Pepper
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Location: NW Florida

Reptilicus,

Thanks for the recipes and the link. The red eye is as my mom taught me. Along with grits, your biscuits and some fresh sliced tomato we could feast.

Thanks for the sauerkraut recipe opabinia51. I hadn't a clue how simple it was to do............nor did I realize the sour came from the fermentation process and not vinegar. Something I have to try in my abundance of spare time. :wink:

opabinia51
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Oh pepper, you have no idea how good it is. Wow! Had the kraut with home made Pastrami and Corned Moose the past couple of nights. Very delicious.

Also, I think I forgot to mention that you need to cover the Sauerkraut with a tea towel to keep dust and insects out of it. Of course, if you can find a lid for your bucket that would work as well.

And if you purchase a Crock they come with their own weights and a lid. I just use a 5 gallon bucket that I picked up at my old Universities Cafeteria that I cleaned and sterilized.

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Reptilicus
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This is ridiculously easy to make and it's really tasty. I made a loaf last night while I was resting.:wink:

Beer Bread
3 cups self-rising flour*
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 (12-ounce) can of beer

1. Preheat oven to 375*F (190*C). Lightly grease or spray a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine all ingredients, mixing well.
3. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Makes 1 loaf.

*Or you may substitute with 3 cups all purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

[img]https://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/buckyrant/beerbread.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/buckyrant/slicebread.jpg[/img]

opabinia51
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Oh, Reptilicus I am so happy to have you here. Keep those recipes coming.

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Reptilicus
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opabinia51 wrote:Oh, Reptilicus I am so happy to have you here. Keep those recipes coming.
Thanks, I am enjoying being here. I have already learned so much from y'all. It's a nice place here... and it seems like a great group of people.

:D

Pepper
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Reptilicus,

I tried your beer bread recipe tonight. My 9 year old son told me I was the best cook in the whole world............even better than "Emirill". Having never made bread other than corn bread or frozen crescent rolls I wanted to pass the compliment, and my thanks along. So easy and really tasty.

Thanks

opabinia51
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Vegetable Soup in a Crock Pot

4 carrots (sliced)
1 egg plant
1 parsnip (sliced)
some spring greens (if you don't have these available just use Broc or something similar)
1 red onion
cubed butternut squash
1 Tbsp Lentils
2 Tbsp of wheat kernels
2Sliced apples
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package chicken back bones

I baked the eggplant, some of the parsnip (in large pieces) and one of the carrots, don't peel any of the carrots, just wash them. Bake the above with olive oil drizzled over the top for 30 minutes.

Place Carrots, Lentils and sliced parsnip on bottom of crock pot. Add some salt and pepper. Next add squash and baked veggies. Place the chicken backs in and cover with remaining vegetables (just add any and all vegetables you can think of.) Place Bay leaf in last. Reserve one apple.

Place on low and let simmer for at least 8 hours. I let mine go over night and then pureed it in the morning.

Place pureed soup back in crock pot and cook for rest of the day on low. Place the last apple in the soup a couple of hours before soup is to be served.

Serve soup with Opabinia's version of Sonoran Fry Bread:

2 cups of AP Flour (try half and half AP and Whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup corn meal or flour (I used the ground Andean Blue corn from my garden)
1/2 Dark Rye flower
1 Tbps Oat Bran
1 Tbsp ground Cumin
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon + more for dusting
1 Tbsp allspice powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup water
1 Tbsp mollases
Canola or Mazola Oil


Mix flours and spices together thouroughly. Mix mollases and water together. Add water a bit at a time and work the dough tother until smooth. Dough should not be sticky.

Let rise for 15-20 minutes while covered with tea towel.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface until desired thickness is reached, I like mine to be fairly thick. Dust dough with cinnamon and cover with tea towel for 15 - 20 minutes.

Heat enough Canola or Mazola oil in a small pot to fry the bread. Do not fill the pot more than 1/3 full or you may spill the oil. Always have a lid and fire extinguisher nearby incase of fire.

