Recipes and Food

[Frank S]

Cinnamon Potato curry with meat
You guys have got to try this
OK you may have to make do with a lessor machine than I have but even a low watt slow cooker can do this it will just take a while.
Most slow cookers in the 2 to 4 qt or liter range have only about 200 to 300 watts.
I have a 900 watt 3 liter rice cooker that I installed a thermo couple switch so I could adjust the temp all the way down to the same low settings as a 200 watt slow cooker
Getting to the meal
I call it my cinnamon potato curry& mixed veggies with meat.
Start out with 3 cups of potatoes wash and scrub the skins with a scotch-brite pad never peal potatoes.
then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes you should now have about 2 cups of cubed potatoes.
next cut up 1 very large bell pepper any color or cut up 3 smaller ones of yellow, red & green to add color to the meal
crush half a medium sized fresh garlic bulb about 10 cloves
1 can of mixed veggies or cut up fresh if you have them
2 TBLs of cinnamon
1 TBLs of crushed oregano
1 TBLs of crushed sweet basil
1 TBLs of Marjoram
1TBLs Tumerac
1TBLS ground mustard seed
2TBLs curry powder
1TBLs black pepper
1 tsp salt
2TBLs chopped chives
2 to 3 qts of water
1/4 cup olive oil
1TBLs Worcestershire
1 pound of meat of your choice I used course ground round seasoned with 2 TBLs of my Spice hot sauce and refrigerated overnight
place everything except the meat in your cooker on high for a few hours or in my case 1 hour at raging boil with a 30 pound weight to hold the lid down works like a pressure cooker I even have a steam basket attachment for mine.
after an hour I lowered the heat to low boil hard simmer
while I browned the meat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet made by Lodge forge
then after draining the meat this went into the the mix and simmered for 20 minutes

THE TASTE? well if you have ever eaten Indian curry potatoes imagine this with a bite of cinnamon & the taste of a mild 2 alarm TEXAS Red chili. you will have to force yourself and family to stop eating.
Enjoy happy eating

[Frank S]

FRANKS Pinto beans
2 cups pinto beans
1 LB bacon or Cubed Ham or if you happen to be where   the people are too stupid to have pork , you can use veal breakfast strips
2 TBL spoon Olive oil
1 bell pepper
4 large cloves of garlic
1 TBL spoon crushed Oregano
1 TBL spoon Basil
1 tea spoon Turmeric
1 TBL spoon cinnamon
2 TBL spoon Lemon juice
½ tea spoon salt
1tea spoon baking soda
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 gal water
Use half the water to soak the beans for several hours then drain.
 Place beans in slow cook pot pour in water and all ingredients heat till light boil reduce heat cover & let cook 18 hours stir as required every hour or so after first 9 hours.
 1 hour before meal time increase heat to boil. While making cornbread
Frank's semi sweet raised cornbread
1 1/3 cup corn meal sifted
1 cup flour sifted
1 8oz can cream style corn
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
½ tea spoon baking soda
½ tea spoon baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
3 TBL spoons sugar
½ tea spoon salt
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
 Preheat oven to 450
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl
 Beat eggs to a light froth add to mix add milk corn & shortening mix well with electric mixer for 2 minutes
Pour half into 9 inch Pyrex baking dish sprinkle on cheese cover with remaining batter
Bake until golden brown, if done correctly cornbread should rise to double height
Variations: add finely chopped jalapeno peppers chopped onions or use cheddar cheese
 Remove from oven let stand a few minutes crumble slices of cornbread in bowl add beans, enjoy your meal
 For a  tasty substitution use giant butter beans

[Frank S]

Not one of mine but good none the less
Rice Crispy Recipes (Peanut butter crispy treats)
1 Cup light Kayro corn syrup
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup smooth peanut butter
6 Cups rice crispy cereal
Mix the corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter in a container that can be microwave or heated on the stove. Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves stirring a lot. Remove from heat and stir Rice Krispies in right away. Spread into a greased pan, and chill until firm. Cut and eat
 Variations:
1 Peanut butter crispy treats
1 Cup light Kayro corn syrup
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup real butter
½ cup Honey
½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
7 Cups rice crispy cereal
 Mix the corn syrup, sugar, butter, Honey, and peanut butter in a container that can be microwave or heated on the stove. Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves stirring a lot. Remove from heat and stir Rice Krispies,& chopped nuts in right away. Spread into a greased pan, and chill until firm. Cut and eat can be coated with confectioners sugar

