The Grim Cooking Thread

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Yemana
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The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Yemana »

So we've got at least a few people in the Grim who love to cook, so per Coy's suggestion, let's start sharing more than just war stories!

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Maple-Glazed Night Elf Salad

Greebs and I manage to have this at least twice a month - it's to die for. Greebs doesn't do tomatoes or cheese so his salad is always boring, but when it's all mixed together, it looks almost as good as it tastes. I'll get some pictures the next time we make it which will probably be this weekend. Serves two.

What to get:

For the meat
  • 3/4 lb. night elf flesh (or a beef cut of your choice if night elves are in short supply; Greebs and I use hanger steak but ribeye will work, too)
  • 1/4 cup Dalaran apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • salt & pepper
For the vinaigrette
  • 3 tbsp. Dalaran apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • some chopped herbs of your choosing; whatever you like
  • 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste; I usually go with more)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
For the salad
  • Spring mix (depending on how big you want your salads to be - more greens = good!)
  • 5 green onions, chopped
  • 10 cherry tomatoes (or more/less depending on how you feel about tomatoes!)
  • 1/3 cup Darnassian bleu cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup walnuts (or almonds, or pecans, whatever your fancy)
  • 3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
What to do:
  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the meat. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
  2. Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together except the olive oil, then whisk in the olive oil last. Set aside. (I like to add the juices from the rested meat after it's done cooking and give it an extra shake before pouring on the salad.)
  3. Coat the walnuts (or almonds or whatever you use) in maple syrup until coated, then spread on a resilient parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350oF for 5-7 minutes until the maple syrup has hardened. Allow to cool before breaking apart and adding to the salad (else you won't get that crunch!)
  4. Heat up the grill to 500oF and clean any burned crap off it with your wire brush. Turn the heat down to medium-low and season the night elf flanks/steaks with salt and pepper before tossing them on. Cook to desired doneness. Afterward, remove from heat and allow to rest under tented foil for five to ten minutes or so.
  5. Slice the steaks into thin strips. Build your salad on two plates, adding the toppings (and meat) in whichever order you wish. I recommend adding the nuts last to avoid the dressing sogging them up and taking away their crunch. Enjoy!
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Swifthoof
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Swifthoof »

I make a similar vinigrette to that, but the dressing is a little too sweet for me. I add the juice of a lime and a drop or 6 of Worcestershire sauce to cut it a bit.
Ryanica
Posts: 491

Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Ryanica »

I'm going to post a dessert, because I can! The best part about this one, is that it requires no baking and very few ingredients. Plus, no raw egg! The recipe is taken from http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

2/3 c raw cashews
1/3 c oats
2 Tbsp Agave or sugar
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 c Chocolate Chips

Blend cashews and oats in a blender or food processor very well, then add in your agave/sugar and syrup and blend well. Once it's reached a thick consistency, add in the chocolate chips. Shape them into little balls, and they can be eaten right away, though I prefer to refrigerate mine for a little while. This only makes about a dozen, of course it depends on how small or big you want them.
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Thalevia
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Thalevia »

Extremely simple, looks messy but is awesome. All amounts are approximate due to my aunts and mothers years of making it means no measurements when I learned.

Simple curry:

4 chicken thighs, bone in (more or less depending on how many you are feeding)
flour
curry powder
large can of tomato chunks (not drained)
milk
salt and pepper to taste
rice(not jasmine or other such type, it tastes funny with this, just plain old white or brown is best)

Mix flour and tbsp or two of curry powder and coat chicken
Fry up chicken in little oil until brown.
Add milk to pot enough to cover chicken and simmer (we use most of a 2L carton for a pack of 8 thighs and drumsticks)
Stir in tomatoes little at a time so milk doesn't curdle and if it does, doesn't matter
Add more curry powder, salt and pepper until meat is cooked and falling from bones. (Tastes better the longer it cooks) The chicken should be falling apart and not be really chunky
Remove bones, skin and other non-edible bits from pot, leaving all the meat in
Check flavor, add more spices if needed and let simmer a bit longer to incorporate.
Spoon over rice and enjoy. Extremely awesome reheated the next day. My great aunt used to make a huge stock pot of the stuff and keep it in her cold room in the basement and we would go scoop some out and heat it up in a smaller pot for supper.

