What should I put in my mouth? [Cooking]

CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
edited April 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
So I moved into an apartment with my girlfriend almost a year ago and it spurred me to start learning to cook better (girlfriend doesn't cook much). I've learned certain new things but overall I'm not too thrilled with the amount of progress in expanding my repertoire that I've made.

Rather than beating myself up about lack of willpower or initiative or blah blah blah, I've come up with a plan. I'm making a thread where I'd like you guys to post recipes or even just the name of dishes that I should learn to cook that will result in my thinking:
"Oh man, that wasn't so hard and it resulted in something so amazingly delicious! I need to put more effort into learning to cook so I can make something different and equally amazing everyday".

My girlfriend is also somewhat of a picky eater (me too but to a lesser degree) so that partly explains why my repertoire is lacking. Here's some things that I doubt I'll be cooking: any kind of seafood outside of white fish, pork, really cheesy dishes, whole chicken. Well, I guess I'd eat pork if I can make it in a small enough quantity to bring with me to school for a few days.

Things I currently cook:
-Chicken breast / white fish in every variety of breading, marination, and mixing with veggies/pasta
-Chili (turned out great but requires a decent amount of planning / unusual ingredient buying so I dont do it often)
-Steak (have gotten much better at it over the course of a year)
-Lots of varieties of eggs
-Stuffing
-Bacon
-Rice/ Seasoned Rice
-Pasta
-Garlic mashed potatoes
-Probably some other stuff I forget, but as you can see it's a limited repertoire

Thanks in advance. Can't wait to see what you guys consider to be mind-blowingly delicious dishes.

-Edit- I added some 'things I probably wont cook' things above... so the people who commented below aren't just insensitive dicks.

Cognisseur on

Posts

  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Can you make a tasty red sauce? How about some meatballs? Simple, delicious and a tasty red sauce can be used in a multitude of dishes. You said you can make breaded chicken right? Sounds like the makings of chicken parmigiana to me!

    Shogun on
  • Protein ShakesProtein Shakes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2010
    Bacon.

    Protein Shakes on
  • CauldCauld Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    You didn't name any baking, which is delicious. I'm no good at bread, but I've decided to work on it... also you haven't mentioned any pork, or rice. Rice particularly is a staple, and pork is cheap for a meat and also not very fatty usually (except for delicious bacon).

    I make a decent pot roast type thing and a good stew, those are pretty easy.

    Cauld on
  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Everyone recommends the crock pot. Chop up some carrots, onions, potatoes, throw some meat in there and let it cook all day.

    Slider on
  • hatedinamericahatedinamerica Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I put forth unto thee, the Breakfast Wad:

    - Fry a tortilla in a pan with some butter, cinnamon, suger, and honey. Make sure to get both sides!
    - Fry an egg to taste. You can also used poached eggs, who's dimensions are perfect for this particular dish
    - wrap torilla around egg
    - consume

    It's simple and delicious. I know, the combination of sweets and egg seems weird but I promise it's good and not weird at all.

    hatedinamerica on
  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Being able to perfectly roast a whole chicken is a fantastic skill and worthy of your time.

    Lamb racks of any type are also among my favourites.

    Creme brulee is my current project. You get to use a blowtorch!

    Blake T on
  • psyck0psyck0 Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Here is what you do.

    0) BUY A MEAT THERMOMETER- you NEED one to do any kind of roast, braise, grill, etc well. Get a DIGITAL one, they are far more accurate, preferably one with a long cord so that you can leave it in the roast and have the cord poke out of the bar-b or oven.
    1) Take a roast (my local butcher carries Eye of Round roasts dirt cheap).
    2) Buy some spices. A good recipe is 2 tablespoons dried rosemary and crushed fennel seeds, 1 tablspoon each dried sage, salt, ground pepper.
    3) combine spices in a bowl
    4) coat roast in olive oil, put the rest in the bottom of the roasting pan (about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil total)
    4.5) rub the spices on the meat, using all of them (they'll do a 3-4 lb roast, but if it's smaller you just get more spices!)
    5) chop up some garlic cloves into thin slices, NOT minced, maybe 10 cloves, enough to cover the bottom of the pan that the roast will be sitting on
    6) put the roast fat-side up on the garlic
    7) bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then turn down to 300 and bake until it reaches an internal temperature of about 120 for rare, 130 for medium-rare (don't want to go much farther than that), let rest for 15 minutes to let the juices settle, carve and serve

    Optional pan sauce: 1/4 cup dry white wine, 2/3 cup beef stock. As the meat rests (covered with foil), pour the fat from the bottom of the pan into a saucepan and scrape off any brown bits (they'll be garlic and spices- delish) into the pan. Add the wine and stock and simmer to reduce by half.

