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Post by september on Feb 25, 2020 23:28:58 GMT -5
Laura_in_FL , Spaghetti is my go-to meal for a quick meal here too! Usually end up having it once a week when I don't feel like thinking about what to make. And enough left overs for the next day. Tonight was spaghetti with sauce of ground venison, frozen peppers, canned mushrooms in with the jar of tomato sauce, splash of wine, added spices. Simmered while the noodles boil, also green beans, and a tossed salad on the side.
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Post by daylilydude on Feb 27, 2020 19:13:00 GMT -5
Just put a nice sized pork roast in the Instapot for barque pulled pork sammiches.
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dirtguy50
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My avatar got in trouble for digging in the garden
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Post by dirtguy50 on Feb 27, 2020 22:02:16 GMT -5
Richard, did you use a pork butt, shoulder, or some other cut of meat?
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Post by paquebot on Feb 27, 2020 23:34:56 GMT -5
Chicken sandwich, small fries, and medium Dr. Pepper. Wife not feeling well and I had a Burger King coupon and too tired to cook!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Feb 28, 2020 0:31:59 GMT -5
Happened to be in town, picking up some supplies, so stopped at Famous Daves bar b q for pulled pork sandwich. First time had a poor one there, meat was over cooked to the stage of bring burnt.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2020 3:38:59 GMT -5
Had a small potato, microwaved and then smashed some with butter and S&P, plus some tilapia filets pn fried without out any coating in some bacon grease. Was good and just enough.
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Post by brownrexx on Feb 28, 2020 11:40:19 GMT -5
dirtguy50, I have used both pork butt as well as shoulder and think that the shoulder has less fat but is still delicious in the IP for pulled pork. The farm where I horseback ride also raises a few pigs humanely and she had some of the meat made into pulled pork by the butcher. I bought a quart of it frozen and that will be tomorrow's dinner. I like having something made out of local, farm raised meat.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2020 17:31:19 GMT -5
It's going to be a ham sandwich night after grocery shopping today. Tomorrow will either be fried chicken or some pork steaks.
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Post by paquebot on Feb 29, 2020 22:26:53 GMT -5
Jack's pizza. Had not been on sale for awhile and now cost more. Quality went the other way as they got thinner and less meat. Even with added cheese, could not overcome the chintzy crust.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by september on Feb 29, 2020 23:07:26 GMT -5
Found an ancient package of 10 bean soup at the back of the cupboard, put those in to soak this morning. Cooked up the soup with a frozen ham bone sent home from my sister's house a month ago. Had it for supper along with baking powder biscuits and a salad.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 3, 2020 22:45:09 GMT -5
I pulled up most of those covered greens out there, getting an overflowing 12 qt bowl filled with them - the rest of the plants went in the compost. I wanted to make some tacos with them, so I caramelized some sliced onions, followed by some chopped cremini. After the mushrooms were browned, the steamed chard (about 10 oz fresh) and a generous cup of jicama, sliced and cut into about 1/4" pieces. This was sautéed until most of the water had cooked out, then it was removed to a bowl. Meanwhile, a salsa was made with some dehydrated tomatillos (1.6 oz, a little over 1 lb equivalent), 8 moritas, and 8 pan roasted garlic cloves. The tomatillos and moritas are dry toasted in a skillet, before the garlic, then soaked in hot water. These are then blended with the garlic, to make a paste, then put in the wok, with water I rinsed the blender out with, then it was cooked down about 8 min on medium high, until thickened. Those dehydrated tomatillos, when dry roasted in a pan, taste as good as grilled, fresh tomatillos, in these salsas! Pay roasted moritas and dried tomatillos, ready to be soaked. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Paste, of the roasted garlic and soaked tomatillos and moritas. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Tomatillo and morita paste, cooking down. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Paste, cooked down for about 8 minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Heating up the tortillas over an open flame. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished taco, with the onion, greens, mushroom, and jicama filling, topped with the salsa, queso fresco, and cilantro. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2020 23:40:01 GMT -5
Have never used jicama myself, so a couple questions ( I ALWAYS have questions!!). Does it soften up when cooked? What does it taste like?
Really like the way your sauce looks, nice and thick.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 4, 2020 1:10:08 GMT -5
@imp I use jicama mostly for its crunchiness - it's sort of like water chestnuts, with a little sweetness. It's great added to stir-fries, and dishes like this, when I want some texture. I tried growing it, but no luck - it is a very long season veggie. I only buy it when I see a deal, but it stores well for a long time in the fridge.