[Frank S]

Frank's Chicken fried steak
Ingredients
•   1 cup vegetable oil
•   1 pound round steak, cut into 4 (4-ounce) pieces
•   Salt
•   Freshly ground black pepper
•   1 egg, beaten
•   3 cups plus 3 tablespoons milk
•   1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•   1TBLs Cinnamon,
•   1tsp Turmeric,
•   1tsp Basil,
•   1TBLs Mustard,
•   1tsp Thyme,
•   Â½ bulb crushed garlic,
•   1TBLs oregano,
•   1tsp paprika
•   
Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy 9-inch cast iron skillet, to 360 degrees F. Using a meat mallet, pound out the meat. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Combine the egg with 3 tablespoons of the milk.
 Put 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a shallow pan and season with
1TBLs Cinnamon,
1tsp Turmeric,
1tsp Basil,
1TBLs Mustard,
1tsp Thyme,
½ bulb crushed garlic,
1TBLs oregano,
1tsp paprika
 salt and pepper.
Mix the dry ingredients well
 Dredge the steaks in the flour, coating each piece evenly and tapping off any excess. Drip the steak in the egg wash, coating it completely and letting the excess drip off. Dredge again in the flour, shaking off any excess. Fry the steaks in the hot oil, until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Carefully pour off the oil, leaving behind about 1/4 cup of the oil along with the brown bits. Over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the left over flour & seasoning mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 3 cups milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking constantly. The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it is too thick, add a little water to thin it. Serve the fried steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans
Remember good food is all about the seasoning

[Frank S]

Frank's Cornmeal pancakes
Ingredients:
•   1/3 cup cornmeal
•   1 1/2 cups cold water
•   1 1/4 cups buttermilk
•   2 cups sifted all purpose flour
•   1/3 cup light brown sugar
•   1 teaspoon salt
•   1 teaspoon baking powder
•   3/4 teaspoon baking soda
•   1TBLs cinnamon
•   2 eggs,  well beaten
•   2 tablespoons soft butter
Preparation:
Put cornmeal and cold water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and continue to boil gently for 5 minutes. Turn into bowl; stir buttermilk into cornmeal mixture. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to cornmeal mixture. Stir in beaten eggs and butter. Cook pancakes on lightly greased griddle.
Makes about 24 pancakes.

[Frank S]

Maple Walnut Pralines
Makes: about 24 pralines
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 26 minutes
Cool: 30 minutes
Stand: 30 minutes
 
 
Ingredients
•   2  cups packed brown sugar
•   1  cup light cream or half-and-half
•   2  tablespoons butter
•   1  cup coarsely chopped walnuts
•   1  teaspoon maple flavoring
Directions
1. Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In the saucepan combine brown sugar and cream. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar. This should take 6 to 8 minutes. Avoid splashing mixture on sides of pan. Carefully clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 234 degree F, soft-ball stage. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. Reaching soft-ball stage should take 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add the 2 tablespoons butter, but do not stir. Cool, without stirring, to 150 degree F. This should take about 30 minutes. Remove candy thermometer from pan. Immediately stir in nuts and maple flavoring. Beat vigorously with the wooden spoon until candy is just beginning to thicken, but is still glossy. This should take 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Quickly drop the candy from a teaspoon onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. If the candy becomes too stiff to drop easily from the spoon, stir in a few drops of hot water. Store tightly covered. Makes about 24 pralines.
Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 3 days ahead, prepare pralines. Store at room temperature in a tightly covered container

[Frank S]

Have you ever boiled eggs only to find that the shells were difficult to separate from the egg?
 Try this place 12 room temp eggs in a sauce pan cover with tap water stir in 1 tsp backing soda boil for 10 minutes drain rinse with cool water allow eggs to stand in cool water or refrigerate until cool the shells will peel away freely.
 For 6 eggs use 1/2 tsp backing soda. 

[JW]

Things have been going pretty good, I went to the Grocery and got a pretty good deal on this stuff.


I will follow up with more pictures when Im cooking this stuff.