    None of the measurements are terribly precise and the whole thing is virtually effortless and tastes fantastic.

    Source: The complete meat cookbook by Aidells and Kelly. You should pick it up. Most of the recipes are very simple, all building off common themes and techniques, but there is some more challenging stuff in there once you're ready for it.

    If you really want a challenge, pick up classic indian cooking by julie sahni. The recipes are just amazing, I can't recommend it enough, but they are quite difficult and time-consuming. Indian food requires careful planning and making sure every ingredient is prepared ahead because everything is time-sensitive and you don't have time to measure the seeds while the onions brown or you'll burn them, as I have done many times.

    psyck0 on
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  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Beef stew: Throw some potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat in a crock pot with a can of crushed tomatoes, around 3/4 a can of white wine, and some rosemary, garlic, and oregano. Cook for 10 hours on low.

    Chicken Cacciatore: brown some chicken breasts, then take them off. Cut an onion and a green pepper into thin strips and cook until caramelized. Once that's done, add the chicken, and one to two cans of tomato soup (depending on how much chicken is used), and half that amount of white wine. Cook on medium-low for 30-45 minutes until the alcohol is reduced. Serve over pasta.

    Veal/chicken picante: Buy veal cutlets or chicken breasts and make sure they're cut thin. Then pound the shit out of them with a meat tenderizer and cover them in flour. Brown on both sides. Then cook half a bag of diced onions (they sell these frozen at the grocery store). Once cooked, add a can of chicken stock, a can of white wine, and the chicken. Slice lemon and place on top of the simmering meat. Cook on medium-low for 30-45 minutes until the alcohol is reduced. Serve over pasta (again). For extra flavor, add alfredo sauce to the pasta.

    Shadowfire on
  • tinwhiskerstinwhiskers Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Coq au Vin(alton browns reciepe)
    Custard(Star anises optional), great with berries which are starting to come into season.
    Beer and Dill carrots(don't use * light)
    Chicken/Veal/Eggplant Parmesan (not sure if these fall under too cheesy)


    When I started learning to cook I'd watch Dinner Impossible/Iron Chef on the food network, and between them there'd be a recipe or two that was simple enough that I'd take a shot at it. Didn't always work, but it gets you to try different things.

    tinwhiskers on
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  • cabsycabsy the fattest rainbow unicorn Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Chicken Gyros which are pretty easy to make
    Really forgiving ratatouille recipe
    Another very forgiving recipe, for spanakopita

    Beef and broccoli is pretty simple to make, the link I had to a recipe for that is now broken though so I can't give you any good recipes for it.

    You can also make really lazy pulled pork for sandwiches in whatever quantity you want; 3lbs of tenderloin is enough to make probably 8-9 sandwiches so I'd find a small 1-2lb roast of pork or a pork tenderloin, really any cut works fine as long as it doesn't have any bones (so you can be lazier later), drop it in a crockpot, cover it with a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce, and let it simmer until the meat can be shredded with a fork, about 3-5 hours. Shred it, stir it back in with the sauce, and let it simmer in the crockpot for another 30-60 minutes. Serve on rolls with chips and coleslaw, and you can freeze any leftovers and have them for dinner or lunch some time when you're feeling lazy.

    Do you make lasagna? It's a little work intensive depending on the recipe you use but it's great, filling, and can also be frozen for a quick meal when you're feeling lazy.

    If you're looking for more specific kind of food, it could be useful to know what kind of groceries you want to/are willing to buy; if you don't ever want to buy fresh veggies, you're going to get different advice than if you're a veggie whore.

    Also flip through sites like tastespotting and foodgawker, yes they're just pictures but most of them include recipes if you click through and it's a good way to flip through a ton of possible ideas very quickly.

    cabsy on
  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I put forth unto thee, the Breakfast Wad:

    - Fry a tortilla in a pan with some butter, cinnamon, suger, and honey. Make sure to get both sides!
    - Fry an egg to taste. You can also used poached eggs, who's dimensions are perfect for this particular dish
    - wrap torilla around egg
    - consume

    It's simple and delicious. I know, the combination of sweets and egg seems weird but I promise it's good and not weird at all.


