15 cook this that Recipes

fresh broccoli, cut into florets, whole baby corn, rinsed, drained and halved or 1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed, frozen peas, thawed, sliced water chestnuts, drained, green pepper, chopped, green onions, sliced, mayonnaise, ranch salad dressing, salt and pepper to taste, lettuce leaves, hard-cooked eggs, sliced, halved cherry tomatoes

any liquid can be reduced just by heating it - but why would you want to do that, answer comes back to two of our old friends, flavor and consistency (texture)., by reducing any flavored liquid you intensify its flavor and at the same time thicken it. you can continue this process until what you have left is a syrup if it contains sugar, or a sauce if it does not., this is 1 of the most important tools in the kitchen , believe it or not, because a great sauce can rescue an indifferent meal., literally any liquid can be reduced ., a few uses, wine is frequently used in cooking , both as a marinade and as an addition to sauces for meat., there are some problems with it though, 1 of which is that you need a really good wine and quite a lot of it to produce a reasonable sauce for, say, six people., on the other hand , if you use pure grape juice and reduce it to a syrup, that syrup, added to any sauce (or gravy if you prefer) will lift it into the realms of gourmet ., more , you don tsp have to make your reduction on the night you prepare your meal. you can reduce a liter of grape juice at any time to the consistency and flavor you want; then just store it in the fridge., you can do the same thing with any fruit juice - prune is sensational - and store it until needed. just about all of them will do things for ice cream, pies or tarts that will have your guests demanding the recipe, pork with apple sauce use a carton of fresh apple juice from the supermarket and reduce it. and if you want a real sensation add in a glass of apple brandy during the reduction process., are you getting an idea of how simple this is, take any carton of fresh stock straight of the shelf and reduce it. you will transform it into something even the manufacturer won tsp recognize. but beware, you need to start out with good quality in the first place, because when you reduce a liquid you intensify all the flavors, and not just the good ones., if it s salty to start with, for example, it will be salty beyond belief by the time you ve reduced it even by half. so if you are going to use a supermarket stock, make sure it s an extremely good 1., believe me when i tell you that stock cubes should not be used for reduction sauces., thickeners, because you will be tasting as you go (won tsp you ), you may find that you get the flavor you want before the desired consistency is reached., a couple of hints right now for your sauces., sweet ones can be thickened successfully without loss of color by adding in liquid glucose early on in the reduction process. surprisingly, this will add little in the way of sweetness and produces a beautiful velvety sauce when whisked., if you get it wrong and add too much, no problem. stir in a little extra water to thin it., reduction pans, reductions need to happen rapidly in serving to preserve flavors. and the greater the surface area of the liquid the faster the water will evaporate., however you may want to whisk something into the sauce while its cooking - such as butter or olive oil for example - and for that i find a small wok is best; 1 with a handle., a wok is less likely to reduce so fast that the sauce is burnt while your back is turned. but try both methods and see which you prefer. you may even end up using something totally different., no magic to this. whatever works for you, that s what you should use, in this and everything else to do with cooking., just bear in mind that what you re after is speed and ease of use. as well as a great tasting result, of course. :>), keeping, if they should dry out , simply add a little water and heat through., sauces containing meat juices of any kind must be frozen if you re going to keep them, and should be brought to boiling point before being used again. there is no need to thaw them out to do this, in fact it s better not to. simply drop the frozen cubes into a saucepan, melt them over a gentle heat, and then bring swiftly to the boil., why do you do this to avoid food poisoning, that s why. you are making sure that any bugs introduced into the sauce during the preparation process are killed off., worry , this will not be because of anything you have done wrong (i hope!), but because bacteria are part of our everyday lives and they exist in every kitchen, however clean., in fact your food , and especially your meat, is crawling with wildlife that you will never see. don tsp worry about them. careful handling and simple precautions will ensure that these miniature monsters can never multiply enough to harm either you or your guests.

