The Cooking Thread
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Just tried new recipe of chocolate cookies with cocoa and vanilla powder. Taste delicious. Luckily I ordered new containers at [on this website two mods have edited out - Weng] not so long ago. Tomorrow I'm going to take cookies to work.
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This is a recipe for corned beef stew that we did a couple of weeks back. It's easy and really very tasty. (We got the recipe from our newspaper, and corrected the obvious weird errors in it. I believe it's of African or possibly Caribbean origin.) Be aware though that if you don't like spicy food, it isn't really for you; I thought it was delicious. ;)
Corned Beef Stew
Ingredients
For the chalé sauce:
- 600g tinned chopped tomatoes (about 1½ tins) or 375g fresh tomatoes
- 45g tomato purée
- 1½ onions, roughly chopped
- 7½ cm (3") piece fresh root ginger (grated)
- 1–2 hot chillies (deseeded) (the original recipe says Scotch Bonnet, but we used some hot finger chillies instead)
- 1½ teaspoons (7.5ml) dried chilli flakes
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves
For the stew:
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) ordinary vegetable oil (e.g., rapeseed or sunflower)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) extra-hot chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 350g tinned corned beef
- 2 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 75g peas
- 4 soft boiled eggs
Method
Make the chalé sauce by putting all the ingredients into a food processor and whizzing until you have a smooth paste.
To make the stew, heat the oil in a large, heavy-lidded saucepan, add the onion, chilli powder and curry powder, and sauté over a medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the chalé sauce.
Divide the corned beef into four equal pieces (which avoids arguments over portions later) or break it up into the sauce, then add the carrots and peas. Leave to simmer for 15–20 minutes. You may find that the sauce starts to dry out, so add a little water if necessary.
Peel the boiled eggs and slice in half, then add to the stew. Cook for a further five minutes.
Serve with boiled yams and plantain or rice — either way it will vanish in no time.
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Which should I make: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or the same, just in quick bread form (different recipes)?
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@benjamin-hall Pumpkin Bread, no chocolate chips.
I like quick breads. Never found one I liked that included chocolate chips. YMMV.
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@benjamin-hall or if you are just craving pumpkiny things I would suggest Chef John's Pumpkin Pancakes or Pumpkin Scones or Pumpkin Zeppole. All great recipes.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
Which should I make: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or the same, just in quick bread form (different recipes)?
I like pumpkin and I like chocolate...but they don't sound good together.
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@karla it's actually really good. Always gets rave reviews.
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@kellyon said in The Cooking Thread:
Just tried new recipe of chocolate cookies with cocoa and vanilla powder. Taste delicious. Luckily I ordered new containers at [on this website two mods have edited out - Weng] not so long ago. Tomorrow I'm going to take cookies to work.
Wait, a guy got banned for posting cookies?
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@jbert said in The Cooking Thread:
@kellyon said in The Cooking Thread:
Just tried new recipe of chocolate cookies with cocoa and vanilla powder. Taste delicious. Luckily I ordered new containers at [on this website two mods have edited out - Weng] not so long ago. Tomorrow I'm going to take cookies to work.
Wait, a guy got banned for posting cookies?
They were extremely liberal cookies.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@karla it's actually really good. Always gets rave reviews.
I'd be willing to try...
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@karla I use this one:
But no nuts. Because nuts are evil.
Nuts are find plain.
Don't put them in my breads, cookies, cakes, brownies or I will cut you.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
nuts are evil.
That's your weird Christian ideas again. Nutting is perfectly fine between consenting adults
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@karla said in The Cooking Thread:
Nuts are find plain.
It took me way too long to figure out what you were trying to say here. :P
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@heterodox said in The Cooking Thread:
@karla said in The Cooking Thread:
Nuts are find plain.
It took me way too long to figure out what you were trying to say here. :P
I only just now figured it out.
"Nuts are fine plain"
I think?
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@heterodox said in The Cooking Thread:
@karla said in The Cooking Thread:
Nuts are find plain.
It took me way too long to figure out what you were trying to say here. :P
I only just now figured it out.
"Nuts are fine plain"
I think?
Yeah. Derp.
But keep them the fuck out of my other food...or I will cut you.**
**Possibly with the illegal in NYC knife that I am familiar with as mentioned in the
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@karla said in The Cooking Thread:
But keep them the fuck out of my other food...or I will cut you.**
You could cut me a nice slice of that pumpkin and nut bread…
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@dkf said in The Cooking Thread:
@karla said in The Cooking Thread:
But keep them the fuck out of my other food...or I will cut you.**
You could cut me a nice slice of that pumpkin and nut bread…
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The bread was wonderful, again. It's become somewhat of a staple. It makes 2 large (9x5) loaves per can of pumpkin, but tends to vanish quickly.