    I just gave this a shot and it was delicious. I don't know why I didn't think about it, but it's a pretty tiny amount of food though so I should've made two. Still, hurrah for another food added to my culinary repertoire. Thanks!

    Cognisseur on
  • psyck0psyck0 Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    That is, uh... not exactly healthy. I wouldn't make them often. Treat them like pancakes.

    psyck0 on
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  • CrossBusterCrossBuster Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Beef bourguignon. Julia Child's recipe is the classic, and happens to be my favorite, of the ones I've tried. There are a lot of steps, but it's pretty easy.

    It works great (better, in fact) with cheap cuts of meat, and for not too much money, you can make enough to feed yourself for days.

    It's also one of the single most satisfying dishes to have in the winter.

    Most people serve it over egg noodles, but I prefer it on garlic mashed potatoes.

    CrossBuster on
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  • Protein ShakesProtein Shakes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2010
    psyck0 wrote: »
    That is, uh... not exactly healthy. I wouldn't make them often. Treat them like pancakes.

    Only things that are "not healthy" in that dish are the sugar and honey. Assuming they are kept to a minimum, the dish itself isn't unhealthy, especially if the tortilla is whole-wheat or whole-grain.

    Protein Shakes on
  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pulled Pork sounded like a very good idea, and I happen to have a crock pot. I went on AllRecipes and this came up as having an absurd number of good reviews, so I'll try it tomorrow:

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    Any recommendations for pulled-pork barbecue sauce?

    Cognisseur on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    One simple thing that I can't get enough of is 'Champ'. I made this myself before realising someone else had already done it (that I thought it could have been original in this day and age reflects poorly on the size of my ego).

    1. Mash some potatos (with butter, milk and salt - my variation is to add some smoked paprika for colour and cayenne pepper for heat).
    2. Lightly fry some spring onions/scallions (whatever they're called where you are). You want them to still be crisp when you:
    3. Mix the two things together.
    4. Delight in your highly original potato-based foodstuff!

    desperaterobots on
  • toolberttoolbert Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    My wife makes this and it's one of the many reasons I married her:

    Lomo Saltado

    Instead of Tri-tip, I would use Ribeye as it's much, much, much softer and soaks up the juices better. It's pretty easy to make and tastes great. If you want to cheat with the fries (we do sometimes), just run over to some fast food joint and pick them up before you finish. Making your own is awesome too, but it can be a little time consuming if you want both the meat side done at the same time.

    toolbert on
  • ElinElin Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    For a beginning chef I think The Pioneer Woman Cooks is wonderful. She makes sure her recipes are clear, and she has photos of every step. I love the photos myself, if I'm making something new I like to be able to compare against what it should look like.

    Elin on
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  • CrossBusterCrossBuster Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Oh, and if you don't have one already, get yourself a cast iron skillet, and learn how to make a good burger. I think cooking burgers on a flat surface is far superior to cooking them on a grill.

    It's really easy. Get yourself some good ground beef. I go with 80/20 chuck from Whole Foods. Grass fed is definitely better, and while it's not exactly cheap, it's not too expensive, either, especially if it's an occasional indulgence.

    When I'm making a burger with good meat, I'm a firm believer in keeping it simple. Accordingly, I only flavor the meat with some kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. A very small amount of Siracha is also good. No chopped onions, or eggs or bread crumbs are necessary, or desirable (seriously, people, you're not making meatloaf).

    Mix all your flavorings into the meat, form it into patties of the desired size, and get the skillet very, very hot. Cook the burgers about 4 minutes per side, and don't even think about touching them until they're ready to be turned. Let them rest for a few minutes, and enjoy.

    CrossBuster on
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  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Oh, and if you don't have one already, get yourself a cast iron skillet

    I have a cast iron skillet but I'm in a bit of a pickle. I didn't know you had to take care of it or how you had to clean it so it's completely unseasoned now. I found numerous guides for how easy it is to season a skillet so I gave it a shot. I live in a one bedroom apartment and even with windows open, within no time at all the apartment was smokey and was giving me a headache. Then the smoke alarm in the hall outside went off. I deemed this a failure in seasoning. What should I do about it? Do I need to buy a new one?

