Recipes

[Shizzle Popped]

Changing directions slightly. Crustless quiche:

A dozen eggs and quite a bit of shredded cheese as a base. Add to that crumbled bacon, ground sausage (already cooked) or ham chunks; chopped green onions, red pepper and grape tomatoes; sliced mushrooms, feta cheese, lots of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with more shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees in a 13 x 9 casserole dish to 160 degrees (roughly 45 minutes or so, depending).

I'd give amounts but I never measure anything and it's always a little different each time I make it. Makes enough for company or breakfast for two for a few days or so.

[neonzx]

Changing directions slightly. Crustless quiche:

A dozen eggs and quite a bit of shredded cheese as a base. Add to that crumbled bacon, ground sausage (already cooked) or ham chunks; chopped green onions, red pepper and grape tomatoes; sliced mushrooms, feta cheese, lots of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with more shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees in a 13 x 9 casserole dish to 160 degrees (roughly 45 minutes or so, depending).

I'd give amounts but I never measure anything and it's always a little different each time I make it. Makes enough for company or breakfast for two for a few days or so.

It actually sounds... adventurous a bit.

I like the fact you suggest winging it on the ingredient amounts. Baking it at 160 is very low but the meat(s) are already precooked so it mostly setting up the eggs and merging the other veggies and cheese.

Should the casserole dish be covered with a lid or foil during the bake?

[tek]

No cover while baking.

Put come shredded cheese on top halfway thru baking and that's basically an oven frittata.
I make a lot of frittata, it is a fave in this house.
Usually I do it in a skillet on the stove and finish in the oven, but a couple weeks ago we were at the Undisclosed Secure Location and I didn't have an appropriate skillet... so I just did it in the oven. Our lunch guests were suitably impressed

I usually limit myself to cheese plus at most four other things as filling, but everybody has their own style.

https://food52.com/blog/27047-frittata-vs-quiche (though I don't completely agree)

[sugar magnolia]

Changing directions slightly. Crustless quiche:

A dozen eggs and quite a bit of shredded cheese as a base. Add to that crumbled bacon, ground sausage (already cooked) or ham chunks; chopped green onions, red pepper and grape tomatoes; sliced mushrooms, feta cheese, lots of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with more shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees in a 13 x 9 casserole dish to 160 degrees (roughly 45 minutes or so, depending).

I'd give amounts but I never measure anything and it's always a little different each time I make it. Makes enough for company or breakfast for two for a few days or so.

For a crust-ish finish on that, add 1 cup of biscuit mix or baking mix whisked into the eggs, and crank it up to 400 for 45 minutes and cook in a pie pan. I like to use the Red Lobster cheese biscuit mix. Mix and match cheeses and veggies. Bacon, onion, mushrooms and chopped spinach is always a winner, with swiss, mozz and/or feta.

[humblescribe]

Changing directions slightly. Crustless quiche:

A dozen eggs and quite a bit of shredded cheese as a base. Add to that crumbled bacon, ground sausage (already cooked) or ham chunks; chopped green onions, red pepper and grape tomatoes; sliced mushrooms, feta cheese, lots of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with more shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees in a 13 x 9 casserole dish to 160 degrees (roughly 45 minutes or so, depending).

I'd give amounts but I never measure anything and it's always a little different each time I make it. Makes enough for company or breakfast for two for a few days or so.

For a crust-ish finish on that, add 1 cup of biscuit mix or baking mix whisked into the eggs, and crank it up to 400 for 45 minutes and cook in a pie pan. I like to use the Red Lobster cheese biscuit mix. Mix and match cheeses and veggies. Bacon, onion, mushrooms and chopped spinach is always a winner, with swiss, mozz and/or feta.

Or, for a different sort of crust for your quiche, toast panko in a skillet in butter until brownish. Not too brown, cuz you then toss the panko on top of the quiche before you bake it.

