Aces High 2nd Annual Recipe Swap

[Dichotomy]

<<Made this today.  Couldn't find wonton wraps so I settled for regular tortillas.  The kids and She Devil scarfluffied them up in record time  >>

Glad you liked them - I scarf em up myself - the wife beeches that half of the appetizers are eaten before the party usually

Tortillas nice idea - i may try that - the wonton wrapers are usually in the refrigerated section of the store - ask a clerk - i am sure they will carry them


NwBie

Well perhaps not in a Texas Wal Mart

[ROX]

Soft tortillas would do in a pinch.

Large burrito tortillas make excellent "wrap" sandwiches, so why not.

It's also a bit better on carbs than bread.



ROX

[ROX]

By request:


Got a PM asking questions about Chinese, and then a request.  Since most of us could use the info, I'll copy & paste some of it here...




Q--Do you need a wok to make chinese?
A--No, you can use a large Corellware dish.  A wok is specifically designed to keep some items off to the edge that are already cooked while the center stays hot.


Q--Is it hard to make Chinese at home?
A--No.  In fact most Chinese dishes are not only easy, they are cheaper to do at home.


Q--I don't like MSG, and my son is allergic to peanut oil, are we out of luck?
A--No, just leave out MSG if it calls for it and use a different vegatable oil.


Q--I used to love Mongolian Beef at the little place across from my old office, you have that one?
A--Yes, and here goes:


Mongolian Beef


1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound beef round steak, cut into thin strips
 
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces (long wise)


(If you can, pre-marinade the meat in a non-metal container the night before in 3T Soy Sauce and 1/2T Sesame oil)

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds for 1 to2 minutes, or until the seeds begin to turn golden brown; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and minced garlic. Stir in beef strips. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.


In a separate small bowl, mix together water, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, sugar, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Cook and stir beef in hot oil for 1 minute; remove, and set aside. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Saute carrots and white part of green onions for 2 minutes. Stir in green parts of the green onion, and saute for 1 minute. Stir in sesame seed mixture and beef. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens.


Serve over hot rice, hot lo-mein noodles, or hot ramen noodles.





ROX

[ROX]

Folks...PLEASE:

Post your 4th Of July Recipes!


There WILL be folks on this thread who are tired of the same old beanies & weenies, and how can I turn ground beef into hockey pucks...

Your Independance Day fare, in detail are requested.

(I know some rednecks around here that would say "stick a roman candle in a hen's backside & hope for the best", but we're not going there.)



ROX

[texasmom]

My husband makes some awesome home-made eggrolls. I'll find out what his recipe is & post it. =)

[Nisky]

Here is a quick and easy strawberry pie.

Ingredients:
1 quart of fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3T. strawberry jell-o
3T. corn starch
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Clean and drain strawberries
2. Place strawberries in a baked and cooled pie crust ( You can buy a pie crust or i use oreo's minus the creme filling and i break them up in a pie tin to make the crust)
3. Mix sugar, Jell-o, corn starch, and water in a sauce pan.
4. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
5. turn off heat and pour over the strawberries
6. Refrigerate for several hours (Over night is what i usually do)

Serves 6

This is a good basic recipe which you can change to many different things. IE different fruit and different Jell-O flavors
This recipe is from my high school cooking class my mom uses it all the time.

[ROX]

The debate between gas & charcoal grilling will go on forever.  I see advantages and disadvantages to both.  I still use charcoal


Sweet 4th of July Grilling Tips

1 bag       Mesquite Wood Chips
              bacon fat (or bacon, 1 lb)



Immediately prior to putting food on the grill, place mesquite wood chips (that have been soaked in water for at least an hour) on grey coals

Every time you make bacon, don't throw the liquid fat!  Save it in a sealable Ball or Mason Jar.  When you do grilling, take a dab of the solidified bacon fat and tap it onto the hot coals (not on the food), and close the lid quickly.  If you don't have the fat, place bacon over the grill along with your burgers & hot dogs & ribs.  Keep the air shafts closed while it's on...the more smoke the better.

