need any meat.

Yes mozzarella does melt and, like on pizza, when you serve the eggplant parmesan it strings all over the place. The main thing about mozzarella is set the microwave for about 3 to 5 minutes and check the cheese before cooking any more. You don't want to cook it until it browns or it gets very tough.

Addendum:

IF you want to make a more traditional eggplant parmesan cook the eggplant just a little less so that it's still firm enough to slice easily. Coat with an Italian breadcrumb mixture (you can dip in an egg/milk solution first to get more coating) and sautee in olive oil on each side until the crust crisps. I never do this because I don't need the calories and actually prefer naked eggplant

 

[Evo]

IF you want to make a more traditional eggplant parmesan cook the eggplant just a little less so that it's still firm enough to slice easily. Coat with an Italian breadcrumb mixture (you can dip in an egg/milk solution first to get more coating) and sautee in olive oil on each side until the crust crisps. I never do this because I don't need the calories and actually prefer naked eggplant

I prefer the traditional eggplant slices breaded and fried in olive oil in both eggplant parmesan and moussaka. It's not something I eat often so it's something I can let myself indulge in. Be sure to salt and press the slices of eggplant for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking to pull out the water. Just dry them off before frying.

 

[Monique]

hey netgypsy, thanks I just made eggplant pecorino

I layered the basil tomato base with the steamed eggplant, mozzarella slices and pecorino romano and baked 30 minutes in the oven. Yummm! Indeed the mozzarella comes out very stringy, but since it's covered with tomato base it melts just fine.

Along side that I made mushrooms filled with gorgonzola and the mushroom stems were incorporated in a risotto with zucchini and parsley. Good food, I'll use this menu for the next guests who stop by.

Omnomnom, I'm still enjoying the leftovers :!)

 

[netgypsy]

Ooooh - I have mushrooms and zucchini. No gorgonzola but I have some kind of cheese. Don't know about parsley - oh wait - I bought an Italian parsley plant a couple of days ago. Surely it can sacrifice a few leaves.

I've actually topped it with the cheese and it was fine. I'm just really careful not to overdo it. Pecorino Romano is really yummy. A former student's dad used to make homemade pasta sauce and he incorportated the romano in the sauce. It was amazing. Leftovers RULE

 

[Moonbear]

I ended up making eggplant parmagiana for dinner tonight. I hadn't made it in a long time and eggplant was on sale and this thread had me craving it. Though, I realized I was out of breadcrumbs only after I got home from shopping and started making it. Just dredged in flour instead before browning. Not quite as good, but I made up for it with extra cheese.

I looked up the whole naming thing and it appears controversial, with some saying the original dish did use parmagiana reggiano cheese, and others saying it was named for a region of Italy featuring that style of cuisine, and not for the cheese. But, none were very authoritative sounding sources, so I'm still not convinced either way. I just know I like gobs of mozzarella.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

This has been my daily breakfast for over a year now - a very fine cocktail of whey protein, BCAAs, and Oregon water [hint: it's all in the water]. I like mine shaken 25 times in a tupperware milkshake maker, not stirred. And it must be genuine Tupperware. It has taken a lot of practice but I think my preparation techniques are nearing perfection.

http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/cjfzzFDPskE0HWaqQpMXvpVZ3BlXFiFomoJCj62eqpFeRm_2uMyE1pFsoHyFaegbexdVkQGGSi5GEOVEpHYrzzVrIy7_-O7JptZl5s4p92Ij86q5uQlgFHpLFOfH3X7lg8gMhQ2H6Ic0FViKTIUHpQnv7TQCeSYVqh9cRDGDBAYFq5wyDfw23g

 

[netgypsy]

I just know I like gobs of mozzarella.

Well I was going to do the mushroom zucchini thing and noticed I had some beef nearing the overly aged condition. Also some cucumbers that were again approaching old age so I made Thai Beef Salad. Unfortunately I don't have the roasted ground rice or galanga root or kaffirr lime leaf to make it authentic but it turned out really good.

Thai Beef Salad (really quick and easy)
1/2 pound good tasting beef sliced fajita style
1 small onion - red ones look pretty in the salad I don't eat the raw onion but it isn't the same without it)
1 large tomato
6 small pickling type cucumbers
fresh garlic or the chopped in the bottle works fine
red pepper flakes or chopped fresh hot peppers (you can omit the heat but red pepper flakes really aren't that warm)
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce or salty water (soy sauce is NOT a good substitute - fish sauce is essentially pulverized anchovies in a saturated salt solution)
cilantro garnish if you like

slice cucumbers into discs, dice tomatoes, cut up onions into crescents, sprinkle with red pepper flakes or add some chopped hot peppers to taste, Add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. A reasonable facsimile can be made with anchovies or anchovie paste plus water and salt. If you hate anchovies just salt to taste and add a teaspoon or so of water. Toss it after combining everything.

