Let's talk recipes -- are you as random as I am?

[pepperhead212]

I made a delicious dish last tonight, using some of those greens I harvested Thursday night, from the hydroponics. It's an Indian chickpea dish - Chana Saag - which I started Thursday night by soaking them overnight in a baking soda solution, then cooking it in some salted water, in the Instant Pot, before starting the rest of the dish. Here's the recipe I based it on, making some changes.
One was the different greens - mostly those Russian kale, but also some bok choy leaves - all the small leaves forming on those bolting plants, I removed. I did the tarka at the end, with the ghee, which is definitely noticeable in the final dish, which is darker than the one in their pictures, due to the kale, and cooking longer than the spinach based one. I served it with a reheated naan, which I had frozen (I'll have to make more of those!).
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/ch ... iner-90572

The onion, garlic, ginger, and greens, cooked and cooled, ready to blend smooth. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Smooth mix for the Chana Saga recipe. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The tarka, of garlic, Kashmiri peppers, and asafetida, cooked in ghee, added to the finished saag. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished Chana Saag. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

I just finished working at the Kunia Orchid Society Show. I worked in refreshments and we made a chicken salad recipe that was quite good. It was made as a sandwich, but I prefer mine over a tossed salad with some peaches. ( I like fruit in my salads)

Chicken Salad recipe
2 cups diced cooked chicken ( I used a Costo rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 rib celery chopped
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tsp mustard ( the recipe calls for Dijon but I used yellow mustard)

1/2 tsp seasoned salt ( I made my own seasoned salt)
¼ cup kosher salt. 4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika. 1 tsp garlic powder.
1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup apples, diced, coated apples with lemon juice to keep them from browning
1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved.
chopped nuts were optional ( we left them out because of allergies and cost)
We served the chicken salad on hamburger buns with lettuce.

[pepperhead212]

A few days ago I got a craving for some Italian dish, after trimming all that basil from my hydroponics - I love the smell of that stuff! So last night I took a 1½ lb pack of ground venison, which I had flavored with Italian sausage seasonings (not enough fat to call sausage, but serves the purpose), and thawed that in the fridge. The first thing I did today, was put some dried eggplant to soak in hot water, then set some dried tomatoes to soak in some hot water. Then I set some cannelini beans and some dried green beans to cook in plain water, with a little salt, for 20 minutes, in the Instant Pot, then started cutting things. Onion started cooking first, in some olive oil, followed by 2 very large red bells, diced, and 6 minced cloves of garlic. After a few minutes for the garlic, the meat was added, and cooked and broken up into large chunks, while cooking. Then I added a generous tb of minced basil, and about 3 tb chopped fresh marjoram, and about 2 chopped fresh parsley, and at least 2 tsp pepper flakes (added more later!). Then I puréed the soaked tomatoes in the Vitamix, with the 1½ c water they were soaked with, added it to the pan, then added a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes to the VM, and coarsely puréed them, and put them in the pan. Then rinsed the pan out with a little more water, and put it into the pan. This simmered while I drained the beans, then I cooked 1½ c kamut - I was going to use spelt, but had just the right amount of this, so I used it all up. Cooked it 15 minutes in the IP, and let it release naturally, all while simmering the sauce. Drained beans were added to the sauce, then the kamut drained, and added, and mixed up. Tasted for seasonings, added a little more pepper, as always, then stirred in about 3/4 c chopped basil. I served this with some grated Asiago cheese.
Starting the Italian type dish, with some onion, pepper, and garlic, and browning sausage, while some dried beans are cooking in IP. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Some dried eggplant, soaked, and added to the sauce to simmer, along with some dried oyster mushrooms, while cooking some kamut, in IP. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Fresh basil, 1 tb minced and added early, the rest will be added at the end, in larger chunks. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Sauce ready for the beans and kamut to be added, and simmered briefly. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Kamut added after the bears were mixed in. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished dish, ready to serve. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished dish, with extra basil, and Asiago cheese. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[applestar]

I wanted to make a pork and cabbage dish.

Over the winter, the family established that we like having something cooked and ready to eat keeping warm in the Instant Pot… and if everybody is going to eat more than one/multiple servings, we need at least 3~4 Lbs of meat plus vegetables.

So I started with a 3.5 Lbs. pork Boston Butt shoulder roast and a big head of cabbage.

I was originally thinking soup, and came across recipes for thinly sliced pork layered with napa cabbage cooked with clear Japanese style broth (dried fish - bonito, flying fish, mackerel, sardine - and kombu), or with grated daikon added, or with soy milk.

I THOUGHT what I was going to do was instead use the leftover turkey broth from the day before (turkey breast, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery), rum, 1/2 stick of butter, and lemon juice added to cavity, rosemary and bay leaves. PC’d and braised until bones falling off… 2 Cups of water added only after most of the meat and veg had been eaten.