The curry should be a rich yellow colour with bits of red tomato in it. If you like, you can add green peppers, my mother swears its better that way but green peppers are the mother freaking devil so she doesn't use them in it for my sake.
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Yemana
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Yemana »

Corn on the Cob with Mint Feta Butter

It's really all I can do not to stick my face into the bowl after the corn is gone and lick it clean.

What to get:
  • 4 ears corn, shucked and cut in half
  • 4 tbsp. butter, softened. Or more butter, if you're one of those people who love butter. Nothing wrong with that.
  • 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 3 tbsp fresh mint, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
What to do:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the butter, feta, minced fresh mint, and salt. Mix well.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the corn pieces. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the corn kernels are just tender.
  3. Using tongs, remove the corn from the water and drain. If you’ve got the grill going anyway, toss your ears on before you butter them to get a quick char and even deeper flavor. Place the ears into the bowl with the feta-butter mixture. Toss the corn in the butter mixture until all of the pieces are well-coated. Serve immediately.
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Ashenfury
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Ashenfury »

TACO SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
2x – 14.5 oz Cans of Ranch Style Beans
2x – 14.5 oz Cans of Hominy (Drained)
1x – 16 oz Bottle of Ranch Dressing
1x – 10 oz Can of 'RO*TEL Original' Tomatoes
1x – 1 LB of Chicken (Cut into small bits)
1x – Large Onion (Chopped/Diced)
1x – Package of Taco Seasoning (Can be substituted with Enchilada seasoning)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat and add chicken and onions
2. Caramelize the onions and brown the chicken
3. Add the ingredients and water to a large pot until chicken is fully submerged at least an inch. Depth may vary in very large or very small pots.
4. Simmer for several hours. The longer the better (ie: low and slow). A full day does well.
5. Add water as needed to meet desired consistency.

Note: The original recipe calls for ground beef instead of chicken. It's okay. Good to serve with corn chips crumbled on top of the soup. It also freezes well. I like to add a small can of corn and a small potato. Further spices are up to you. The heat (spicy heat) comes from the RO*TEL. If you do not want spicy soup then get the Mild RO*TEL. If you want the soup more spicy than normal, get the hotter versions.

Note: I like to use 2x 10 ounce cans of RO*TEL and to substitute the hominy with corn. I also add a healthy dose of fajita seasoning for extra flava.

EDIT: DOH! That was a direct copy/paste so it still had a name in it.
Last edited by Ashenfury on Sat May 14, 2011 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Duskheron
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Duskheron »

Mmmm Taco Soup. It's a tradition for our family. We use ground beef, kidney beans, no corn. When served, we sprinkle with cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, and a dollop of sour cream. One of those recipes that microwaves well and tastes better the next day.
WRA Grim: Duskheron
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Ashenfury
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Ashenfury »

That's awesome as it's a family recipe and tradition for us as well! Even Christmas, lol. Each of the uncles/aunts families do it their own way and you described it just how my eldest uncle's family likes to prepare it. It doesn't sound or look anywhere near as good as it tastes.
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Yemana
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Yemana »

Cayenne-Rubbed Westfall Chicken with Avocado Mango Salsa

Tried this for the first time tonight - it's incredibly easy to do, very quick and DELICIOUS.

What to get:
  • 2 Westfall chicken breasts
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more, if you like spicy - it wasn't particularly spicy when I prepared it to recipe)
  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 1 mango, diced
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice
What to do:
  1. Combine the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Rub all over the chicken breasts.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the chicken breasts and cook until done, about eight minutes. (Note: If you prefer to grill the chicken, add only 1 tbsp. of the oil to the spices, mix and coat the chicken breasts well, allowing to sit for a few minutes before grilling.)
  3. Toss the onion, mango and lime juice together. Add the mango last and mix gently to combine.
  4. Top the chicken breasts with the salsa and nom away!
Serves two.
Yemana sees someone standing in front of a flag and be like RAWR MOTHERFUCKER!!!!
Yichimet
Posts: 1368

Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Yichimet »

Made my first batch of ginger beer tonight. Stupid easy, delicious, now I get to fool around with it to get it right. Although make sure you use a food processor, not a blender. I burned mine out, oops.

