Food is good for the soul-Recipes to share

[zmurko 7,622]

I cooked a 4-course meal for my brother's birthday today. No photos yet, as he was taking them, might be able to make a post once he sends them over.

First was an apetizer in a form of a one bite assembly of some delicious ingredients on a stick like roasted cherry tomatoes, proscuitto, basil, mozzarella, pesto Genovese, balsamic vinegar.

Then we had homemade ravioli filled with mashed potatoes, parmesan cheese, prosciutto and herbs, just rolled in some butter and herbs and more parmesan cheese

main course was beef cooked for 12h in delicious red wine and some roasted polenta as a side dish.

With rocket salad with cherry tomatoes and mozarella dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

His wife made chocolate cake with strawberries for dessert.

Hopefully I translated all the ingredients well enough.

It was yummy, as Borat would say: Great success!

 

[adsyfindlay 412]

Made this today

sort of similar to a rogan josh

Delhi style lamb cooked with potatoes

2 onions

1 green (can be red) chilli

5 cloves of garlic

1 leg of lamb shoulder or leg

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander seeds

half tsp ground turmeric

quarter tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

about 5-7 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1.5 pints water

150g spinach

1. Heat oil in a large pan
2. chop the onions, garlic and chilli and place into the preheated pan
3. Cut the lamb into 1 inch cubes
4. fry whilst stirring for about 5 minutes then add the meat and stir vigorously for about 5 minutes
5. Now add the tomatoes and the spices cook for about 15 minutes
6. then add the potatoes and the water and leave to cook on a low heat for as long as possible (mine was on the slow cooker all day)
7. half an hour before serving add and mix in the spinach and start the rice 
8. Once it is all done it should look something like this

Edited May 14, 2016 by adsyfindlay

[TECHFL227 422]

I'm loving all the recipes. I am putting them in a word document so I can find them easily to try

[TECHFL227 422]

Have these in some sauce over spaghetti

 

[Xyon14 2,312]

I am suspecting that here is where I don't leave my Oreo Truffle recipe....

[Beez 5,091]

39 minutes ago, Xyon14 said:

I am suspecting that here is where I don't leave my Oreo Truffle recipe....

don't you dare! 

[Xyon14 2,312]

38 minutes ago, Beez said:

don't you dare! 

It does use Philly light

So it could be kinda healthy

 

[Beez 5,091]

I mean, don't you dare NOT post it. I love Oreos!

[TECHFL227 422]

3 hours ago, Xyon14 said:

I am suspecting that here is where I don't leave my Oreo Truffle recipe....

Please do, we like dessert. I just try to cook healthy at least 80% of the time

[Xyon14 2,312]

Oreo Truffles

200g Oreos (19 cookies)

100g of cream cheese (1/2 cup)

200g Baking chocolate, White or milk (I used half of each)

100g of coconut (100g / optional)

Take all the oreos out of the packet and put them in a Ziplock bag. Grab your rolling pin and give them a good bashing, until the are crumbs. Alternately you could put them in your food processor.

Mix with the Cream cheese. I do mine in the food processor, as its less mess to clean.

Once its all blended roll little bite size balls put them on a tray and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Its easier to cover them in chocolate when they are chilled.

Just before you take them out of the fridge melt your chocolate in a double boiler, make sure you don't burn the chocolate.

Cover your balls in chocolate by rolling them about with a fork until the are coated. I did half in white and half in milk chocolate and drizzled a bit of the other chocolate on top for a bit of decoration.  I also rolled some in coconut while the chocolate was still melted on the truffle.

Put them back in the fridge to make the chocolate harden.