I make real artery-clogging mac and cheese a couple times per year. I always toast panko and then spoon the bread crumbs on top before baking the M&C. It adds a nice crunch and texture.

[Shizzle Popped]

Interesting ideas and I'll be looking at all of them. Yes, bake uncovered. I'll also admit that sometimes I do a "whatever I find in the fridge" quiche which can be quite interesting. 160 degrees is all that's required for the eggs but longer will make the edges and top develop more of a crust.

As for a real crust, we're both diabetic and have a daughter living with us (again...still) who has serious issues with gluten. This can make cooking a bit of a challenge at times though we're finding more substitutes. My numbers are always somewhat high in the morning and I'm not on any medication so breakfast is limited to maybe 10 or 15 grams of carbs. I am developing a list of surprisingly good Keto and gluten-free recipes.

[AndyinPA]

We stayed at a resort once that included breakfast. A woman stood in front of a long cooktop and effortlessly flipped egg after egg after egg for perfect over-easy eggs. I just watched in amazement, and then thoroughly enjoyed them.

[neonzx]

We stayed at a resort once that included breakfast. A woman stood in front of a long cooktop and effortlessly flipped egg after egg after egg for perfect over-easy eggs. I just watched in amazement, and then thoroughly enjoyed them.

Pretty impressive, eh? You find a good restaurant that knows how to do that, stick with em. I was a waiter but never a cook/chef-in-training. It impressed me what some of these guys and gals could do.

[Shizzle Popped]

We stayed at a resort once that included breakfast. A woman stood in front of a long cooktop and effortlessly flipped egg after egg after egg for perfect over-easy eggs. I just watched in amazement, and then thoroughly enjoyed them.

My "normal" breakfast is a couple of eggs over easy with some bacon or ham but my skill cooking eggs this way is variable. I do pretty well cooking them after the bacon is done but have less luck cooking the eggs by themselves. My dad's electric stove, which I use 3 or 4 days a month, continues to baffle me.

[Danraft]

Quiche? Frittata is different than quiche.
Quiche is an egg custard using whole eggs.

It’s been a bit, but the ratio that comes to mind is equal parts by volume of whole egg and milk product(milk or half-and-half being most common) and then whatever meats/seafood/cheeses/veggies etc.

Changing directions slightly. Crustless quiche:

A dozen eggs and quite a bit of shredded cheese as a base. Add to that crumbled bacon, ground sausage (already cooked) or ham chunks; chopped green onions, red pepper and grape tomatoes; sliced mushrooms, feta cheese, lots of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with more shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees in a 13 x 9 casserole dish to 160 degrees (roughly 45 minutes or so, depending).

I'd give amounts but I never measure anything and it's always a little different each time I make it. Makes enough for company or breakfast for two for a few days or so.

[Maybenaut]

We’ve been trying to reduce our plastic footprint around here. We were talking the other day about all of the things that used to come in glass but now only comes in plastic, and my husband was like, yeah, we go through a lot of mayonnaise.

So I looked on line to see if I could make my own. It is SO SIMPLE! But unlike store-bought, homemade mayo isn’t pasteurized, so it doesn’t have the same shelf-life in the fridge. So, small batches.

I used a Cuisinart mini-prep food processor. You could also use a hand blender or a regular blender. You could use a large food processor, but you’d have to stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl (or you could double the batch). Or you could make it in a bowl with a hand whisk, but that’s take a long time.

You need:

1 egg (room temperature)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground mustard (or 1 TBSP Dijon)
1 TBSP vinegar (any kind - I used white because that’s what I had)
1 cup oil (any light in color, neutral in flavor - I used soybean oil because that’s what I had)

Steps:

1. Process the egg for 20 seconds
2. Add the salt, mustard, and vinegar and process for another 20 seconds
3. With the food processor or blender running, SLOWLY add the oil by pouring it in a thin stream (most food processors’ lids have a cup with a tiny hole that exists for this exact purpose)
4. Continue to process until all the oil has been added.

