Calling all cooks

[phyxius_on]

If you are anything like me you like to try new things and experiment when you cook and I am always looking for new recipes. I thought it might be fun to see what recipes other people have come up with. When posting a recipe, please try to be specific with instructions and add hints and tips if you find something else also works. Here is a big favourite in our house. Happy cooking

 

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

6 cups of water

1 1/2 heads of cauliflower

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper ( you can use white pepper if you like)

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cups shredded old cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cold water

 

In a large pot, boil cauliflower and onion in 6 cups of water for about 12 to 15 minutes (until tender). Drain but save water. Take 1/4 of mixture and puree in blender; return to pot (If you do not like chunks, you can cool mixture and mix in blender until smooth). Add seasonings and cheese and stir until cheese melts. Add cream, milk and butter; bring back to a boil.

 

In a small bowl mix together water and flour until smooth. Slowly add some of this mixture to boiling pot; stirring rapidly (use reserved cauliflower water to thin out soup if needed - also makes for good stock). Cook until soup is the desired consistancy.

 

NOTE - soup will thicken once cooled, white pepper changes the flavour, this recipe freezes well, I like to put some cheese on top of soup when serving

[SteelyBones]

A cooking thread?! I like! It'd be fun to peruse this and see what sort of things people eat and maybe get an idea for dinner. Although I am not very good with being specific since I fail at measuring ingredients, let alone writing them down... Well, will try my best! Here is something I am eating a lot of recently.

 

Kimchi Fried Rice

 

Ingredients

• vegetable oil
  
• meat or other protein matter (optional)
  
• finely diced or chopped vegetable matter of your choice
  
• 2 chopstick-fulls of cabbage kimchi, chopped
  
• 1 cup cooked rice
  
• salt
  
• two stalks green onion, thinly sliced
  
• one medium egg
  

Notes: For vegetables, I am particularly fond of diced carrots and finely chopped hardy greens such as kale or collard greens. Regardless of what you choose, I recommend hardier vegetables that can withstand the high heat stir-frying. For the kimchi, it should be available in any Asian market--try different brands, since they all taste different. Kimchi is typically packed in its pickling liquid, which is full of flavor. This liquid is also used as part of the recipe. Leftover kimchi is great for kimchi ramen, Korean tofu bowl, over rice, or just eaten as a small side dish or appetizer.

 

Directions

1. Over high heat, pour enough vegetable oil to give the bottom of the wok a nice coating.
   
2. Brown the meat, if using. Add chopped kimchi and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are wilted. Salt generously.
   
3. Add green onion. Add rice, using your spatula to break it up. Add two spoonfuls of kimchi liquid and stir.
   
4. On top of the rice, add an egg. Use your spatula to break up the egg and mix it into the rice.
   
5. Stir-fry until the egg is cooked.
   
6. Congratulations, your kimchi fried rice is now fit for consumption.
   

[xLaura]

yyeeessss..i am a big soup person and im always looking for that perfect blend of not too soupy and not too creamy soup..for example, i consider chicken noodle too soupy and clam chowder too creamy but chicken gnocci(sp?) is the perfect blend

i might change around your recipe a little bit to make it a little less thick

[nbbug132]

Food!! I love to cook. My current obsession is these sour cream and onion smashed potatoes. I'm not an onion fan, but these are a delicious side dish.

 

Sour Cream and Onion Smashed Potatoes

 

2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed and not peeled

4 tsp. Butter

3 shallots, washed

1/3 cup half and half

1 cup (or one 8 oz. container) sour cream

 

Make sure your potatoes are well scrubbed. Put them in a large pot and cover with water, bring them to a boil. Cook until fork tender (you can easily poke a fork through the cooked potatoes), removed from stove and drain. Set aside. Trim the white ends from the shallots and chop finely. In a small skillet, cook shallots in butter until almost clear. Whisk half and half and sour cream into onion butter mixture and and remove from heat. Using the back of a spatula gently smash potatoes into large chunks. Fold in the onion mixture. Thinly slice a handful of the green scallion ends and fold them into mixture.

 

Eat! Preferably with a large spoon. XD

[phyxius_on]

- we dont have an asian market steely, but when i get a chance to go to the city i will definately pick up some kimchi.

- xlaura, thats the thing i like with that soup, you can make the consistancy whatever you like without changing the flavour

- nbbug, all you have to do is say potatoes and i am there lol, cant wait to try these.

 

While making onion roasted potatoes I came across a recipe in the Liptons Onion Soup box and thought I would give it a try. Can you say yum, so here it is, or you can go and buy the soup and get the recipe from the packet inside.

 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

 

1 tbsp oil

3 to 3 1/2 lb boneless beef pot roast (rump, chuck or round)

4 carrots sliced

4 (about 2 lbs) medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 envelopes Knorr Lipton Soup Mix

3/4 cup water

 

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-hihg heat and brown roast

Arrange carrots and potatoes in slow cooker. Top with roast and set aside

Combine Knorr Lipton Soup Mix with water in glass measuring cup. Add to skillet scrapping up and brown bits from bottom of pan. Add soup mixture to slow cooker. Cook covered on low 8 to 10 hours or high 4 to 6 hours. Remove roast and vegetables to serving platter.

Thicken gravey, if desired, by combining additional 1/4 cup water with 2 tbsp all purpose flour. cook on high 15 mins or until thickened.

 

NOTE: when making this it really seemed like a lot of onion soup but it turned out awesome, 3/4 water does not sound like it is enough but it is plenty as you will get more liquid as everything heats up, I used a round roast

[nbbug132]

Today I am making strawberry preserves. If this works as well as I hope it does I'll post the recipe up here. :)

Going to be doing A LOT of baking between now and going back to school, so sweets pending.

[siniri]

I made my own kimchi using this recipe and red cabbage (I had to find some way to use up the three heads I grew in my garden!), so I can't wait to try making kimchi fried rice.

 

One of my favorite salads is really easy to make. Grate (or peel strips of) carrot and daikon radish (you can substitute regular radish), in a 1:1 ratio (but suit your own tastes). Sprinkle with a little sea salt and massage into the veggies for a minute or so. Then squeeze the juice out of the veggies, transferring them to another bowl. Add equal amounts of rice vinegar and lemon juice (1-2 Tbs each) and a pinch of sugar, and mix. Let it rest for at least an hour (several hours is better) in the fridge. It'll keep for several days in the fridge, though mine never lasts long -- I swear, it's as good as candy!