 

[TECHFL227 422]

I will have to try these after we get back from vacation. Thanks @Xyon14

[Xyon14 2,312]

Chicken Madras (recipe from when Gordan Ramsey did his tour of India)

 4 chicken breasts, one per person!
    3 tbsp vegetable oil
    2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
    2cm block of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
    2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped – Depends how much garlic you like. Personally I don’t like it to be over-powering for this dish.
    Sea salt and black pepper
    400g ripe tomatoes, chopped
    300ml water
    1 tsp garam masala
    Coriander leaves, to garnish

The following spices can be varied to your own personal taste, but if this is your first time with this recipe, then I’d suggest the following:

    2–4 red chillies, finely chopped – You can de-seed if you prefer, but this will make it not as spicy
    2 tsp ground cumin
    1 tsp ground coriander
    1 tsp ground turmeric
    1–3 tsp (or more!) hot chilli powder, to taste – Adding more or less will vary the hotness
    6–8 curry leaves
    Juice of half a lemon or lime (you can use vinegar here instead, but not both)

Preparing the Chicken Madras Curry

Cut the chicken into strips or cubes and put aside. Heat the oil and add the onions and cook until they start to soften which will be about 5 or 6 mins. Once the onions have started to brown 
add the chillies, the garlic and the ginger and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Then add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry leaves and chilli powder and leave to cook for a further minute 
or so.

In that time, season the chicken you set aside earlier with the salt and pepper and add to the pan and cook stirring the pan until the chicken begins to go golden brown all over.

At this stage you’ll want to add the water and the chopped tomatoes and then bring to boil. Once the pan is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pan stirring ever so often. 
Let it simmer for about 30 minutes and add more water as needed if it begins to stick or the sauce becomes too dry – remember to stir well if you do need to add water. At the end of the 
30 mins, stir in the garam masala and leave uncovered for another 10 mins, again taking care not to let it dry out.

When the cooking’s finished and you’re ready to serve the chicken madras, garnish it with some coriander leaves (not the stalk!) and I usually have it with rice or a Garlic and Coriander
 Naan bread, although it’s equally as good with chips(!), a jacket potato or even and this is controversial…in a large Yorkshire Pudding!

 

I have also done this in my slow cooker with awesome results. The only change is I don't cut the chicken up.

Don't forget the Naan bread. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by Xyon14

[TECHFL227 422]

[Xyon14 2,312]

This is another family favourite

Chicken Chimichangas with Sour Cream Sauce

Chicken filling:
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chilies, divided
1/2 cup diced onion
3 large cloves garlic, minced

Sour cream sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 cube chicken bouillon/ stock (I use Knorr stock pots)
1/2 cup sour cream (I use half fat Creme Fraiche)
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (you can't get that in the uk so I use a grated cheddar and mozzarella mix)

Place the chicken breasts into a large saucepan. Pour in the water, and season with chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir in 4 ounces of green chiles, onion, and garlic; continue simmering until the liquid has reduced to 1 cup. Reserve remaining 3 ounces of chopped green chilies. Remove the chicken, shred with two forks, and return to the onion mixture.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the water and bouillon cube until the water has thickened and the bouillon cube has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Whisk in reserved 3 ounces of green chilies and the sour cream; season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). I personally leave this out and bake them in oven instead. I use a square Pyrex dish.

Place a tortilla onto your work surface, then spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken filling halfway between the bottom edge and the center of the tortilla. Flatten the filling into rectangle shape with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle about 1 ounce of the Monterey Jack cheese over the filling. Fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling, then fold in the left and right edges. Roll the chimichanga up to the top edge, forming a tight cylinder; secure the ends with wooden toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Cook the chimichangas, 2 at a time, in the hot oil until they are crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, and remove toothpicks. Top with sour cream sauce to serve.

Or if you use the oven method make sure your dish is greased well. When you have them all folded and placed in the pan brush some oil on top of the chimichangas and bake in the oven until they start to go a light golden. 

I serve it with a salad and rice. Enjoy!
 