Those Mexican sauces that start out fairly thin, but are "fried" down to a thick sauce, are some of my favorites. Many Mexican dishes start out like this, then thin out the cooked down paste, and you get a sauce that is like something that has been simmered for a couple of hours - cooking it over the high heat brings out the flavors quickly, though you do have to stir it and scrape the pan constantly. I've found that a wok is the best thing to cook these in, as it keeps the stovetop cleaner than using a skillet!
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Mar 4, 2020 11:48:40 GMT -5
That taco looks fantastic, pepperhead212. Because of your posts, I am hoping to dehydrate some tomatillos this year.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 4, 2020 12:23:29 GMT -5
Laura_in_FL Those tomatillos were actually from 2018! Last season was not a good year, as all I grew was one each of two varieties, which flowered at different times. While they can self pollinate, they are self-incompatible, so it doesn't do well. From now on, I'll just plant two of the same plant! Tomatillos reduce from a pound to 1.35-1.45 oz when dehydrating, about the same as eggplants.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Mar 9, 2020 0:46:09 GMT -5
Ladies I need some help! Made a pot of beans and ham, in the crock pot. Soaked them over night, put the in the pot, on low for about six hours. Tried them and there were not done, by any means. Put them back in the pot on high for two or three hours, still were not done. What did I do wrong, never ran into this before? You folks don't be laughing now!! Don't, Pretend to be a cook, have trouble boiling water.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 9, 2020 7:49:34 GMT -5
I usually cook my dry beans in the crock pot for at least 8 hours. You can take your crock pot soup and finish cooking it in a pot on the stove.
Several things can contribute to beans not cooking as quick as you would like.
Older beans like those from stores take longer to get soft since as they age they become drier and drier and take longer to re-hydrate.
Hard water makes beans take longer to become soft.
Acidic ingredients like tomatoes can make the cooked beans more tough. Tomatoes, lemon juice or salt should be added at the end of the cooking time.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 11, 2020 0:15:35 GMT -5
I love barley and mushrooms together. Tonight I added beef to them, a classic combo, and made a soup, some in my IP, but a lot on the stovetop, too. I cooked the mirepoix in the IP, adding 2 crushed garlic cloves, then removed most of it, and added 9 c of the broth, using that roasted chicken base and the barley, then cooked it for 20 min. on high pressure, while prepping the rest of the dish. I soaked 1 oz of porcini, then "massaged" the grit out of them, then rinsed them in another cup of water. I chopped them up, then, using a method Marcella Hazan used in her books, I boiled the porcini with the strained soaking water, before adding the butter and fresh cremini, to brown those. The second rinsing water I used to deglaze the beef pan, and rinse out the mushroom pan. The beef I browned and added to the barley, with the cooked mirepoix and deglazing from the sauté pan, plus about 2 tsp fresh rosemary and 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped, andcooked it for 15 min. on high, and released pressure after 10 min. I then added the mushroom mix, rinsed out the pan with that porcini liquid, and cooked on high for 10 min. I let it naturally release for 15 min., then released the rest of the pressure. Then, I stirred in 1/4 c chopped parlsey, in addition to that on top of the bowl. I think I have about 10 bowls of it leftover! Chopped porcini, with soaking liquid cooking off. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Chopped cremini, added to porcini to brown in butter. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Mushrooms finished browning in butter. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Second batch of beef browning. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Browned beef, ready to add to IP. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Fresh rosemary and sage, chopped up for the soup. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished soup in Instant Pot by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished Beef Barley Mushroom Soup by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 11, 2020 8:00:17 GMT -5
I have gotten pretty comfortable using the Instant Pot but I do not usually make complete meals in it like some do. Last night I heated a ham slice on the stove, cooked some of my frozen garden asparagus and cooked a pot of "baked" beans made with 3 varieties on my own dry beans in the Instant Pot. I have finally gotten the knack of cooking dry beans in the IP. I don't understand these recipes that I see online where they cook dry beans for 5 minutes. I tried that and they were still hard. Last night I cooked mine for 55 minutes and they were perfect.