Slice dough into small pieces and fry until brown. Place on paper towel and season immediately with salt and pepper.

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Reptilicus
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Pepper,

It's great isn't it? My family loves it as well. I'm glad you tried it and liked it.
:)

opabinia51

That Vegetable Soup in a Crock Pot recipe is going to be put into action at my house soon. It sounds really tasty.

opabinia51
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It's really nice. Sort of smokey in flavour, the ham hock bones add some really nice texture to the broth.

You can do simple vegetable soup by just adding chopped vegetables with water and basically cooking the same way.

opabinia51
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Okay, well this is a recipe that takes a long time to make but, is worth it in the end.

Apple Cinnamon Bread


Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
1 package active yeast (I don't use packages anymore and eyeball some out of the jar)
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup milk (I use 2%)
A couple of glops of sourdough

2 pureed apples with lime juice added
1 cup of AP flour
3-4 cups Whole wheat flour
(You can substitute other flowers as well such as spelt, kamut, quinoa and so on.)
3-4 apples choppped (I chop mine fairly fine but, you can do what you wish)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ground Allspice
Brown Sugar

1) Proof the yeast for ten minutes by sprinkiling it over the water and milk in a large ceramic bowl and then sprinkling with sugar and letting it sit for about ten minutes. Add the sourdough.

2) Stir in the pureed apples and sprinle with cinnamon

3) Add 1 cup of the AP flour and stir until you form a loose batter. Add 1 cup of the whole wheat flour and stir. Then add the reamainder of the AP flour. Sprinkle batter with cinnamon as you go.

4) Once dough has thickened, Discard your spoon, cover your hands with some flour and knead remaining flour into the dough until it stops sticking to your fingers. Period sprinkle with cinnamon.

5) Once dough stops sticking to your fingers, take out of bowl and place on a cutting board or wax paper and wash the bowl, drying it when you are done. Place the dough in the dough making a well on one side. Place the welled side down and cover with a damp tea towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch the dough down after rising and let rise again for another hour.

Punch the dough down and knead it for five minutes and let it rise again.

Punch the dough down and roll out on a well floured surface, dusting the counter again after rolling the dough out. (Very important step of dough will stick to counter)

Chop the apples up and sprinle with mixture of allspice, nutmeg (about a pinch) and cinnamon. Sprinkle the apples over the dough and cover with a tea towel and let rise for one hour.

In a bowl combine some of the cinnamon and brown sugar. Once the dough has risen, sprinkle this mixture over the dough and then roll it up into a log, cover with a tea towel and let rise for another hour. (I told you this would take some time but, it's so worth it in the end.)

Cut buns from the log and lay on a parchment paper line cookie sheet and let rise for another hour covered by a damp tea towel. (always use a damp tea towel.


If you wish you can sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar over the buns.


Bake at 350 for about half an hour. Check to see if done.


You can decrease the time needed to make these by cutting out some of the initial rises but, I find the bread nicer when I include them.

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Reptilicus
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TeppanYaki...or Yaki Niku
The word "teppanyaki" is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled

Yakiniku (焼き肉 or 焼肉), meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term which, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat dishes.

Ingredients:

Meat ( I used chuck roast ) sliced thinly 1/8" thick slices
Zuchini cut up
Green pepper cut up
mushroom cut up

Here's the prep plate for vegetables:
[img]https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff17/smileyrant/yakinikuprep.jpg[/img]

Basically you put it in the hot plate and cook it to your preference.

[img]https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff17/smileyrant/yakiniku1.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff17/smileyrant/yakinikusettingupkidsplate.jpg[/img]


Serve with a good grade of rice. (I prefer Nishiki) Miso soup and yakiniku dipping sauce.