tennessee stack cake, why this recipe won : good things come to patient cooks, as this cake must sit for an entire day before being served. during that time, the oversized sugar cookies soak up moisture from the apple butter and become tender and cake-like., recipe history : appalachian specialty known by various names, including apple stack cake, pioneer stack cake, and washday stack cake., secret ingredient : homemade apple butter., what our winner says : my grandmother (mom-mom) was born in 1917 into, a family of ten in lone mountain, tenn. baking day was saturday, and dried apple rings were brought down from the attic, where they had been hung every fall, reserved mainly for use in this special cake. the baked cake was placed on the dining room table to cool, then covered with a clean tablecloth to keep the flies off. mom-mom remembers how she loved to go downstairs on sunday morning and see the large hump under the cloth where the stack cake lay. the anticipation was heightened by the fact that the cake could not be eaten until after sunday dinner, and all

i use a 3 1/2 to 4 lb chuck roast, well marbelized with fat, and if you can find a bone-in roast, that s better yet (but it s almost always boneless chuck that you find at the grocer). i like to quickly rinse the roast in cold water just before i lay it on the cutting board to coat it with seasoned flour. place the following ingredients in a small baggie and shake the closed bag to mix it up, flour, salt, garlic salt, crazy mixed-up salt (if you can tsp get this seasoning, use seasoned salt instead, but jane s is by far the best), pepper, use your hands to generously pat the seasoned flour into the roast, on both sides, flipping the roast a couple times and repeating the process., in a dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold the roast, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat - you want your pan and oil to be hot enough to sear the roast well when you put it in the pan. when the oil is just about to the smoking point, put the roast in and cover the pan. let the meat sear until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip the roast. let it sear for a minute or two on the second side, then add, beef stock (i much prefer the boxed stock to the canned broth - it just seems to give the gravy a much richer taste in the end), cover the roasting pan and place it in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. roast for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falls apart easily. i check the roast each hour, quickly opening the lid, just to make sure the stock has not evaporated. as long as your pan has a good seal on it, this shouldn tsp happen. but if necessary, add more stock to the pan., an hour before the roast is done , prepare the mashed potatoes. peel 6 large red potatoes (these work better - at least for me - because they are much moister than the russets, so the mashed potatoes are creamier); cut into 1/4th, and place them in a large saucepan - rinse the cut potatoes 2 times in cold water, then cover them in fresh cold water and place the pan over medium high heat; boil until tender. this is usually about 30 minutes, but it depends on the size of your cuts, so just cook them until you can easily insert a fork into a potato. drain potatoes well, reserving 1 cup of the water for the gravy. add the following to the hot potatoes, butter, sour cream, milk, salt, crazy mixed up salt (use regular salt or garlic salt if jane s salt is not available), pepper, i use a hand masher , but you can use an electric mixer or however you chose to mash the potatoes into a creamy yet firm texture. add more milk if potatoes are too stiff. place the mashed potatoes in a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy., prepare the gravy, melt 2 tbsp butter, stir in 1/4 cup flour to make a paste, stir in enough beef stock to thin the paste enough to pour., finished roast from the pan and place it on a plate; cover meat with foil to keep warm., place the roasting pan over a medium flame and bring the liquid to a gentle boil (i usually seem to have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups liquid in the pan when the roast is done - if you have less, just use the beef stock to increase your liquid)., use a whisk to gradually whisk in the butter/flour/stock liquid., add 2 tbsp beef base - i use tone s (i prefer beef base to buillon - has a richer flavor and is really worth having on hand, but if you can tsp find this, try knorr s beef buillon extra large cubes), add the 1 cup of reserved potato water, add 1/2 cup beef stock, taste the gravy and see if you want more seasoning. i usually find i don tsp need to add anything at this point, since i have the seasoning from the flour coating and the stock and the beef base. if you think you need more seasoning, add salt and pepper to your taste. beef base will also give you more saltiness., keep the gravy warm while you uncover the meat and use 2 forks to pull the meat apart into small to medium chunks., you are now ready to assemble...

