Get Fed, Cooking Thread

[Tvtyrant]

I made this thread since we don't have a cooking thread and learning to cook is one of my goals this year.

I'm currently trying to come to better terms with vegetables. My family is of the "boiled broccoli and lettuce salad" variety, with vegetables treated as a kind of penance.

I'm hoping the vegetarian and vegan crowd can help me out with making some better tasting dishes (like did you know you can put spices on veggies??)

Post recipes, ideas, issues you have had, etc.

Tomorrow I am making Buqqa, a nut based condiment from Egypt as a salad seasoning.

[2D8HP]

We do "team effort pesto".

My wife gets basil, and boils some pasts.

Our son peels the leaves from the stems.

I chop up the leaves.

Mix together with Olive oil, sunflower seeds, and a little salt.

[Peelee]

Because it's late and I'm forgetful, this is to remind me to put up kaesespaetzle, stroganoff, and my favorite tomato/mozzarella appetizer recipes tomorrow.

[Cristo Meyers]

I'm currently trying to come to better terms with vegetables. My family is of the "boiled broccoli and lettuce salad" variety, with vegetables treated as a kind of penance.

I'm hoping the vegetarian and vegan crowd can help me out with making some better tasting dishes (like did you know you can put spices on veggies??)


I've the same problem. I've kinda come to terms with salads, broccoli, and spinach. My problem is that 4 days of the week I'm eating lunch at work, so anything I make needs to be able to either keep for a good four hours or hold up to being microwaved. Usually this means that anytime I cook veggies beforehand they'll end up ridiculously overcooked.

If anyone knows any good veggie preparations that could hold up to some time in a microwave, I'd be grateful.

[WarKitty]

I tend to favor all-in-one soups, especially for work. So one of my staples is lentil soup. It's lentils, canned tomatoes, and...kind of whatever other veggies you have. I prefer the carrots with the tops on, the leaves are good in there. Chopped leek is also good. If you have some salt ham or sausage throw it in. Bacon's also ok but I'd fry it first, otherwise it gets kind of limp and soggy.

A lot of soup bases can have pureed vegetables, or just chopped up fine. So you don't have a side of veggies so much as you just have your veggies all in there.

[tyckspoon]

I've the same problem. I've kinda come to terms with salads, broccoli, and spinach. My problem is that 4 days of the week I'm eating lunch at work, so anything I make needs to be able to either keep for a good four hours or hold up to being microwaved. Usually this means that anytime I cook veggies beforehand they'll end up ridiculously overcooked.

If anyone knows any good veggie preparations that could hold up to some time in a microwave, I'd be grateful.

Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian sub-continent cuisines are good for this. Also some Mediterranean dishes - most of the classic Greek appetizers are vegetarian, for example. You get a lot of soup, stew, and gravy-type dishes using spinach, lentils, chickpeas, and the like. Sauced dishes in general reheat fairly well, as the moisture in the sauce helps distribute the heat and usually helps keep the stuff in it from getting recooked/overcooked too badly.

If you're looking for a more traditional/European kind of vegetable dish, try deliberately undercooking (lower bake time, parboiled/lightly steamed, etc) the vegetables - they'll hold up fine, and you can finish them off in the microwave to get to the degree of doneness you want to actually eat them at.

[Tvtyrant]

I tend to favor all-in-one soups, especially for work. So one of my staples is lentil soup. It's lentils, canned tomatoes, and...kind of whatever other veggies you have. I prefer the carrots with the tops on, the leaves are good in there. Chopped leek is also good. If you have some salt ham or sausage throw it in. Bacon's also ok but I'd fry it first, otherwise it gets kind of limp and soggy.

A lot of soup bases can have pureed vegetables, or just chopped up fine. So you don't have a side of veggies so much as you just have your veggies all in there.

I have been making soup more often. Usually chicken soup from scratch, heavy focus on onions, carrots and celery because we stock those.

What spices do you use with the lentils?

[WarKitty]

I have been making soup more often. Usually chicken soup from scratch, heavy focus on onions, carrots and celery because we stock those.

What spices do you use with the lentils?

Bay and some hot sauce. If I don't have cured meat, sometimes a ham or smoke flavor.

Edit: here's a japanese-inspired one that doesn't take long. Boil some noodles in broth with some veggies. Carrots and onions are good for this. When the noodles are almost done, crack an egg and poach it in the broth. Add some soy or hoisin and some rice wine vinegar (white would work if you lack this). Serve immediately; eat with fork. If you have chopsticks, eat with those instead.

[Cristo Meyers]

Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian sub-continent cuisines are good for this. Also some Mediterranean dishes - most of the classic Greek appetizers are vegetarian, for example. You get a lot of soup, stew, and gravy-type dishes using spinach, lentils, chickpeas, and the like. Sauced dishes in general reheat fairly well, as the moisture in the sauce helps distribute the heat and usually helps keep the stuff in it from getting recooked/overcooked too badly.

If you're looking for a more traditional/European kind of vegetable dish, try deliberately undercooking (lower bake time, parboiled/lightly steamed, etc) the vegetables - they'll hold up fine, and you can finish them off in the microwave to get to the degree of doneness you want to actually eat them at.

Yeah, that's what I'd been doing. Just need to find some ways of preparing them that aren't just essentially heating them up.

Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian are right up my alley though. Got anything specific to recommend?

Thanks!

[Tvtyrant]

Bay and some hot sauce. If I don't have cured meat, sometimes a ham or smoke flavor.

Edit: here's a japanese-inspired one that doesn't take long. Boil some noodles in broth with some veggies. Carrots and onions are good for this. When the noodles are almost done, crack an egg and poach it in the broth. Add some soy or hoisin and some rice wine vinegar (white would work if you lack this). Serve immediately; eat with fork. If you have chopsticks, eat with those instead.

Mmm, sounds good. I will need to swap the noodles but otherwise sounds great!

[thorgrim29]

I don't know where you are but over here asparagus season is just beginning, and it is one of my favourite vegetables. The easy way is to just boil them in a pan (so you don't have to chop them up to fit in your pot) but grilled with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper they are wonderful.

Speaking of grilling I tried brining then grilling a chicken last evening. Simple brine with salt, brown sugar, cracked pepper, white vinegar (because I didn't have cider on hand and I thought red wine vinegar would look weird). It was pretty good but it didn't floor me, doesn't beat my beer marinated chicken recipe. I think the brine helped but maybe since it was a small chicken it didn't make much of a difference. I had also spatchcocked (I bet that gets censored) it, and I think that if you're going to do that might as well quarter it, it's barely more work (I ended up doing it on the grill) and it's much easier to manage. Next time I think I'll try a middle eastern style yogurt based marinade.

[WarKitty]

Mmm, sounds good. I will need to swap the noodles but otherwise sounds great!

May I ask why you'd need to swap the noodles? I might be able to make some suggestions.

[Tvtyrant]

May I ask why you'd need to swap the noodles? I might be able to make some suggestions.

I am on Keto, so no more then 20 grams of carbs a day.

[Peelee]

Ok, so, don't think either of my guys are keto, but I'm not sure (I'm ditching the stroganoff because I saw you said vegetarian).

My favorite appetizer/light lunch: get a mozarella log and a couple hearty tomatoes, like beefsteak. Alternate slices on a plate; I usually do a couple of rows. Salt and pepper it, pour some olive oil over the rows, then pour a little balsamic glaze down the middle.

http://i.imgur.com/XCaCd8d.jpg.

Kaesespaetzle is DEFINITELY not keto. Lemme know if youre still interested. Austrian recipe, much better than that stuff they feed you in Germany.

[Tvtyrant]

Ok, so, don't think either of my guys are keto, but I'm not sure (I'm ditching the stroganoff because I saw you said vegetarian).

My favorite appetizer/light lunch: get a mozarella log and a couple hearty tomatoes, like beefsteak. Alternate slices on a plate; I usually do a couple of rows. Salt and pepper it, pour some olive oil over the rows, then pour a little balsamic glaze down the middle.

http://i.imgur.com/XCaCd8d.jpg.

Kaesespaetzle is DEFINITELY not keto. Lemme know if youre still interested. Austrian recipe, much better than that stuff they feed you in Germany.


That's okay. I'm not a vegetarian, but I am interested in vegetarian recipes because they focus more on the parts I am inexperienced at. All kinds of recipes are appreciated, cooking takes practice and I can always feed it to someone else :P

That appetizer looks amazing! I'm trying that tomorrow :)

[Florian]

This is one of my go-to recipes for the summer season. can be done hot or cold.