[img]https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff17/smileyrant/yakiniku2.jpg[/img]

Sorry the pictures weren't better... I was too busy eating.. haha.

opabinia51
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One word: WOW! Okay reptilicus we have to become friends. I am so impressed. :wink:

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Reptilicus
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opabinia51 wrote:One word: WOW! Okay reptilicus we have to become friends. I am so impressed. :wink:
Actually it's the wifey's cooking :oops:

... I just sliced the meat.:wink:

Here's a good recipe I came up with the other day for lunc:.


hamburger topped with picate/salsa and cheese. steamed vegetables and toasted home made bread.

[img]https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll76/zelichan2008/hambugeyooo.jpg[/img]

opabinia51
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One word, one syllable: WOW.

damethod
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Location: Miami, FL

Here is a simple appetizer requiring only Tomatos, Mozarella cheese, balsamic vinegar, and fresh Basil.

Take the tomatos and cut them into 1/2 inch thick slices or thicker

Take the mozarella(preferrably buffalo mozarella, but if not, fresh mozarella that comes in one large 4 oz or so ball) and slice it into 1/4 inch slices or thicker. Lay the mozarella slices on top of the tomato slices.

Take a bunch of fresh Basil and chop into ribbons. Spread liberally over the tomatos and cheese.

Drizzle your favorite balsamic vinegar over each slice, then add salt and pepper to taste.

mmm mmm good!

I like to serve this as an appetizer when eating grilled steak and veggies.

TheLorax
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That's it! Can't take it any more... I'm moving in with Reptilicus' family!

Backing up to opabinia's glops of sourdough for those out there who may not understand what he's referring to...
Making sourdough starter is easy hon. Here's how I do it.

I choose a damp, overcast day, not rainy but perhaps foggy or misty. This serves three purposes: the lack of sun and dampness keeps the culture medium (flour and water) from drying out; insect activity is greatly diminished during that type of weather, so there is much less likelihood that an insect will land in the mixture; the damp air seems to carry the yeast spores and lactobacillus bacteria better, and the spore and bacteria laden mist settles into the medium.

I mix a little flour and water to make a pancake batter consistency, and place a dish or bowl of that outside in the damp air for a few hours (2-6 hours).

Then I bring the dish inside, cover it with a cloth or loose lid so that it can "breathe," and watch what happens over the next 10 days or so.

Two things can happen: 1) some pretty white or green or yellow or pink mold will grow on the surface of the mixture, in which case it can be thrown out; 2) Naturally occurring environmental yeast spores and lactobacillus bacteria (which is what gives sourdough its tart taste) will grow in the mixture, and their coexistence supports both but inhibits the growth of any other kind of mold or other microorganisms. At that point you have a healthy sourdough culture.

The culture will become bubbly and active. Add a little more flour and water every few days as the culture needs to have more food. If you don't plan to use the growing culture soon, or if there is a lot of time between uses, you can put it in the refrigerator where it will really slow down (although it's still growing and reproducing) and you won't have to feed it as often.

When you want to make sourdough bread, use a cup or two of the starter, but make sure you always save some so you can add more flour and water to it, to grow more culture for the next batch of sourdough bread.

That's all there is to it sweetie!
For many years, I either raided my Mom's refrigerator for sourdough starter or asked her to bring a few cups over for me when she was stopping in. I never gave sourdough starter a second thought as it was always at my ready. Wasn't until she passed that I realized I had never thought to ask how our family started the starter. The above is from a plant geek friend of mine. He got me up and running with starter.

Here's a hearty Zucchini Frittata recipe passed to me from another plant geek friend. We make sandwiches of the leftovers using sourdough bread. Very good.

2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup fine drybread crumbs (can use Pepperidge Farms herb stuffing mix)
2 medium onions, minced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 tsp oregano
Dash of tabasco
8 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 lbs sharp chedder cheese, shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients. Bake in 2 greased quiche dishes in preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes.

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Reptilicus
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TheLorax wrote:That's it! Can't take it any more... I'm moving in with Reptilicus' family!

