The Cookbook

[Mik]

Apparently you can do the same brining to baked sweet potatoes. Going to try that too.

Edit: Very good.

[Mik]

Made this tonight. Delicious with crusty rolls for the sauce. Strawberries in balsamic vinegar for a very healthy dessert.

https://www.dorothylane.com/recipes/BraisedChickenThighsWithShallotsWine

[George K]

@mik looks good! What sides did you make with it?

[Mik]

Just crusty rolls. Two apiece, to mop up the sauce. I made five thighs and adjusted accordingly. Also used some fresh basil, thyme and oregano from my indoor herb garden. I might add a bit more wine next time or maybe some chicken stock to make a little more gravy.

I loved it. Easy, delicious, and pretty healthy.

[Mik]

And here's the recipe for the strawberries. I do recommend getting a high quality balsamic. You can usually get that at the olive oil specialty stores.

https://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/strawberries-balsamic-vinegar/

[George K]

Tonight's dinner: Braised Beef

Ingredients:

Show Nutrition
INGREDIENTS

1 medium fennel bulb
1 medium yellow onion
3 large carrots
4 cloves garlic
1 pound cremini mushrooms
5 pounds boneless chuck roast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 to 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
3 large sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Directions:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Trim and halve 1 medium fennel bulb lengthwise and cut into small dice (about 1 1/2 cups). Cut 1 medium yellow onion into small dice (about 2 cups). Peel 3 large carrots and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 2 cups). Finely chop 4 garlic cloves. Trim and quarter 1 pound cremini mushrooms.

Trim any large pieces of fat from 5 pounds boneless chuck roast and cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and toss with your hands until all the pieces are coated on all sides.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or ovensafe heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the beef and sear until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate or rimmed baking pan.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add the fennel, onion, and carrots and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook until darkened in color and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in 2 1/2 cups dry red wine and 1 cup of the low-sodium beef broth, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine.

Return the beef to the pot in a single layer, nestling the meat into the liquid and vegetables, and add any accumulated juices on the plate. The beef should sit just above the liquid line and not be fully immersed in the liquid. If there isn't enough liquid, add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth as needed.

Nestle 3 large fresh thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves between pieces of meat. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is gently falling apart when pricked with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
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Came out pretty good, but not appreciably different from an excellent beef stew.

I'd never used fennel in a recipe, and though the diced fennel smelled wonderful, I'm not sure I couldn't have substituted something else, like celery.

For the last hour of cooking, I threw in some baby red potatoes, so as to make a "one pot dinner." They came out OK.

My roast was about 2 lb, and I froze the leftovers for a meal next month.

[George K]

Tonight's dinner: Air Fryer Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds boneless pork chops
1 six ounce box Stove Top Stuffing Mix, any flavor will work (I know, I know....)
1 1/2 cups water
4 TBSP butter
1 TBSP oil
1/2 salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder or granules
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400°

meanwhile, make the stuffing according to the box directions using the water and butter listed above

while the water comes to a boil slice a deep pocket in the pork chops to hold the stuffing

then rub them with oil

Sprinkle the chops with salt, garlic, and black pepper, rub in

When the water boils put the stuffing together

Divide the stuffing between the chops

Stuff each chop and set in the air fryer

Air fry at 380° for 8-10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat (not the stuffing) read 145°

Allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving, the temperature should come up to 155-160° after resting

Came out OK...

[Mik]

I made this Raw Asparagus Salad last night. Utterly delicious with grilled wahoo. Even better for lunch today.

It's from Six Seasons by Josh McFadden. My daughter got me a signed copy for Christmas. Great reference for cooking seasonal, mostly vegetable dishes.

https://www.wpr.org/recipe-raw-asparagus-salad-breadcrumbs-walnuts-and-mint

[George K]

Last night's dinner:

Ravioli Lasagna

Servings: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound bulk mild or hot Italian sausage
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 cup water
1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli (such as Buitoni)
8 ounces whole milk mozzarella, shredded and divided (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450°F with oven rack 8 inches from heat. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add sausage, and cook, stirring to crumble, until browned and no longer pink, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add marinara sauce and 1 cup water; cook until mixture boils, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet to release any browned bits.

Add ravioli, and cook, stirring often and gently, until sauce is thickened and ravioli is just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Transfer half of ravioli mixture to a medium bowl. Sprinkle ravioli mixture in skillet evenly with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Top evenly with remaining half of ravioli mixture; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven until mozzarella is melted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve immediately.

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I used a 50/50 mixture of mild italian sausage and ground beef.

Here's what it looked like before going into the oven, before adding the cheese.

Finished product:

[George K]

Yesterday's Lunch - Texas Chili

1 lbs Ground Beef or substitute ground turkey, or ground chicken
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
1/2 large White Onion Diced
28 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
1 tbsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Maza Harina

Set your instant pot to sauté mode. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Once your oil is hot, add your bell peppers, and onion. Sauté well to release the flavors until softened. About two minutes

Add your ground meat to the Instant pot. Brown.

Add all of your seasonings except for the Maza Harina. Mix well.

Put the lid on your Instant Pot by twisting the lid and closing the valve by pushing it away from you. Set It to the pressure for 1 minute.

It will take about 10 to 15 minutes to build to pressure. Once it is done cooking, allow it to manually release for 15 minutes.

After the 15 minutes, naturally release by using a hot pad or towel to pull the valve toward you. Do not do a manual release before this 15 minutes.