Chop red and yellow paprika, cucumber, red onion, finely slice ginger, garlic and chili. Either mix white vinegar, lime juice, natural plant oil and light soy sauce in a bowl (cold variation), or use teriyaki sauce (hot variation). Marinate everything in vinaigrette / sauce for 10 minutes. Now other cut some extra firm tofu into cubes and pan-fry, cook some rice vermicelli, add both to the bowl and mix it (hot), adding coarsely chopped parsley as a last step, or cook the rice vermicelli, let them cool, then mix them in the bowl with the parsley and use some peanuts and deep-fried onions as a toping (cold).

[Grey_Wolf_c]

If anyone knows any good veggie preparations that could hold up to some time in a microwave, I'd be grateful.

Lentil soup with rice. I make a bit pot on weekends, and it lasts through the week's work lunches. The rice adds some nice creaminess (but does extend boiling time to a good 25 minutes). I normally cook with chicken stock for flavouring, plus bay leaf and some other low-heat spice (so thyme, rosemary, parsley and the like). I throw in onion and garlic, and potatoes or carrots if I have any. For vegetarians, obviously switch the stock for your preferred one. Throw everything in a pot, add water to spare (usually, two finger's worth above the lentils, but will depend on the pot - add more water if you start to run low).

Simmer for 25 minutes, giving it a stir every so often (can stick to the bottom if you forget). Travels fine, and reheats nicely in the microwave.

GW

[Honest Tiefling]

Kaesespaetzle is DEFINITELY not keto. Lemme know if youre still interested. Austrian recipe, much better than that stuff they feed you in Germany.

Not Keto here, but I need to eat more vegetables. What the heck is...That word?

Also, does anyone know of a non-lettuce salad green? Lettuce is a no-go, but I want to know how to replace it for salads and burgers.

[WarKitty]

Not Keto here, but I need to eat more vegetables. What the heck is...That word?

Also, does anyone know of a non-lettuce salad green? Lettuce is a no-go, but I want to know how to replace it for salads and burgers.

I'm fond of arugula, personally.

[Peelee]

Not Keto here, but I need to eat more vegetables. What the heck is...That word?

I was really hoping to make it soon so I could have pictures, but alas.

So, short version is it's Austrian mac and cheese. German is a cool language; if you ever see a long word, it's most likely several words combined. In this case it's Kaese (kay-zeh, cheese) and spaetzle (spech-leh, ....uhhh, dumplings? It's not really translateable, it's just what that dish is called).

So, the good news is that spaetzle it's super easy to make. The bad news is to make spaetzle, you need a spaetzle maker (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0773VMF3X/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526951740&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65). For reals. I normally hate single-use gadgets, but I grew up with this stuff so it's worth it to me. If you have a pizza pan, you can use that in a pinch (but carefully, the actual maker is sized for standard pots). They also make fancier spaetzle makers (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KWYC2TU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526951740&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=spaetzle+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=51WqbzZwObL&ref=plSrch), but those are messier and more annoying to clean. Speaking from experience. I had to have the fancy one. That was a mistake.

Anyway. Boil water in a pot, and in a second deep pan, melt butter and saute onions over low heat. You can do that in the pot later for fewer dishes, I just like low and slow onions. Anyway, you got 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups flour, and 4 eggs (if you want more of less, just keep the ratio. I use those numbers for three people). You make a batter, drop it in boiling water via the spaetzle maker, and stir so it all solidifies but stays separate. Dump it in a strainer, then dump it in the buttered onions that will now practically melt in your mouth. Add shredded cheese, stir it around, and you're set.

Austrian restaurants top it with fried green onion, IIRC. If I knew how to do that, I absolutely would, because oh my god it's amazing.


That appetizer looks amazing! I'm trying that tomorrow :)

Howd you like it?

[Algeh]

Not Keto here, but I need to eat more vegetables. What the heck is...That word?

Also, does anyone know of a non-lettuce salad green? Lettuce is a no-go, but I want to know how to replace it for salads and burgers.

Personally, I go with spinach or kale instead of lettuce most of the time. My local grocery store has a bagged ready-to-eat kale, cabbage, and carrot salad that I like when it's too hot for warm dinners, and I used to live on spinach, cranberry, and feta cheese salads in similar weather. Either can replace lettuce just fine for salads or in tacos. (I don't eat meat or most "fake meats", so burgers aren't much of concern for me except for one place that made a really good black bean and sweet potato patty. I should really figure out how to make those at home.)

[Florian]

So, some summer salad, tuscany style, also a good to-go option to bring to work.

Take a bowl, prepare a vinaigrette of red and white vinegar, olive oil, citrus juice, sugar and ground black pepper.

Take around 250g cherry tomatoes, one cucumber, one red onion, one pot of fresh basil, a tea spoon of capers, one piece of garlic and quarter to half a loaf of giabata bread.

Quarter the tomatoes, quarter the cucumber lengthwise, than thinly slice the quarters, same with the red onion and garlic, throw everything, including the capers in the bowl with the vinaigrette and lightly stir.

Cut the bread into rough cubes and roast them, either in a frying pan or an over. Meanwhile, pick the basil leaves from their stems and throw them into the bowl, lightly stir and make sure they're covered with the oil (to protect them from the heat). Add the sizzling hot bread last and immediately serve.

For the to-go variant, skip the last step and keep the roasted bread in a separate container. Roasted bread can also be microwaved.

@Peelee:

Hm? You know that we use both styles, pressed as well as cut Käsespätzle? I think you're referencing the later with "german stuff"?

Addendum to Peelees recipe: A Späzle is something like a thick noodle or pasta. You can also reduce the milk to 1/4 cup and you'll get a dough instead of a batter. Flatten the dough, cut it into plates roughly the size of a lasagne plate, put on a non-stick board and directly slice thin strips into boiling water. For both versions, it improves taste and texture to directly dump the fresh Spätzle into a bowl filled with ice cubes.

And no, we don't use cut Spätzle to make Käsespätzle. The advantage they have over italian-style pasta is that they are able to soak up more, especially when it comes to (really fat) gravy, so they make a good side dish for more hearty meals.

As for Röstzwiebeln (deep-fried onions): Peel and slice a regular onion into strips, soak in cold water for about 10 minutes, squeeze out the water and let dry (or put a bit in the oven at low heat). It´s important to remove as much moisture as possible. Use a very small pot and bring raps oil to a boil and deep-fry the dried onions.

[Peelee]

So,
@Peelee:

Hm? You know that we use both styles, pressed as well as cut Käsespätzle? I think you're referencing the later with "german stuff"?
I just make it the way my mom taught me, but I'll definitely try the ice cubes next time. I just recently got the flat pan and scraper, and I'm very excited to use that.

As for me talking about "German version," that's probably because in the tiny, tiny town that is my ancestral home, I've only ever seen the cheesed up version, while my friends who did a year of study abroad in Germany think that is a bastardization and only eat it with gravy. Of course, they also only use store-bought spaezle, so I figured what do they know?

Anyway, that's probably why I thought what I thought. Always cool to learn more things. Thanks!


As for Röstzwiebeln (deep-fried onions): Peel and slice a regular onion into strips, soak in cold water for about 10 minutes, squeeze out the water and let dry (or put a bit in the oven at low heat). It´s important to remove as much moisture as possible. Use a very small pot and bring raps oil to a boil and deep-fry the dried onions.

You're doing gods work!

[Lemmy]

Oh! This is a cool thread! I hope it gets popular!

You can try goold ol' rice and beans. It's really easy to make and you can heat it up on the microwave. And it goes with pretty much anything.

[WarKitty]

I've been trying to think of good summer options (that aren't peanuts/peanut butter) for 1-dish meals that are meant to be eaten cold.

*Note: I'm not allergic to peanuts. I just plain don't like them.

[Lemmy]

I've been trying to think of good summer options (that aren't peanuts/peanut butter) for 1-dish meals that are meant to be eaten cold.

*Note: I'm not allergic to peanuts. I just plain don't like them.
Do you know/like mayonnaise salad? It's delicious and refreshing! ^^

It's pretty use to make too (most of what I cook is, since I learned it by cooking for myself when living alone).

[WarKitty]

Do you know/like mayonnaise salad? It's delicious and refreshing! ^^

Eh, not really. It tends to taste too much like mayonnaise and not enough like other stuff. I'm also definitely looking for something that has a decent amount of protein as well as veggies.

I'm thinking maybe some of the asian cold noodle with cashews? Or some salady stuff.

[Peelee]

Eh, not really. It tends to taste too much like mayonnaise and not enough like other stuff. I'm also definitely looking for something that has a decent amount of protein as well as veggies.