Backing up to opabinia's glops of sourdough for those out there who may not understand what he's referring to...



Mix all ingredients. Bake in 2 greased quiche dishes in preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes.
hahaha....

My wife already has two of us messy numb skulls to clean up after....so I don't think she'd take kindly to having anymore people moving in.:lol:

Quick question: What is a sourdough starter? I'm not sure if I'm clear on what that is.


Here's some pizza we cooked the other day. We used a bread machine to knead the dough. It was fun time. They turned out pretty good.

[img]https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll76/zelichan2008/pizza2.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll76/zelichan2008/pizza1.jpg[/img]

TheLorax
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messy numb skulls to clean up after
That would be me! Can't blame a gal for trying to move in on a good thing ;)

Now would you stop already with posting those mouth watering food photos! Every time I see your name in a thread I am now associating you and your wife with food and you're making me hungry!

Sourdough starter is nothing more than an ingredient added to recipes that gives sourdough a distinct taste. I know this is a horrible answer but you can't make sourdough bread without having sourdough starter. Think of the starter as a different kind of yeast.

opabinia51
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Sourdough starter can be made the day before you start a bread or (and better) it is good to have on hand, sitting in your kitchen.

1 cup warm Water
2 tbsp active yeast
1 tbsp sugar


Let sit, covered overnight. Then add a tabspoon of flour and mix in thoroughly. Feed occassionally with flour or sugar.

Adding the starter to any bread, muffin or whathaveyou will make it rise that much better and give it more flavour.

The older the sourdough is, the better it is. My grandma has one that she started in 1964.

TheLorax
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I agree, the older the starter the better it is.

I use the recipe from this website for making sourdough English muffins-
https://www.yankeegrocery.com/sourdough_bread/recipe.html

I have a Panera sourdough bread recipe somewhere as well as a basic sourdough bread recipe if you think you might be interested.

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Reptilicus
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opabinia51 wrote:Sourdough starter can be made the day before you start a bread or (and better) it is good to have on hand, sitting in your kitchen.

1 cup warm Water
2 tbsp active yeast
1 tbsp sugar


Let sit, covered overnight. Then add a tabspoon of flour and mix in thoroughly. Feed occassionally with flour or sugar.

Adding the starter to any bread, muffin or whathaveyou will make it rise that much better and give it more flavour.

The older the sourdough is, the better it is. My grandma has one that she started in 1964.
Leave it sitting out of the refridge? Wont that make it mold?

TheLorax
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That's sort of what it's supposed to do. They call it a wild yeast. Go back and check my starter recipe from a friend and it describes what to look for. Also too, if you go online and check for sourdough starter, there should be a lot of photos of good starter and bad starter.

opabinia51
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We were given this recipe by Preying Mantis in another forum.


The vanilla ice cream recipe comes from the manufacturer of the ice cream maker. I added 4 teaspoons of green tea powder to the milk with mint leaves, instead of vanilla extract. Since I had to mix (adds heat) the powder into the milk, I put it back into the freezer to infuse for an hour. Before adding this to the ice cream maker, I mixed in the heavy cream and strained it all through my vegetable strainer. The result was creamy, homogeneous and light flavored. I am almost as pleased with it as the chocolate chocolate chip mint concoction of three weeks ago.
Eating from the garden is awesome.

Sounds devine.

Take a look at the thread to see what else Preying mantis has been doing with herbs. And others as well.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7864&start=0

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JennyC
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Reptilicus, I made your beer bread yesterday, and it's very yummy (and now cheaper than a loaf of the store brand! :shock: ) Thanks! I used dark beer since that's what I had, and it gave an interesting flavor.

opabinia51
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Doesn't have anything to do with things that I grow in my garden but, here is a recipe I invented last night for dessert pancakes:

1 thawed frozen banana
a few dashes of cinnamon
whole wheat flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 heaping tablspoon skim (or whole) milk powder
Chocolate chips (optional)
Water

Mash the bananad with the milk, cinnamon, egg and flower (and chips if desired). Add water to bring the consistency to that of a loose batter. Fry in frying pan with hot oil.