I also thought I would cook some rice in a bowl on top of the pork and cabbage — sort of opposite of the meatloaf and mashed potato when meatloaf is cooked inside a bowl on top of the boiling potatoes to be mashed later.

So I started by soaking 1C each of short grain brown rice, short grain sweet/mochi brown rice, and short grain white rice in the bowl I was going to use with water and 4”x4” piece of kombu, then layering not so thin pork — maybe 1/4”~1/2” thick slices cut from the roast across the grain — with large cabbage leaves and/or 1/2” “slices” cut from the cabbage. I salted peppered and sugared the pork slices.

I literally PACKED these in the bottom of the Instant Pot.

BUT!!! — when I tested the fit, it turned out the bowl stuck out by almost 2 inches. And there was no way the stew size chunks of carrots I’d wanted to add was going to fit anywhere.

So abandoning that idea, I decided to add the rice directly on top of the packed solid meat and cabbage base. The carrots were diced and mixed into the rice. Forgetting all about the reserved turkey broth, added some store bought beef stock to almost just below the top of the meat, added some turkey broth because I remembered just then, then covered the top with ketchup and the kombu from the rice, then added the rice, carrots and soaking water…. This filled the pot to MAX PC level.

Still, I was worried that the rice with the white rice mixed in would misbehave, so I used LOW PRESSURE and increased cooking time to 1:30. Released naturally after finishing.

All in all, completely different from the simple flavors of the original Japanese recipe. It was amazingly yummy though — very rich and hearty, and all that fat at the top had to be skimmed off. I thought dash of white wine vinegar made it better. (They is a cuisine that regularly uses vinegar as finishing touch on stews and such, but I can’t remember where….)

[Vanisle_BC]

Last night made a couple of things seen on internet or in books. Total disappointment.

First I overnight salted a piece of pork loin to tenderize it as recommended in "Salt Fat Acid Heat." I'll be getting rid of that book! The saltiness of the meat was near unbearable and it spread to everything else we pan-fried along with it.

Next we made lemony roasted potatoes. They weren't bad but not like the ones illustrated in the youtube. Couldn't get them really crusty and the lemon flavor barely came through.

After dinner we thought 'our own repertoire and cooking are pretty darn good. Why are we messing with this other stuff?'

[applestar]

Bummer! But your tastebuds need adventures. Otherwise, they get bored.

FWIW — I think there is a ‘season’ to seasoning, if you’ll excuse the pun. Salty, highly spiced foods taste more attractive during hot season especially when you actually get hot and sweat out a lot of your salts and minerals (not so much if you spend all day in air conditioned home-car-workplace and back again.

I’m trying to imagine the lemon flavor — you said it was supposed to be crispy? Like fried? …because almost anything breaded or even coated in flour and fried tastes good with lemon.

Don’t give up! You might be in for a surprising success.


…I made buckwheat pancakes on Saturday. Mixed with about 1/3 whole spelt flour and added some cocoa powder and maple syrup. I made them into thin big stackers, sandwiched butter between, and cut the stacked layers in wedges like cake, served with jars of peach and lingonberry preserves.

Only complaint I received was that I should have made 8 layers instead of stopping at just 6….

[Gary350]

There is a technique used by certain countries especially India where they add fresh herbs at the end of the cook so not to cook away all the herb flavor and aroma. Salt does not evaporate away it concentrates as liquid boils away. Many of the India dishes cook in an open top pressure cooker then they add herbs & spices the last 15 to 60 minutes of the cook with heat turned off and pressure cooker lid on tight so no steam or flavor is lost. Marinade the same way with a tight lid or zip lock bag. Southern style cooking salt pork is soaked in water several times to remove salt before cooking. High heat makes flavor change in some herbs that is why herbs are added only after food is removed from the stove.

[pepperhead212]

Cilantro, especially, is something that is best added at the end, and even in a summer salad I put a lot in, I like to add it to each day when I serve it - don't know if it's the vinegar, or the tomato acid that might make that flavor much less noticeable, but that definitely happens. And Indian dishes often cook some spices in beginning in the butter, or other fats, to give one layer of flavors, before adding the onions or other vegetables, which will bring the heat down quickly, and often a portion of garam masala early, with this. Then at the end, the cilantro and sometimes a smaller amount of the garam masala is added, to give a different flavor. And my favorite thing to add at the end, used in many southern Indian dishes, is something called tempering, or a tarka, which is something started with a small amount of fat - oil, ghee, or coconut oil, depending on the dish - and some mustard seeds and cumin added (usually), and cooked briefly, until the seeds start crackling, then some dried peppers added, and some curry leaves, which also crackle, and dry out quickly, then add a small amount of asafoetida, then stir into the curry, or soup, or whatever it's going in. This only takes about 30 seconds or so (takes longer to measure things out!), but adds q great flavor to the dishes! I have a small 1 qt saucepan I use almost exclusively for this.

