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I have done pasta with olive oil, oregano and white cheese. It is good I agree, olive oil is a healthy choice. But what's the deal with virgin vs. extra virgin? I buy extra because I heard it is better, but I don't know why?
Walter Rick Long Nikon Samurai, Mamiya Master, Velvia Bandit
I use extra virgin for dressings and such, and virgin is better for cooking IMO. Masdog that is almost exactly how I make my burgers..Here is how I make mine.
2lbs ground beef or turkey
Cavenders
Red Pepper flakes
Worchestshire sauce
1 small onion chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
I mix all of this a bowl and make the pattys thick. Probably about a half pound each. Grill and enjoy.
Heres a great dish I make for my girlfriend. It entail stuffing chicken breast with an italian sausage mixture. Take the italian sausage out its casing and sautee with onions and peppers. Take store bought pasta sause (I like newmans own sockarooni) and add just enough to bind the ingredients together. Then take boneless chicken breast and butterfly them. Add the mixture and the rest of the sauce and bake for about 30-40mins on 350. Add cheese toward the end of baking ann serve with any kind of pasta (I like rigatoni).
Enjoy
Hell, there are no rules here-- we're trying to accomplish something.
Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas A. Edison
OMG that sounds so $#@! good. Question: how do you "butterfly?"
Take a filet knife or any knife that is then and flexible and place the chicken flat. Take the knife and cut through the chicken flatwise? so in essence you are making the chicken thinner. Don't cut all the way through so now you can open it and it will look like a butterflys wings. Place the mixture in the chicken and then fold the flap back over. Use toothpicks to keep the chicken together. If this doesn't make sense you could probably google it and have a diagram to go by.
Why don't you give it shot tonight? Its pretty easy and it makes great leftovers.
Hell, there are no rules here-- we're trying to accomplish something.
Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas A. Edison
1 bulb fennel, diced
20 shrimp (12-15 per lb sized) chopped
3 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 oranges, segmented and skin removed, break into pieces (use juice too)
2 tsp white truffle oil (get the real stuff, a little pricey, but big difference)
mayo as needed
Combine all ingredients, add mayo to coat lightly.
1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 brown bananas
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbs milk
2 eggs
Mix 1 cup flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt. Add bananas butter and milk. Beat until blended on low, then for 2 min on high. Add eggs and remaining flour, beat until blended. Pour into greased loaf pan, bake for 55-60 min at 350 degrees.
I also add 2 tbs of flaxseed meal right after the last of the flour. Good for omega3 and other assorted healthy stuff.
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 lbs)
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Make sure your chicken guts are not in the chicken. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Starting at neck, loosen skin with fingers. With knife, slash chicken every 2 inches, 1/2 inch deep. Combine vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic, rub under loose skin. Pour wine over chicken, bake, basting occasionally, for 1 3/4 hour at 350, let stand for 10 min before serving.
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 garlic clove
1/2 red bell pepper
1 small onion
2 tbsp corn oil
2 tbs water
1 tsp black bean sauce
Cut chicken into strips, put in bowl with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, marinade for 15 minutes. Thinly slice or chop garlic, pepper and onion, heat 1 tbsp oil in large pan over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until garlic sizzles. Add chicken, cook until white, return to marinade. Heat remaining oil, add pepper and onions, cook for 1 min, add chicken, marinade, water and black bean sauce, cook for 2 more min. Serve with rice.
Another way to think of butterflying is to open the meat up like a book. Shrimp, chicken and boneless pork rib chops work well.
Olive Oil can be like wine. Sometimes more expensive gives you more taste and subtle differences but maybe not. The real fancy stuff should only be used almost as a garnish (dipping bread in it, drizzling over some really good fresh tomatoes, etc). I use an inexpensive Extra Virgin for just about everything rather than having a few different kinds. I saute in it, make salad dressings, etc. Trader Joe's house brand (if you have one) is really great for the price.
People buying "light" olive oil usually are buying it for the name. It has to do with the flavor (light = not much) and nothing to do with fat content or calories. It's not much less expensive, anyway. I think it's what's left after the olives have been pressed already once (virgin) or maybe more.
Mmm... Alton Brown's chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe... Complete with those toasted pecans.
Speaking of chicken and pork, I tried "brining" last night for the first time. Got some big 'ol thick center cut chops (porterhouse cut, basically) and put them in a brine solution for an hour. It was two quarts of water, about 3tbs each of sugar and kosher salt. Dissolve salt and sugar in the water in a one-gallon ziploc bag, throw the chops (or chicken) in, let it sit in the fridge for an hour (in a bowl just in case the bag breaks!). Drain, pat dry with paper towels, season, grill, mmm... My friend the chef tells me to brine chicken on the bone overnight for even more flavor. Hard to believe something so simple was such an improvement.
If you really want to learn the how & why of food, I can't recommend Cook's Illustrated magazine highly enough. You should be able to find a copy at any good bookstore.
I'll chime in, since I love to cook. I wouldn't consider myself an artist but am a decent cook. We typically don't each much red meat, but rather mostly chicken and ground turkey, so I've become very versatile in making tons of dishes w/both poultrys.
Here's the staples IMO you should always have on hand:
Dried Spice-
Garlic Pepper Blend- I get mine in big containers at Sams Club. McCormick makes it in a small container (California blends). Not Garlic Salt, or Garlic Herb, but Garlic Pepper! You can use it in ANY dish and you can't go wrong.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes- versatile for heat and flavor
Cayenne and Jalepeno powders- if you like spicy, these two should always be on hand
Peppercorn mill with either black or green (or a mix) peppercorns- for fresh grinds
Ginger Powder- great with Chicken dishes, especially if you love the Asian flavors.