    Cognisseur on
  • EvigilantEvigilant VARegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Cut an onion in half, get a clove of garlic, some salt, pepper, basil, thyme, parsley flakes, and whatever meat or veggies you want. I used beef, broccoli, asparagus, carrots and celery.
    I'm real horrible with actual measurements, so this is all to taste.

    Boil some water for pasta
    Dice up the onion and garlic, cut the meat and veggies to however you like.
    Put some olive oil on a pan, then cook the beef, onions, garlic, and your greens together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the basil, thyme and parsley. Add a little soy sauce. When cooking with meat, I like to put all the onions and garlic clumped up on the meat, so it can absorb some of the flavor. Same with the veggies.
    Once the noodles are done, get a big tupperware bowl, put everything to include the pasta into it. Close, shake rigorously.

    Eat.

    Another:
    Get some rice, lipton onion soup, ground beef, salt, pepper, and a can of mushroom soup.
    Begin cooking the rice. I have a rice cooker, so I just plop it in there and push a button.
    Pour the contents of the onion soup into a bowl with your ground beef. Hand make some meatballs. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
    Put some olive oil on a pan and cook the meatballs. Add about half a can of the mushroom soup, and 1/4 to 1/2 the can of water. Cook but don't let it boil.
    Once the rice finishes, serve over the rice and eat. It's not too shabby, pretty quick and easy to make.

    I've started grilling tortilla on a pan, adding in spinach leaves, cheese, and some sandwhich meat, wrapping it up like a burrito.

    Evigilant on
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  • CrossBusterCrossBuster Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Cognisseur wrote: »
    Oh, and if you don't have one already, get yourself a cast iron skillet

    I have a cast iron skillet but I'm in a bit of a pickle. I didn't know you had to take care of it or how you had to clean it so it's completely unseasoned now. I found numerous guides for how easy it is to season a skillet so I gave it a shot. I live in a one bedroom apartment and even with windows open, within no time at all the apartment was smokey and was giving me a headache. Then the smoke alarm in the hall outside went off. I deemed this a failure in seasoning. What should I do about it? Do I need to buy a new one?

    I'd buy a pre-seasoned one (Lodge is a good brand, and they're pretty cheap). Regular maintenance is still necessary, but the super-smoky initial seasoning can be skipped. After every use, when the pan is still hot, clean it by scouring it with kosher salt and a paper towel.

    Rinse all the salt away (obviously important to keep it from rusting), put it on the stove, turn the stove on high, and rub a very thin layer of vegetable oil around the inside of the pan with a paper towel. Let it sit there until it starts smoking again, but stop before the smoke fills your apartment.

    Wipe away the excess oil, let it cool, and you're good to go.

    You should avoid scrubbing it with soap. This can take off the seasoning that you worked so hard to get. Don't worry if a few little bits of food are hard to get off. Just let them burn to a crisp when you're re-seasoning the pan after every use, and they should brush off. And if they don't, just consider them part of the pan.

    CrossBuster on
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  • Niceguy MyeyeNiceguy Myeye Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    It looks like you could use some variety in your side veggies. Here's something I like:

    Take a bunch of brussel sprouts (even if you don't normally like them, try this once). Normally, they sell a bunch of them in a netted bag here. you can use the whole bag.
    Cut the bottoms of them.
    Cut them in half from top to bottom (not along the middle)
    brussel-sprouts-cut-1-custom.jpg

    In a pan heat up some olive oil.
    Add some onion. I like to use small yellow onions, because you can use a whole one and I really like onions. Make it translucent, not brown. This shouldn't take too long.

    Add the brussel sprouts.

    Add some lemon juice. I generally add half a lemon.

    Add salt and black pepper.

    Cook not too long. Make sure you don't over cook them. You want them tender but firm and not mushy. You may be tempted to put them in your mouth to test and see if they're ready. Do this often.

    I'm not good with measurements, and I don't really use recipes because they're too bossy.

    One thing about doing this is sometimes brussel sprouts can have a bitter taste. However, the lemon you add to this makes it all go away!

    This is fast, really easy and tasty.