I'm thinking maybe some of the asian cold noodle with cashews? Or some salady stuff.

That tomato mozarella dish I posted isn't exactly *high* in protein, but the cheese adds a bit and it's a one-dish cold food.

[Lemmy]

Eh, not really. It tends to taste too much like mayonnaise and not enough like other stuff. I'm also definitely looking for something that has a decent amount of protein as well as veggies.

I'm thinking maybe some of the asian cold noodle with cashews? Or some salady stuff.Adding less mayonnaise and a little bit of lemon juice can make it less... Uh... Mayonnaisey.

But if you don't like that... Perhaps a good letuce & carrot salad with buffallo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of sliced turkey breast can be pretty good, either as a dish or as a sandwich.

[Peelee]

Prosciutto is always good and wraps around cylindrical foods well. Cold, tasty protein.

[WarKitty]

That tomato mozarella dish I posted isn't exactly *high* in protein, but the cheese adds a bit and it's a one-dish cold food.

I feel like a good meaty mushroom or some avocado could be added.

[tyckspoon]

I feel like a good meaty mushroom or some avocado could be added.

If you're not looking for full vegetarian it could also be made into a sort of antipasto salad with some cold cuts or cured meats - the aforementioned prosciutto, salamis, pepperonis, etc would all go well, or whatever your preferred lunch meat is. Avocado wouldn't be my preference, but if you like it it should work well with that balsamic glazing.

[WarKitty]

If you're not looking for full vegetarian it could also be made into a sort of antipasto salad with some cold cuts or cured meats - the aforementioned prosciutto, salamis, pepperonis, etc would all go well, or whatever your preferred lunch meat is. Avocado wouldn't be my preference, but if you like it it should work well with that balsamic glazing.

I don't mind, but proscuitto and such tend to be really expensive. Most cured meats that aren't just grease with a bit of meat holding them together tend to be pricey.

[Peelee]

I don't mind, but proscuitto and such tend to be really expensive. Most cured meats that aren't just grease with a bit of meat holding them together tend to be pricey.

Ooooh, another thread where I can shamelessly plug the absolute joy of Restaurant Depot and a mid-range meat slicer! Five point something hock of prosciutto for thirty bucks. It's still not cheap, but it's a huge discount off what I'd pay for sliced and packaged. And don't even get me started on the roast beefs and salamis and capicolas I've gotten. Spareribs for not even a buck a pound! Bonesless skinless chicken thighs for $1.04! It's my version of Disneyland.

[WarKitty]

Ooooh, another thread where I can shamelessly plug the absolute joy of Restaurant Depot and a mid-range meat slicer! Five point something hock of prosciutto for thirty bucks. It's still not cheap, but it's a huge discount off what I'd pay for sliced and packaged. And don't even get me started on the roast beefs and salamis and capicolas I've gotten. Spareribs for not even a buck a pound! Bonesless skinless chicken thighs for $1.04! It's my version of Disneyland.

Yeah, but then you have to buy all that meat, and figure out what to do with it all at once so you don't end up with a fridge full of rotten meat.

For one person bulk buying can be inefficient with anything that can spoil.

[Peelee]

Yeah, but then you have to buy all that meat, and figure out what to do with it all at once so you don't end up with a fridge full of rotten meat.

For one person bulk buying can be inefficient with anything that can spoil.

Yeah, I'm absolutely lucky. My in-laws got us a freezer when we got a house, so we can keep bulk foods in storage. However, cured meats like salami or prosciutto can last a long, long time in a standard fridge.

[2D8HP]

"Salads" with just tomatoes and olives is mighty fine.

Lots of store bought dressings are good, but if you want, make your own with Olive oil, a tiny bit of mustard (preferably the kind where you can still see seeds), and a tinier bit of vinegar (balsamic is good).

[Peelee]

a tiny bit of mustard (preferably the kind where you can still see seeds)

I just say "not yellow" and call it a day.

[Florian]

@WarKitty:

Try to understand the economics of scale. In most cased, it´s actually easier to deal with a fresh vs. microwaved ratio, then going for a one person, one meal scheme.

[AuthorGirl]

(preferably the kind where you can still see seeds)


I just say "not yellow" and call it a day.

Dijon?

I could be wrong, of course.

[Peelee]

Dijon?

Dijon? I believe you mean di-lightful!

[WarKitty]

@WarKitty:

Try to understand the economics of scale. In most cased, it´s actually easier to deal with a fresh vs. microwaved ratio, then going for a one person, one meal scheme.

I'm not necessarily thinking just one person, one meal. But I do know that I get tired of eating the same thing all the time, and that dressing up the same meat in different ways does not alleviate that for me. I've found around here generally to benefit from economies of scale on meat, I have to eat the same meat for pretty much every meal for some time.

[Tvtyrant]

Ooooh, another thread where I can shamelessly plug the absolute joy of Restaurant Depot and a mid-range meat slicer! Five point something hock of prosciutto for thirty bucks. It's still not cheap, but it's a huge discount off what I'd pay for sliced and packaged. And don't even get me started on the roast beefs and salamis and capicolas I've gotten. Spareribs for not even a buck a pound! Bonesless skinless chicken thighs for $1.04! It's my version of Disneyland.

Don't you have to have a restaurant to shop there? It is one of those membership businesses right?

[Peelee]

Don't you have to have a restaurant to shop there? It is one of those membership businesses right?

Membership is free, but you need to show a business license to get the membership, yes. Except at the one in Birmingham, which I heard was a test store for "open to the public" non-membership shopping experience. And, since it's been several years now and they still run with it and let me shop there, I'm wondering if others around the country have followed suit.

Birmingham is weird. This is the second test store I know of for distributor pricing on normally retail-only goods. No clue why they figure Birmingham is a good test market, but I ain't complaining.

[Honest Tiefling]

I don't mind, but proscuitto and such tend to be really expensive. Most cured meats that aren't just grease with a bit of meat holding them together tend to be pricey.

I don't know if this will knock it into your price range, but I have seen fancier cuts of fish and meat be on discount if you don't mind the weird looking end bits. It'll make it harder to wrap the stuff, but you could toss it into a salad or the like. I would seriously consider asking some local butchers or delis if they do anything like that.

Thanks for the arugula suggestion, I'll try that. Might also try some spinach salad.


Birmingham is weird. This is the second test store I know of for distributor pricing on normally retail-only goods. No clue why they figure Birmingham is a good test market, but I ain't complaining.

Probably not the reason, but I could see college students going to a cheap restaurant supply to buy in bulk, but that's mostly because it amuses me.

[Peelee]

Well how's that for a coincidence? My mom invited me over for dinner with my visiting relatives, and they made kaesespaetzle!

http://i.imgur.com/s6pSZRs.jpg

Honestly, they make it way better than I. The spaetzle is firmer and the cheese is stringier. Just delightful!

[Honest Tiefling]

Honestly, they make it way better than I. The spaetzle is firmer and the cheese is stringier. Just delightful!

I dunno about anyone else, but anything involving cheese isn't going to make me loose weight and I see nary a vegetable on that plate.

[Peelee]

I dunno about anyone else, but anything involving cheese isn't going to make me loose weight and I see nary a vegetable on that plate.



Not Keto here, but I need to eat more vegetables. What the heck is...That word?

So, short version is it's Austrian mac and cheese.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that you shouldn't have been surprised.

[Tvtyrant]

Howd you like it?

I haven't gotten to cook anything since then, some health stuff has come up.

[Rynjin]

I've been enamored of Paprikash over the last year, mostly pork. It's quite good. Think I'll do chicken next time.

[Florian]

I'm not necessarily thinking just one person, one meal. But I do know that I get tired of eating the same thing all the time, and that dressing up the same meat in different ways does not alleviate that for me. I've found around here generally to benefit from economies of scale on meat, I have to eat the same meat for pretty much every meal for some time.

Sorry, I phrased that a bit awkwardly.

What I meant is to look at how some cuisines, like India, handle that, by mostly using base sauces and switching out the meat and sides. I find it generally easy to cook up a large batch of dashi stock, curry, masala or tomato sauce and then freeze that for later, using an ice cubes form for easy portions.

On the other hand, a local supermarket chain runs the very helpful 10+3 column. That always features 10 things you generally should have at home and features recipes that only need you to buy up to three things in addition. While the recipes are nice, the really great thing about this column is that it showcases what foodstuff we really consume en masse and which articles are worth buying in bulk when possible. Why buy a small net of onions and a half liter bottle of olive oil, when what you really need is the 10kg sack and the 5 liter canister?