The garlic cloves burgers from last year's thread is awesome with this method.  Serve the bacon over the burgers.*


I know it's a repeat from last year, but I've made a few improvements since then...


Lake County Illinois Sweet Corn

                Sweet Corn, leave at least 6" of stalk on as a handle, leave green husk ON  (ya have to do more than a few)
                water
2 cups       sugar
                liquid smoke
                olive oil
                butter
                salt & pepper

De-tassle the corn and place open end up in a large dutch oven, kettle, or pot.  Cover with water and add sugar.  Soak at least 2 hours, overnight is even better.

Just prior to grilling, slightly open the open end and add a few shalkes of liquid smoke and olive oil.

Grill with husks on.  Cook over hot coals, 1/4 turn every 4 minutes or so for about 22 minutes.  You should have nice, dark grill marks.

Remove from grill, peel husks and dunk in a small coffee can full of melted butter.  Serve immediately with salt & pepper.

Have a cooler full of ice cold beer at the ready...


Doing this for a party as an appetizer is brilliant!  It gives your guests something to nosh while you cook the meats on the grill.  This is very common in North East Illinois (Lake County Fair & Lakefront Fest).  If your in California, Britain, or some other non-midwestern area, you will be the king of the grill!



(*I am not responsable for cholesterol & plaque clogging your arteries to the point that it's not a heartbeat you just hear "squeek-squeek-squeek" like listening to local channel during the summer in the game.)





ROX

[angelsandair]

My Stew...

5 Potatoes.

Lots of baby carrots.

2 Onions

1 Bell pepper

Package of beef bullion cubes.

 1 or 2 Cans of beef broth (you wanna do that AND bullion cubes for best flavor)

1. Season the beef with what ever your favorite spices are and then cook it.


Cut up the potatoes, onions, carrots, and bell pepper. You can add as much of each as you would like (it makes a lot of stew). You then pour the Cans of beef broth in with the potatoes... etc. You then cook it a good bit, try the broth, if it's too watery, you add as many bullion cubes as you would like.

It will be ready about the time that your potatoes and carrots are soft and well cooked.


(I usually get this automatically cooked beef from the store since I dont wanna waste my time cooking it like that. I usually get ALOT of beef and cut it up.) 

[ROX]

TXMom...please post the egg rolls.  I make Spring Rolls with bay shrimp every once in a while, but it's just not the same.



I wanted to make real New Orleans gumbo for my wife over the weekend.  I got some Zantaran's Gumbo Base ($1.50) at the store, but the more I looked at the box and researched online, I found that basically gumbo is a SOUP.  I didn't think my wife would like--after working 12 hours at the hospital, and it's 100F outside--to come home to a meal of hot soup, so I call an audible.

The Shrimp creole a couple of weeks ago was really good, so I adaped the recipe.




Bull Bayou Seafood "Gumbo" Creole


The Trinity:

1 cup        finely chopped selery
1 cup        finely chopped green pepper
3              sliced onions (wagon wheels)



The rest:


3 T                   olive oil
1 14 oz can       diced tomatos
1 14 oz can       tomato sauce
2 cups              tomato juice
1 14 oz can       okra


1/2 lb              medium shrimp (*  if raw)
1 lb                 imitation crab meat
1 lb                 whole crawfish


6 T                 chili powder
2 T                 Emerils Bayou Blast Seasoning (posted earlier)



Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the Trinity of onion, peppers and celery.  Stir often until the onions have softened.

(* if the shrimp are raw, add to the trinity and cook until just turing opaque, then set aside.)


Combine the sauteed Trinity with all the other ingredients (except the seafood) in a large stock pot.  Stir often and let come to a gentle bubbly boil.  Add seafood and cook on low for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve immediately over hot rice.

Have additional chili powder, cayene powder, or tobasco sauce at the table.




ROX

[ROX]

Had this for lunch yesterday.  If you like eggs it's a no brainer.

It's my own homebrew.