    Edit: That page that I stole that pic from has a recipe that looks decent too. They also had a point where you may want to boil the sprouts a little bit before adding them to the pan with all the other stuff with them. I kind of like my veggies on the fresh side, though and not too cooked and think it'd be fine even if you didn't boil them.

    Niceguy Myeye on
  • cabsycabsy the fattest rainbow unicorn Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Cognisseur wrote: »
    Pulled Pork sounded like a very good idea, and I happen to have a crock pot. I went on AllRecipes and this came up as having an absurd number of good reviews, so I'll try it tomorrow:

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    Any recommendations for pulled-pork barbecue sauce?

    For pulled pork I use just a basic bbq sauce with honey in it (kraft barbecue with honey, generally), but really you can use any kind of bbq that you particularly like.

    cabsy on
  • strebaliciousstrebalicious Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    cabsy wrote: »
    Cognisseur wrote: »
    Pulled Pork sounded like a very good idea, and I happen to have a crock pot. I went on AllRecipes and this came up as having an absurd number of good reviews, so I'll try it tomorrow:

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    Any recommendations for pulled-pork barbecue sauce?

    For pulled pork I use just a basic bbq sauce with honey in it (kraft barbecue with honey, generally), but really you can use any kind of bbq that you particularly like.

    I use Sweet Baby Ray's sauce myself. But here's how I make my pulled pork. I prefer Boston Butt - however much you want, 2 lbs will get you about 8 sammiches.
    Chop up however much onions you want, throw them in the bottom of the Crock Pot.
    Sometimes I rub Adobo (the spanish kind, not the filipino version) on my butt (tee hee).
    Put the butt in the pot.
    Chop up a pack (1 lb-ish) of bacon and put it on top.
    Pour a half can of your favorite beer down the sides of the pot and drink the rest.
    Cook on low for 10 hours.

    Take the butt out. The bone will slide out and the meat will just fall apart.
    Put the meat in a bowl, take two forks, and 'pull' the pork. Make sure you get rid of any fat that I forgot to tell you to remove earlier.
    Take all this meat, onion, and bacon substance and put it back in the crock pot.
    Pour a quarter bottle of BBQ sauce over the top and stir it in.
    Put another quarter of the botttle on top of the meat, but just let it sit there.
    Turn the pot back on to low.
    After about a hour, stir the pork up.
    Then you can stir it up every fifteen minutes or so and it should be done in about two hours after you turned the pot back on.

    On a similar note, you could take that Boston Butt, stab the shit out of it, rub sea salt in the wounds, and pour a little liquid smoke over it. Put that butt in the crock pot for about 14 or maybe 16 hours and voila!, a ghetto Kalua Pork.


    Meatballs:
    (going off the top of my head, so feel free to look up other recipes)
    Ground Beef
    Green Peppers
    Onions
    Bacon
    Bread Crumbs
    an Egg or two

    Mix all that shizz together. Make into whatever size balls you want. I make them pretty big. Then just cook 'em up in a pan and you're good to go.

    Ultimately, once my wife stopped being a control freak and let me experiment, I started cooking some pretty good stuff. My favorite was an all meat lasagna (not even lasagna noodles or cheese, so I doubt it can even be called lasagna).

    strebalicious on
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  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Good news folks! I'm not one of those assholes who makes posts on H/A and then ignores all of your advice! :mrgreen:

    -I made the breakfast wad thing this morning and it was delicious.
    -For dinner, I went to the grocery store and bought some stuff and made chicken gyros for the first time! They turned out awesome too (they didn't have tajikistan sauce so I had to go to a restaurant and ask for some of theirs)
    -Tomorrow, I'm making pulled pork in my crock pot all day

    Keep the suggestions coming, I'm eagerly listening and learning.

    Cognisseur on
  • Mom2KatMom2Kat Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Cognisseur wrote: »
    Oh, and if you don't have one already, get yourself a cast iron skillet

    I have a cast iron skillet but I'm in a bit of a pickle. I didn't know you had to take care of it or how you had to clean it so it's completely unseasoned now. I found numerous guides for how easy it is to season a skillet so I gave it a shot. I live in a one bedroom apartment and even with windows open, within no time at all the apartment was smokey and was giving me a headache. Then the smoke alarm in the hall outside went off. I deemed this a failure in seasoning. What should I do about it? Do I need to buy a new one?