2 1/2 pounds of rough-peeled ginger
4 cups of water, divided
2 - 3 1/2 cups sugar, depending on taste
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh-squeezed lime juice

Peel and cut the ginger into small cubes. Put the ginger and 2 cups of the water into the food processor and process for a minute or two. Pour the blended mixture into a strainer over a bowl, making sure to get as much of the moisture out of the ginger pulp as possible. Put the pulp and a cup of the remaining water into the food processor. Blend again. Repeat straining procedure. Put pulp back in the food processor one last time with the remaining cup of water, strain and discard the pulp (after you get ALL the moisture out of it!). Mix 2 cups of sugar and the citrus juices with the ginger juice. Add the remaining sugar a 1/4 cup at a time until it tastes right.

When you serve it, put it over ice and if it's too strong for you (it's pretty sharp), cut it with more lime juice, or soda water. Splash up to a shot of dark rum in it.

Next time I'm trying it with cane sugar and some pineapple juice in place of a bit of the lime juice.

No fermenting though, so where did it get the beer moniker?
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Yemana
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Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Yemana »

Yichimet wrote:Pour the blended mixture into a strainer over a bowl, making sure to get as much of the moisture out of the ginger pulp as possible.
Maybe get some cheesecloth and squeezy-squeeze?
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Yichimet
Posts: 1368

Re: The Grim Cooking Thread

Unread post by Yichimet »

That would work too, we just didn't have any in the house, so I used a mesh strainer and some elbow grease.
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Kharzak
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What I Cooked

Unread post by Kharzak »

I don't cook too often but I'm trying to change that. Tonight I made a recipe from the Smitten Kitchen (cookbook) which turned out fantastic:

EDIT: I changed the title of the thread in case others wanted to also put in interesting recipes.

__________________________

Heart-Stuffed Shells in a Ricotta Sauce
Serves 4

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INGREDIENTS
Shells
18 jumbo pasta shells (approximately half of a 12-ounce box)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped small
12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup (1 1/4 ounces) finely grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

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PREPARATION
Cook the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook shells according to package directions. Drain and toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, to keep them from sticking.

Make the filling: Melt butter in a heavy 12-inch skillet (or the bottom of the dried-out pot you used to cook your pasta, if you're into dirtying fewer dishes) and cook it until it turns nutty and brown, stirring occasionally to keep the solids moving on the bottom of the pan. Once it is a nice nutty brown, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then the onions and cook them until they are lightly brown and caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cook them until they are softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook it until it completely disappears.

Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly, before transferring it to the bowl of a food processor. Add both cheeses, the yolks, lemon juice, salt and black pepper and pulse in the food processor until well chopped but still retains a little texture.

Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (or the wiped out pot you made the artichoke filling in, if you're into spending less time scrubbing pots) over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the flour all at once and whisk it until smooth. Add the milk, a small glug at a time, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Once the mixture has reached a batter-like consistency, you can begin adding the milk in larger pours at a time, whisking the whole time. Once all the milk is added, add the garlic and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, it will immediately begin to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for two to three minutes before stirring in the ricotta, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon to taste.

Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour two cups of sauce (you'll have about 2 1/2 cups total) into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Scoop one tablespoon of artichoke filling inside each cooked shell; this will fill it but still allow the sides to close and neatly hold the filling intact while it bakes. Nest each pasta shell in the sauce, seam up. Dollop a spoonful of the remaining sauce over each shell. Cover the dish with foil and bake it for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake it for a final 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley or basil, if using, and serve immediately.

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Deb Perelman is a self-taught home cook, photographer and the creator of the Smitten Kitchen website, a blog with a focus on stepped-up home cooking through unfussy ingredients. Her first cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, will be published by Knopf in 2012. Deb lives in New York City with her husband and delicious baby son.
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Anaie
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Re: What I Cooked

Unread post by Anaie »

*sniffle* He has come a long way from mac and cheese on the dorm stove.... my boy, all growed up.
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Yrzuli
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Re: What I Cooked

Unread post by Yrzuli »

Too bad those would absolutely kill Anaie...
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