Patriot Hat Egg Sandwich



1 Large              Egg
1 T                   Olive Oil
2 oz                  sharp cheddar cheese (Or 1 slice American Cheesefood)
2 pieces            toasted bread (any kind, but rye & wheat work best)
                        white pepper
                        black pepper
                        salt
                        butter or margerine
                        Heinz 57 sauce (optional)


Grease a skillet with the olive oil and heat over medium.  Crack the egg and carefully empty into pan without breaking the yolk.  Once the egg white starts to form bubbles, add the cheddar cheese right over the yolk and turn heat to low to let cheese melt some.  Season with a small pinch of salt, 2 turns of fresh ground black pepper and 10 turns of white pepper.

CAREFULLY take the corners and fold the eggwhite at 45 degree angles over the yolk and cheese to almost cover them.  It will look like an American Revoloutionary times Patriot Hat from above.  (Leave some of the yolk & cheese uncovered at the back).

(Cooking instructions:  If you like a sunny side up runny egg, pull from heat and set aside.  If you like a fully cooked yolk, continue to cook until yolk solidifies.)

Toast the bread and butter each piece.

Place the egg on the toast and cover.

Heinz 57 sauce optional for dipping.



ROX

[ROX]

How about some good homemade omelet recipes? I love making an omlet

Omlets are great.  You can put almost anything in them and they turn out pretty well.

Most folks mess up by either trying to make it too big (even in a large skillet, never more than 2 eggs) or end up using too high a heat.  Omlets require patience.  This one is straight from my own personal cookbook.


"Hot Springs Pizza Omlet"



2              Large eggs
1T            olive oil
1/2 T        garlic powder
1/2 T        oregano
3 T           cooked and sliced Andouille Sausage (substitute Italian sausage if you have to)
5 T           mozzarella cheese
1 T           Romano cheese
3 T           sliced fresh mushrooms
4 T           tomato sauce
2 T           fresh parmagian cheese
4 T           fresh whole milk OR--(3 T of heavy cream)
1              small pinch salt
               pepper*
 


***If you want to have the same fluffiness as great restaurants, you have to do what they do to get it that way.  Mc Donald's even does it.  You MUST put your egg/milk mixture into a blender or food processor and mix on high for about 2 minutes to get all the air bubbles into the mix.  ***

Grease a large heavy skillet with the olive oil, and place heat to medium.

Combine eggs,milk, and salt into a blender and blend on high for two minutes

Carefully pour the mixture into the skillet and using the handle, get the egg mixture on to all the skillet edges, almost up to the rim.  As the egg mixture begins to slightly bubble, add the following ingredients...IN ORDER....to the middle edge of one side of HALF of the omlet. 

Mix the tomato sauce, oregano, garlic powder,and romano cheese in a bowl and gently spoon it on to the middle edge of one side of HALF of the omlet.

Spoon into that the sausage, then mushrooms, then mozzarella cheese, then romano cheese.

At this point, you need to take a plastic spatula and begin loosening the opposite edge of the egg mixture from the pan and as gently as you can, flop that side over to form a "taco" shape, covering all the "fillings" ingredients.  If there are no breaks, cracks, or tears as you flip it over, consider yourself an "omlet-meister"!

Turn heat to low, and heat until you see that the cheese is melting (could take up to 5 minutes.....be patient if it takes longer--most folks OVERCOOK eggs.)

When done, place on a serving plate and sprinkle on the parmesian cheese.

3-4 turns of black pepper or 8-10 turns of white pepper.

Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs





Nisky--I made that strawberry pie for my mother-in-law's birthday (I did substitute strawberry pudding for the jello).  I come back from outside later and she pulls me off to the side--she wants the recipe.


gpwurzel--I really liked your fish recipe!  It was nice of Telly Savalas to give it to you    Got any more?  I'm supposed to eat more fish (because of my high cholesterol) but since I can't have it fried (they are gonna kick me out of Arkansas) I have to come up with other ways to make (a/k/a grill or bake) it.  Grilling it over charcoal rocks...but I can't do that all the time.  So any non-fried fish recipes you might have I'd really appreciate!

TXMom--once you get those egg roll recipe on...can they be made without deep frying them?


ROX

[Baitman]

Trout on the Exhaust

Very good for the ride back from the lake.