Not hard but, really nice.

Serve with whipped or devonshire cream.

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JennyC
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I made a stuffing that I was intending to use to fill grape leaves the other night. I made the unfortunate discovery that, just because muscadine leaves are technically edible doesn't mean they should be eaten. Bitter, bitter, bitter. So, we scraped out the stuffing. I'm going to try it again tonight with stuffed squash blossoms (no worries; I'll only pick male flowers and will leave some to pollinate).

Here's my recipe, roughly. I don't generally cook from recipes, which drives my husband crazy because I can never tell him how much of anything to add. But this is more or less what I did for a yummy stuffing. It makes a lot; I'll be freezing some after tonight, and we've already made one meal off it.


Stuffing:

1/4 pound soy sausage (or whatever meat is handy; I had leftovers)
About a tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 can tomato paste
About 1 can water
About 1 1/2 cups day-old daylily blooms (wilted but still on the plant)**
2 cups cooked brown rice
Spices to taste -- I used about 3 tsp. crushed red pepper, 1/2 tsp. red pepper powder, 1-2 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder.

1. Brown the meat in the oil, add garlic halfway through.

2. Lower heat to low and stir in tomato paste and enough water so that the mixture is roughly the consistency of thick salsa.

3. Add spices and let it cook together over low heat while you chop the daylily flowers coarsely. Add these and cook for 2-3 minutes; watch for thickening from the flowers (they thicken soups, etc, as well as okra). If it looks like it's getting so thick it will be hard to stir in the rice, add more water.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings, keeping in mind that the rice will make it more bland.

5. Stir in brown rice and stuff into veggies of your choice, or spoon into a lighly oiled casserole, top with mashed potatoes (or instant mashed potatoes :oops: ), and bake until warm through and browned on top for "shepherd's pie."


** If you can't reliably identify daylilies, don't try this -- some lilies are poisonous! This could easily be made with julienned summer squash or another fresh garden vegetable instead.

[Edited to correct amount of cumin -- a little goes a long way!]

TheLorax
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Here's one of my favorite recipes using sun dried tomatoes, I pulled it from the Internet a few years ago so I can't give credit to the person who created it-

Sun-Dried Tomato Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 large bell peppers, diced
2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 C sun dried tomatoes
¼ C of olive oil for sautéing
1 C of stock
3 sprigs of fresh basil

Place eggplant cubes in a large bowl of salted water. Let set for about 15 minutes. Drain water and squeeze water out of eggplant pieces, being careful so they retain their shape.

Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add olive oil. Sautee eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, onions and carrots until nice and caramelized (about 7-10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Throw in the garlic, stir and cook for about 3 minutes or until garlic begins to soften. Add broth and sun dried tomatoes, reduce heat to low, scrape the bottom of the pan and reduce liquid until vegetables are nice and stewed (about 15-20 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with fresh basil.

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JennyC
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We ate almost entirely from the garden/ fields tonight!

We had a salad of violet leaves, sheep sorrel, greenbrier tips, and radish from the garden.

I found two "stealth" zucchinis this evening that had managed to get to roughly the size of my forearm without detection (man, can those things hide!) So, to make the huge zucchini edible, I decided to make stuffed zucchini boats. I used only one stealth zucchini for the two of us; guess we know what's for supper tommorrow!

I cut off the ends and blanched the zucchini in boiling salted water for three minutes. Then I cut it in half longways, scooped out the seeds leaving a thick wall, and sprayed all over with cooking spray. I chopped up the seeds and mixed with leftover daylily stuffing from the freezer (I posted the recipe above on this page), and spooned it into the zucchini without packing it in tight. I baked at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes (I'm using convection; standard oven might take a few minutes longer). This was good but needed more spice -- we both added garlic salt, and then it was great. Tomorrow I'll garlic salt the zucchini before stuffing.