@Cooking

Ok, it´s asparagus time and a surefire way to get murdered in cold blood is to get between a german and a meal of white asparagus.

So, prepare and cook 1kg of white asparagus in sugared and salted water for 20 minutes. Cook 2 medium-size eggs to medium for 6 minutes. Cut one spring onion in thin lozenges, cut 4 radishes (the small red ones) into thin sticks. Prepare a dressing of honey, olive oil and white wine vinegar, marinate the still warm asparagus for at least 10 minutes and let cool. Serve on two plates, top with the spring onions and radishes, peeled and halved eggs, picked leaves of one pot of basil, add sea salt and ground black pepper.

[Algeh]

I don't know if this will knock it into your price range, but I have seen fancier cuts of fish and meat be on discount if you don't mind the weird looking end bits. It'll make it harder to wrap the stuff, but you could toss it into a salad or the like. I would seriously consider asking some local butchers or delis if they do anything like that.


Back when I ate meat, I also found canned salmon to be pretty cheap if you don't mind the bones (I kind of did, and decided it was worth it to switch back to cooking proper fillets, but I also live in a place where decent local salmon isn't that pricey in season). I used to make a lot of salmon ceasar salads back when I ate meat. I'd cook up salmon fillets and serve them whole as a main course one night, then serve the leftovers cold and in pieces as an entree salad the next night.

I also used to get a lot of meat by learning which stores had "reduced for quick sale" sections and always checking those first when trying to figure out what's for dinner, then planning my meal for that night around whatever I found if there was something in there that gave me an idea. (I also used to freeze a lot of my finds if they had multiple packages that looked promising.) Since the local discount/clearance/overstock grocery store is also inexplicably the best place to find a good selection of good bottled/canned local craft beers (sadly, not at a particularly good discount), I still tend to check out what cheeses and things they have extra of in case it's something I want add to my diet for a while. (They are also one of my favorite places to stop and buy random things if I'm supposed to take food to a large party and don't have time to cook something, since I can just pick up whatever is cheap and looks good even if it's not something I'm a particular fan of. There is often cheap close-to-date fancy cheese of some kind, and people are generally pretty happy to see fancy cheese show up at a potluck in quantity.)

[zuberitalal]

That sounds sp tempting. Why don't you post a picture of what you cooked? And i agree a thread for cooking should be here.

[Florian]

This one is a real easy and basic approach to eating more vegetables: Pasta with grilled vegetables.

Pick some vegetables that are basically available all year. I tend towards carrots, onion, red and yellow paprika, zucchini, sweet potato and spring onions. Wash, dry, peel and cut into more or less equal slices or lozenges, mix with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Oven, grill or bbq smoker, doesn't matter, just do it. Mix with twice the amount of broad flat pasta, like fettuccini, add some pressed garlic, thin slices of chili and, if possible, dress with pumpkin seed oil and parmigiana.

[Lemmy]

I was really hoping to make it soon so I could have pictures, but alas.

So, short version is it's Austrian mac and cheese. German is a cool language; if you ever see a long word, it's most likely several words combined. In this case it's Kaese (kay-zeh, cheese) and spaetzle (spech-leh, ....uhhh, dumplings? It's not really translateable, it's just what that dish is called).

So, the good news is that spaetzle it's super easy to make. The bad news is to make spaetzle, you need a spaetzle maker (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0773VMF3X/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526951740&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65). For reals. I normally hate single-use gadgets, but I grew up with this stuff so it's worth it to me. If you have a pizza pan, you can use that in a pinch (but carefully, the actual maker is sized for standard pots). They also make fancier spaetzle makers (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KWYC2TU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526951740&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=spaetzle+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=51WqbzZwObL&ref=plSrch), but those are messier and more annoying to clean. Speaking from experience. I had to have the fancy one. That was a mistake.

Anyway. Boil water in a pot, and in a second deep pan, melt butter and saute onions over low heat. You can do that in the pot later for fewer dishes, I just like low and slow onions. Anyway, you got 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups flour, and 4 eggs (if you want more of less, just keep the ratio. I use those numbers for three people). You make a batter, drop it in boiling water via the spaetzle maker, and stir so it all solidifies but stays separate. Dump it in a strainer, then dump it in the buttered onions that will now practically melt in your mouth. Add shredded cheese, stir it around, and you're set.

Austrian restaurants top it with fried green onion, IIRC. If I knew how to do that, I absolutely would, because oh my god it's amazing.
So... I finally got home after more than two weeks away. And turns out we have a spatzle maker here (although neither I nor my father know where it came from), so I'll probably try this recipe at some point in the near future. :)

[Peelee]

So... I finally got home after more than two weeks away. And turns out we have a spatzle maker here (although neither I nor my father know where it came from), so I'll probably try this recipe at some point in the near future. :)

Hooray! Florian posted some good advice for making it better, and in the US the best cheeses to go with it are Mexican blend and mozzarella. Just my opinion on that, of course, but those make it fantastic.

Also, I choose to believe it manifested itself to add joy to your life.

[WarKitty]

I have decided to explore the idea of cold soups. It looks like there are a lot of yogurt-based ones out there that might be tasty on a hot summer afternoon.

[Beleriphon]

I've the same problem. I've kinda come to terms with salads, broccoli, and spinach. My problem is that 4 days of the week I'm eating lunch at work, so anything I make needs to be able to either keep for a good four hours or hold up to being microwaved. Usually this means that anytime I cook veggies beforehand they'll end up ridiculously overcooked.

If anyone knows any good veggie preparations that could hold up to some time in a microwave, I'd be grateful.

Raw works. I'm fond of veggie stews, there are some very tasty Indian potato dishes that work well as decent lunch. I'm fond of hummus myself since its dead easy to make, assuming you have a food processor or something to spin up the tahini into a cream.

[Tvtyrant]

I have decided to explore the idea of cold soups. It looks like there are a lot of yogurt-based ones out there that might be tasty on a hot summer afternoon.

The idea seems really odd to me.

When you make soup what is your ratio of edible stuff to broth?

[Onyx]

Prosciutto is always good and wraps around cylindrical foods well. Cold, tasty protein.

I agree with you. :)

[WarKitty]

The idea seems really odd to me.

When you make soup what is your ratio of edible stuff to broth?

Varies a lot depending on the soup. Generally, the thicker the broth though the less stuff you need.

[Tvtyrant]

Varies a lot depending on the soup. Generally, the thicker the broth though the less stuff you need.

That makes sense. I pretty much always make either beef stew or chicken soup, the former heavy on cream and the latter heavy on veggies.

How did the cold soup turn out?

[WarKitty]

That makes sense. I pretty much always make either beef stew or chicken soup, the former heavy on cream and the latter heavy on veggies.

How did the cold soup turn out?

So it turns out that, one, I really hate cleaning my kitchen, and two, it's kind of chilly again at night.

Right now I have a broke american take on japanese moon viewing soup. Ingredients:

Broth: Miso paste, some sort of "I can't believe it's not bouillon" veggie gel, hoisin, assorted chopped alliums, rice vinegar.

Add udon noodles. Boil 3-4min. Crack an egg into a cup. Add to pot, boil for another 2min. Put egg in bowl with slotted spoon. Put noodles over egg. Pour broth into bowl. Consume contents with fork. Drink broth.

[Eldan]

If you want Keto-friendly and summery, try making your own Gazpacho.

Start with 1 kg of tomatoes. The better the tomatoes, the better the result, I recommend decent canned tomatoes over bad fresh ones. Dice them. Add a whole diced cucumber, an onion, some garlic, about a cup of soup stock, salt and pepper, a bit of vinegar and olive oil and blend it all together into paste. For taste, add any fresh herbs you might have around (I've done basil, oregano, rosemary. Coriander is probably the one I like most) and some chili pepper.

[Eldan]

Good! Nice to hear you enjoyed it.

Now comes the interesting part. In a week or two, make it again, but experiment. Add a few unusual things.

[Eldan]

Probably not the reason, but I could see college students going to a cheap restaurant supply to buy in bulk, but that's mostly because it amuses me.

Near where my parents live, there's a store that's both a factory outlet for a cannery and sells some foods in bulk. You get slightly dented or badly labelled cans for basically nothing, plus stuff like 20kg bags of rice, pasta and frozen vegetables.

That got me through university.

Oh, and speaking of Spätzle, there's tons of recipes for them. Here's what they look like without the cheese:
https://static.chefkoch-cdn.de/ck.de/rezepte/115/115139/892356-420x280-fix-spaetzle.jpg
Basically, you can do anything to them that you also could pasta, and they are also good fried in a pan with some vegetables. Not remotely low-carb, though, so I haven't had any in years.

http://www.spaetzlewunder.de/media/wysiwyg/Blog/spaetzle-wok.jpg

As for the cheesy variants, I'd at the very least add some onion to that. And probably some cabbage or similar.