  Serves 2 
2 large  pieces of foil
1 cup potatoes, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup onions, diced 
1/2 cup red pepper, diced 
1/4 cup  carrot, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp  butter
2 trout fillets (any fish will do)
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
  salt and pepper to taste
seasoning spice
 

Lay out the sheets of foil (doubling up will prevent scorching the bottom).
Layer in the sliced potatoes, onions and carrots, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Place the fish on top and add salt and pepper.,

Cover the fish with the sliced lemons.

Gather up the sides of the foil and fold to seal. Wrap the ends up to create an air-tight parcel.

Place the foil package on the manifold and secure with pieces of foil. This is especially important if you are travelling on back roads or if you are a lousy driver.

The fish will be cooked in around 30 minutes of highway driving but use your good judgement. You may have to do this a few times until you really get the hang of your engine heat and the degree of doneness you desire. Good travelling!

[Dichotomy]

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

INGREDIENTS

    * 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
    * 1/4 cup lemon juice
    * 4 garlic cloves, minced
    * 2 teaspoons honey
    * 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
    * 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    * 1 teaspoon pepper
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS

   1. In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt if desired. Reserve half of marinade for basting; cover. Cut chicken into 1-in. wide strips; weave on skewers. Place in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. glass baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain, discarding marinade. Place skewers on grill over medium-low coals. Grill, turning and basting with reserved marinade, for 12 minutes or until juices run clear.

[Nwbie]

Dichotomy - gonna try those kabobs next weekend - sound great
Off the top of my head just to contribute:

Crap I forgot to get cocktail sauce

Pound or more of fresh cooked chilled shrimp
Cold beer
small bowl
Bottle of ketchup
Bottle of Horseradish

pour or squeeze ketchup into a bowl
add 2 or more ( taste as you mix to get to flavor you like) Tablespoons of horseradish
Mix and taste til it reaches flavor you like
crack open a beer, sit on patio, start dipping-- and laugh in a mad hysterical manner mumbling that you just saved 3 dollars not buying store bought cocktail sauce as your wife looks strangely at you shaking her head and telling the kids to stay away from daddy for awhile....

 

NwBie

[ROX]

Dichotomy.....
Nwbie...........


Scallop Bacon Rolls

2 lbs           fresh scallops
1/2 Cup       olive oil
1/4 Cup       fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb          thinly sliced lean bacon (smoked is good)
Salt and pepper to taste
A sprinkle paprika

Marinate the scallops in the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper for about 30 minutes (overnight is even better). Cut each slice of bacon in half lengthwise, then crosswise to make 4 pieces. Remove the scallops from marinade reserving sauce for basting. 

Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon securing with a wooden tooth pick. Cook over hot charcoal on the grill, turning, 3 to 5 minutes. Baste with reserved marinade and sprinkle with paprika.

Serve with ice cold golden adult bevereges.

Makes 4 servings


OR:

Pan fry in 1T of EVOO on High.

I sprinkle with cayenne pepper just before serving.

You can substitute scallops with large shrimp or even prawns.

These definitely are not diet friendly, but are just THE SCHNIZNITZ!




Extremely Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

3 lbs               Large Cap Mushrooms of your choice
1 lb                Cream Cheese (softened to room tempreture)
1/2 lb             Bleu Cheese (crumbled works fine)
1 lb                smoked bacon (cooked & crumbled)


De-stem the mushrooms and gently scrape out gills with a sharp knife.

Place the caps empty side up in a large cookie sheet.

Dab in a lump of cream cheese into each cap.  Sprinkle as much crumbled bacon and Bleu Cheese crumbles as each cap can hold.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, if the cheese isn't melted yet, give them a bit longer.


Serve immediately.

Serves 6 as an appetizer, but the REAL truth is once folks get a taste of these the whole "serves X" is thrown out the window and some circus geek in your family starts wolfin' 'em down and you dont get JACK.  So get 'em while the gettin's good, or you get stale corn flakes and skim milk for dinner...and all that after you have cooked 'em no less!


Just being honest.  The truth is ugly.




ROX