Fresh! Flavorful! And less than half the price of store-bought mayonnaise!

Edit: If you want to use olive oil, don’t use extra virgin. Use light (or as my husband calls it, slutty olive oil).

[Patagoniagirl]

Yes to the mayo recipe above!!! You can simply add interesting herb combos to make special mayo for sandwiches and subs. Garlic Dill. Substitute vinegar for lemon with that. Endless possibilities, no plastic waste and excellent flavor.

Thanks.

[AndyinPA]

I've made this in the past. I can attest it's easy, and it's good.

[johnpcapitalist]

Ever since my sweetie passed away almost three years ago I've been eating a lot of frozen and deli meals. I've considered getting a small instant pot and making real meals. If anyone has simple recipes that they love for an instant pot, I'd appreciate if you'd share those.

Not a recipe but a thought about cooking for one person:

I am in a wonderful long-term relationship but we don't live together. We spend 4-5 nights per week together, so I'm eating alone 2-3 nights per week. That means that if I buy fresh veggies, they degrade in the days I'm over at her house.

I really like the idea of home-cooked food because I can control salt, cut out highly modified carbs and otherwise eat healthier than if I am constantly throwing frozen packaged foods into the microwave.

When I recently moved, one of the first things I bought was a freezer. Not a huge Jeffrey Dahmer autograph model 30 cubic foot chest freezer, but a medium large ~15 cubic foot upright model. I also got a 24-quart stockpot at Costco.com (I would recommend buying one of these at a retailer via ship-to-store as the price uplift because of cubic volume on shipping at Amazon is ruinous). I also got a ton of those semi-disposable Glad or Ziploc brand plastic containers, which will easily last 20+ usage cycles, though they won't last forever like the nice Rubbermaid ones will.

These days, I make massive batches of split pea soup, lasagna, chili and many other hardy foods, pack them in individual portions and then throw them in the freezer. I like the economy of scale for these projects because I can justify the cleanup on the food processor when I chop onions, carrots and other similar ingredients, which I couldn't do if I were making two portions. I can also justify the time invested in complex recipes like the lasagna, which takes about 4 hours (end to end) to make one tray but only a little bit longer to make four or five.

As I write this, I have a quadruple white chicken chili batch using Costco rotisserie chickens going in two crock pots (Recipe from one of my favorite YouTube cooking channels here: https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipe ... cken-chili) and the sauce for five trays of my special holiday lasagna, which has become a tradition. I'm the only person at Christmas who's not of 100% pure-blooded Italian heritage, but everybody loves it, and it has now supplanted turkey or ham as the main dish at Christmas. Recipe here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23600 ... t-lasagna/. I'm making two giant batches of five trays each, which yields 100 slices. Cost is about $200, but I saved a lot of money buying everything I could at Costco (which you can't do cooking one bachelor meal at a time), and I'll be able to eat off that once or twice a week for a full year.

Also on the 2023 goals list is to expand into canning, which is great for anything that doesn't contain dairy, because canned meals are not at risk for spoiling in a power failure, and there's no electrical cost. My research (again, via YouTube university) suggests that it'll cost about $500 to get started with the two different canning vessels and the various tools you need. Jars are about $1.50 apiece and the only variable cost is new lids each time you use the jar, which run about $0.35 apiece. They recommend strongly against reusing jar lids due to the danger of a seal failing and spoiling the food.

[AndyinPA]

That chicken chili looks awesome. I've got to try that. And using Costco rotisserie chicken would be great.

The lasagna recipe reminds me of the one I used to make. I haven't made it in years, but I always doubled the pans, as you're right, a little more work for a lot more food.

Speaking of Costco, they make a meat lasagna that's in the freezer section that I think is really good. Three of us get two big meals out of it. It also reminds me of the one I used to make, which is why I always keep one in the freezer.

[Phoenix520]

I’ve started adding a brick of cream cheese to my chicken chili, near the end of cooking.