In the meantime I have decided to share with you, my ultra top secret new computer core that I have developed without my wife noticing :0 



JW

[Frank S]

Frank's Egg toast
 Some call this French toast
4 eggs
 4 to 6 slices of bread
1TBL spoon Fine ground oregano
1tsp crushed Basil
1tsp maragram
1TBL spoon Cinnamon
1TBL spoon olive oil
1TBL spoon black pepper
1TBL spoon Real Lemon juice
1/2tsp salt
¼ cup milk
¼ cup crushed walnuts
 Â½ cup confectioners' sugar
 Butter or margarine


Crack 4 eggs in a bowl add in all ingredients except for the walnuts, sugar & butter. Whip with a Wisk for 2 to 3 minutes or use an electric mixer for half the time 
Heat cast iron skillet or flat plate
 Drench bread in egg mix fry until golden
Lightly butter sprinkle with powdered sugar and walnuts. Enjoy.

[bob g]

i am not a professional chef, however i can produce a thanksgiving spread, all the courses, all on time, everything hot that is supposed to be hot and everything cold that needs to be cold, i have many years of practice...

having said that i want to pass along an experiment that worked out so damn good i can't believe it.

i am not a squash lover, however my mom who is too old to garden loves the stuff and asked me to grow her some,  which i did and of course she eats like a bird and i have about a half dozen pattypan squash every couple days coming off the plant... so i cooked some up and found it to be a bit better than tolerable, but nothing to write home about.. so clearly it needs some work...

here is the recipe for a killer squash/carrot dish

peel as many carrots as you need to provide a portion of each person
quarter them lengthwise about 3 inches long, french fry looking.

do the same with a patty pan squash, using just the outer layer of the vegetable.

put all in a sauce pan large enough to just cover with water, and start to heat on high...

add the following

about a 1/4 cup bacardi spiced rum
a quarter stick of real butter
2table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
a dash of powdered galic, or finely chopped fresh garlic, just a clove or two.
a little salt and pepper

bring it all to a fast boil and reduce to a slow boil, cook uncovered for about 10min or until the carrots are just tender, but still with some texture, not mushy.

drain and serve!

incredible flavor, and texture, you can detect a strong hint of sweet potato over the carrot and squash... everyone will want more!

i find i now am a squash lover and will be replanting more for the freezer next year!

bob g

[Frank S]

Franks HOT sauce
I have been making this hot sauce for over 40 years  because no one I have found makes one with anywhere near the taste & heat at the same time.
½ cup Habanero peppers
½ cup jalapeno peppers
½ cup red chili peppers
½ cup bird peppers
1TBL ground cumin
1TBL ground marjoram
1TBL ground thyme
1TBL chili powder
2TBL crushed red pepper
1TBL ground mustard seed
1TBL crushed sweet basil
1TBL Turmeric
1TBL curry
1TBL cinnamon
 2TBL crushed oregano
½ whole garlic bulb crushed
½ small red onion
1 bottle tobacco peppers with juice
1 bottle original tobacco sauce
1 large bottle Louisiana hot sauce
1 12 oz bottle Thi hot sauce
Blend everything in a very strong blender for 10 minutes
I use 2 to 3 TBL  spoons on every pound of ground beef for hamburgers or tacos or just about anything that I use ground meat for
 I make a 1&1/2 qt batch almost every month because I use it as a dip for chips and just about everything I eat. It is as hot as the famous Dave's insanity sauce but has taste as well. When I can get the Dave's insanity sauce I use that as a substitute for the Louisiana hot sauce. (TBL means table spoon)

[thirteen]

All of you guys with all of the ingrediants used to make a sauce can you taste anything else but the sauce?

[Frank S]

All of you guys with all of the ingrediants used to make a sauce can you taste anything else but the sauce?

 I guess that I have eaten so much hot sauce over the years that I hardly notice the heat in it unless it is absent.
I can't stand to eat anything raw or under cooked. except I will eat bananas raw and jalapeno peppers. everything and I mean everything else has to be completely cooked or I'm not eating it. But then again I'm not much of a vegetable eater 

[JW]

Hi All, been meaning to post these pictures since last week-
http://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,144905.msg1011870.html#msg1011870


Frying the shrimp


shrimp in the basket


Bay Scallops in the basket

From last night

Chicken Roma,


JW

[JW]

Ok so tonight I made some potato skins..
Cheddar and bacon & Mozzarella and seafood



There both great with sour cream  YUMMM!!!