Once all of the pressure has been released, twist open the Instant pot lid and remove. Add 1tablespoon of the Maza Harina if so desired to thicken your chili. Continue to add 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.

Serve this chili in a bowl as is or topped with sour cream, green onions and shredded cheese.

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Note: the directions didn't say to add the diced tomatoes, LOL. I assume they go in before the cooking in the IP.

I let pressure release go longer than 15 minutes, just because I forgot about it.

I had a 50/50 mix of ground beef and mild Italian sausage that I used. Seemed fine.

It needed a bit more "herb-ey" stuff, so I threw in some oregano and Italian seasoning while it was thickening. Helped a lot.

3 ½ stars.

[Mik]

Tonight’s dinner. Delicious, served it over microwave jasmine rice.

https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/fig-balsamic-glazed-chicken-thighs/

[Aqua Letifer]

Feta cheese, black beans, fajitas. On a tortilla.

Easy, fast, cheap, good for you, delicious.

[Mik]

No boring chicken breasts!

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_cilantro_lime_chicken/

This is marinating in the fridge now. Will serve with avocado slices and a citrus tossed salad.

Palomas or Margaritas to drink on the deck. It'll be 80F at dinner time.

[Mik]

The chicken was delicious. Highly recommend.

But tonight I have some duck confit and lardons that I need to use up, so I'm making a Cassoulet.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/234677/how-to-make-cassoulet/

[Aqua Letifer]

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

The chicken was delicious. Highly recommend.

But tonight I have some duck confit and lardons that I need to use up, so I'm making a Cassoulet.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/234677/how-to-make-cassoulet/

Holy crap that looks awesome. Did the chicken dry out any?

[George K]

I had some strip steaks from Costco.

I thawed one, seasoned it with salt, pepper, and Paul Prudhomme's Cajun seasoning. Drizzled with olive oil and into the sous-vide at 135 degrees.

Out of the sous vide, and into a cast iron skillet with canola oil and butter. Baste with the oil and butter.

Sear and flip...

After flipping - sprinkle blue cheese crumbles onto the top of the steak while the underside sears. Baste with the oil and butter again.

Yum.

(oh baked potato in the air fryer with butter and green onion, steamed green beans in the Instant Pot.)

[Mik]

@Aqua-Letifer said in The Cookbook:

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

The chicken was delicious. Highly recommend.

But tonight I have some duck confit and lardons that I need to use up, so I'm making a Cassoulet.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/234677/how-to-make-cassoulet/

Holy crap that looks awesome. Did the chicken dry out any?

Not at all. The marinade also served as a brine.

[Catseye3]

I have learned of a thing called duck fries. They are fries cooked in duck fat. They're supposed to be abfab, up there in the food porn category.

Have you tried these? Are they all that?

[Mik]

They're good - nice and crispy. If I cut up potatoes to roast, I use duck fat to coat them first.

[George K]

Tonight's dinner: Stew

Subtitle, "Never make this again."

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon oil
1 pound stew meat cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup dry red wine or beef stock
3 cups beef stock low sodium, see note*
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon horseradish
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups baby potatoes or potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups carrots cut into 1 inch chunks
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 fresh sprigs
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

Turn the Instant Pot to Saute and allow to heat up. Once Instant Pot is heated, add in oil.

Season beef on all sides liberally with salt and pepper.

Add seasoned beef and chopped onion to pressure cooker and let cook on all sides until beef is browned on all sides. Once meat is nearly fully browned, adds in the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute longer, being careful to not burn the garlic.

Add in red wine and scrape up any browned bits of liquid on bottom of pressure cooker. Turn the Instant Pot off.

Add in beef stock,potatoes, carrots, crushed tomatoes, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaf, fresh thyme, and a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate sauce.

Place lid on instant pot and be sure vent knob is closed to seal in pressure.

Set to manual pressure for 30 minutes. To do this, hit pressure cook or manual and adjust cook time using +/- buttons. If you have the Ultra model, hit ultra and then adjust to high pressure and then set cook time to 30 minutes.

Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure cooker to release pressure naturally or for AT LEAST 15 minutes.

Once pressure has been released, open up pressure cooker, remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Hit cancel on pressure cooker (to turn off keep warm function) and turn back to saute.

Notes:

In place of crushed tomatoes, you can use tomato sauce.

To keep this Instant Pot Beef Stew gluten-free, use gluten-free Worcestershire Sauce.

For a thicker stew, use 3 cups beef stock. For a thinner beef stew, use 4 cups of beef stock. You can also use 2 tablespoons or cornstarch in place of the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for a really thick stew.

You can purchase pre-cut stew meat from your grocer, or cut up a chuck roast or top-round yourself into 1 inch cubes.

A dry red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet is best. Of course, if you do not drink alcohol, feel free to use additional beef stock in place of wine.

Be sure to use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce. (The ingredients are just grated horseradish, salt, and sometimes vinegar.)

Use whole bite sized new potatoes, quartered red or new potatoes, or 2 inch cubed, peeled russet potatoes

I add my potatoes and carrots later in pot roast, but for this recipe, I don't have issues with the carrots and potatoes getting mushy. If you want firmer potatoes and carrots, add all the ingredients BUT carrots and potatoes and cook for 20 minutes and let pressure release naturally. Then add the potatoes and carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

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Way, WAY too tomato-ey. Not what you expect for a "beef stew." I should have seen this when I looked at the ingredients.

I used masa to thicken, and I don't think it really changed the flavor too much. At least it didn't make it worse, which would have been damn near impossible.

1 out of 5 stars.

Blecch.