5 Minute One Dish Spaghetti (from my batchelor days):
Microwave Ramen noodles in a bowl per package directions, throw flavor packet away. Helps to break up the noodles some first.
Drain water out of bowl.
Add favorite bottled spaghetti sauce. Mix. Heat in microwave.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese to taste.
Eat over sink. For a real treat (and challenge) eat by dipping slices of bread into it.
Tune in later for my 15 Minute One Pot Tuna Casserole using Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and a can of tuna!
Just made a good one for the second time last night: Puerco Pibil. It was a big hit with the friends we had over to eat it; 8 people went through 6 pounds of pork so I would say it got a thumbs up. It's a slow roast pork with a ton of spices, go shopping at a Latino grocery and you will save a bunch of money on the spices. Ie, whole cloves are a good $8 - $9 at the grocery and only $2 at the local Latino market. Banana leaves are usually in the freezer section of the Latino market.
The prep is really simple, and the second time I made it everything went really quickly. The work was definitely worth it for such a great result!! And pork butt (or shoulder roast) is really cheap.
Puerco Pibil (or Cochinitas Pibil), I heard about it from the DVD extras to Once Upon a Time in Mexico:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8EiScBEjA
But here's a written copy of the recipe:
Ingredients
5 pounds pork butt, cut into 2 inch cubes
5 tablespoons annato seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black pepper
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
8 whole allspice berries
2 habanero Peppers, fresh or dried, cleaned and minced (optional)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
8 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons salt
5 lemons
1 shot of tequila
banana leaves (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Grind the annato seeds, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, whole cloves, and whole allspice in a mortar and pestle, molcajete y tejolote, spice grinder or coffe grinder.
Blend the cleaned and chopped habanero peppers with the orange juice, vinegar, garlic and salt.
Mix the dry spices with the liquid.
Add the juice of 5 lemons and a nice splash of tequila.
Place the cubed pork butt in a large zip lock bag and add the marinade. Soak 4-6 hours, in refrigerator, turning several times.
Line (8x13) baking pan with banana leaves. Pour in pork along with the marinade. Cover with Banana leaves and seal the pan with foil. Bake in a 325 F degree oven for 4 hours.
From: http://www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/puerco-pibil-recipe
Fried sea trout
This simple recipe uses flavors to compliment the fish, not overwhelm it. Unlike their mountain cousins, sea trout have a very delicate flavor and the less done to the fish, the better.
Ingredients
Fresh trout, filleted and skinned.
butter
fresh dill to taste (about a teaspoon, chopped fine)
fresh lemon, cut into wedges
Preparation
Chop up the dill very fine and roll the trout fillets in it, getting an even distribution on both sides
Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat until it is clear and bubbling
Add the trout to the pan.
Cook on one side until the fish is cooked about halfway through. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet, but will probably be about 3-4 minutes.
Turn the fish over, cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork and not ONE SECOND MORE
remove fish from pan, squeeze on some fresh lemon and eat.
Watch out for bones.
In reply to dculberson:
Nice! I've made this twice in the last 6 months. 
Dr.Boost's Boosted Burgers These are great burgers. First you get the hit from the pepper, then the sweet from the brown sugar takes over.
1 pound lean ground beef 2 teaspoons minced onion 1/4 cup honey mustard 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 slices Swiss cheese (optional) 4 hamburger buns
Mix the ground beef, onion, honey mustard, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Shape into 4 patties. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers, turning occasionally, to desired temperature, 15 to 20 minutes for well done. Top each patty with a slice of Swiss cheese shortly before removing from the skillet; serve on hamburger buns.
I never even put anything on these, they are great how they are. I have never grilled them as I have a hard time keeping them together. I think if you used powder instead of the minced onion and garlic it might help, but I like the fresh ingredients.
breadcrumbs might be the missing ingredient to keep the burgers in one piece?
dculberson wrote: Just made a good one for the second time last night: Puerco Pibil. It was a big hit with the friends we had over to eat it; 8 people went through 6 pounds of pork so I would say it got a thumbs up. It's a slow roast pork with a ton of spices, go shopping at a Latino grocery and you will save a bunch of money on the spices. Ie, whole cloves are a good $8 - $9 at the grocery and only $2 at the local Latino market. Banana leaves are usually in the freezer section of the Latino market. The prep is really simple, and the second time I made it everything went really quickly. The work was definitely worth it for such a great result!! And pork butt (or shoulder roast) is really cheap. Puerco Pibil (or Cochinitas Pibil), I heard about it from the DVD extras to Once Upon a Time in Mexico: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8EiScBEjA But here's a written copy of the recipe: Ingredients 5 pounds pork butt, cut into 2 inch cubes 5 tablespoons annato seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 tablespoon whole black pepper 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves 8 whole allspice berries 2 habanero Peppers, fresh or dried, cleaned and minced (optional) 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup white vinegar 8 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons salt 5 lemons 1 shot of tequila banana leaves (optional) Preparation Instructions Grind the annato seeds, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, whole cloves, and whole allspice in a mortar and pestle, molcajete y tejolote, spice grinder or coffe grinder. Blend the cleaned and chopped habanero peppers with the orange juice, vinegar, garlic and salt. Mix the dry spices with the liquid. Add the juice of 5 lemons and a nice splash of tequila. Place the cubed pork butt in a large zip lock bag and add the marinade. Soak 4-6 hours, in refrigerator, turning several times. Line (8x13) baking pan with banana leaves. Pour in pork along with the marinade. Cover with Banana leaves and seal the pan with foil. Bake in a 325 F degree oven for 4 hours. From: http://www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/puerco-pibil-recipe
This sounds amazing. I'm still waiting to find a cheap mortar and pestle; I predict dramatic increases in my quality of life once I get one.