your favorite diced tomatoes (add another can if feeding more than 4 people), frozen fish such as red snapper , cod, etc. or fresh fish of your choice., water (for four people), yellow or white onion, vegetables, chopped (see below ), chopped fresh parsley or italian flat leaf parsley, tb chopped garlic, season with salt and pepper before serving based on your personal taste., you can add as many or as few chopped vegetables as you like. you can also use more or less fish depending on how thick you like your chowder to be.), this recipe can also be made with leftover fish and leftover vegetables. i do not suggest using leftover fish sticks or any other fried fish unless you remove the breaded topping first. if you do use fish that has been cooked, just add it to the chowder about two minutes before serving to heat it to the temperature of the other ingredients in the pot., if you prefer a mexican flavor , add 1 tsp. cumin and 1/2 tsp oregano with a dash of cayenne pepper (or more for a hotter flavor), if you prefer an italian flavor , add 1/2 tsp of italian seasonings or 1 tsp oregano, vegetables to be added are based on your favorites and what you may or may not have in your pantry at the time. here are some of my favorite additions for your review, diced potatoes , celery, carrots, zucchini, leeks, mushrooms, cabbage, mild chile peppers, red onions, artichoke hearts, and green or red bell peppers. you can add a handful of fresh spinach or 1/4 cup of frozen spinach. you can always add a can of mixed vegetables and of course, you can use frozen vegetables. i do not suggest using broccoli. corn is also a good addition. you can add a can of drained corn, black beans and a few tbsp of salsa for a great mexican fish soup., use canned tomatoes that have additional vegs in them such as mexican-style with chilies and onions, italian-style with peppers or anything other blend you prefer.)

macaroni, partially cooked, garlic salt, cornflour, milk, cooked turkey, shredded, beef sausage, sliced thinly, bacon, short cut, diced, potato, grated, low-fat cheese, grated, olive oil

refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, prepared, bacon, halved,cooked and drained, butter, any vegetables , bits leftover in your veggie bin,chopped (ie zucchini, bell peppers, onion, cucumber, radishes, mushrooms, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, be), eggs, beaten with, drops hot sauce (i use frank s or salsa to taste, of your choice), american cheese (or whatever you have left in the cheese drawer), salt (optional), pepper (optional)

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, buttermilk (or milk thickened with a tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar), butter, oil, carrot, chopped, celery, chopped, garlic cloves, minced, bay leaves, flour , plus, flour, chicken stock, half-and-half or 1/4 cup heavy cream, chicken, cooked and shredded (i make my own stock for this recipe and just use the chicken from that, but you can use any cooked a), black pepper , to taste, chopped parsley (optional)

seasonal fish and vegetables are used in tempura. the ingredients for tempura in the recipe below are only a few of the many, many common ingredients that lend themselves to this treatment. shrimp; squid; small whole fish like perch, smelt, and goby; white-fleshed saltwater fish; eggplant; green beans; onion rings; sweet potato slices; bell pepper strips; mushrooms - the list could go on for several pages. chicken, beef and pork, however, are not usually prepared as tempura because of their relatively heavier, identifiable taste. chicken and pork are deep-fried in other ways, and beef is often given a more highlighted preparation, say, in sukiyaki., http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tempura/a/cookingtempura.htm, basic steps for cooking tempura, prepare the ingredients ., make tempura batter ., heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 340-350f degree., lightly dip ingredients in the batter and immediately fry them until crisp. it takes longer to fry vegetables than to fry seafood., drain tempura on a rack ., serve right away with tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce) or salt. tempura is best served hot. *grated daikon radish is a common condiment., tempura batter recipe - japanese recipe, http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tempura/r/tempurabatter.htm, egg, ice water, all purpose flour, preparation, beat an egg in a bowl. add ice water in the bowl. be sure to use very cold water., add sifted flour in the bowl and mix lightly. be careful not to overmix the batter., tempura dipping sauce recipe, tempura dipping sauce is called tentsuyu in japanese. serve this sauce with tempura., dashi soup stock, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, preparation, put mirin in a pan and heat. add soy sauce and dashi soup stock in the pan. bring the sauce to a boil., tips for making crispy tempura, by setsuko yoshizuka, tip 1: ice, use ice water for the batter. this is really important to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil., tip 2: batter (tempura batter recipe), do not make the batter ahead of time. try not to over mix the batter and not to coat ingredients with the batter too much., if you are frying both seafood and vegetables, fry vegetables first. then, fry seafood. fry vegetables at 340f degree and fry seafood at 350f degree., tip 4: oil temperature, check the temperature of frying oil , drop a little batter into the oil. if the batter comes up right away instead of sinking to the bottom of the pan, it s about 360 f degree. if the batter goes halfway to the bottom and comes up, it s about 340f degree. this is said to be the right temperature to fry tempura.