[Peelee]

As for the cheesy variants, I'd at the very least add some onion to that. And probably some cabbage or similar.

Boil water in a pot, and in a second deep pan, melt butter and saute onions over low heat.
[snip]
Dump it in a strainer, then dump it in the buttered onions that will now practically melt in your mouth.

Talkin to me about puttin' onions in, I put onions in dang near everything I make. [/mumbling rant]

[WarKitty]

So I'm going to need suggestions for fairly frugal, portable breakfast food. Think eat-at-your-desk food. No utensils allowed.

[Tvtyrant]

So I'm going to need suggestions for fairly frugal, portable breakfast food. Think eat-at-your-desk food. No utensils allowed.
Things in bread seem pretty decent. How much cooking time after work are you thinking?

Because things in dumplings tend to be tasty and hand edible, as do things in wraps.

Also cheese/fruit/veggie platter of some sort.

[WarKitty]

Things in bread seem pretty decent. How much cooking time after work are you thinking?

Because things in dumplings tend to be tasty and hand edible, as do things in wraps.

Also cheese/fruit/veggie platter of some sort.

I should have added, that also means "nothing that needs a plate under it." Would also need to be ok to be cooked in batches, and not require heating.

[Tvtyrant]

I should have added, that also means "nothing that needs a plate under it." Would also need to be ok to be cooked in batches, and not require heating.

Without plates? Sounds like healthy options are nuts, celery, cheese (cut into bite size cubes), carrots, etc. Nuts for protein, cheese for fat, veggies as filler/vitamins, crackers or croutons if you want carbs. Can you have the food in a bag between knees/under the desk?

Basically homemade trail mix is probably your best bet.

[Peelee]

No utensils, no plates, no heating, bulk prep ideal....

Cereal in a ziploc bag? Blueberry Morning is actually pretty great for this (in as much as cereal can be called "great" for this, of course), but it tends to be sold in smaller boxes and for a higher price than most other cereals. I've been wielding the torch and pitchfork about this for a while now, because it's a really good cereal.

[WarKitty]

Without plates? Sounds like healthy options are nuts, celery, cheese (cut into bite size cubes), carrots, etc. Nuts for protein, cheese for fat, veggies as filler/vitamins, crackers or croutons if you want carbs. Can you have the food in a bag between knees/under the desk?

Basically homemade trail mix is probably your best bet.

I tend to find most of that stuff to be not very filling? Don't know if I could pinpoint why exactly.

I'm wondering if some sort of pastry could be made? I used to stuff blue cheese into wonton wrappers and eat them cold. There must be other things that fall into the "stuff in bread" category.


No utensils, no plates, no heating, bulk prep ideal....

Cereal in a ziploc bag? Blueberry Morning is actually pretty great for this (in as much as cereal can be called "great" for this, of course), but it tends to be sold in smaller boxes and for a higher price than most other cereals. I've been wielding the torch and pitchfork about this for a while now, because it's a really good cereal.

To be fair...if I was going to do that, I probably could just fill a bag with oats. I would totally eat that.

[Peelee]

I tend to find most of that stuff to be not very filling? Don't know if I could pinpoint why exactly.

I'm wondering if some sort of pastry could be made? I used to stuff blue cheese into wonton wrappers and eat them cold. There must be other things that fall into the "stuff in bread" category.



To be fair...if I was going to do that, I probably could just fill a bag with oats. I would totally eat that.

I'm not faulting you for the requirements, I'm just saying the options with those restrictions are pretty dang limited. I do very much hope someone can come up with a better idea.

[WarKitty]

I'm not faulting you for the requirements, I'm just saying the options with those restrictions are pretty dang limited. I do very much hope someone can come up with a better idea.

Didn't think you were! ;)

But yeah, some idiots at work were chewing on the phone, or eating at their desks and leaving a big mess. So we all got hit with restrictions.

[2D8HP]

So I'm going to need suggestions for fairly frugal, portable breakfast food. Think eat-at-your-desk food. No utensils allowed.


I should have added, that also means "nothing that needs a plate under it." Would also need to be ok to be cooked in batches, and not require heating.


Pierogi (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi)'s in tupperware.

[WarKitty]

Pierogi (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi)'s in tupperware.

Ah, the "stuff in bread" has materialized!

[Tvtyrant]

Ah, the "stuff in bread" has materialized!

That is basically what I was thinking of.

https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/chinese-steamed-dumplings/82ca9c72-6c14-423f-ab57-01f82b1c9c64

[WarKitty]

I feel like the filled dumpling is a fairly universal idea.

[2D8HP]

I feel like the filled dumpling is a fairly universal idea.


I get 'em from Grocery Outlet (cheaper) or Trader Joe's (more likely to be on the shelf).

Pan + oil + heat, then refrigerate, stick in tupperware, put in bag, reach in and eat.

Nuts are also good.

[Peelee]

Cold bao? I dunno about that.

Also, huh, apparently there's a movie called Bao?

[2D8HP]

Cold bao? I dunno about that...


Better hot, but at work that's precious seconds waiting to use and for the microwave, if you even have one.

Pesto and pierogi's are pretty good together, hot or cold.

Cornish pasties and Indian samosa's are similar as are the Chinese dumplings upthread.

[WarKitty]

I'm in a call center. Eating isn't really allowed at all, but it's generally overlooked as long as you don't make a mess and don't make chewing sounds on the phone (easier for specialists like me that also have non-phone tasks). But getting up from your desk to heat food up is definitely not allowed.

[Hazyshade]

Carrot sticks, celery sticks, crab sticks, bread sticks. Peanuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes. Also protein shake. And raw chillies, because endorphins! And drinking yogurt, because raw chillies.

[Florian]

So I'm going to need suggestions for fairly frugal, portable breakfast food. Think eat-at-your-desk food. No utensils allowed.

I think the restrictions are less of a problem than what you still would consider to be "breakfast". Ok, the bulk thing might be a hindrance when it comes to fresh stuff....

Personally, I actually do like hot soup and summer rolls for breakfast.

Speaking about summer rolls: Do you know the german version of pancakes (Google Palatschinken)? That's basically a sweet and milk-based wrap and we usually fill it with fresh curd and marmalade and roll it up. Add some fruit and nuts and you've got a handy breakfast. As a side note: Palatschinken are made in bulk and frozen. We also cut them into thin slices and use them with chicken soup.

[WarKitty]

I'm pretty flexible on what I consider breakfast, but it generally involves some form of carb. Some kind of protein or fat is preferred, as veggie or fruit bases tend to leave me starving by lunchtime.

[Eldan]

You could try making smoothies? If you put them in a bottle, that has the advantage of counting as a drink, not needing extra cutlery and not producing any chewing sounds.

[Rynjin]

I'm pretty flexible on what I consider breakfast, but it generally involves some form of carb. Some kind of protein or fat is preferred, as veggie or fruit bases tend to leave me starving by lunchtime.

Cold cuts and cheese sticks tend to be decent no matter what meal you're eating them for. Add some crackers and you have a meal you'll probably get tired of real quick, but it's cheap and easy.

You can also make quick homemade pastries with biscuit dough or (if you're really in a pinch) bread slices. Put whatever you want in them, seal them with something sticky if you're using slices (what depends on the type of filling; could be anything from peanut butter to mayo) and give them a quick pan toss. Just use stuff that tastes good once it cools and you have some 5-10 minute hand pies.

You could also always try just eating before you leave for work, depending on how you can finagle your time constraints. Then you can just eat whatever you want.

[Florian]

I'm pretty flexible on what I consider breakfast, but it generally involves some form of carb. Some kind of protein or fat is preferred, as veggie or fruit bases tend to leave me starving by lunchtime.

Have you considered getting one of those thermo-isolated bento boxes? The isolated box is pretty good for soup, whether hot or cold (think Gazpacho) and there's some pretty drinkable noodles around, like those greek Kritharaki (rice corn-sized noodles), to avoid chewing noises. While working in Vietnam, I've actually come to appreciate a good Pho Bo for breakfast.

Personally, I´d go with the roll/wrap route. So maybe get some of those rice paper wraps, make a "breakfast version" of Nasi Goreng (sushi rice, diced hard-boiled egg, sliced cured ham, carrot, spring onion, roasted peanut, a small bit of parsnip) and make relatively small, bite-sized "rolls", so you don't make a mess at work.