Tonight will be Chicken and Broccoli.The chicken will be cooked in the IP and steamed broccoli added at the end to keep it semi firm.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Mar 11, 2020 8:26:55 GMT -5
That beef, barley, and mushroom soup looks fantastic, pepperhead212. Wouldn't it be convenient if you could cook dry beans in 5 minutes in the IP, brownrexx? But you probably knew before you even tried it that it was too good to be true. Still, it sounds like you have found a method for consistently good results, which is great. I am doing a "cheater" chicken tikka masala tonight. I call it a "cheater" version because I am starting with one of those packaged kits. I will probably need to tweak it by adding more spices, but I won't spice it to my personal preference because then it would be too spicy for the kids. I know this is probably heresy to you serious and accomplished cooks, but in my house authenticity must often yield to practicality - my time for cooking will be limited this evening, and I want my kids to eat what I make.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2020 8:56:20 GMT -5
It's not a good use of grocery money if what you cook doesn't get eaten. I myself tend to tone down the spiciness in many recipes as I just do not care for that much, so you are not the only one making adjustments to the household tastes.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 11, 2020 16:47:53 GMT -5
I made chicken and broccoli served over Basmati rice tonight and hubby kept saying "this is really good". I liked it too and it's a really easy meal. I used the IP to cook the chicken and added the steamed broccoli at the end. 20200311_165818 (2) by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2020 22:22:23 GMT -5
That dish looks tasty! Is there a recipe?
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Mar 11, 2020 22:31:44 GMT -5
Monday I made a beef pot pie out of a sirloin roast that I grilled the day before. We have been eating it at my parents house.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Mar 12, 2020 0:08:39 GMT -5
Lazy here, cooked half a FM pizza. They are not great, butup.t filled up.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 12, 2020 8:31:03 GMT -5
That dish looks tasty! Is there a recipe? Sure it's super easy and you could cook the chicken on the stovetop if you don't have an IP. Ingredients • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1 onion, chopped • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed • ¾ c. water or chicken stock • ¼ c. low sodium soy sauce • 1 tsp. brown sugar • ¼ - ½ tsp ground ginger • 2 tsp. sesame or olive oil • Broccoli, steamed • 1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water Directions 1. Add oil to the IP and sauté the onions, garlic and chicken for 1-2 minutes. 2. Add water or broth, soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar. Mix 3. Cover with lid, select pressure cook, set on high pressure and cook for 3 minutes. 4. Natural pressure release. To thicken the sauce: 1. Press the sauté setting and add the corn starch slurry to the pot. Mix with the sauce until thickened. 2. Add the cooked broccoli to the pot and allow to sit until warmed through 3. Serve over hot, cooked rice.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2020 11:49:36 GMT -5
Thank you, looks simple yet hitting all the flavor notes.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2020 14:47:46 GMT -5
Ladies I need some help! Made a pot of beans and ham, in the crock pot. Soaked them over night, put the in the pot, on low for about six hours. Tried them and there were not done, by any means. Put them back in the pot on high for two or three hours, still were not done. What did I do wrong, never ran into this before? You folks don't be laughing now!! Don't, Pretend to be a cook, have trouble boiling water. This is a variable thing, the problem could be as simple as old beans or hard water. A couple things I try to do with older beans is to boil them briefly, then soak for up to 24 hours in fresh cool water. Sometimes I add a pinch ( about an 1/8 of a teaspoon of baking soda) to the water for soaking and sometimes after rinsing the beans of the soak water, add the same to the pot of beans as well.
I have been known to also use tomato in the pot to break own beans a bit, or a tablespoon or so of tomato paste slightly cooked down a dab in a frying pan with some onions and garlic to add to the pot of beans. You can cook canned tomato paste slightly to take the "tinned" flavor out, and freeze the rest of any paste not used in a baggie for future use too.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 12, 2020 17:51:09 GMT -5
Sounds like old beans. Do you have a pressure cooker, farmerjack41, or a pressure canner? That would be your best bet for softening them, if all that simmering didn't work. The only time I ever experienced this was with some black soybeans, which I had just bought, so they weren't old, at least in my house! I pressure cooked them for 50 min. (the usual time for soybeans), and it was like they had been soaked for about and hour! So I pressure cooked them another hour, then another hour, and finally gave up, as they were still hard in the middle! Most beans would have been mush, by then. I ended up composting them - not even sure if that softened them.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Mar 12, 2020 19:28:37 GMT -5
@imp, pepperhead212, Thanks for the help. Don't think the beans were too old, but you don't know where they have been before getting to the store. Do not have a pressure cooker, my wife never wanted one. Have thought about one of those IP, but not sure that is the answer. Like have said before, cooking skills are somewhere between o and minus 5.
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