mile high lemon meringue secrets, lemon meringue pie may be an american classic , but it can be tricky to prepare. there s the crust with all its issues, then the tart filling and the meringue itself, which is all too prone to weeping. and that topping is never, ever as tall and fluffy as we would like. we wanted to figure out how to make a perfect lemon meringue pie with a sky-high topping. here s what we discovered, make the meringue with a hot sugar syrup (what the professionals call italian-style meringue). this ensures that the meringue is cooked through and stable enough to be piled high on top of the filling. the addition of a little cream of tartar to the egg whites while mixing also helps to stabilize the meringue.flavor the filling with both lemon zest and lemon juice for the brightest citrus flavor. remember to strain the filling to remove the zest, which would mar the otherwise silky smooth filling.use a rubber spatula to spread the meringue over the filled pie, making sure to stick the meringue to the edge of the pie crust to prevent the topping from shrinking. once all the meringue is on the pie, use the spatula to make the spikes and peaks of meringue., all-purpose flour , for dusting, brisee (pie dough) for 1 single 9 inch pie crust, egg, heavy cream, cornstarch, cake flour, salt, sugar, egg yolks, lightly beaten, fresh lemon juice, lemon rind, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, egg whites, sugar, salt

there are dozens of noodles famous in singapore from the street hawkers to upscale restaurants; singapore noodle is not 1 of them., lack of geographic authenticity does not detract from this wonderful dish that is easy to prepare, perks up the taste buds, and can be served as a whole meal, a snack or an appetizer., rice noodles , soaked in cold water for 2 hours, and drained, baby shrimps, without shells, deveined, rinsed and drained, skinless chicken breast , 1/4-inch strips, white wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, ground white pepper, canola oil, to cook, minced ginger, scallions batons, 1-inch lengths, minced garlic, bean sprout , picked, red bell pepper , julienned, onion , julienned, eggs, lightly scrambled, madras curry powder, salt and white pepper to taste

sized hard-shell clams provide the flavor for the broth and the tender clam meat for this hearty soup. this rendition is not like the traditional commercial offerings with a thick broth that resembles tomato sauce. instead, the broth is briny and clean tasting, flavors from the sea standing out and tomatoes and vegetables offering dimension in flavors and colors. the potatoes provide substance, and cooking them before adding the tomatoes enables their starch to be released into the broth, lightly thickening it. this soup will hold for two days. reheat over a low flame, being sure not to boil the chowder, which will toughen the clams., clams , medium-sized hard-shell , such as cherrystones, washed and scrubbed clean, pancetta , finely chopped, spanish onion , chopped small, red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped small, carrot , chopped small, stalk celery , chopped small, garlic cloves , minced, dried oregano, fennel seeds, hot red pepper flakes, dry white wine, clam juice, yukon gold potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, salt and ground black pepper, fresh parsley leaves , chopped