What’s cooking at your house?

First topic message reminder :

While watching the playoffs, I’ve been busy in the kitchen.

Made a huge pot of pasta e fagioli and there’s plenty left for lunches. Of course I omit the onion and don’t add celery as I just don’t like it, but a good sprinkling of smoked Spanish paprika is delicious. Serve it with some grated Parmesan and crusty bread and salad.

Second is banana and pecan bread. Pecans are a huge business in Arizona and just before Christmas is harvest time. I have a super lovely older lady patron who gives me a massive bag of freshly picked nuts as a Christmas present. They’re expensive so I’m grateful. I’ll probably make a pecan pie or pecan bars with the rest.

What have you got on the go?

Original Quill wrote:I just cooked some pasta, bacon and left-over asparagus, no sauce, what a delicious meal!

Since you mentioned pasta last night, this is your fault.

Italian sausage, broccoli and pesto.

Cass wrote:Some good pasta carbonara last night while watching the women’s ice skating and downhill.

that looks good. I love 'dry' pasta dishes. Can't bear them swamped in tomato sauce.

This is my fav dish for summer.  I made this one last year this is a photo I took of it.    Pea shoots. Walnuts. Figs. Avocado. Stuffed peppers. Roquefort. Smothered in lemon, honey and olive oil dressing with black sesame seeds and pepper.

stir fry for HF and veg with cheese on top .

Spuds done in the oven with a bit of oil.
Mixed med veg, and garlic and herb chicken....will take about 40 minutes from start to plate.

Not sure if anyone has tried the early raspberries that are now in the shops, they are sweet and gorgeous, the weather must have been good for them.

Shit and sugar. Best meal ever.

I made soufflé/Quiche for dinner

Cheese and diced salami

I like a nice cheese soufflé. Cheese is just good.
Cheese rocks.

Corn on the cob.

Raggamuffin wrote:Corn on the cob.

Same to you!

For Syl. Last night’s dinner. Ham, Swiss, spinach crustless quiche thingy.

poulet a l'estragon, on a bed of whole grain rice with green beans

Victorismyhero wrote:poulet a l'estragon, on a bed of whole grain rice with green beans

Mmmmm that’s a good one. The chicken and tarragon are a match made in heaven. Enjoy Vic x

veya_victaous wrote:I made soufflé/Quiche for dinner

Cheese and diced salami

Need the recipe for this please!

Stir fried glass noodles with chicken, green Thai chili, beansprouts, shredded carrots, egg in a sauce made with oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Marinated the chicken thighs in fish sauce and ground black pepper. No leftovers

Cass wrote:Stir fried glass noodles with chicken, green Thai chili, beansprouts, shredded carrots, egg in a sauce made with oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Marinated the chicken thighs in fish sauce and ground black pepper. No leftovers

Sounds ... fishy Sorry, not a fan of fish flavors.

Now, you add a little tongue-scorching spice to that and I'd probably be all over it, because I'm either a heat-loving thrill seeker or a damn fool.

>THE Ben Reilly< wrote:

Cass wrote:Stir fried glass noodles with chicken, green Thai chili, beansprouts, shredded carrots, egg in a sauce made with oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Marinated the chicken thighs in fish sauce and ground black pepper. No leftovers

Sounds ... fishy Sorry, not a fan of fish flavors.

Now, you add a little tongue-scorching spice to that and I'd probably be all over it, because I'm either a heat-loving thrill seeker or a damn fool.

I love fish but you don’t taste the fish sauce honestly. This one isn’t about the heat hence green chili. Now my drunken noodles will clear your sinuses. You damn fool x

Mmmmmm…..not being the worlds best cook (HUGE understatement) I love looking at other peoples home cooked meals.

I think the problem with me is I just dont enjoy cooking, and there has to be love added to make a meal a triumph.
I do cook for family and friends, I will make an effort to post a pic of something I have prepared one day.

It may just be salad though.


Just read through the full thread again, now my mouths watering.

Syl wrote:Mmmmmm…..not being the worlds best cook (HUGE understatement) I love looking at other peoples home cooked meals.

I think the problem with me is I just dont enjoy cooking, and there has to be love added to make a meal a triumph.
I do cook for family and friends, I will make an effort to post a pic of something I have prepared one day.

