Cooking with B4UTRUST

[B4UTRUST]

Alright, at one point in time or another I've given our recipes to quite a few members on this board. So I figured I'd start trying to compile them in one place here.

So here's what I'm planning: A weekly or bi-weekly posting of new recipes. Ideally, for the most part, the recipes I'll post on here will be simple, quick, and cheap. That is to say that the ingrediants are readily obtainable for low cost with some simple comparison shopping on your part. A lot of these recipes will be aimed at the college students without real kitchens on the board, as well as those who have access to kitchens, but just aren't the types to prepare elaborate four course meals.

But I want to see if there's any interest in my doing this. So please toss a vote up either way and let me know. If there is certain types of recipes you all want to see up here let me know and I'll try to accomodate. I'll try to toss up some recipes for the easy crock-pot cooking, great for college students without a lot of time. Set it and forget it for awhile...

So let me know

[Ace Pace]

Got anything good for Pasta?

[The Village Idiot]

I think it would be great, I would love to have an excuse to cook something new and tasty every week or so. And from what I hear, they are pretty damn good.

[B4UTRUST]

Okay, lets start this off with the basics. Basic information and needs for serious cooking. A lot of you know these things, some of you might not have ever cooked anything in your life more advanced then microwave ramen noodles or reheating last night's pizza. I'll tell you what I was told as a child by my mother: "For a good majority of your life, you will be single. If you want to eat good you need to learn to cook."

So lets start it off:

No one can tell another person about the "correct" way to spice and flavor food, because there is no "correct" way. Each individual has his own tastes and prefers more or less of a particular seasoning or spice. This becomes especially apparent when you want to impress someone with your oregano spiced spaghetti sauce and your guest can't stand the taste of this particular Italian spice. Dried herbs are relatively cheap and can last a long time if you keep them out of direct light and away from heat. Fresh herbs, like basil and chives, are available in markets too. Although butter is listed in many recipes, margarine can be substituted. The list below contains a number of spices and herbs which are commonly used--many more exist and can be tried to flavor different dishes. This list is by no means complete, but gives you an idea of what is available.

A list of common spices:

• Pepper
  salt
  garlic powder
  whole garlic
  taragon
  paprika
  basil
  bay leaf
  oregano
  dill
  minced onion
  cinnamon
  onion powder
  nutmeg
  chili powder
  majoram
  parsley
  sage
  cumin
  curry powder
  cloves

Only a few basic pieces of kitchen paraphernalia are really necessary for most cooking. Additionally, most of the new electronic gadgets out on the market do not add any flavor to food and can, in fact, increase the time it takes to prepare and clean up a meal. For example, the use of a food processor to slice carrots requires setting up the unit with the correct blades, feeding the unit carrots, recovering the sliced carrots from the storage compartment, and finally washing the whole apparatus from top to bottom without slicing off your fingers. However, slicing carrots by hand only requires one to take a knife and cut the carrot -- no clean up and it takes a fraction of the time (you do still have to watch your fingers though).

As far as pots and pans go, it's essential to have at least one skillet (frying) pan and two medium sized pots. This allows the preparation of a main course in the pan, vegetables in one pot, and the other pot for additional item if necessary. The best quality material for skillet-type pans is probably of the "wearever" (nonstick) variety. Teflon pans are fine but just are not as durable. Wearever pans are a bit more expensive but in the long run are more convenient, long-lasting, and efficient. The choice of pots is more flexible--stainless steel seems to be the cheapest and gets the job done.

The number and type of cooking tools one owns is really a matter of personal choice. Many recipes require only a spoon, fork or knife for their preparation. However, for convenience sake, a sharp knife, spatula, large cooking spoon, and can opener should really be acquired. Hundreds of other utensils are available from specialty foods but really are not necessary.