[johnpcapitalist]

That chicken chili looks awesome. I've got to try that. And using Costco rotisserie chicken would be great.

Yeah, the Costco chicken really makes that particular dish. I use the McCormick white chicken chili seasoning that you can get at almost any grocery store instead of the gourmet seasoning that the recipe author sells.

One recommendation: get the other ingredients going in the crock pot and then head for Costco. It is much easier to get the meat off the chicken when it's still warm than if you refrigerate it overnight. You can just use your bare hands and peel all the meat off the bones when it's fresh, and you can pull the wings and legs apart without a knife. It's much harder to get everything off a cold carcass.

Another bulk recipe I make in the 24-quart stockpot that requires Costco rotisserie chickens is this: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/55610 ... wick-stew/. It's incredibly dense, so reasonable portions are likely to be much smaller than you expect. 24 ounces of split pea soup is not all that filling, but a good portion for a big guy like me is only about 12 ounces of the Brunswick stew. It's too rich (and packed with meat) for my partner's taste, so I only make a triple recipe of this one, unlike the lasagna that everybody loves.

[AndyinPA]

That chicken chili looks awesome. I've got to try that. And using Costco rotisserie chicken would be great.

Yeah, the Costco chicken really makes that particular dish. I use the McCormick white chicken chili seasoning that you can get at almost any grocery store instead of the gourmet seasoning that the recipe author sells.

One recommendation: get the other ingredients going in the crock pot and then head for Costco. It is much easier to get the meat off the chicken when it's still warm than if you refrigerate it overnight. You can just use your bare hands and peel all the meat off the bones when it's fresh, and you can pull the wings and legs apart without a knife. It's much harder to get everything off a cold carcass.

Another bulk recipe I make in the 24-quart stockpot that requires Costco rotisserie chickens is this: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/55610 ... wick-stew/. It's incredibly dense, so reasonable portions are likely to be much smaller than you expect. 24 ounces of split pea soup is not all that filling, but a good portion for a big guy like me is only about 12 ounces of the Brunswick stew. It's too rich (and packed with meat) for my partner's taste, so I only make a triple recipe of this one, unlike the lasagna that everybody loves.

Thanks for the tip on the McCormick's. This recipe also looks fantastic. It does look very rich. I just cleaned off a Costco chicken carcass last night to make broth, so I understand what you are saying.

Also, all recipes dot com is my favorite go to.

[Maybenaut]

Not a recipe but a thought about cooking for one person:

Also on the 2023 goals list is to expand into canning, which is great for anything that doesn't contain dairy, because canned meals are not at risk for spoiling in a power failure, and there's no electrical cost. My research (again, via YouTube university) suggests that it'll cost about $500 to get started with the two different canning vessels and the various tools you need. Jars are about $1.50 apiece and the only variable cost is new lids each time you use the jar, which run about $0.35 apiece. They recommend strongly against reusing jar lids due to the danger of a seal failing and spoiling the food.

I do a lot of pressure canning. Here are some things to consider:

Only use recipes that have been tested by the USDA or one of the many ag extensions or universities. There are thousands of tested recipes out there, so there’s no need to put yourself or anyone else at risk by winging it.

Be sure to read up on the different canning methods and the products available for each. When you’re shopping around for a pressure canner, be sure to check out the All-American. It’s way more expensive than others on the market, but it doesn’t use O-rings, which tend to fail. And you might not know the O-ring failed until after you spent all day canning a dozen quarts of something you now have to refrigerate and eat within two weeks.

I actually do my pressure canning outside in the fall. Canning inside raises the humidity in the house to the point where there’s water all over everything. Not only is your canner eventually going to release a ton of steam, you also have to boil the jars and lids (I don’t trust the get-them-hot-in-the-dishwasher method).

You also need to think about whether your stove can handle the weight and heat of a pressure canner. My stove is induction, and all pressure canners currently on the market are aluminum, so you can’t pressure can on an induction cooktop.