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Shrimp tacos came out quite nicely! :D
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@bb36e looks good. I am making Korean Bulgogi Beef tacos tomorrow with Kimchi.
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@bb36e Budget Bytes is awesome. I'll have to try this out.
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@heterodox that's two people who like it, I will have to check it out.
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@bb36e looks good. I am making Korean Bulgogi Beef tacos tomorrow with Kimchi.
It has been a while since I have had kimchi. I had forgotten how much it looks like vomit.
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@bb36e looks good. I am making Korean Bulgogi Beef tacos tomorrow with Kimchi.
This was one of the best meals we have ever had. I combined a few different recipes, including making my own Bulgogi marinade. Given all of that, I also bought a ready made Bulgogi marinade just in case I forgot anything. From tasting the marinade I made and the store bought version I have to say just buy a high quality ready made version.
I made two different korean taco sauces. One made with sour cream and the other with korean pepper paste and other stuff. Both were pretty amazing.
Also, the heat from kimchi seems to be cumulative. I ate a bit of it from the jar and there was a little bit of heat. Nothing extreme at all. It was super tasty. But what I had on four tacos was enough to light me up pretty well by the end. Not unpleasant, but you need to be cognizant of it if you do not like spicy food.
It was so good we plan on doing it again this weekend.
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Request: quick and easy meal ideas for a parent of a newborn and husband of a sick wife, who doesn't have much time for proper cooking between looking after everyone. I'm getting thoroughly sick of microwave meals
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@jaloopa do you have a Crock Pot?
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@polygeekery I do. My wife has been making a few slow cook meals, usually with a can of soup, some meat, vegetables and herbs and spices.
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@jaloopa I would lean on that more. Pick up a slow cooker cookbook or two from the library.
Other ideas are tacos of some sort, most all of those come together really quickly.
Also, think back to your bachelor days. When I was younger I would do stuff like make a box of Velveeta shells and cheese and add a few spoonfuls of salsa to it at the end.
Sandwiches of any type are also something you could have with essentially zero prep time.
The other day for lunch I made myself a breakfast burrito that came together in just a couple of minutes. I cooked a small amount of bagged hash browns in one skillet. In another skillet I heated up some leftover chorizo. Once it was hot I added in a couple of beaten eggs and stirred them in until barely cooked through and then seasoned them with salt and pepper. Hash browns and chorizo eggs went in to a tortilla and topped with some cheese and a dash of hot sauce. I had a tasty lunch put together in 10 minutes.
Think about stuff you like and if you can break it down and precook some ingredients.
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Chicken parmigiana the easy way! Buy some precooked breaded chicken strips. I deep fry them, but you could just bake them. Then put some sauce from a jar and some shredded cheese on top and bake for a bit until the cheese is melted (or optionally browned if you like that). Boil some pasta while that's going on and heat up the rest of the sauce.
Bratwurst and mac 'n cheese. This is my go to lazy meal. I heat up the oven to 400F and throw a package or two of sausage in the oven (on a sheet lined with parchment paper) for 18 minutes. Flip sausages and cook for another 18 minutes. I like to eat it with spicy mustard.
You can just use boxed mac 'n cheese (make sure you add some hot sauce!) for lazy, but if you're feeling energetic or have more time (maybe the weekend) it's pretty easy to make your own cheese sauce based on this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/19402/quick-and-easy-alfredo-sauce/
Just don't put the garlic powder in and substitute heavy cream for milk and cheddar for parmesan. Also, of course, add some hot sauce per your spice tolerance.
Another lazy side dish: buy a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Put half a stick of butter into a small pot on med-high. When melted put the veggies in there and cover. Stir occasionally. It's done in 10 minutes or so. Just add salt and pepper at the table to taste.
Lazy tacos. If you can get taco seasoning: Brown some ground beef. Drain and add a bit of water, plus the taco seasoning per directions or to taste (I think I use more than they say to). Simmer for a while. I often heat up a can of refried beans (can you get those) in a pot.
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Lazy tacos. If you can get taco seasoning: Brown some ground beef. Drain and add a bit of water, plus the taco seasoning per directions or to taste (I think I use more than they say to). Simmer for a while. I often heat up a can of refried beans (can you get those) in a pot.