Required:

• Required:
  1 skillet (frying) pain, nonstick-type
  2 medium sized pots
  2 spatulas
  1 cooking spoon
  1 can opener (electric or manual)
  1 sharp cutting knife

Optional:

• small frying pan
  rice cooker
  steamer
  ladle
  wire whisk
  colander
  vegetable peeler
  salad spinner
  cutting board
  broiling pan
  garlic press
  slotted spoons
  blender
  mixing bowls
  cheese grater
  measuring cups and spoons

A number of kitchen chores are made easier with some of the "optional" tools, but you can get by without them. For example, instead of using a cheese grater, you can just slice cheese thinly with a knife; use a pot and cover to drain vegetables instead of a colander; serving bowls to mix rather than "real" mixing bowls; scrape skin from vegetables with a knife instead of using a vegetable peeler; use a fork rather than a wire whisk to beat eggs, etc., etc., etc.....

If you like rice, I would HIGHLY recommend investing in a rice cooker. These cost about $20-30, but last a life time. White rice is quite inexpensive and can go with almost any entree.

A number of cooking procedures should be explained before launching into the recipes. These techniques are not difficult and you will get faster and faster at each method as you prepare different foods.

Browning Ground Beef - place fresh or defrosted ground beef in skillet over medium heat. Stir meat constantly as it starts to simmer and change color from red to brown. When all the meat has been cooked, the fat should be drained off. This can be accomplished by holding the lid of the pan over the meat and tilting the whole pan into the sink or empty container for disposal. Spicing of may recipes can be done after draining away the fat.

Broiling - whether it is fish, pork chops, or steak, the key to broiling is in the broiling pan. Always place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of the broiling pan so that the food is easy to turn and clean up will take only 5 seconds (just throw away the foil). Often broiling is done close to the heat source, but every oven is different so you will have to experiment with distances of food from the heat source for best results.

General broiling times

• Fish -10 min. per inch thickness
  Pork chops - 7 min. each side (better to overcook than undercook)
  Lamb chops - 5 min. each side

Steaming - the only way to steam clams and the best way to cook vegetables is by steaming. Place steamer or metal colander in a pot with enough water so that water level comes up to just below the bottom of the steamer. Add vegetables, cover pot and turn heat on to high. Let water boil. The best way to see if vegetables are ready is to taste them every once in a while. Some people prefer their vegetables crunchy (blanched), others like them soft.

Baking - baking meat and vegetables is essentially the same. Preheating the oven prior to introducing the food is helpful but not required. Choose a dish for baking that will not be a hassle to clean up (or use the old foil-in-bottom-of-the-pan trick). Temperatures for the recipes are in degrees FAHRENHEIT.

[B4UTRUST]

Alright, first recipe. Pasta, at Ace's request.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  2 pounds Plum tomato, diced
  1 ounce Fresh basil leaves, minced
  1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  3 ounces Parmesan cheese
  12 ounces Angel hair pasta, cooked
  1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Heat olive oil and add garlic; cook until it turns white. Add tomatoes and pepper and heat through, stirring constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Tomatoes should not lose their shape. Remove from heat. Transfer hot, cooked pasta to large bowl. Toss pasta gently with tomato mixture, basil and half of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and pass remaining Parmesan.

[rhoenix]

Excellent so far, B4UTRUST, and thank you.

Do you have a recipe for a good thick spaghetti sauce, perhaps similar to a marinara sauce?

[B4UTRUST]

Here's one that can be used as a side dish or a desert and is delicious either way, but especially with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream along side.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 granny smith apples, sliced, peeled, cored
  3/4tsp salt
  1/3 cup melted butter
  heaping tsp cinnamon
  1/3 cup sugar

Peel, slice and core the apples. Take the apple slices and place them in a baking dish on their sides. Sprinkle the salt over the apples. Drizzle the melted butter over the apple slices. Take the cinnamon and sugar and mix it together. Then sprinkle it over the buttered apples. Remember to move the baking dish a bit to make sure some of the cinnamon sugar sifts into the cracks between apples.

Then you're going to top this with a crumb topping. The ingredients for a basic crumb topping as as follows:

• 2 tsp sugar
  4 tsp flour
  bout 1-2 tbl butter, softened

Using a fork you're going to mix this together until it gets crumbly. If you find that it's sticking too much you can add more flour to the mix, or if it's not crumbly enough, a bit more butter or sugar. Play around with it until you get what you feel is right, it's a pretty fluid and easily changable recipe. If you want more cinnamon, add a half tsp of cinnamon into it as well. If you find you don't have enough here to cover your apples, simply make more.