It may just be salad though.


Just read through the full thread again, now my mouths watering.

salads can be great though

Here’s tonight’s. Salmon on top of tomato salsa couscous and grilled zucchini and asparagus with chili. The Greek yoghurt on top was very nice.

My Wife is always watching the "Pioneer Women" onTV, some of the meals look great,but I never get any of them. Her whining voice grates on my nerves, no wonder her husband ,the Cowboy only comes in for his meals !

That salmon dish....imagine eating that sat in a little Greek taverna, cold glass of local wine, Bouzouki music playing in the background.....

Cass, coincidentally I had a salmon dish last night, I opened a tin of John West, cut up an onion, added vinegar, and brown bread and butter.

We could be culinary sisters.

I had a fucking Jam sandwich !

nicko wrote:I had a fucking Jam sandwich !

It's years since I had a jam sandwich.....sounds good.

It is good, when I first got Married couldn't afford anything else. Sunday tea was Jam on Crusty Bread, Wife had Lemon Curd on hers !

nicko wrote:It is good, when I first got Married couldn't afford anything else. Sunday tea was Jam on Crusty Bread, Wife had Lemon Curd on hers !

Lemon Curd was lovely, takes me back to childhood when we couldn't afford many sweets, we would have that, or jam, on a butty.

Pan fried sea bass with a lemon and dill sauce, on a bed of wholegrain rice with chinese stir fried veg

Cass wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:I made soufflé/Quiche for dinner

Cheese and diced salami

Need the recipe for this please!

I cook from my head but approximately, for 1 large serve or 2 entrees(starters in American ).

2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of cream
1 Tb spoon of self raising flour
Salt, pepper to taste
Spices... 1 or a combination of nutmeg, paprika and cumin work well.. depending on our 'extras'.. nutmeg will be more 'french', paprika and cumin for a more Mexican/Mediterranean flavour so match it the flavour of your extras

whisk/mix eggs and cream until fluffy (if you can be bothered separate the whites and beat them to stiff and fold in at the end)
Mix in flour, spices and milk (you can just double the cream and not use milk)

then fold in your 'extras'
in that one I used a pizza cheese blend and diced salami sticks.
but you can used a variety of stuff, pretty much anything that can go on a pizza works.. but you can go the swiss cheese flavour route too (good with nutmeg only)
I often use Mushrooms, spring onions and diced cold cuts, smoked meats etc

transfer to ramekins or any suitable bakeware, you can make it 'family size' but it tends to be less fluffy the larger you go  (longer cook time so more air escapes)

170C to 220C for 10 to 30 mins or until golden topped and risen, you can use the 'toothpick test' like a cake to make sure it's not too raw in the middle but it should still be 'wet', not dry/clean like with a cake.
also like cakes use the rule, smaller size higher temp and less time

veya_victaous wrote:

Cass wrote:

Need the recipe for this please!

I cook from my head but approximately, for 1 large serve or 2 entrees(starters in American ).

2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of cream
1 Tb spoon of self raising flour
Salt, pepper to taste
Spices... 1 or a combination of nutmeg, paprika and cumin work well.. depending on our 'extras'.. nutmeg will be more 'french', paprika and cumin for a more Mexican/Mediterranean flavour so match it the flavour of your extras

whisk/mix eggs and cream until fluffy (if you can be bothered separate the whites and beat them to stiff and fold in at the end)
Mix in flour, spices and milk (you can just double the cream and not use milk)

then fold in your 'extras'
in that one I used a pizza cheese blend and diced salami sticks.
but you can used a variety of stuff, pretty much anything that can go on a pizza works.. but you can go the swiss cheese flavour route too (good with nutmeg only)
I often use Mushrooms, spring onions and diced cold cuts, smoked meats etc

transfer to ramekins or any suitable bakeware, you can make it 'family size' but it tends to be less fluffy the larger you go  (longer cook time so more air escapes)

170C to 220C for 10 to 30 mins or until golden topped and risen, you can use the 'toothpick test' like a cake to make sure it's not too raw in the middle but it should still be 'wet', not dry/clean like with a cake.
also like cakes use the rule, smaller size higher temp and less time

Cheers hon x

nicko wrote:I had a fucking Jam sandwich !