I also made fried apple rings with apples from our tree: core and cut 2 apples into thick slices (I used "dubious" ones, cutting out the bad spots). Heat about a tablespoonful of oil over medium high heat, fry until the apples start to soften, about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning over midway through. Sprinkle fairly liberally with sugar, cover, reduce heat to low and let apples stew until zucchini boats are ready (or about 15 minutes).

Finally, I made fresh blackberry sorbet. I had about a cup and a half of blackberries from the yard. I added about 3 tablespoons of sugar and whizzed in the food processor just until the berry juice started to spatter. Poured the mixture into a bowl and put in the deep freezer until after supper (it took about an hour to really set). This was weird, but good I think. There was an unexpected hint of bitterness which I can only guess is the seeds.

fabulousmindy
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This recipe I got somewhere, not sure. It is a fantastic way to use up extra zuchinni. When friends hear it's for dinner they "stop by" unnanounced;) It can be doubled for an 8X12 dish.

Zuchinni Casserole

1 1/2 c zuchinni grated
1 medium onion grated
2/3 c bisquick baking mix
2/3 c cheddar cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp sage (fresh is better)

mix ingrediants, put in 8X8 greased pan, bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, (you can put some fresh grated parmesan cheese for the last 5 minutes to brown if you like)

Serve with a dollop of sour cream topped with fresh cut chives, mmmmm...

Does anyone know about homemade pickles? I'd like to try it...

mbaker410
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Location: Baltimore, MD

fabulousmindy wrote:This recipe I got somewhere, not sure. It is a fantastic way to use up extra zuchinni. When friends hear it's for dinner they "stop by" unnanounced;) It can be doubled for an 8X12 dish.

Zuchinni Casserole

1 1/2 c zuchinni grated
1 medium onion grated
2/3 c bisquick baking mix
2/3 c cheddar cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp sage (fresh is better)

mix ingrediants, put in 8X8 greased pan, bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, (you can put some fresh grated parmesan cheese for the last 5 minutes to brown if you like)

Serve with a dollop of sour cream topped with fresh cut chives, mmmmm...

Does anyone know about homemade pickles? I'd like to try it...
I was reading this recipe and kept thinking while looking at the ingredients... Cheese, Cheese, Cheese! Then I saw parmesan and was like ok all better! lol I like cheese and might try this recipe.

Thanks for posting it.

mbaker410
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Location: Baltimore, MD

I make this rice as a healthy default side to many of protein. This takes the boringness out of rice and adds a beautiful flavor. Can eat for days by itself.

Mirepoix Brown Rice with herbs de provence:

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Uncle Bens 10 minute Whole Grain Brown Rice
-3 1/4 cups chicken broth/stock (fresh or canned)
-3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 cup diced celery
-1 cup diced carrots
-1 cup diced onion (any I use vidalia)
-1/2 cup total of chopped (Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram and Basil)
-1 bayleaf
-Salt & Pepper to taste. (Add salt toward end... Broth has salt in it.)

Directions:

-Add oil to medium to large pot over med/high heat. Bring oil temp up and add celery, carrots and onion and begin to sautee. Stir occasionally coat the veggies in the oil well until they begin to get soft (not completely cooked). Add chicken broth to the pot and change heat to high. Bring to a boil and add rice, thyme, rosemary, marjoran, basil and bayleaf. Stir and cover and leave covered for 10 minutes. Check rice and stir and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy.

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JennyC
Green Thumb
Posts: 310
Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 2:25 pm
Location: NW Georgia

I've been making quiche a lot lately -- good way to use up eggs and leftover veggie bits. My recipe actually makes 2 -- one for supper and one for the freezer!

I make the crust myself to cut the fat content, but you could use store bought pie crust.