Some tasty burgers
Make a sauce. 1/3rd uncle bob's steak sauce, 1/3rd A1 Bold and spicy, 1/2rd honey. Work some into the burgers before you grill them and then top the burgers with it. Add some onions, swiss cheese, bacon, texas toast for bread for maximum awesomeness.
Mitchell wrote:dculberson wrote: Just made a good one for the second time last night: Puerco PibilThis sounds amazing. I'm still waiting to find a cheap mortar and pestle; I predict dramatic increases in my quality of life once I get one.
I recommend a cheap blade type coffee grinder instead. The mortar and pestle look cool but you end up with gritty bits in the food. The coffee grinder pulverizes the spices way more than you'll have patience for with the mortar and pestle.
I managed to score a coffee grinder at the thrift store for like $3.
DukeOfUndersteer wrote:Savory: Bacon and Egg Toast Cups Ingredients: 6 slices of bacon, uncooked or precooked 6 slices of whole grain bread 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican-style cheese 6 eggs Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Generously spray muffin pan with cooking spray. In a frying pan, cook bacon about 3-5 minutes, until partially cooked but not completely crispy. You want it to still be flexible. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut circles (about 3 1/2 inches) in each piece of bread using a drinking glass turned upside down. Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the periphery of each piece of bread, positioning it between the bread and the muffin tin to help keep it in position. This can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in the center of each piece of bread. Crack one egg over each piece of bread being careful not to break the yolks. If you don’t want to use all of the egg white, you may need to adjust the cooking time. Once all the bread pieces have been topped with eggs, bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 15 minutes for me) and bacon is crispy. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin well and pop the egg cups out. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
De-berkeleying-licious! Just had some of these for dinner.
93EXCivic wrote: Some tasty burgers
Big Kahuna burger?
failboat wrote: breadcrumbs might be the missing ingredient to keep the burgers in one piece?
Yeah, I tried that. They felt too much like meatloaf. It's not a big deal, I just don't grill them because of it.
fruit salad
one home grown pineapple (sweeter than store bought)
three home grown mangoes
additional fruits, to taste. We are using:
banana slices
blueberries
sliced strawberries
cherry halves
This one isn't mine, but man, is it good
You don’t have to be Forest Gump to know that shrimp are delicious (and good fish bait!). Over the years I have prepared shrimp in many different ways; if you want a heartier shrimp dish (to eat with your garlic bread), then give this pasta recipe a try.
Ingredients (makes two servings)
1 bottle chardonnay (a little to cook with, and the rest for dinner)
1¼ lb. peeled shrimp (NOT FROZEN, they will just screw up the recipe- Brett)
6 large garlic cloves (minced)
1 bundle fresh asparagus (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 small Vidalia onion (cut in half, and then sliced thin)
1 large ripe tomato or 3 nice Romas (diced)
4 large fresh basil leaves
1/2 stick real butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
penne pasta (enough for two), but any of your favorite pasta types will work
salt & pepper
1 lemon
Preparation
To start, prepare your pasta water. Add a couple pinches of salt to season the water and then put it on high heat.
Put a large sauté pan (not a non-stick pan) and the olive oil on the stove top to get it hot. Now when the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and asparagus. Sauté these ingredients for at least three minutes, stirring occasionally.
Next add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp while slowly stirring for at least four minutes. At the four minute mark, the shrimp should be turning orange or pink.
Add a 1/4 cup chardonnay, stir, and allow the wine to cook out. Then add the butter and tomatoes, and stir under heat until the butter starts getting creamy.
While the ingredients in the sauté pan are finishing, chop the basil leaves and add to the dish. Finish with a squeeze of juice from the lemon.
Once the pasta is done, drain well. Add the pasta to two plates, and then pour the shrimp mixture on top. I also like to serve with Parmesan cheese.
Courtesy of Danny Hieronymus, a Cape Fear commercial fisherman
Making this tonight. let it swim for a day or 2.
We have an entire thread on tasty ways to prepare salmon
Easy pizza!
I have never been able to make a good thick crust at home. Tried a bunch of recipes and just couldn't get the light airy texture I was looking for. Bought a baking stone which helped get a better crust, but didn't get it there. I discovered the easy way this past weekend.