Top the apples with the crumb topping. Generally I also cover this when I toss it in the oven. You can cut down on your cooking time if you pre-cook it for about 5-6 minutes on high in a microwave before putting it in the oven. This allows the apples to start cooking. Remember, no alluminum foil in the microwave. Nucleo predicus dispella conducticus.
After that, cover the baking dish and cook in the oven at 325-350 degrees until the apples are soft all the way through and the crumb topping is browning. About 30-35 minutes, usually but cooking times, as always, will vary by oven.

[B4UTRUST]

rhoenix, when you say a thick spaghetti sauce, do you want meat, no meat, a real marinara sauce, a bolognese sauce, what? A bit more information, please.

[Mared]

hey chef. got a question. what if I wanted to make any dessert sugar free. do you know the substitution rates for sugar substitutes to sugar???

[B4UTRUST]

Now here is where you'll run into some problems. One, it really depends on the desert and what the sugar is used for in that desert. If the sugar is used primarily as a sweetener, that's fine, replace the sugar with Splenda(which is my choice of sugar substitute, since it's based primarily on sugar anyway so you get a great sweetener, no calories, etc, without the sacchrin aftertaste.). However, if you find that sugar in the desert is used for more then just sweeteners then you run into problems. Sugar does more then just sweeten in baked goods. It provides many key, crucial things to a lot of baked items. It adds texture, carmelization, moisture retention, preservation, browning, volume, structure, etc. It is a very key ingredient.

So here are your two options. I go with the later myself.
1) For every one cup of sugar substitute you use (Splenda, equal, sugar twin, etc), use one tsp of molasses. This will add some sugar, yes, but it is still substantially reduced and allows your food to brown properly. However, this may not work well with all recipes and may not provide the right structure or moistness that you desire or need.

2) Use a pre-mixed baking variety of sugar substitute. Splenda makes one, in fact, which is what I use for low-sugar, low-fat baking. They have a brown sugar blend and a white sugar blend designed for cooking and baking. It contains more sugar then regular Splenda, or any of your other substitutes, but the baking blend uses only a portion of the sugar you would normally use, still reducing the overall sugar level in the baked goods.

Now, if you're after specific sugar substitutes, ratios, etc, here you go. But the easiest solution is just to buy the splenda baking mixes and use those.

• SWEET ONE (Acesulfame-k)
  4 calories per packet 12 packets = 1 cup sugar 1 packet = 2 teaspoons sugar Can be used in cooking and baking without losing sweetness.
  
  EQUAL (Aspartame)
  4 calories per packet 24 packets = 1 cup sugar 1 packet = 2 teaspoons sugar. Loses sweetness when baked at high temperatures for a long time. Can be used in stir-fries or added during last few minutes of heating or cooking.
  
  EQUAL SPOONFUL (Aspartame)
  2 calories per teaspoon 1 cup = 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon sugar. Loses sweetness when heated to high temperatures for long periods of time. Can be used spoon for spoon in place of sugar in same foods as Equal.
  
  SPLENDA (Sucralose)
  0 (zero) calories 1 cup = 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon sugar
  May not work well in recipes such as certain cakes that rely upon sugar for structure. Finished recipes may require refrigeration.
  
  SWEET 'N LOW (Saccharin)
  4 calories per packet 12 packets = 1 cup sugar 1 packet = 2 teaspoons sugar. Can be used in cooking and baking without losing sweetness.
  
  BROWN SWEET 'N LOW (Saccharin)
  20 calories per teaspoon 4 teaspoons = 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon = 1/4 cup brown sugar. Can be used in cooking or baking without losing sweetness. Note that measurements differ from packet sweeteners.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there are some ratios for using Splenda's premixes as well. Here they are:

• 1/4 cup sugar = 1/8cup splenda mix
  1/3 cup = 2tbl+2tsp
  1/2 cup = 1/4 cup
  2/3 cup = 1/3 cup
  3/4 cup = 6tbl
  1 cup = 1/2 cup

[rhoenix]

rhoenix, when you say a thick spaghetti sauce, do you want meat, no meat, a real marinara sauce, a bolognese sauce, what? A bit more information, please.