Saute the beef after seasoning with fish sauce or salt, red pepper and garlic. Be sure you take the pan off the heat while the beef is a bit pink. Put hot beef on top of veggies, add cilantro if you like it and serve. (Usually with white rice in a restaurant) (DON'T add the beef broth left in the frying pan. I don't know why but it's not good with it added. I just save it to add to soup if there's enough to bother with)

 

[Monique]

Ooooh - I have mushrooms and zucchini.

Don't forget to put in white wine and some kind of stock (mushroom/vegetable) to the risotto, if you decide to make it another time.

 

[netgypsy]

ahhh thanks

 

[Ms Music]

Jasongreat, thanks for the spaghetti idea. I would have never thought of that for a crock pot, but it worked great. If I make it again (which I suspect I will), I will either pre cook the noodles and carry them in a tupperware, or I will put the dry noodles in the bottom of the crock and hope they hold up through hours of cooking. I found a "one pot" recipe online that said to add the dry noodles for the last 30 minutes of cooking, but they were EXTREMELY difficult to get under the liquid. But I guess it didn't matter, there wasn't much left, everyone liked it! AND it was super simple.

Thai Beef Salad (really quick and easy)

Oh YUMMM! Now I am craving this. I think I will pick some up tonight since I won't be home to cook dinner...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

1. 2 pieces of bread.
2. Peanut butter.
3. Jelly. Actually, I prefer jam because it spreads more easily. Grape jam is good and so is strawberry preserves.
4. Glass of milk.

Put the two pieces of bread on a small dish. Spread some peanut butter on one slice. Not too much, and not too little. Then spread the jelly on the other piece. Also not too much and not too little, but just right. Then put the two pieces of bread together so the peanut butter faces the jelly. Eat with milk or the peanut butter will stick to the roof of your mouth.

 

[netgypsy]

And how many have tried to make half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, spread the jelly on one slice of bread and then tried to spread the peanut butter on top of the jelly? You just put several globs of peanut butter on one side, then smash the bread together and squeeze it.

and what ratio of peanut butter to jelly do you prefer?
Do you prefer jelly jam or preserves?
Gummy white bread or whole grain?
Toasted or untoasted bread
crust or no crust
The perfect peanut better and jelly sandwich is a masterpiece.
(grape jam, 1/3, gummy white, untoasted)

 

[Moonbear]

And how many have tried to make half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, spread the jelly on one slice of bread and then tried to spread the peanut butter on top of the jelly? You just put several globs of peanut butter on one side, then smash the bread together and squeeze it.

No no no no no! You put the peanut butter on the bread first, then add jelly! It won't taste right if you do it the other way.

 

[Evo]

With all of the talk about eggplants, I'm making fried eggplant tonight. Right now I've sliced them into rounds and salted them to draw out the bitter juices, I found a hint to put them in a colander and sit in the sink to drain, so I'm trying this. Usually I layer them in a plate and press them with another heavy plate on top, but then they sit in their own water until I drain and dry them.

 

[drizzle]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

1. 2 pieces of bread.
2. Peanut butter.
3. Jelly. Actually, I prefer jam because it spreads more easily. Grape jam is good and so is strawberry preserves.
4. Glass of milk.

Put the two pieces of bread on a small dish. Spread some peanut butter on one slice. Not too much, and not too little. Then spread the jelly on the other piece. Also not too much and not too little, but just right. Then put the two pieces of bread together so the peanut butter faces the jelly. Eat with milk or the peanut butter will stick to the roof of your mouth.

I suppose this is your only option when the wife isn't at home.

 

[turbo]

I suppose this is your only option when the wife isn't at home.

Not really. I happen to know that Jimmy is quite the baloney specialist.

 

[turbo]

My wife and I have planned out our anniversary supper. I'll grill my spicy marinaded jumbo shrimp while she steams a batch of clams and maybe pan-fries some potatoes. Simple and tasty.

 

[lisab]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

1. 2 pieces of bread.
2. Peanut butter.
3. Jelly. Actually, I prefer jam because it spreads more easily. Grape jam is good and so is strawberry preserves.
4. Glass of milk.