Buy a 1 lb. pizza dough ball from your local bakery or grocery store bakery (Publix is the most convenient for me). Let it sit out for 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 400F with baking stone in it. Stretch out the dough to the needed size/shape. Remove preheated baking stone from oven and sprinkle with corn meal. Place dough on baking stone and top as desired. Make sure the toppings are at room temperature. Bake for approx. 20 minutes.
For a simple white pizza here's a suggestion:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic finely chopped (adjust to your garlic tolerance)
Thinly sliced tomato
Heat butter & olive oil in skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes (don't burn it) then pull from heat. Brush mixture onto crust, place tomato slices, cover with shredded mozzarella, brush with remaining butter, oil & garlic mixture. Bake as above. The top will brown a lot, but leave it for the full 20 minutes to get fully heated and melt the cheese completely. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese as desired. Or you can sprinkle some shredded parmesan with the mozzarella.
Mac and cheese:
Some of those good long and curly macaroni noodles. 1 lb, cooked, and put into a greased casserole pan.
Cheese sauce: start with a roux (just melt some butter and stir in some flour). Add in some milk, keep stirring until it is well mixed and comes to a simmer. Then the cheese: Widmer brick, dill harvarti, pepperjack, colbyjack, sharp cheddar, a little bit of Velveeta (for the creaminess), all slowly and shredded, or at least in small chunks. Keep stirring the whole time. Throw in some onion powder, oregano, pepper, and garlic. I typically let the sauce stew for about 20-30 minutes, just below a simmer. If you like it spicy, add in some crushed red pepper into it.
Pour cheese sauce over it, stir it all in evenly, mix in some more shredded cheese.
Then, for the homerun, I mixed in some thick cut bacon cooked in the oven.
Stick the thing in the oven until it looks done. Take it out and enjoy.
Variations include mixing in onion, peppers, squash, spinach, brocolli, other meats, putting some breading on the top... Really no wrong way to do it. Notice that I didn't put any measurements up there other than the lb of pasta... That is because I don't have them. I just kinda guess.
Best cornbread ever
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup shortening +
2 Tbs shortening
Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine. Measure the buttermilk and milk into a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda to the milk mixture and stir together. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
In a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the 1/4 cup shortening. Add melted shortening to the batter slowly, stirring just until combined.
Then, in the same hot skillet melt 2 Tbs shortening. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread to even out the surface. Batter should sizzle when it makes contact with the pan. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute, then transfer to hot oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Edited to add pics:
^^^I love the idea of using a cast iron skillet.
I've always used Dad's recipe for cornbread. In addition to the normal stuff you'd expect, it has some creamed corn, jalapenos, and a little shredded cheddar.
Microhuevos Rancheros:
(These are not totally proper Huevos Rancheros, but are cheap, tasty, and fast)
Ingredients:
1 corn tortilla
Pico Pica taco sauce
Pico de Gallo (I like Herdez' salsa casera)
1 egg
grated cheese to cover (cheddar, jack, mexi-mix, whatever you like)
refried beans (I go back and forth on black or pinto)
* 1 Tbsp butter (ish ?)
Spread a healthy coating of beans on the tortilla. Toss in the microwave for 30 seconds (I like to use one of those covers to keep the steam close and keep the beans from exploding against the inside of the microwave)
While that's going, start a pan over medium heat. When it's pretty warm, add the butter and work it across the pan. When the butter's bubbling starts to calm a bit, add the egg.
Put another 30 seconds on the microwaving tortilla and beans. No, I don't know whether the minute of pre-warming needs to be done in two phases, but I think fewer beans explode...
Back to the egg; when the white's gone mostly opaque, carefully turn it over (you guys can fry an egg, right? I probably shouldn't have gone into such detail).
Okay, once you're convinced the egg is pretty much done, pull the tortilla out of the microwave, and put the egg on top. Cover with shredded cheese. Stripe generously with taco sauce. Top with a coat of pico de gallo. Throw it back in the microwave for 30 more seconds.
Enjoy!
In reply to ransom:
That is one of my favorite snacks. I usually just cover the tortilla with beans and sprinkle cheese on top, microwave for 50sec-1min. Top with salsa and put the fried egg right on top.
DrBoost wrote:failboat wrote: breadcrumbs might be the missing ingredient to keep the burgers in one piece?Yeah, I tried that. They felt too much like meatloaf. It's not a big deal, I just don't grill them because of it.
Egg.
Ranger50 wrote:DrBoost wrote:Egg.failboat wrote: breadcrumbs might be the missing ingredient to keep the burgers in one piece?Yeah, I tried that. They felt too much like meatloaf. It's not a big deal, I just don't grill them because of it.
Nope, fat. Too lean beef and your burgers fall apart. Add a little fat - 1/4 C olive oil, or even better 1/4 C chopped bacon fat - and they'll hold together better. And taste even better.
Margie
bacon fat , beef suet , or somewhat fatty pork sausage is what I've always used to make my deer burgers hold together
I can say I have never had a 93/7 patty fall apart on the grill with 1 egg added to a pound of burger.
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