Most glass cooktop manufacturers say you can’t pressure can on them because the weight and heat will cause the glass to warp. So realistically, you need gas or old-fashioned electric coils.

Be very careful about canning over propane outside. I’ve read some articles that say not to do it at all, and some that say it’s OK as long as you’re out of the wind, and if the wind blows out your flame, you have to start over.

My husband built me a little two-burner electric coil stove (a 220 GE cooktop, not the 110 table-top model which won’t get hot enough). He had to wire up a 220 outlet to plug in. I’m only 5’ tall, so I asked him to make me a stove that stands 18”. My All-American is really tall, so if I tried to use it on a counter-height range, I’d have to stand on a chair. So this coil stove set onto a frame made of 2x4s and Simpson strong ties is all I need.

But I’m adventurous. I wanted to see if I could can over a wood fire with a rocket stove. Yes, I can. I’ve done this a couple of times over a rocket stove I built myself out of bricks, and later with a wood camp stove I bought specifically for canning.

I have a 30 quart All American pressure canner I got on Amazon for about $500

https://a.co/d/6JnhVpn

And I use an EcoZoom rocket stove when cooking over wood. That requires a lot more attention because you constantly have to watch the gauge and adjust the fire accordingly. But it’s fun!

https://a.co/d/0ja0SpE

[johnpcapitalist]

I do a lot of pressure canning. Here are some things to consider:

Only use recipes that have been tested by the USDA or one of the many ag extensions or universities. There are thousands of tested recipes out there, so there’s no need to put yourself or anyone else at risk by winging it.

I hadn't heard that. Is it really all that dangerous to add celery to a split pea soup recipe? I thought that as long as you had a good seal, did the right thing with tomato-based stuff and didn't have any dairy in the recipe you were fine.

When you’re shopping around for a pressure canner, be sure to check out the All-American. It’s way more expensive than others on the market, but it doesn’t use O-rings, which tend to fail.

Yep, I had already heard that one. Almost every YouTube canning channel I looked at recommended the All-American, and it didn't seem to be because they were sponsors.

Most glass cooktop manufacturers say you can’t pressure can on them because the weight and heat will cause the glass to warp.

Aaaaaauuugggghhh! Guess what kind of stove I have?

Be very careful about canning over propane outside.

I can only imagine the sorts of fun people get into attempting that. Probably not all that much safer than using a deep fat turkey fryer (search YouTube for "turkey fryer accidents" for a rather morbid form of entertainment).

[Maybenaut]

I do a lot of pressure canning. Here are some things to consider:

Only use recipes that have been tested by the USDA or one of the many ag extensions or universities. There are thousands of tested recipes out there, so there’s no need to put yourself or anyone else at risk by winging it.

I hadn't heard that. Is it really all that dangerous to add celery to a split pea soup recipe? I thought that as long as you had a good seal, did the right thing with tomato-based stuff and didn't have any dairy in the recipe you were fine.

I wouldn’t recommend it; it’s not as simple as that. For example: You cannot can anything with pasta or flour or any other grain. So if you make your favorite stew thickened with roux, you can’t can that (you can the stew without it, then heat up the roux when you’re ready to open your jar of stew).

That’s just one example. There are a lot of ingredients that require special handling. And the proportions might matter depending on the ph or fat content.

There are enough recipes out there that you should be able to find whatever you want to make without too much effort.

[Maybenaut]

Here’s my set-up btw…

[tek]

IF you aren't handy with this sort of stuff, you can get a 2000W 240V tabletop single-burner unit from restaurant supply stores.. then you just need to get a 240V outlet to plug it into

If you're OK with less power, there are many 1200-1500 watt 120V units available that are either solid or coil, but you probably want the watts for canning..