JW

[JW]

I got these steaks for around 9 bucks for them all, they are beef chuck eye. These are about an inch and a quarter thick. I like this cut of meat. We'll probably have some tater tots with them.




Will throw then on the gas grill here shortly'

JW

[Frank S]

I got these steaks for around 9 bucks for them all, they are beef chuck eye. These are about an inch and a quarter thick. I like this cut of meat. We'll probably have some tater tots with them.

(Attachment Link)


Will throw then on the gas grill here shortly'

JW

Good marbling I like to take cuts like that and baste a couple of spoonfuls of my hot sauce on them then 2 fork tenderize the hot sauce right into the meat flip and do the other side then bag them and allow them to stay in the fridge for a couple of days then grill over the hottest bed of Pecan coals I can create for a quick sear

[JW]

I also like the "london broil shoulder cut" and marinade it with Zesty Italian salad dressing in the fridge over night.

It really turns out good on the grill

JW

[JW]

Ok picture update for the steaks-









Been using the gas grill lately, I kinda miss my charcoal grill, but its just so much more work and time.


JW

[JW]

Well its my grandsons 2nd B-day on sunday. Were going to have a pot luck. As usual I was drafted to make my Thai chicken sticks.  So I lost my recipe and it was not in the cook book. Luckily I have the recipe archived here.

https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,144905.msg986159.html#msg986159


Oh YA dont forget the fish sauce its got to be good. Just bought some today, without this I cant cook them.



4 packages boneless skinless thighs
Three bundles of cilantro
8 cloves garlic
2 1/4 teaspoons ground white pepper
3 teaspoons fish sauce
1 pack con saffron
 sugar   

[Frank S]

 My wife and I are a couple who love tilapia. For one it is a cheap white fish no strong odor although a little bland in the taste department.
 The way I prepare it is I make a rub out of black pepper, powdered garlic, tumerac, lemon zest, and ground sweet basil. I rub generous amounts to both sides of the filet then wrap them together in foil and bake in my nuwave oven for 21 minutes For a variant I sometimes add a schoch of ground habanero
 Delicious.   

[SparWeb]

I like finding micro-brew beers from local breweries.
This one is really weird.
The label just shouted out at me - I think you'll understand why.



I peeled off the label and unrolled it so you can see the whole thing:

[Bruce S]

As some may know , I'm a bit of a chillihead . 

We grow our own Serranos , Anaheims, Jalpenos, Scotch bonnets, etc



Here's last year's harvest of Serrano's


I also get "gifts" of pepper flavored salts.

These we use in rubs



So these can come off the grill 

[jenkinswt]

Bruce, we grow a big garden every year and have grown a lot of different peppers but I haven't really made any good sauces, etc. yet. I did make a hot sauce one year but I was the only one that could stand it in the family. I also dehydrated jalopenos & serranos to sprinkle on food but I like them alot better fresh. We've already got seeds started inside for jalopenos & bell. I was going to skip anything hotter this year.

What all do you make with the peppers you grow?

[MagnetJuice]

I love fresh homegrown crunchy peppers. I have tried to grow them here, but the temperatures in the summer don't get hot enough in this part of the country. I get beautiful plants and flowers, but only tiny green peppers that don't ripe. I live just above Washington State.

When it comes to rub or seasoning, I mix my own. I buy the dry herbs all organic, then slightly mix them in my little Bullet blender.

I add LOTS of basil, (I love basil) Italian, oregano, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, hot pepper flakes and some sea salt. I use it on everything. I keep the ground hot pepper and chili powder separate to add to my fish and steaks.

Here is the label that I put on my seasoning container;


It is made by a poor guy, but it is fit for a King. 

[JW]

Here are some Serrano peppers I grew. I let the peppers set and turn red and was able to grow them from the old peppers.

[JW]

I was able to update the recipe, and it turned out great

There wasn't much left

 

[Bruce S]

Bruce, we grow a big garden every year and have grown a lot of different peppers but I haven't really made any good sauces, etc. yet. I did make a hot sauce one year but I was the only one that could stand it in the family. I also dehydrated jalopenos & serranos to sprinkle on food but I like them alot better fresh. We've already got seeds started inside for jalopenos & bell. I was going to skip anything hotter this year.