Oh, I forgot about what makes it lazy: just serve the meat over tortilla chips.
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My I'm lazy meals are either
Chicken thighs (boneless/skinless), rice, stock. All in covered Dutch oven with Curry powder. Cook for about 1 hour at 350 F. Shred chicken into rice. You can add a bag of microwave mixed veggies at the end.
Or
Cook rice. While that's going, slice polish sausage into chunks and brown in pan. Add a can of black beans, undrained and a small can of tomato sauce. Season with chili powder and serve over rice.
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@jaloopa said in The Cooking Thread:
@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
All in covered Dutch oven
Doesn't that get a bit smelly?
Maybe I'm , but ?? In the US a dutch oven is something like
You can smell it cooking, but it's a good smell.
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@benjamin-hall Check urban dictionary for joke.
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@benjamin-hall Separated by a common language.
That's what I'd call a crock pot. What @Polygeekery called a crock pot, I'd call a slow cooker. (My mother in law calls it a hot tub, but she's a special case).
Dutch ovens can be dangerous
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
@benjamin-hall Check urban dictionary for joke.
I'm not hip with current lingo. And have no desire to be.
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@benjamin-hall Anyway, thanks for the suggestion
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Buy some precooked breaded chicken strips. I deep fry them, but you could just bake them.
Also with that you can make chicken wraps. Slice up the chicken strips after cooking, toss them in a warmed tortilla with some lettuce and veggies of choice, top with a little shredded cheese and any sauce or salad dressing you want. Nearly endless combinations.
@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Lazy tacos. If you can get taco seasoning: Brown some ground beef. Drain and add a bit of water, plus the taco seasoning per directions or to taste (I think I use more than they say to). Simmer for a while. I often heat up a can of refried beans (can you get those) in a pot.
A family favorite around here for weeknights. If they do not have taco seasoning in the UK it is easy enough to make. I thin the refried beans a bit with chicken stock or water.
Something that can spice up tacos and burritos and wraps, I will take a can or two of black beans and drain them but do not rinse, toss them in a food processor with lime juice (one large lime per can of beans) and process until chunky (not smooth, you want some texture). Season with salt and pepper and a little dried oregano, maybe some hot sauce if you want. Take a spoon or two and put in each taco or burrito. I smear it on the tortilla with the back of the spoon like a spread. Super simple, but it adds a ton of flavor.
You may also want to think of any of the meals you can get several servings out of. In my bachelor days I would cook a pot of beans or chili or rigatoni with sauce and eat that for several days. Just reheat.
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
In my bachelor days I would cook a pot of beans or chili or rigatoni with sauce and eat that for several days. Just reheat.
Yeah, I was thinking of doing a load of batch cooking at the weekend to shove in the freezer
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@jaloopa said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
In my bachelor days I would cook a pot of beans or chili or rigatoni with sauce and eat that for several days. Just reheat.
Yeah, I was thinking of doing a load of batch cooking at the weekend to shove in the freezer
If you do pasta and sauce, reserve some pasta water to add after your first meal and thin the sauce out before portioning. You want it just a bit thinner than you normally would want. When it sits or especially if you freeze it the starch in the pasta will thicken and congeal.
If you have a vacuum packer you can portion it out and freeze in those bags. Toss the frozen bag in a pot of boiling water, turn off the heat and add the lid and in 10 minutes dinner is served.
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Taco leftovers for lunch:
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Taco leftovers for lunch:
I just had (a good) lunch and am full. But those still make me hungry!
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
a box of Velveeta shells and cheese and add a few spoonfuls of salsa to it at the end.
Although I can't find a picture or reference, I am pretty sure that there is a "Velveta" brand of feminine hygiene products around here. That brings a brand new meaning to your suggestion.
Not sure if :do_not_want: or
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Lazy tacos. If you can get taco seasoning: Brown some ground beef. Drain and add a bit of water, plus the taco seasoning per directions or to taste (I think I use more than they say to). Simmer for a while. I often heat up a can of refried beans (can you get those) in a pot.
Oh, I forgot about what makes it lazy: just serve the meat over tortilla chips.
You have just described nachos, haha.
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@dragoon said in The Cooking Thread:
You have just described nachos, haha.
No, because the cheese is an extra topping that you might or might not put on. And nachos should either be using the liquid sort of nacho cheese or you cook the shredded cheese to melt (and brown!) it.