Hm, I'm not familiar enough with the names of the sauces, but I'll do my best.

- Sausage and hamburger in the sauce is good, though I'm sure that the hamburger can be added after the fact.

- I like a good tomato sauce that isn't thin and runny, but still has some oregano and other spices to it. Beyond that, I'm not sure of how else to describe it, so I'll leave the details to you.

I'm going to be adding habenero peppers to it for a little extra spice, so if you've suggestions for that as well, I'd appreciate it.

[B4UTRUST]

Alright. I think I've got just the thing for you. The best part about this one is it's perfectly fine to freeze the leftover sauce and use again next time. It freezes great and thaws out fine. However, note that this isn't a quick slap it in a bowl and nuke it in the microwave sauce. You want a good sauce it takes some time. However, if you have a crockpot, you might use that.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
  1 pound pork sausage
  2 ounces sliced pepperoni sausage
  1 green bell pepper, chopped
  1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  1 tablespoon minced garlic
  2 onions, chopped
  2 carrots, diced
  2 stalks celery, chopped
  1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
  1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  3 cubes beef bouillon cube
  3 bay leaves
  1 tablespoon dried thyme
  1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
  1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  1 tablespoon white sugar
  1 cup beef broth

This is a very thick sauce, and if you find it to be too thick you can add another can or two of tomato sauce(the 15oz cans)

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot cook the ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain into a large colander to drain grease.

In a seperate pot, add the mushrooms, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, black pepper, sugar, and beef broth and stir well. Pour the meat mixture into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 2 hours.

[rhoenix]

B4UTRUST, you're awesome for that - thank you. I've been looking for a good recipe to have once I move, and you've given me just the thing.

[B4UTRUST]

Any more requests? I think I'll try to update this on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Wednesday I'm going to post some simple recipes for college students. Next Sunday I think I'll try for crockpot cooking.

[frigidmagi]

I would be interested in the simple college student ones. When thinking simple B4 think cheap and low to no spice use if you can.

[Mayabird]

I agree with Magi. Spices can be added later for taste if we have 'em, but it shouldn't rely on us having them on hand.

Also on the cheap college food, something that can be made in bulk and then stored in the fridge to eat as leftovers for a few days would be really useful.

[LadyTevar]

Also on the cheap college food, something that can be made in bulk and then stored in the fridge to eat as leftovers for a few days would be really useful.

That also would help us working class poor who can't afford fancy TV dinners or eating out every lunch.

[B4UTRUST]

I'll try to accomodate. Two recipes I'm looking at for wednesday are lemon chicken and rice and shepard's pie. Both will make enough for a few days of leftovers and both are very tasty with little spices involved.

I'd also give my recipe for hamburgers but it involves red wine in the recipe and some colleges apparently have this thing caled dry dorms. I would certainly hope the dorms are dry, because a wet dorm room would suck. All my stuff would get ruined... But this dry dorm thing apparently means there isn't alcohol allowed. No alcohol in college... yeah that'll happen...

[B4UTRUST]

Lemon chicken
Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
  2 garlic cloves, crushed
  1/4 cup butter
  2 lemons (or about 4-6tbl of lemon juice)
  1/2 tsp basil or oregano

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400.
Sprinkle chicken breasts with basil(or oregano) and rub with garlic.
Melt butter and place in casserole dish. Add chicken, turning to coat both sides. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, uncovered, until chicken is golden brown. Turn and bake 20 more minutes.
Reduce head to 300 and cook until tender, about 5 more minutes, depending on thickness of chicken breasts.
Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice over the chicken. Serve over rice.

[B4UTRUST]

Sheppard's Pie

• 1 lb. ground beef
  1 can peas
  1 can sweet corn
  1 medium onion, diced
  1/3 c. sugar
  8 medium potatoes (Or just use instant potatoes)
  2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes, mash and season to taste with milk and butter.