    I'd buy a pre-seasoned one (Lodge is a good brand, and they're pretty cheap). Regular maintenance is still necessary, but the super-smoky initial seasoning can be skipped. After every use, when the pan is still hot, clean it by scouring it with kosher salt and a paper towel.

    Rinse all the salt away (obviously important to keep it from rusting), put it on the stove, turn the stove on high, and rub a very thin layer of vegetable oil around the inside of the pan with a paper towel. Let it sit there until it starts smoking again, but stop before the smoke fills your apartment.

    Wipe away the excess oil, let it cool, and you're good to go.

    You should avoid scrubbing it with soap. This can take off the seasoning that you worked so hard to get. Don't worry if a few little bits of food are hard to get off. Just let them burn to a crisp when you're re-seasoning the pan after every use, and they should brush off. And if they don't, just consider them part of the pan.

    The other way that I season my cast iron is a very long process but results in a seasoning that will stand the occasional soaping. I just use the pan as normal but never use soap to clean it, just a nylon scrubby. Then put on the stove to dry. It may take years to make the seasoning perfect but I have one dutch oven and one frying pan that is so well sesoned I haven't been able to make anythign stick to it that I could not take off with just water and a green scrubby. These are the tips my mother taught me, her Cast Iron were always done like this and are in the same great shape.

    Mom2Kat on
  • RaneadosRaneados police apologist you shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    this is going to be my favorite thread

    Raneados on
  • NerdtendoNerdtendo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I didn't notice any sweet recipes on my scan through:

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-lava-muffins-recipe2/index.html

    Best chocolate recipe I've ever had. I love it. The recipe on the linked site is actually missing one small tidbit, and I included that below:
    Ingredients

    * 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
    * 1 stick butter
    * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 1/2 cup sugar
    * 3 tablespoons flour
    * 1/4 teaspoon salt
    * 4 eggs
    * Butter, to coat muffin tin
    * 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
    * 1 cup vanilla ice cream
    * 1 teaspoon espresso powder

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

    Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

    In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture.

    Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.

    While muffins are in oven, melt the ice cream in a small saucepan. Stir in the espresso powder. Serve over warm muffins.

    Also, can watch it here from 7 minutes on:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W-aihG2Xb4&feature=related

    I've never bothered with the ice cream espresso sauce, personally. The muffins are great served as is, or with some vanilla ice cream served on top. I've always wanted to try them with a bit of Bailey's spooned over one.

    Also, if you don't like chocolate, you're inhuman.

    Nerdtendo on
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  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    So I made pulled pork sandwiches yesterday and -- totally badass. It's absurd how 1. cheap, 2. easy to prepare and 3. delicious they turned out. Seriously, it took maybe 10 min of prep time on my part total to get 8 pulled pork sandwiches. That's badass.

    Keep up the awesome recipes.

    Cognisseur on
  • EarthenrockEarthenrock Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    These are two I recently picked up that I really liked, off one of his DVDs. You might have trouble finding some of the things for the pibil, but the breakfast tacos are crazy good.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8EiScBEjA


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XMTWJNZEjQ&feature=related

    edit: another thing for the pibil, the splash of tequila can be omitted if you'd like(I didn't notice a difference.) Also pork butt is the shoulder of the animal.

    Earthenrock on
  • AtheraalAtheraal Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    If you get tired of mashing your potatoes, try chopping them up into cubes and roasting them with other assorted root veg. Onions, carrots, whole garlic cloves, peppers, etc.. toss it all in some oil and spices (don't forget salt!) and bake at 400 degrees for an hour or so. It's like fries, but tastier, cheaper and easier.

    Atheraal on
  • QuirkQuirk Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Chicken thighs tend to be very cheap and very delicious. Get them de-boned and whatnot, it is usually easier. I would recommend throwing a little olive oil on them, along with some paprika, sea salt, black pepper and dried basil (you can experiment with a whole bunch of herbs here, I used to use a brilliant mixture which I've subsequently forgotten since I don't usually eat meat these days) then squeeze the juice of half a lime over (that's for about 4 or so thighs I think).

    Then bake them for roughly half an hour at about 200 degrees C. Should crisp up nice, even without skin on them, and the lime makes for a really fresh flavour. Great for summer time

    Also go to a decent butcher if there's one nearby. Those guys tend to know great ways to prepare different cuts of meat

    Quirk on
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