Salt- don't get me wrong, salt has it's place in cooking, but I use it very infrequently. Partly due to my mild high blood pressure, but also due to it not being terribly healthy especially considering how easy it is to overload your food with it.
Old Bay (if it's local to you)- not only THE spice to use with seafoods, but also excellent for chicken too.
Dried Herbs-
Basil! Italian and most Asian dishes almost always have basil in it. My favorite dried and fresh herb.
Parsley- again if you like Italian, or Potatoes, dried parsely needs to be in the cabinet.
Oregano- A very strong herb so becareful when using- a little goes a long way!
Dill- second to basil in my book, especially great in lighter dishes and salads. FYI- dried is alot more potent than fresh, and tastes better to me.
Fresh Staples-
Garlic cloves- never run out! Fresh garlic when used a few cloves at a time yeilds spicer results, when used in abundance it gets sweeter. Garlic is the best stuff in the world, and is good for you too.
Basil- the leaves are so much more fragrant fresh than dry- one of the few herbs that's more potent fresh. You can coarse chop it for alot of dishes, or use it as whole leaves (bruise it to bring out the flavors).
Cilantro (aka corriander)- same deal with basil, a better herb to use fresh. the dried stuff you can barely tell what it is! You mention Mexican foods- Cilantro is a main ingredient in most marinades and rubs, and a big part of Salsas.
Onions- yeah I know it's a veggie, but another staple in any regional cuisine. Italian, Mexican, Asian always uses an onion of some sort. Vidalias when in season are awesome for their sweetness. I love red onions too not only for flavor but for contrasting colors. Your typical yellow and white onions can be used in anything.
Bell peppers- I love orange and yellow- much different flavors than even red and especially green. Green bells are always the cheapest to buy, but are also always in the fridge for their versatility. But it's nice to add the color and flavors of orange and red and yellows too.
Tomatoes- I love roma (plum) myself. They're easier to deal with and have a really great flavor. Hint- the seeds in tomatoes make your dishes sour! With a roma tomato, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Not only are they now easier to chop up, your food will taste better too.
Sauce/Oil/Vinegar/ect
Olive oil- find one you like. As mentioned there are tons or brands and prices, so go experiment!
Balsamic Vinegar- just as varied as olive oil. Many people treat it as a fine wine as well. Great flavor but remember to use sparingly.
Yoshida's Gourmet sauce- Awesome, you must have! This is my staple marinade. I get a large container from Sams club. If you've never heard of it, think of it kind of like a teriyaki, but not quite. It's much much better than that, and can be used in many dishes. I use it like people use BBQ sauce as the base for a marinade. You haven't had steak or ribs till you've had them with this stuff! Grilled chicken is incredible marinaded in this, and don't even get me started on stir frys!
Rooster Sauce (aka sriracha)- awesome stuff. again you must get it. An excellent compliment to be used with Yoshida for marinades.
Stubbs- if you want a marinade that you don't make from scratch (which when you're tired or in a hurry it's a life saver), pick up some of this stuff! There's one for beef, pork, chicken, and BBQ. The chicken marinade tastes close to what I would end up making from scratch! It's good stuff.
I think that's good for now. ;) Now on to what you do with all this stuff!!!
I am very excited to start trying some of these recipes. Problem now is... girlfriend is on a diet this week so I am not allowed to make anything that looks, smells, or sounds good. So, despite my best efforts, it looks like I'll be holding off my experimentation till next week.
I do have another question though. How do you carmelize? I threw some sugar in a pan with olive oil and sauteed onions in it. Is that carmelizing? I could google it, but this is more fun
Thanks for all the great responses. Has anyone else tried anything from up here?
Walter Rick Long Nikon Samurai, Mamiya Master, Velvia Bandit
Okay, a few words on my way of cooking. I don't measure, hardly ever. I use what seems appropriate to me, which comes from years of cooking I guess. So I'll do my best to give you guidelines for measurement if you're unsure. If you're cooking chicken on the bone, use a lower temp for longer- not only will it not dry out, but it comes off the bone much easier. Also whatever you are cooking- after it's pulled from the grill or oven, let it sit for at least 10mins! The meat will lose all it's juices if you cut it right away.
So now that you have all these ingredients, here some simple ways to use them:
Baked Ginger chicken:
1 whole chicken- I love these cause they are so much cheaper than boneless/skinless breasts, but give you more meat and more flavor (thanks to the dark meat).
From your staple supply- Garlic pepper, 3-4 Garlic cloves, Ginger powder, dried basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Rinse and clean the chicken inside and out- make sure to toss the neck and gizzards stuffed inside (I know, duh!) Line a 13x9 pyrex dish with aluminum foil, pour about a half cup of water into it. Take the garlic cloves, peeled and smashed* and put inside. You could also add a 1/4 onion inside the chicken too. Place in the dish breast side up. Pour enough olive oil to coat the chicken maybe a few tablespoons. The oil helps hold the spice to the meat and browns it nicely. Spinkle with Garlic pepper and dried basil, then rub into the meat till it's evenly spread out. Then sprinkle liberally with Ginger powder, add a few cranks from the pepper mill and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven at 425 for about 1.5-2 hours. Typically 20mins per pound, but as I said earlier, cook it 25degs or so lower and add more time for juicier meat that's easier to de-bone. For a slightly different flavor, replace the water in the dish with orange juice!
I like to serve this with corn and a simple salad of whatever greens you like, bell peppers, cukes, tomatoes, and onions. Another great side dish would be parsley potatoes (I'll post all about potatoes in a bit).