Crust recipe:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 TBS milk (I use nonfat dry milk, reconstituted)
    4 TBS oil (I use canola)
    1 TBS water used only if the dough isn't moist yet.
Sift the flour, stir in the milk and 3 tbs oil, then slowly add another tbs oil. Add water if dough isn't moist and form into 2 balls for 2 crusts. Flatten one ball slightly and lay on waxed paper on your rolling surface. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper and roll out until the crust is big enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie pan. Carefully pull off the top layer of waxed paper and invert the crust, still on the bottom sheet of waxed paper, into the pie pan. Carefully remove the waxed paper. If it breaks, you can just squish it back together carefully, or patch with a bit that hangs over the edge. Fold in or trim off any extra bits that hang over. Now your crust is ready to fill (if you use this same crust for an unbaked pie, sweeten to taste with sugar, honey or molasses, and bake it for 5-10 mins in a 300 degree oven -- when done, it has a crisp texture, sort of like a thin-tossed pizza crust.)

Quiche recipe:
  • 4 eggs slightly beaten (I use the equivalent in no-cholesterol egg substitute)
    1 1/2 cups milk (I used reconstituted fat free dry milk)
    Spice (to suit yourself; a good start might be 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper if you like heat)
    1/2 - 1 cup Filling -- Again, suit yourself. Chopped cooked greens are a good start, but so is leftover stirfry, rice and all. Pretty much any veggies from your garden could go in, though my husband has requested no more quiche involving pinto beans (Hey, I liked it). You could also make a plain quiche without filling and top with salsa to serve.
    1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped shredded cheese (optional; I use fat-free slices that I just break into little bits, except sometimes I forget them and it comes out fine)
Preheat oven to 425. Stir together eggs, milk, spices, and add chopped greens if you're filling with them. If not using greens, sprinkle half of filling on bottom of pie shell, sprinkle that with 1/2 the cheese, and pour in 1/4 of egg mixture. Repeat layers once more. Carefully place quiche in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Assemble the second quiche while the first is baking, or put them both side-by-side in the oven. Two at once don't cook evenly in my little outdoor convection oven, but I have to put them one above the other. If there were room for them side by side, I think it would be fine.

Regardless, it comes out yummy. I used leftover stir fry for the filling last night and flavored the custard with some soy-sesame instant salad dressing mix I've never used. The possibilities are nearly endless.

mbaker410
Senior Member
Posts: 150
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 3:10 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

I just made this last night without the tomatoes (because I don't have any yet) and it was very good.

Tomato & Cucumber salad.

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-1 1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-3 3/4 lb vine-ripened or plum tomatoes cut into 1/3-inch dice (4 cups)
-1 lb cucumber cut into 1/3-inch dice (2 1/2 cups)
-3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
-1/4 cup finely chopped onion (Vidalia or Walla Walla)

Directions:

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, cumin, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and onion and stir to combine. Let stand at room temp for at least 10 minutes before serving.

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JennyC
Green Thumb
Posts: 310
Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 2:25 pm
Location: NW Georgia

The elderberries outside my kitchen door have just started getting ripe, so tonight I made elderberry-oatmeal muffins. These are great, but they are a little dense; if you prefer lighter muffins, just substitue elderberries for blueberries in any blueberry muffin recipe. We're going for the cholesterol-lowering effect of the oatmeal.

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 beaten egg (I use 3 tbs egg white)
2 tbs oil
1 cup cooked oatmeal (I use rolled oats, so can't vouch for instant, but I just cook it 2 mins in the microwave to soften it)
1 cup elderberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, reserving 1/4 cup flour to mix into berries. Stir in milk, egg, and oatmeal just until well moistened. Sprinkle reserved flour over berries and stir to coat; stir into flour mixture. Spoon into oiled muffin pan and bake 20 mins. Makes 18 muffins.