[imafan26]

I usually do like to try new recipes, and I often get them off the internet or some are in cookbooks. I don't always follow the recipes all the way unless it is dessert or baked goods. There are very few things you can tweak with baking because the ratio of wet to dry and leavening can't be messed with too much.

I do have to read through them and the reviews. I do make some changes to the recipes, but they are usually minor ones. I try not to make recipes that have too many ingredients I am not familiar with.

I don't do very much Indian or Mexican recipes because I am not used to the flavors.

[pepperhead212]

I made a batch of mushroom pasta, with my last half cup of hulled barley, which I put in the Instant Pot in some broth, and a tb of white miso, and pressure cooked it for 30 min, letting it release naturally. The mushrooms I cooked in the large sauté pan, and cut up everything in the food processor, starting with the onion, the garlic and herbs together (rosemary and sage), then the mushrooms, along with about 1/2 tb boletus powder. Added to some olive oil in that order, and cooked on medium, until most of the water had evaporated, then added about a half cup of white vermouth, and evaporated most of that.

After that I opened the IP, and drained the barley, then added some broth (and a little more water) to total 4 c, and added this to the IP, with the barley, and 14 oz of spiral pasta, and sort of pressed all the pasta under the liquid. Then set it to 4 minutes/Manual, locked the lid, then when the timer went off, I released the pressure, then set it on Sauté/High, and stirred it about 2 or 3 minutes, which thickened it, with the starches, then I turned it off, and removed the pot to the stove - just to stop the cooking. I finished it with a little grated Asiago.

Finished pasta dish, before adding the cheese, made with some barley added to it. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Gary350]

We breaded cube steak same as chicken. Then we cooked it crispy same as chicken. We put white gravy over the meat then pour peas onto the gravy. Wow this turned out very good.

[pepperhead212]

I made some bean soup, with some ham, and some of those mustard greens, from my hydroponics. A couple of days ago is when I started it, when I cut up about 6 lbs of ham I got a deal on some easter ham, and put 4 one lb packs and 4 half lb packs in foodsaver bags, to freeze, and I put the scraps and bones in a Dutch oven, with a cut up onion, and cooked it about 2½ hours, @275°, to cook the fat out, and brown it considerably. Then after removing almost all of the fat, I put all that stuff in the Instant Pot, deglazed the Dutch oven, and used all that liquid to cover the scraps, and pressure cooked it for 90 minutes. After releasing naturally, I strained the liquid, and let it cool - too late to use now, so I refrigerated, and waited to remove the fat, and when it gelled, there was little left on top.

Late last night, I set a lb of navy beans to soak, with some baking soda, rinsing it around noon, and soaking with some brine, the last 4 hrs or so, before cooking. I started with a large onion, stalk of celery, and a large carrot, all chopped fairly small, sautéed in the IP about 8 or 9 min, and when onion browned some, added about a tb of minced garlic, and about a half tb each dried sage and thyme, crushed in the mortar, 3 bay leaves, then the gelled ham stock (about 5 c) and 2 c water, about 1/2 c whole oats, 2 tsp black pepper, and the drained beans, and adjusted the salt (was surprised that the ham stock wasn't saltier), and set it to slow cook/fast, for about 2 hrs. Wasn't quite ready, when I finished what I was doing, so I set it to pressure cook on Manual/15 min, and let release naturally. Almost done now, and I added the 8 c of chopped greens, diced ham, and about 1/4 c red lentils, to thicken, and put it on the slow cook/fast again, for about 20 min, when it was done. I reheated some cornbread in the toaster oven, I had frozen it foil, so I didn't have to make more, yet.
About 8 c chopped greens, spun dry, to add to the Navy bean soup. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The wasabina mustard greens, before stirring into the soup, and cooking a few minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Almost finished ham and bean soup, after adding the greens, and 1/4 c or so of red lentils, to thicken it. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished beans and greens soup. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Gary350]

We wanted a Mexican Pizza for dinner. Wife used pizza crust in a paper can. Pop open the cardboard can then roll out the dough crust. After forming dough to fit a round pizza pan cut off the square corners to make a sugar cinnamon pastry. Bake pizza crust in the oven when its golden brown pour queso cheese & salsa on the hot crust. Then add the meat sauce then top with Mexican cheese. Bake in oven again then top with lettuce. Wow this is better than any Mexican pizza we ever had, no one sells Mexican Pizza anymore and they were never this good. Wife is good at making up things totally random.