Brown ground beef and onion with salt and pepper. When cooked, add peas, corn, sugar. Let simmer until heated through.

In 13x9 pan place meat and vegetable mixture in bottom of pan. Cover with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top.

Place in oven on BROIL until cheese is bubbly or light brown.

[B4UTRUST]

And for those who want to do real mashed potatoes, but don't know exactly how...

• 2lbs of potatoes
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 cup half ahd half (half milk half cream)
  6 tbl butter
  salt and pepper to taste

Peel and quarter potatoes
Add potatoes to a large pot with enough cold water to cover them by an inch or so. Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pieced with a knife (about 15min) Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot and cook the drained potatoes over low heat for a couple of minutes to evaporate some of the water still in the potatoe. Mash by your method of choice. Blend in butter, half and half, and any other ingredients you prefer. Season with salt and pepper.

[B4UTRUST]

The burger recipe since someone wanted it

• 1 lb. ground beef
  1/3 cup ketchup OR barbeque sauce
  1/4 cup red wine
  1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
  Salt
  Pepper
  Garlic Powder
  Chili powder
  onion powder

Directions:
Mix ground beef with spices, ketchup or barbeque sauce, red wine and onions (optional).
Divide mixture into hamburger patties and broil for about 5-10 min.
on each side (depending on how well done you like your burger).
Add your normal burger fixings on as you choose.

Yes, before Maya or Frigid asks, technically you can get away without using the spices in this recipe to make the burgers, but they won't taste nearly as good as the recipe as its set forth here.

[B4UTRUST]

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients

• 1lb stew beef (cut in bite size pieces, seasoned to taste)
  1 medium onion diced
  2 -3 carrots sliced in rounds (depends on size and how much you want)
  4-5 peeled and diced into small cubes potatoes (again how much you want)
  2 qts. tomatoes (2 large cans)may reduce if making smaller batch to 1
  large can

I recommend pre-browning your meat before putting it in the crockpot. This will ultimately improve the flavor of your meal, trust me. However, you can forego pre-browning the meat and let it cook with the crockpot but it'll taste a bit 'thin' and without the depth that browning beforehand will create.

Put your meat into your crockpot, add some water(keep it moist, you don't want your meat drying out). Then add your other ingrediants, of course. Cover and cook on a low-medium heat, stirring occassionally. You should cook it until the veggies are tender. This will be a couple hours, though cooking times, as always, will vary.

I usually buy a can of whole, peeled tomatoes and blend them down, it gives the soup a smoother consistancy. You can also add a can of beef broth to the mix to give it more taste. Also, any other veggies you wish to add may of course be done. Corn and peas are especially good in this recipe.

This makes a good amount of soup which will keep in the fridge for awhile without going bad. However, I don't recommend freezing it. You can, but the veggies get mushy when reheated. You ideally want crisp, tender veggies.

[B4UTRUST]

A lesson in cooking:
Why we brown our meat...

To begin with, because ground meats are more prone to growth of e-coli and other bacteria, I would recommend always browning them. It's your health and the health of those you're serving this food to that is at stake.

It is also recommended as part of the flavor development of the dish. When meat is browned, the sugars and proteins on the surface undergo a change called the Maillard reaction, after the French physician Louis Camille Maillard (pronounced "My yard") who discovered the reaction. This reaction creates the rich nutty flavor associated with gravies, roasted meats, baked beans, and other foods.

If you don't brown the meat, particularly in beef dishes, then the final dish ends up tasting rather thin and without depth.

This has been another educating look at cooking, with your host - B4UTRUST.

[B4UTRUST]

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in small chunks
  2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
  1/4 cup onion, finely diced
  2 cups water
  1 chicken bouillon cube
  2 10 oz packages refrigerated biscuits

Combine all ingredients, except biscuits, in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. 40 minutes before serving turn crock pot on high. Tear or cut biscuit dough into 1-inch pieces. Add to your crock pot; stirring gently. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes or until biscuits are fluffed up and cooked through.