What all do you make with the peppers you grow?

We use the Serrano's and Jalapenos, as a seasoning , instead of just plain salt.
We also can them along with making jellies.
Generally we'll solar dry ones that are left over from giving some away them and run them thru a coffee grinder, Not the new high speed ones but a hand grinder so we can get it down to power, (I can put up a pic if you'd like to see the grinder) Those then become additions to marinades.

The New Mexico's ( Anaheim's) we use for stuffing, kinda like other do Bell peppers.

We also use the hotter (Brazilian star) as rubs for joints.   

Hope that helps

Bruce S

[Bruce S]

MagnetJuice;
We do love our Basil! We even grow it during the winter.
My Nemesis is the Spicy Thai Basil , for whatever reason we cannot keep it growing during the winter.
No problem keeping the sweet basil going, if the plants get too tall; I top them and bring the cuttings into work.

JW
We also grow ours in a pot so we can bring it inside to over-winter. Since they don't need bees to pollinate we get extras during the deep winter. 
I've found that if I pick the Serrano's when they just turn red on the tops they'll finish turning.
Also they seem to flower more times if I keep the peppers picked.

I recently came across a pepper I had not heard of before "Fish-Pepper" . Being somewhat the curious type, I ordered some from rareseeds[dot]com and will give them a try. I went thru 4 seeds before I treated them correctly , I now have two nice healthy plants.

The back story on them is pretty neat too.
Cheers
Bruce S

[Mary B]

Rare Seeds is a great source for heirloom seeds and plants! My go to source! www.rareseeds.com is the URL

[Bruce S]

Mary B
mine too! A little bit expensive, but if I can't find something anywhere else , they will.
There are U-tube bloggers who sell "rare" seeds , but they always seem to have a carzy shipping expense.

These people I trust .

Cheers
Bruce S

[Mary B]

I get good germination results with Rare Seeds... have had so so results with trades... I save some seeds year to year but stuff like carrots, lettuce are easier to just buy fresh. I plant 3 rows of lettuce every year, a mini romaine that is very tasty and just right for an individual salad https://www.rareseeds.com/little-gem-lettuce/ Buttercrunch for a friend and myself https://www.rareseeds.com/buttercrunch-lettuce/ Rocky Top mix loose leaf lettuce for some red lettuces(healthy!) https://www.rareseeds.com/rocky-top-lettuce-mix-salad-blend/ and this year I may add a 4th row to try this one Tennis Ball Lettuce https://www.rareseeds.com/tennis-ball-lettuce/

I sell some lettuce to the town people every summer since I produce way more than I can possibly eat!

[Bruce S]

I know the "COLD" is relative to where you live and what you're used to.

So, when the temp dipped below 20F and the winds kicked up to 50mph+

To us , even the fur lined dog,,, it was cold.

This made it a perfect time to cook up some of the peppers, tomatoes and onions grown from last year's crop

The onions were our first time trying then from seed, lot of work but well worth it, the peppers where both California wonders and Anaheim , the tomatoes where our good ole standby of Beefsteaks.



This is the start of the items for what we've always called "Goulash" .

I was almost disappointed with the Anahiem's until I tasted the seeds .

We usually cube and freeze the peppers, they stay "pretty" and semi-crisp even once thawed.
Onions kept in the basement stay good pretty much all the time. We keep our under the steps away from sunlight .

The onions are "LOUD" and will let everyone know they're there, until they start getting cooked down. I don't caramelize them just slow cook until soft.
Equal parts Green peppers to Anaheims, tomatoes go in last since they're mushy once thawed.
Everything cooks Low_Slow until thoroughly heated. Sometimes we'll add precooked hamburger , sometimes precooked ground pork. I tried ground chicken , that's a no-go  .

Depending on the amount of liquid coming off veggies/fruit/meat, we'll add store bough tomato juice (cause every-time  I make some, it gets mixed into Bloody Mary's  ).

Spices are kept to a minimum little bit of sage infused salt & cracked black pepper, celery seeds .
The rest is left up the individual's own tastes.

Served plain or over seaming hot bowl of macaroni and yer all set..

Cheers
Bruce S