[Xyon14 2,312]

Fifteens

15 large marshmallows or a 1 1/2cups of mini marshmallows
15 digestive biscuits, crushed. (Stateside-You could use the square Graham Wafers and they will be the same. If you are using Nilla wafers I would double it)
15 red candied cherries, halved (I personally don't like that kind of cherry and would use Maraschino cherries instead. they must be free of any liquid. I usually dry them in a kitchen roll after chopping up)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk. 
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Cut the marshmallows in halves using scissors, and place in a large bowl. Toss with the digestive biscuits and candied cherries. Gradually stir in the sweetened condensed milk until the mixture becomes a soft, moist dough. It should not be too dry, so you may need to add a bit more of the milk.

Spread a generous layer of coconut out on a clean surface, and place the dough on top of it. Use your hands to form the dough into a long thick sausage, I would usually do 2 medium ones. Make sure it is well coated with coconut. Wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Unwrap the long piece of dough, and cut into slices to serve. 

I would slice one and freeze the other for another day.

[adsyfindlay 412]

We should have a XDBX recipe book

[adsyfindlay 412]

I might have a look at designing one after exams

[Xyon14 2,312]

For those who love peanut butter cups.... this is the recipe for you!!

Peanut Butter Bars

 

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (digestive biscuits ground up)
2 cups confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Because they are sooo naughty they are on the Christmas baking list every year

[TECHFL227 422]

5 hours ago, adsyfindlay said:

We should have a XDBX recipe book

I have been putting them all in a word document. Figured once I got about 50 I would send it out or maybe put into a Google doc so it can be updated as we get more and easily searchable to find what you're looking for.

[TECHFL227 422]

I think tonights dinner was definitely @Sinister approved, lol. 

@adsyfindlay if you want to design us an awesome cover, I can just send you the word document once we get 50 to roll with. All mine however are pictures that I post.

 Teamwork  

[Danielle 3,007]

These are for chocolate lovers, very sickly! Also I'm not sure how widely available creme eggs are...

Creme Egg Brownies

Ingredients

185g Butter

40g Cocoa Powder

85g Plain Flour

275g Caster Sugar

185g Dark Chocolate (We just used both 100g bars)

6 Creme Eggs

3 Eggs

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water

3. Leave aside to cool

4. Mix the regular eggs and sugar til it doubles in size and is pale in colour

5. Add the egg and sugar mixture to the chocolate and butter mixture - make sure it has cooled completely so it doesn't cook the eggs

6. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold everything together

7. Pour into a lined brownie tray and cook for 20 minutes

8. While the brownies are cooking cut the creme eggs in half (it helps to heat the knife in between every egg)

9. After 20 minutes take the brownies out and gently press in the creme eggs

10. Cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes until cooked throughout 

11. Cut and enjoy!

 

 

[JustHatched 12,103]

@Danielle, heart attack in a bowl??

[TECHFL227 422]

I have not shared a recipe in a while so I figured I would share what I put together tonight. It was really good.

[Smurf 947]

Plantain Tart

Making the Filling:

2 over ripen Plantains smash it to smush with a fork

Grater 1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/2 cup of Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon of Butter

A drop of red food colouring (not necessary just traditionally how its made)

Pre heat a pan on low heat and mix all the above ingredients while stirring for 2 minutes so that the sugar caramelize then turn it off to cool.

 

Making the dough:

3 cup of Flour

6 ½ tablespoons of Shortening

1 teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 tablespoon of Cold Ice Water

Need the ingredients and store in the refrigerator to rest for an 1hr

 

Mixing the Filling in the dough:

flour board and rolling pin and flatten the dough

Use a saucer, circular Tupperware, plate...... ect place over the dough and out cut out a circle

Seeing that it will be folded over into a semi circle, and filled with the filling, make sure enough space is there to crimp/ seal the edges with a folk

poke 2-3 holes with a knife on the side facing up

Pre heat oven 350 degree's

place the sheet of paper on you oven pan and  place the Plantain Tart on it , no oil needed though you can smear melted butter on the top side

Place on the middle rack in oven at 350 degree's and its done in 30 minutes

you can sprinkle granulated, brown and cinnamon sugar on it as soon as its out the oven

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Smurf

[TECHFL227 422]

Did something new tonight. I thought I would share since @Sinister really enjoyed it.