[Tvtyrant]

Soup seems to be the most hit or miss food for me. I made vegetable soup for lunch today with sliced peppers, onions, leeks, celery, carrots, baby tomatoes and cabbage, and what I though was a decent amount of seasoning including cayenne pepper and ginger. I had doused the water with a lot of salt before hand, ended up tasting almost salt free and I had to pour a fistfull on each bowl to get it to taste right.


I'm 2/2 on soup, half of them turn out well and the other half turn out badly.

[Arutema]

So it looks like I may need to eat a chicken and rice diet for a while.

Any ideas for keeping that diet varied and flavorful without introducing any potential allergens?

[Razade]

So it looks like I may need to eat a chicken and rice diet for a while.

Any ideas for keeping that diet varied and flavorful without introducing any potential allergens?

Any potential allergen? You mean just in food? Because you can be allergic to pretty much anything. The big 8 are eggs, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, shellfish, fish and wheat. I can give some recipes that avoid all of those though I'm curious how exacting your ban on...well literally anything is.

4 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- - - -
4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
------
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lime wedges (for serving)

Pretty simple recipe. Mix all the above the line stuff into a food processor and blend until smooth. Should be a nice paste. You can use onion if you can't find shallot. Pound the chicken out, throw it into a bag and toss with the sauce. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so. Then heat the oil in a skillet and cook. Six to eight minutes on one side and two to three on the other or until they're done.

[farothel]

I have a nice recipe for banana soup (well, tomato soup actually, but you add some bananas to sweeten it). It's very simple to do.

serves: 6

500g tomatoes (canned ones are preferable)
2 bananas (not to ripe)
4 chicken stock cubes (not sure the translation to english is right here)
1 tea spoon of curry powder
1.5 L of water
125 cl of cream (optional)
50g of butter
60g of flour

Heat the butter and when melted, mix the flour into it. add the water and then add the tomatoes, the bananas (cut in large chunks) and the stock cubes. Bring to boil and let boil for a couple of minutes. Then add the curry powder and mix until you get a creamy texture.

Right before serving you can add the cream if you want, but this is optional.

[Florian]

I'm 2/2 on soup, half of them turn out well and the other half turn out badly.

Practical tips: For soups, you want clean cooking water to cook out the flavor of the ingredients. That has to do with specific density, yadda-yadda. You add seasoning like 2 minutes before cooking ends and salt 2 minutes after cooking ended. Reasoning is that most herbs, soy sauce, etc., loose their "punch" when you cook them longer than that, while any kind of salt early on will stifle the transfer of flavor due to the changed density.

@Arutema:

Sorry, "any allergens" is a bit too broad, bordering on next too impossible.

[WarKitty]

So it looks like I may need to eat a chicken and rice diet for a while.

Any ideas for keeping that diet varied and flavorful without introducing any potential allergens?

Most spices are probably going to be ok. You can also experiment with marinades.

I've thought about something like this as well - it's apparently recommended to people with certain digestive problems. The idea is that you cut out as much as you can for a while, and if your stomach problems go away, you start reintroducing the stuff that you cut out one category at a time.

I'd look for spice rubs to start. Most acids are also going to be ok - anything involving lemon or vinegar.

[candys]

I'm going to try new recipe of roast chicken with sweet potatoes today

[Lemmy]

This week I made beef stroganoff and stuffed bell pepper. Stroganoff is possibly my favorite food and super easy to make (although there are more complex recipes if you want to get fancy. Personally, most of what I knwo, I learned from the "what can a poor college student cook while living by himself?" cooking school). Stuffed Bell pepper (with minced meat filling) is also delicious and quite simple.

Both dishes were approved by my father, my niece, my nephew and myself.

Tomorrow it's chicken pie!

[Tvtyrant]

This week I made beef stroganoff and stuffed bell pepper. Stroganoff is possibly my favorite food and super easy to make (although there are more complex recipes if you want to get fancy. Personally, most of what I knwo, I learned from the "what can a poor college student cook while living by himself?" cooking school). Stuffed Bell pepper (with minced meat filling) is also delicious and quite simple.

Both dishes were approved by my father, my niece, my nephew and myself.

Tomorrow it's chicken pie!

Stroganoff is delicious! What recipe did you use?

[Peelee]

This week I made beef stroganoff and stuffed bell pepper. Stroganoff is possibly my favorite food and super easy to make

Oh man, I love me some stroganoff. I was making it once without checking to make sure I had everything, and didn't have cream of mushroom soup. So I poured in some worcestershire, powdered beef broth, mushrooms, and cream, and stirred it up. Turned out even better.

Also, if you have an Aldi's in the area, they have 1lb packs of carne asada. It makes the best stroganoff meat. Can't find it anywhere else, and it's one of the things my wife won't let me get from Restaurant Depot.

ETA:
Stroganoff is delicious! What recipe did you use?

I toss the carne asada and some diced onions into a large, high-sided skillet and let it cook. When it's near done, I toss in a tablespoon of powdered beef broth, a teaspoon of paprika, a few tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, and mushrooms. Let the mushrooms cook up for maybe 8 or ten minutes, then add heavy cream (I just pour in enough until it's a color I like, and then taste test it to be sure) and egg noodles. Cover and let it cook on medium to low for about ten more minutes, stirring every so often. At this point you're just getting the noodles al dente. Serve up when done.

Putting the noodles in with the rest of it really lets them soak up the flavor, but it's cool to cook them separately, dish em, and then pour the stroganoff over the noodles, if you want. I just love them cooked with the stroganoff. I also saute diced onions in the vast majority of things I make. Feel free to skip that if you want.

[Lemmy]

Stroganoff is delicious! What recipe did you use?
This time I used fresh mushrooms, worcestershire sauce, table cream, a little bit of beef broth and white wine... There really isn't much to it. Slice the beef in small cubes and throw some black pepper on top of it... Then cook mushrooms, onions and garlic with a little bit of butter until the onion is tender. After that, add the beef cubes, worcestershire sauce, cream, broth and a little bit of wine and stir until the meat cubes are nice and juicy! Add salt to your taste. I made it a bit too spicy for most people's tastes, but that's because both my father and me love spicy food. For my niece and nephew I had to make a "spiceless" version, though... Those uncultured piglets... :smallcool:

This is the "I can actually afford real food" version, of course... When I was in college, instead of broth and wine, I just added ketchup (the least sugary I could find) and mustard to the table cream and worcestershire sauce! If i was lucky, I'd have mushrooms too! It's not quite the same thing, of course, but when you live alone in a tiny, tiny apartment in a foreign land, counting every penny you spend, it's a freaking feast! :smallbiggrin:

Now, here in Brazil we eat stroganoff with rice and... uh... straw potato (?). I have no idea what's the word in English for this (https://www.inglesnosupermercado.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/batata-palha-shoestring-potatoes.jpg).

[Peelee]

This is the "I can actually afford real food" version, of course... When I was in college, instead of broth and wine, I just added ketchup (the least sugary I could find) and mustard to the table cream and worcestershire sauce! If i was lucky, I'd have mushrooms too! It's not quite the same thing, of course, but when you live alone in a tiny, tiny apartment in a foreign land, counting every penny you spend, it's a freaking feast! :smallbiggrin:Dang, my cheap version was cream of mushroom soup and worcestershire sauce!

Now, here in Brazil we eat stroganoff with rice and... uh... straw potato (?). I have no idea what's the word in English for this (https://www.inglesnosupermercado.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/batata-palha-shoestring-potatoes.jpg).

....I've never encountered those before. I'm intrigued.

[Lemmy]

I don't know if you guys would like this... But I made stuffed bell pepper with minced meat as well. And one more time, my father and I loved it (admittedly, our palates aren't particularly refined or hard to please. If it has good (rare/medium-rare) meat, we will probably enjoy it! :smallbiggrin:).

Anyway, this a good dish to make once in a while to break the routine (assuming you like meat and bell peppers, of course).

It requires:


- 1 Bell Pepper (Yellow is my favorite. Red is second best.)
- About 225 g (0.5 lb) of minced meat/ground beef
- 75 ml (2.5 oz) of tomato sauce
- 1 egg
- black pepper & salt to your taste.
- half a chopped onion (actually, it's probably less) (I particularly liked red onions, but that's just me)
- a tablespoon of chopped garlic.
- olive oil


Not necessary but may add a nice touch, if you like it:


- chopped carrot
- olives
- palm heart
- grated cheese
- small bacon bits
- mushrooms
- other seasonings you might like


Now... Pre-heat your oven at 180 C (356 F).

