The Cookbook

[George K]

Tonight's Dinner.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-brussels-sprouts

1. Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Step 1
Preheat oven to 450°.

Step 2
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley.

Step 3
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve sprouts with chicken and sauce.

And then...

INSTANT POT RED SKINNED MASHED POTATOES

https://bakeatmidnite.com/instant-pot-red-skinned-mashed-potatoes/

Ingredients
3 lbs red potatoes scrubbed and cut into 2-inch chunks (don’t peel)
1 cup water
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup warm milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
1 tbsp dehydrated toasted onion flakes see NOTES
1 tsp instant dehydrated minced garlic -OR- 1 large clove finely minced
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley -OR- 1 tbs dehydrated
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste

Place potato chunks in the Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), add the kosher salt and the water. Process on manual for 8 minutes (or high/15 psi on other pressure cookers)
Release pressure and drain potatoes well.
Using a hand masher, lightly mash the potatoes. Add just enough of the warm milk so the potatoes are creamy but not soupy. You may not use the entire amount, or you may need more warm milk, depending on how creamy you like them.
Add the butter, toasted onions, garlic and parsley. Stir to combine.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

1. For the chicken, when it says, "heat until thickened." Nope not gonna happen. I made a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up and it worked fine.

2. The mashed potato recipe calls for sour cream...but the instructions don't say when/where to use.

3. For the mashed potatoes, I used some finely chopped green onions instead of the garlic. Worked out pretty well.

I know, this thread needs pitchers....

[Mik]

Yum!!!

[Mik]

Marinated and smoked pork tenderloin in Dale's Sauce for an hour, smoked over cherry and B&B lump, reverse seared. Served up with Golden Lamb Signature Salad (greens, Granny Smith apple matchsticks, candied pecans, smoked cheddar and creamy balsamic dressing).

Note: MFR let out a huge belch and complimented it. I NEVER get anything like that.

Dale's Sauce

[Horace]

That all looks great. I'll have to try that dale's seasoning.

I made a brine again today, used it with pork ribs and air fried them. Also put a bunch of whole button mushrooms in the brine and fried them alongside the pork. Delicious. The brine was pineapple/orange juice and maple syrup along with the saltwater.

[Mik]

Sounds great. Ribs in the air fryer?

[Mik]

Going to smoke a meatloaf tonight. Loaf will be made with beef and pork, using the Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup mix recipe. Works for me because I don't care for tomato/catsup on meat loaf. I replace the catsup with remoulade sauce or maybe a mustard based BBQ sauce.

https://www.cooks.com/recipe/4n5x48ps/lipton-onion-mushroom-meatloaf.html

[Mik]

Almost ready with corn and green beans picked this morning.

[George K]

I love meatloaf.

Mrs. George (perhaps because of some childhood trauma?) does not. We never have it.

Hold me...

[Horace]

@George-K said in The Cookbook:

I love meatloaf.

Mrs. George (perhaps because of some childhood trauma?) does not.

that would be my guess.

Personally, I don't like meatloaf because one of the girls who rejected me when I was younger, was holding a meatloaf. She said "No, I will not go out with you, and also I love meatloaf! This is a meatloaf!". I shrugged and asked her why she was holding a meatloaf and she said that meatloaf is for people who are more appealing than me, then she found a better guy and shared meatloaf with him. That's why I don't like meatloaf.

[Mik]

That's overly traumatic for meatloaf.

Turned out really good. Could have used a little more smoke flavor. For dessert? An absolutely perfect peach.

[Catseye3]

That photo is evil. I literally got a saliva spurt the second I saw it.

[Mik]

I get that with redhead shots.

Oh, wait....

[Rainman]

@Horace said in The Cookbook:

@George-K said in The Cookbook:

I love meatloaf.

Mrs. George (perhaps because of some childhood trauma?) does not.

that would be my guess.

Personally, I don't like meatloaf because one of the girls who rejected me when I was younger, was holding a meatloaf. She said "No, I will not go out with you, and also I love meatloaf! This is a meatloaf!". I shrugged and asked her why she was holding a meatloaf and she said that meatloaf is for people who are more appealing than me, then she found a better guy and shared meatloaf with him. That's why I don't like meatloaf.

Sorry, man. That wasn't the reason. Ask any of us.
Better yet, don't ask.

OK, you can ask Ax. That's it.

[George K]

Tonight's Dinner: Steak, Spuds and Sprouts

I had a taste for steak, so I threw a strip steak into the sous vide, seasoned with some salt, pepper and Nawlins seasoning. Seared in canola oil with butter. After flipping, I sprinkled some blue cheese crumbles on the steak.

Spud - just a baked spud with some shredded cheddar and butter. Salt and pepper. Simple.

Sprouts: Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Shallots

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat.
Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add sugar and Brussels sprouts; sauté 5 minutes or until brown, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss.

The sprouts I got were small, and difficult to "slice thin." Pain in the ass. Next time, I'll get bigger sprouts and brown them a bit more.

[Mik]

Looks awesome.

[George K]

Tonight's dinner: German Spuds

For decades, yes, literally for decades, I've enjoyed the "German Browned Potatoes" at the Berghoff restaurant in Chicago. With some Wiener Schnitzel and creamed spinach it was a perfect meal - as long as you added some nice beer.

A couple of years ago, The Berghoff replaced the German Browned Potatoes with Spätzle. It was still good, but not quite the same.

I've been on a search for something that would fill in the gap, that I could make at home.

Today I tried this:

https://www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com/german-pan-fried-potatoes-bratkartoffeln/

5 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 pieces bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
paprika, to taste

Peel and chop potatoes. After I peel them, I prefer to place the potatoes in a bowl with cold water to prevent browning. While chopping potatoes, place them back in the bowl with water.

Cook 6 pieces of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Move the bacon to a plate and reserve the bacon fat.

Add chopped onion to bacon fat in the skillet and saute until onion is translucent. Using slotted spoon move cooked onion to the plate with the bacon.

Before placing the chopped potatoes in the pan with bacon fat, pat dry them with a paper towel. You don’t want any water to get in contact with hot oil because it will create a lot of splatter and may burn you.

Season potatoes with salt, pepper and paprika and cover pan with a lid. Cook on medium heat for about 25 minutes until potatoes are tender, flipping them halfway through.

Repeat with remaining potatoes and each time add 1 Tbsp of olive oil or fat of your choice if needed.

Place the pan fried potatoes in a dish and stir in the caramelized onions and chopped bacon. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve the German fried potatoes warm.

I only had 3 slices of bacon and a vidalia onion, but I thought, what the hell....

Came out pretty good! Next time, more salt, a yellow onion, and more paprika.

Along with my chicken schnitzel, it came out pretty good.

[Mik]

Looks delicious!

[George K]

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

Looks delicious!

Mrs. George liked the concept of the potatoes, but not the execution.

Next time:
Don't use baby reds - that's all I had on hand.
Use a real onion - a yellow or white one.
As I said, moar salt, and probably moar paprika
Moar bacon - gotta get a fair amount of bacon grease to cook the spuds in.
Maybe chop the spuds smaller.

But the schnitzel is her favorite meal. She always says, "I really like it when you make that." She never says that.

[Mik]

Yeah, I hear that. I seldom get praise for my cooking, superb as it is.

[George K]

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

Yeah, I hear that. I seldom get praise for my cooking, superb as it is.

"Was the dinner OK?"

"It was...OK."