Put the two pieces of bread on a small dish. Spread some peanut butter on one slice. Not too much, and not too little. Then spread the jelly on the other piece. Also not too much and not too little, but just right. Then put the two pieces of bread together so the peanut butter faces the jelly. Eat with milk or the peanut butter will stick to the roof of your mouth.

The preferred lunch for me and most second graders . I have it at least 4 days a week.

I might add, the milk can have no less than 2% milkfat. Going from whole milk to 2% loses nothing, but going from 2% to 1% is too far. Nonfat milk? No thanks....!

 

[Evo]

The preferred lunch for me and most second graders . I have it at least 4 days a week.

I might add, the milk can have no less than 2% milkfat. Going from whole milk to 2% loses nothing, but going from 2% to 1% is too far. Nonfat milk? No thanks....!

The most important step is removing the crust! I agree with no less than 2%, but IIRC, Jimmy prefers skim milk.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I leave the crust on. In fact, I like the heel. Sometimes I get the last piece of bread from the old loaf and the first piece from the new. Now that's a treat. As for milk, I prefer nonfat milk but I can drink up to 2%. Whole milk is the only fatty food I know of that I don't like.

 

[Monique]

I'm making fried eggplant tonight. Right now I've sliced them into rounds and salted them to draw out the bitter juices

I wonder, is that really necessary? Aren't the eggplants these days selected to not be bitter? I for one never salt them and they taste fine.

 

[Dembadon]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

1. 2 pieces of bread.
2. Peanut butter.
3. Jelly. Actually, I prefer jam because it spreads more easily. Grape jam is good and so is strawberry preserves.
4. Glass of milk.

Put the two pieces of bread on a small dish. Spread some peanut butter on one slice. Not too much, and not too little. Then spread the jelly on the other piece. Also not too much and not too little, but just right. Then put the two pieces of bread together so the peanut butter faces the jelly. Eat with milk or the peanut butter will stick to the roof of your mouth.

You forgot to toast the bread! I did it once and am now only able to eat toasted PB&Js.

 

[netgypsy]

Each time I slice an eggplant I always lick the end piece I throw away because only once have I gotten a bitter eggplant but it was inedible. So if you taste the raw eggplant and it's not bitter you don't have to salt. But I suspect either salting or soaking in salt water reduces the amount of oil they absorb. I'm going to try this salting half and not salting the other.

There's an old middle eastern story about a man who was about to be married because his bride to be was not only beautiful but made the best eggplant dish he had ever tasted. It was eggplant cooked in olive oil with seasonings. The married and, as a wedding gift, were given 100 large vessels of olive oil.

The first day his bride made the eggplant and it was truly wonderful. The second and third day went the same. But on the fourth day he was not served the eggplant dish. He asked his bride why she didn't make it and she said "We have no more oil"

 

[Evo]

With all of the talk about eggplants, I'm making fried eggplant tonight. Right now I've sliced them into rounds and salted them to draw out the bitter juices, I found a hint to put them in a colander and sit in the sink to drain, so I'm trying this. Usually I layer them in a plate and press them with another heavy plate on top, but then they sit in their own water until I drain and dry them.

OMG, the best fried eggplant...ever!

This method I found really does reduce the amount of oil they retain. The results were super crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside. Be sure to drain and blot with paper towels after frying.

http://www.easy-french-food.com/fried-eggplant-recipe.html

 

[turbo]

Be sure to drain and blot with paper towels after frying.

When my wife or I make home-fried potatoes, this is critical. The lighter the oil or fat, the more you have to blot them. I love butter, but I should start frying potatoes in Snow Cap. The potatoes come out crispier with less absorbed fats.

 

[Evo]

Each time I slice an eggplant I always lick the end piece I throw away because only once have I gotten a bitter eggplant but it was inedible. So if you taste the raw eggplant and it's not bitter you don't have to salt. But I suspect either salting or soaking in salt water reduces the amount of oil they absorb. I'm going to try this salting half and not salting the other.

It's main purpose (for me) is to extract water if you plan to fry. Only salt them, do not soak them in salt water. You want to extract water, not add it. Salt lightly though, the eggplant absorbs salt and you don't want them too salty. When I make ratatouille, I don't bother extracting water.

There's an old middle eastern story about a man who was about to be married because his bride to be was not only beautiful but made the best eggplant dish he had ever tasted. It was eggplant cooked in olive oil with seasonings. The married and, as a wedding gift, were given 100 large vessels of olive oil.

The first day his bride made the eggplant and it was truly wonderful. The second and third day went the same. But on the fourth day he was not served the eggplant dish. He asked his bride why she didn't make it and she said "We have no more oil"