While it's heating up, take your bell pepper and cut it perpendicular to is length about an inch below its top, leaving a "lid" out. Completely remove the bell pepper's core, where the seeds are. Also, take the "lid" and remove and discard the green part and whatever few seeds it may have. The rest of the lid you chop in tiny bits and keep them and the rest of the bell pepper aside for now.

First, let an egg boil for 8 to 10 minutes. While it's boiling, take a small cooking pot, add a couple strings of olive oil, the chopped onion and garlic. Cook and stir them until the onion is tender and mostly transparent/crispy. At that point, add your minced meat/ground beef, and cook and stir it until all of it is a brown and for about a minute after that. Should take around 10 minutes, IIRC, so once that's done, your egg probably boiled long enough. Remove the boiled egg from its shell, cut it in 8 small parts and add it, the tomato sauce, and the chopped bits of the bell pepper's "lid" (as well as any of the optional ingredients you like, I suggest olives) to the pan with the minced meat/ground beef and mix and stir it well on low fire for a couple minutes. Add salt and black pepper to your taste (I once added jalapeños).

Pour the resulting meat and broth inside the bell pepper, take it to your oven and leave it there for 35 min. You may want to leave it a little longer if you prefer the bell pepper to be a little bit crispier.

Take it, out and voilà! A tasty, nutritional, filling meal that is relatively cheap and super easy to make.

It should look something like this:

https://img.cybercook.uol.com.br/imagens/receitas/892/pimentao-recheado-1.jpg?w=583&h=350&fit=max

(they use tooth picks to keep the "lid" in place... But I prefer to just chop it and add it to the meat).

Mine doesn't look that good, but it tastes great! :smallbiggrin:

http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s509/JoranRlz/ZZZ/Pimentatildeo%20Recheado_zpsduv4p0ju.jpg

[Lemmy]

Dang, my cheap version was cream of mushroom soup and worcestershire sauce!
Well, it probably depends on whether mushroom soup is cheaper than ketchup and mustard where you live. I used ketchup and mustard because it was cheaper and easier to find where I lived, and I probably already had it in my fridge anyway. And it allowed me to add more of one or another based on whether I wanted it "sweeter" or "spicier". I usually ended up adding more mustard and worcestershire sauce than ketchup.


....I've never encountered those before. I'm intrigued.
They taste like... Little strips of potato chips or really thin french fries, so I guess you could possibly use those. I think some places call them "shoestring fries", but I'm not sure they are the same thing. :smallconfused:

- - -

EDIT: On an unrelated note, next week my sister will try and teach me how to make "spätzle" or whatever it's called... Let's see how that goes! :smallbiggrin:

[Honest Tiefling]

So it looks like I may need to eat a chicken and rice diet for a while.

Any ideas for keeping that diet varied and flavorful without introducing any potential allergens?

This...Isn't possible. Remember, people can be allergic/intolerant of ANYTHING. I've met a person allergic to cow's milk FAT, and another to cow's milk PROTEIN. Why? Hell if I know.

I know I'm a bit late, but if you are doing what I think you are doing, I can give some advice on an elimination diet if you still haven't found the culprit.

[Peelee]

This...Isn't possible. Remember, people can be allergic/intolerant of ANYTHING. I've met a person allergic to cow's milk FAT, and another to cow's milk PROTEIN. Why? Hell if I know.

I know I'm a bit late, but if you are doing what I think you are doing, I can give some advice on an elimination diet if you still haven't found the culprit.

Significantly more rare, but there are some people who are allergic to water and heat. Hopefully not both.

[Honest Tiefling]

Significantly more rare, but there are some people who are allergic to water and heat. Hopefully not both.

'Heat Allergy' is more caused by your immune system freaking out because of your sweat which...Probably doesn't actually disprove your point. 'What is this!? A natural bodily function!? Better attack it!'

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Significantly more rare, but there are some people who are allergic to water and heat. Hopefully not both.

Similarly, some people are allergic to regular air (specifically, to mites that live on the dust suspended in the air). As with any allergy, severity of the reaction can vary from "occasionally you get a runny itchy nose" to "you have to live in a bubble of constantly filtered air".

GW

[candys]

Recently I found great recipe of wild rice pilaf with pecans and dried cranberries.
Recipe is easy:
Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice, and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender and starting to burst, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. While rice cooks, arrange pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool. Coarsely chop pecans. Then add toasted pecans, cranberries, raisins, and parsley to rice. Season with salt and pepper.
Taste delicious and it's healthy. I started taking it in food containers from here https://allinpackaging.co.uk/ even to work. I need to lose some weight and I think that's the best way to get rid of few pounds.
https://assets.marthastewart.com/styles/wmax-300/d25/md105195_1109_rice1_117_l/md105195_1109_rice1_117_l_hd.jpg?itok=Utj9ZjZp

[WarKitty]

I have hit on what I call "broke soup."

Boil dried fungus (asian store), chopped onion, and some minced garlic in about a cup of broth. I use a mix of miso and low-sodium vegetable. When the fungus is tender, bring it up to a full rolling boil and briskly whisk in an egg. Remove from heat; add hoisin or stir-fry sauce and rice vinegar to taste. Serve immediately.

[Tvtyrant]

I have hit on what I call "broke soup."

Boil dried fungus (asian store), chopped onion, and some minced garlic in about a cup of broth. I use a mix of miso and low-sodium vegetable. When the fungus is tender, bring it up to a full rolling boil and briskly whisk in an egg. Remove from heat; add hoisin or stir-fry sauce and rice vinegar to taste. Serve immediately.

What does dried fungus taste like??

That is a very simple soup though, sounds like a good way to make a light meal :)

[WarKitty]

What does dried fungus taste like??

That is a very simple soup though, sounds like a good way to make a light meal :)

It's literally called black fungus, or cloud ear fungus. It's kind of a mushroomy taste, but has a firm, chewy texture.

You know if you order chinese food out, it'll sometimes have long black strips that are sorta chewy and sorta slimy? That's black fungus. Only it's a lot tastier when you don't leave it under warmers for ages.

You can put other veggies in too, but I find that the advantage of onions is that they last forever, even cut, and are very cheap.

[Tvtyrant]

It's literally called black fungus, or cloud ear fungus. It's kind of a mushroomy taste, but has a firm, chewy texture.

You know if you order chinese food out, it'll sometimes have long black strips that are sorta chewy and sorta slimy? That's black fungus. Only it's a lot tastier when you don't leave it under warmers for ages.

You can put other veggies in too, but I find that the advantage of onions is that they last forever, even cut, and are very cheap.

I find myself liking all of the foods my Dad liked and I hated as a kid. Onions, bell peppers, garlic, cayenne, it is quite interesting.

[bbgun06]

So it looks like I may need to eat a chicken and rice diet for a while.

Any ideas for keeping that diet varied and flavorful without introducing any potential allergens?

Do you suspect that you might have food allergies? If so, you should probably get tested by an allergist. Otherwise just buy a bunch of herbs, spices, and sauces and use a different combination every time. And some multivitamins, if you can't eat vegetables.

[WarKitty]

Do you suspect that you might have food allergies? If so, you should probably get tested by an allergist. Otherwise just buy a bunch of herbs, spices, and sauces and use a different combination every time. And some multivitamins, if you can't eat vegetables.

Depending on what exactly it is (especially given that many people refer to non-allergic sensitivities as allergies because no one seems to know what a "non-allergic sensitivity" is), that is the test. You stop eating all potential problem foods for a while; if you feel better you start reintroducing the eliminated foods one at a time.

[Honest Tiefling]

Do you suspect that you might have food allergies? If so, you should probably get tested by an allergist. Otherwise just buy a bunch of herbs, spices, and sauces and use a different combination every time. And some multivitamins, if you can't eat vegetables.

1) Elimination diets are often preferred as a preliminary test, especially if the patient can't be seen immediately. Administering multiple allergy tests at once isn't always a good idea, and there are multitudes of things people can be allergic to. You probably can't just stick someone with needles and test everything, since there is probably a limit on the number of tests you can do at once. I had a test a while back, and it caused my whole arm to get itchy. So if that happens well, good luck figuring out which one did it.

2) It takes roughly three days for the body to get rid of whatever was bothering it (and that's a pretty inaccurate estimate), if it was a digestive thing. Sauces can include multiple (including our pals, wheat soy, dairy, and seafood, which are among the top 8 allergens) sources, so adding them back in randomly will make the process take longer as it'll take a few days to recover, THEN add in one ingredient of the sauce at a time. I can speak from experience, don't do this, go slowly. Add one at a time, or you'll risk just getting sick without useful information.