Meat is a street taco recipe. Ground beef is 85% meat, cook with, onion, garlic, chili powder, red pepper, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, Mexican tomato paste, and 1 can of black beans. The only place that sells the Mexican tomato paste is Publix Grocery store in a plastic squeeze package.

[pepperhead212]

I made an Italian type dish tonight, because I trimmed a bunch more basil from those plants in the hydroponics, to trigger some new growth, to take cuttings from those. I first took some dried eggplant and dried green beans, equivalent to 1 and ½ lb of each, and set it to soak in hot water. Then set some dried tomatoes to soak in hot water. Then I rinsed a cup of spelt, and put it to cook in the Instant Pot, in 2 c water, and a little salt, for 25 minutes. I then thawed 1½ lbs of venison Italian sweet sausage in the MW, and washed a lb of white mushrooms, quartering them, and cooking in a wok, while cooking the meat on the 12" sauté pan. The spelt was drained, while those were cooking, saving the water (used all but about half a cup of it). I blended the soaked tomatoes in the Vitamix, until paste-like, and set it aside. I chopped up an onion, and minced 8 smaller cloves of garlic, and about 1/4 c marjoram, with a tb of basil (much more at the end).

In the rinsed out IP, I heated about 3 tb EVOO on Sauté mode, then cooked the onion until golden, then added a generous tb of white miso (out of tomato paste, so I used this for the umami), followed by the garlic and herbs. Cooked a minute, then added the 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, the blended tomatoes, and rinsed the VM out with the rest of the tomato water, and a cup of the spelt water. Then I added all the cooked spelt, 2/3 c each of chana dal and red lentils, and all the soaked eggplant and beans. Mixed it up well, then pressure cooked it for 14 minutes, and let it release naturally. After this, I added the meat and mushrooms, and about 1/2 c more of that spelt water, then simmered it about 5 minutes. Then I added the parsley and basil, simmered another 3 minutes, and that was it!
Absolutely delicious, and I have about 3 qts leftover.
The start of the Italian type dish I made tonight, with a can of, plus some dried tomatoes, soaked and blended. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Dried eggplant and green beans, soaked and drained, plus all that trimmed basil. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The cooked spelt and some liquid, soaked veggies, chana dal, and red lentils, to pressure cook 14 minutes with the tomatoes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Dish, after pressure cooking 14 minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Cooked sausage and mushrooms, to add to cooked dish, to cook another 5 minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A large bunch of chopped parsley and basil, to be stirred in, and cooked about 3 more minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished dish, after cooking the last herbs briefly. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A friend came over, when I was resting the IP, from that second cooking, so it was almost done, and I was cleaning most of it up, and he was bringing some friends of his over, that are visiting (I think from Ohio). He told me a couple of days ago that he "might stop by" to introduce us, and I told him, jokingly, that I'm not really cooking much lately, because I'm out in the garden so much! He said I don't have to feed them, because they go out to eat all the time, in their travels, which they did earlier today. And when he came inside he yelled out "I thought you weren't cooking! You did this to tease me, because you know I ate out!" That smell wasn't even from the finished dish yet, and got even better. They all tried about a half a bowl of it, and she fell in love with it, and wanted to know what was in it. He immediately said something like "you really don't want to know!" I told her about some of the ingredients that she probably won't have, and she got a sort of disappointed look on her face. I offered some to them to take home to his place, but they declined - she said she would want even more of it, but knowing she wouldn't be able to make it, but I told her it could be done with other things, but the basic flavors in the tomatoes. That fresh basil was what made me make this - I had to come up with something to use it in!

[applestar]

Haha I don’t blame them for wanting to know and then being disappointed— so many of your creations leave me with same kind of awe and envy, despite you sharing detailed descriptions and photos.

Even when you are using ingredients that are more commonly available and less international, those homegrown and preserved ingredients are not going to be easily replicated no matter what.

But keep these posts coming! I’m inspired every time, and will continue to attempt my own versions with what I’ve got.

Your friends and their friends are lucky to have had the opportunity to sample authentic pepperhead cuisine.

[imafan26]

I am going back to very simple cooking. I am really enjoying my home grown bush beans just microwaved in a little water with some butter. Normally, I am not a fan of beans. I made a simple burger with just hamburger, Tony Chacheres salt free cajun spice, eggs, garlic and onion powder. Not my favorite burger. I must admit I like meat loaf better with bread, minced onions, peppers, and black pepper instead of the cajun spice. But, I am trying to get back to eating low carb again so, bread or oatmeal is not allowed in a burger.

Today, I went to Sam's club, picked up a bag of garden salad, a rotisserie chicken, eggs, and some beef fajitas. This should do for a couple of weeks. I have cheese, and more garden vegetables to work in. I still have more beans, eggplant, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and mustards.