Nicko -- I died! Seriously, I laughed so hard at this. I love what you bring to this place.

Last Night I had" Bubble and Squeak." for tea. Ask Eddie if she knows what that is ?

nicko wrote:Last Night I had" Bubble and Squeak." for tea. Ask Eddie if she knows what that is ?

Lovely...and a good way to use up leftovers.

nicko wrote:Last Night I had" Bubble and Squeak." for tea. Ask Eddie if she knows what that is ?

We have bubble and squeak the day after a roast dinner. I bake mine in the oven after mushing it all up in the food processor. Its lovely with sausages and beans!

Sesame pork and udon noodles with bok choy, spinach, broccoli and shredded carrots. Mr. C just wolfed down 2 bowls so there goes my lunch tomorrow

A Jamie Oliver recipe. Prawns and Beans and loads of veg. Soooo tasty and filling. White beans seem to be the in thing lately.

I love beans. Of any kind.

Syl wrote:

nicko wrote:Last Night I had" Bubble and Squeak." for tea. Ask Eddie if she knows what that is ?

Lovely...and a good way to use up leftovers.

Good God I wouldn’t eat bubble and squeak. I hate most fried food except eggs.

eddie wrote:I love beans. Of any kind.

You could totally leave out the prawns and use tofu. The beans were slightly mushy and delicious. The just took in the flavor of the chilli, garlic and herbs so well

Sichuan Sesame Chicken Noodles. Bloody delicious.

Chicken chow mein with noodles cooked 3 times with oak choy, ginger and shredded carrot. Sauce made with oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, grated garlic and white pepper. Fresh egg noodles cooked in boiling water for 20 seconds, dunked in ice water then dried on tray in fridge for 30 minutes. Heat oil in nonstick frying pan and fry dried noodles in batches until golden and just turning crispy. Heat oil in wok add ginger and cook for 30 minutes then add chicken. When chicken almost done add vegetables (shredded carrot, chopped pak choy and baby spinach. Add noodles and sauce and toss through. Take off heat and mix in sesame oil. When played drizzle a bit of chili oil on top.

I just have Beans on Toast !

nicko wrote:I just have Beans on Toast !

I do too sometimes. I can get proper Heinz beans here

Nothing better than Heinz Beans, even cold !

nicko wrote:Nothing better than Heinz Beans, even cold !

Absolutely!

We went to one of the famous TV chefs restaurants a while back, OH ordered Black pudding with beans as a starter...obviously it had a fancier name than that, the beans were definitely Heinz, same taste, colour, texture, the only difference was the price of them.

Cold baked bean sandwiches, difficult to eat but worth it.

Syl wrote:We went to one of the famous TV chefs restaurants a while back, OH ordered Black pudding with beans as a starter...obviously it had a fancier name than that, the beans were definitely Heinz, same taste, colour, texture, the only difference was the price of them.

Crispy pork belly in a Thai basil and chili stir fry sauce. Cleared the sinuses! But yummy.

Vodka wok fried shrimp tacos with spinach, carrot and avocado and coriander marinated in lime juice and a lime sriracha sauce. Yummo

Cass, you should write a cook book and fill it with all your gorgeous pics..
Even I would buy it. just to look at the meals you prepare.

Now the weather is improved (cos this meal is best served outside in the sun) I have taken to preparing tapas.....so little effort on my part but it looks so colourful on the plate.

Syl wrote:Cass, you should write a cook book and fill it with all your gorgeous pics..
Even I would buy it. just to look at the  meals you prepare.

Now the weather is improved (cos this meal is best served outside in the sun) I have taken to preparing tapas.....so little effort on my part but it looks so colourful on the plate.

These prawns would be an excellent cold tapas. Marinade 1/2 tbsp cumin, zest and juice from 1 lime, pinch of sugar, 3 smooshed garlic cloves with some coriander root/stems and a bit of chopped coriander. Leave for 15 minutes.

Heat wok with 1 tbsp oil, throw in prawns and marinade. When Prawns almost cook pour in 4 tbsp of tequila or vodka and flame it up! Once flames are gone serve hot or cold.

Thank you. I’m thinking about it with a fellow librarian who is half Chinese and lived there for many years as well as Korea. Would be fun!