3) 'Vegetables' is not how you do an elimination diet. It would be easier to select one or two vegetables and introduce a variety later. Eggplant has high levels of the histamine protein, and others like onions and garlic can be linked to other digestive issues.

[WarKitty]

1) Elimination diets are often preferred as a preliminary test, especially if the patient can't be seen immediately. Administering multiple allergy tests at once isn't always a good idea, and there are multitudes of things people can be allergic to. You probably can't just stick someone with needles and test everything, since there is probably a limit on the number of tests you can do at once. I had a test a while back, and it caused my whole arm to get itchy. So if that happens well, good luck figuring out which one did it.

There are also a lot of varying food sensitivities that are not, strictly speaking, allergies. Missing digestive enzymes, for example, won't pop up on an allergy test, but could still case some problems if the person is eating foods that they can't digest.

[Honest Tiefling]

There are also a lot of varying food sensitivities that are not, strictly speaking, allergies. Missing digestive enzymes, for example, won't pop up on an allergy test, but could still case some problems if the person is eating foods that they can't digest.

Lactose tolerance and celiac are two good examples of this, especially since the latter can carry bad health risks if not treated ASAP. Getting results back from a doctor won't take THAT long, but if you're testing for everything and anything under the sun...Well, good luck with that and I hope you are in a country with subsidized health care.

I mean, the former probably isn't fun, but at worst you're crop dusting the place.

[WarKitty]

Lactose tolerance and celiac are two good examples of this, especially since the latter can carry bad health risks if not treated ASAP. Getting results back from a doctor won't take THAT long, but if you're testing for everything and anything under the sun...Well, good luck with that and I hope you are in a country with subsidized health care.

I mean, the former probably isn't fun, but at worst you're crop dusting the place.

Yeah - and there are other intolerances where there is no biomarker test. If you feel better when you stop eating the food, then they diagnose you with an intolerance to that food.

[Honest Tiefling]

Yeah - and there are other intolerances where there is no biomarker test. If you feel better when you stop eating the food, then they diagnose you with an intolerance to that food.

I get the feeling you've also had multiple food intolerances. Through on the other hand, I can really see the argument for just labelling that, since yanno...They can't actually redirect funds for research into 'it made my tummy hurt' when you can just not eat the food or run a bunch of expensive and time consuming tests to say 'yes, this will make your tummy hurt'.

Then again, I'm at the point where I no longer try to go to the doctor on every new allergy.

Speaking of allergies, does anyone have any tips on cooking fennel? Please pretend that I come from a long line of horribly bad cooks that had very questionable reactions to eating this weird green stuff called 'vegetables'.

[WarKitty]

I get the feeling you've also had multiple food intolerances. Through on the other hand, I can really see the argument for just labelling that, since yanno...They can't actually redirect funds for research into 'it made my tummy hurt' when you can just not eat the food or run a bunch of expensive and time consuming tests to say 'yes, this will make your tummy hurt'.

Then again, I'm at the point where I no longer try to go to the doctor on every new allergy.

Speaking of allergies, does anyone have any tips on cooking fennel? Please pretend that I come from a long line of horribly bad cooks that had very questionable reactions to eating this weird green stuff called 'vegetables'.

I have not actually had any diagnosed food intolerances. I have had a large amount of inexplicable gastrointestinal distress and very expensive shrugs from doctors. I eventually hacked together a system that mostly works, plus reducing my family contact stress levels.

As far as fennel - are you cooking a whole bulb? Usually it's more of a seasoning thing.

[Florian]

Speaking of allergies, does anyone have any tips on cooking fennel? Please pretend that I come from a long line of horribly bad cooks that had very questionable reactions to eating this weird green stuff called 'vegetables'.

That's a bit of a broad question. Can you narrow that down a bit?

[Eldan]

Fennel is pretty tough, usually. The basic recipe is to remove the leaves at the top and the stump at the bottom, cut the rest into pieces and cook them for maybe 15-20 minutes. It makes a pretty good salad.

[Honest Tiefling]

That's a bit of a broad question. Can you narrow that down a bit?

The bulb, preferably as some sort of onion replacement. Other than that, I can't really say, because I really just don't know.

[Mister Tom]

Braise it (cut into wedges Brown the edges and slow cook in the oven with a bit of liquid to finish).

[Bohandas]

I made this thread since we don't have a cooking thread and learning to cook is one of my goals this year.

I'm currently trying to come to better terms with vegetables. My family is of the "boiled broccoli and lettuce salad" variety, with vegetables treated as a kind of penance.

I'm hoping the vegetarian and vegan crowd can help me out with making some better tasting dishes (like did you know you can put spices on veggies??)

Post recipes, ideas, issues you have had, etc.

Tomorrow I am making Buqqa, a nut based condiment from Egypt as a salad seasoning.

Ok, so what if you took deep-fired oreos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_fried_Oreo) and replaced the standard buttermilk pancake batter with the vegan pancake batter explained here (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/191885/vegan-pancakes/):

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/191885/vegan-pancakes/

[Florian]

The bulb, preferably as some sort of onion replacement. Other than that, I can't really say, because I really just don't know.

Huh, ok? Fennel has a very different texture than onions and a completely different and pretty unique taste. I think there's a lot of folks who can´t stand fennel at all.

You can basically do anything to and with it, once you remove the green and stem.
- Cut it into quarters and cook them
- Cut into ribbons and steam them
- Cut in half lengthwise, drip some oil on the cut side and either put on grill or in oven.
- Cut in ribbons and sauté with some oil.
- Slice thinly and make make kinda-sorta cole slaw

[Tvtyrant]

I have reached the logical conclusion of my dietary preferences and am now cooking with curry. I hated curry as a kid but over the last year I have craved stronger and stronger spices due to my diet having no sugar and very restricted carbs.

I finally reached the point where cayenne pepper and paprika weren't doing it for me, curry and turmeric are amazing!

[tyckspoon]

I have reached the logical conclusion of my dietary preferences and am now cooking with curry. I hated curry as a kid but over the last year I have craved stronger and stronger spices due to my diet having no sugar and very restricted carbs.

I finally reached the point where cayenne pepper and paprika weren't doing it for me, curry and turmeric are amazing!

Most paprika is more of a food coloring than a flavor anyways - there's a few stronger varieties, but you usually have to go to specialty spice shops to find 'em. Same for turmeric, IME, but that does at least have a fairly distinct aroma. If you're looking for spice, tho, you might want to try making or seeing if you can find and buy some harissa (https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/harissa-51185010) - it's a chili and garlic based seasoning, usually mixed as a paste. Commonly used in the north African/southern Mediterranean coastal cuisines (the Morocco and Tunisia area.) You could do something similar with a Mexican or Indian twist by changing the particular peppers and spices mixed into it - curry powder and some garam masala spice mix, or something like chipotle or adobo peppers.

[Peelee]

Most paprika is more of a food coloring than a flavor anyways - there's a few stronger varieties, but you usually have to go to specialty spice shops to find 'em. Same for turmeric, IME, but that does at least have a fairly distinct aroma.

Are you sure your taste buds aren't just shot? I use both regularly, and they absolutely make a difference.

[tyckspoon]

Are you sure your taste buds aren't just shot? I use both regularly, and they absolutely make a difference.

It's possible :smalltongue:. I rarely throw out and refresh my spices because that would involve buying new supplies ~1 a month (I don't use hardly enough of anything aside from garlic to go through a standard jar that fast), so I may just have stale paprika. Or you're working with some of the stronger varieties - they do exist. I just find it odd that anybody would class paprika in the same sort of flavor intensity as cayenne.

[Peelee]

It's possible :smalltongue:. I rarely throw out and refresh my spices because that would involve buying new supplies ~1 a month (I don't use hardly enough of anything aside from garlic to go through a standard jar that fast), so I may just have stale paprika. Or you're working with some of the stronger varieties - they do exist. I just find it odd that anybody would class paprika in the same sort of flavor intensity as cayenne.

I get my spices in thats-just-stupid-for-home-use sizes from Restaurant Depot and never noticed staleness, but now you got me all paranoid.

[tyckspoon]

I get my spices in thats-just-stupid-for-home-use sizes from Restaurant Depot and never noticed staleness, but now you got me all paranoid.

Most dried/powdered herbs and spices last a fairly long time if they're stored in stable temperatures and kept away from light exposure, so it's probably not a big deal. And 'stale' spices mostly just lose flavor intensity, so the solution is typically using more anyway:smallbiggrin: Shouldn't be a problem if you're buying commercial/warehouse club sized containers.