The elderberries are sweet and really make these smell great coming out of the oven; the berries are very fragrant. The seeds give a slight crunchiness to the cooked berries; almost a "crinkly" sensation, which I think goes well with the denser muffin.

andywph
Cool Member
Posts: 85
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:59 pm
Location: singapore

Wow. Didn't know there are so many potentially good recipes here. :)

Will try them out as soon as I get the chance.

damethod
Senior Member
Posts: 183
Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 12:15 pm
Location: Miami, FL

Hey, why doesn't someone create a new section titled recipes. It seems we all have plenty to share! :o)

I use my mints in salads or with Lamb. I once tried a great recipe that I got off a magazine. I more or less remembered the recipe and tried it the other day..

Edamame salad:
Arugula (or other green leafy lettuce)
Soy beans(edamame)
Mint (sliced into thin ribbons)
Parmessiano Regiano cheese or other hard cheese(Pecorino Romano, Parmessan, etc)
Red Wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoon of sugar
Olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

The amounts of each ingredient are according to your likes. I typically use a handfull of arugula(can substitute any green leafy lettuce) and another handfull of mint.. about 30 soy beans(already removed from pods)..and about a 1/4 cup of parmegiano regiano cheese.

If not already cooked, cook the soybeans in their pods by putting them in boiling water for a few minutes. Chop the arugula into thick ribbons. Chop the mint into fine ribbons. Mix together the arugula, beans, mint, and cheese. In a seperate bowl, combine about about a 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar and the sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, drizzle in about a 1/4cup of olive oil while mixing with a whisk. Whisk until it emulsifies.(Looks like a salad dressing) Pour over salad and enjoy.

This recipe is loaded with essential vitamins, good fats, and protein! I've interchanged mints and types of lettuce and have always been satisfied.

User avatar
Reptilicus
Cool Member
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:23 pm
Location: So. Georgia, USA

I made this over the weekend. I put this on cooked spaghetti and stir fry it up for a bit to combine.

Fresh Basil Pesto


Ingredients

* 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
* 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
* 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* Special equipment needed: A food processor


1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

chio88
Full Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 11:41 pm

Thanks opa! Really made me want a squash soup now. Can I also use the blender instead of mashing the squash and potato?

veggiegardener
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:21 pm
Location: Atlanta,Ga

Oh recipes :)

This might be fun. Ok here it goes, this may seem like a weird recipe to some and its actually a Korean dish that a girl I know taught me how to make.

Heres what you need:

- 1 Large Tomato
- About a half a cup of graded cheese
- 1/4 cup of chopped onions
- 1/4 cup of chopped celery
- 1/8 cup of sour cream

Ok so basically in simple terms you just take the tomato and cut a thin layer off the top. Next you will want to "gut" the tomato out and make it hollow in the middle.

You will want to put all of the ingreidents in the tomato and cook it in the over on about 365 degrees for around 10 minutes! It makes a really tasty little treat.

There are a few different ways to make this but this works fairly well. Sometimes people like to add sauces in it and other things. Anyways enjoy :)

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Lupinus
Full Member
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:12 pm
Location: Upstate SC

Grilled Endive/Chicory Salad-

One Endive (the loose weed looking kind, not Belgian), though you can substitute any bitter green
One or Two oranges
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Wash the head of endive and let dry on a paper towel for a few minutes, doesn't need to be totally dry and a little damp is a good thing

Take the endive and place on the grill to often char and wilt slightly turning often enough to avoid burning. You want it still crisp but make sure to grill it long enough to char nicely and tenderise just slightly, should still be crisp.

Remove from the grill, chop, and place into a bowl. Then squeeze an orange over the endive and then toss in some orange segments. How much is a matter of how juicy the orange is and how many segments you like, you want only enough to coat the endive. How many segments it a matter of taste.

Toss in a little salt, pepper, and EVOO and serve warm.

If it's not grilling weather but you can still get the endive you can chop and wilt in a pan or char under the broiler.

Blood oranges are great in this too, as is most any citrus.



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