[humblescribe]

I have been baking all our bread for about 12 years now. It is just my wife and I. There are countless recipes out there for all sorts of breads. I'm not the artisanal sort that makes all these fancy types. Bread recipes easily scale linearly to smaller sizes or to yield one loaf instead of two. I make the following types often: 100% whole wheat; potato buttermilk bread; French loaf; English muffins; Jewish rye; dark rye; yeasty dinner rolls.

Others made less frequently include ciabatta; asiago-garlic cheese bread; baguettes; pizza dough.

While freezing the extra does removes some of the pizzazz of freshly-baked bread, I have found that a brief go-around in the microwave on defrost with a moist paper towel restores a lot of the freshly-baked texture and taste.

I use a stand mixer, not a bread machine or hand kneading. English muffins are not baked; rather they are grilled on the cooktop and flipped like a pancake once one side is done. Generally, it takes me about 20 minutes to gather and mix the ingredients in the mixer. Then proofing takes 30-60 minutes depending upon recipe and the house temperature. Then about 5-10 minutes to deflate the dough and shape or place into loaf pans. The second proof takes another 40 minutes or so before baking. So there is plenty of time between steps to do other things.

I prefer using 100% white whole wheat flour instead of the customary red whole wheat. The crumb is lighter in texture but still provides all the nutrients of whole grain. I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast as instant yeast can be added directly to the ingredients (keep away from the NaCl, though ). I buy the yeast in one-pound vacuum-sealed pouches as it is a lot cheaper. I keep the flour in the spare refrigerator.

I also use 110-milled flour (European style grading--that is the "ash" content of flour, refined flour grades out to be around 50, while 100% whole wheat is around 150) as a substitute for some of the bread flour to add a little fiber and flavor to the other recipes.

Central Milling sells a wide array of different flour types. They are based in Logan, Utah, and they have a distributor in Petaluma, so I buy from Petaluma. I used to use spelt flour too but have decided to use the 110-milled product instead. Likely there are millers in the Midwest and East who offer similar selections.

It is refreshing that the ingredients are simple: flour, water, yeast, salt, with sometimes milk, eggs, oil, sugar or honey; caraway, dill pickle juice, dehydrated onion and potato (for rye), cheese. No preservatives! I don't care that the FDA says that they are "generally regarded as safe." I don't especially want some chemical like butylated hydrotoluene entering my gut.

My wife really enjoys my work, and that is enough feedback for me.

And, don't ever forget the salt. Ever.

[Maybenaut]

Mmmmm … homemade English muffins

9293EBE3-8D62-4414-A721-9C79282D13DD.jpeg (211.41 KiB) Viewed 580 times

These are vegan, but you could use real milk and butter:

1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (a little more than 1/2 envelope)
3/4 cup warm water
3 cups all at uprose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup corn meal
2-3 tbsp flour

1. Heat milk, vinegar and butter til butter is just melted (I did it in the microwave in 30-second bursts)

2. Sir in sugar, yeast and warm water, let sit til yeast is frothy

3. Combine flour and salt

4. Add milk/yeast mixture. Knead until you have a light, slightly sticky dough (I use a dough hook and a stand mixer, but you could knead it on the counter)

5. Shape into a ball and let rise in an oiled bowl (roll the ball around in the bowl til it’s got a sheen of oil). Let rise in a warm place until double - about an hour and a half (I have a table-top proofing oven - my house is too cold in the winter)

6. Punch down, roll into a ball, let rest for 10 minutes or so

7. Roll out on the counter til dough is 1/2 inch thick, then using a glass, a tin can, or a cookie cutter, cut into 3” rounds

8. Place each round on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal - don’t crowd them

9. Let rise another 30 minutes

10. Cook each one on a medium griddle 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown (this took some experimentation, both with the amount of heat and the e placement of muffins on the griddle). They’ll be underdone in the center, but that’s what you want.

11. Let them cool. they’ll keep quiet awhile. When you’re ready to eat them, split with the back of two forks or an angel food cake cutter, then toast in a toaster or broiler.