Recipes??

I know, I know... this is probably as NON-snake related as it gets.... but....

Long story short... I found myself at Whole Foods last night... looking at all these beautiful meats, cheeses, seafood, grains, spices...

And actually found myself getting frustrated and depressed.... because I have no idea what to do with any of it! :shrugs: I have absolutely no cooking intuition what so ever. But eating out all the time is just too expensive.

Which is what brings me here. Give to me your recipes. Preferably things that don't take toooo long to prepare and are relatively healthy (yes, I know, I want the woooorld). Don't have any dietary restrictions, and am a fan of all cultures.

Sooo? Help me make use of the super market!

*is pathetic*

Go to foodnetwrok.com and look at the recipes, especially Rachel Rays, she does 30 minute meals. I get lots of inspiration from that webiste. You are very lucky I love Whole Foods, sadly the closest one is at least 2-3 hours. susang

Oo I have a good one but not really a recipe for it. It's mainly a sauce that you can put on stirfried chicken, peppers, onions, and eat it with rice. I love it!

2 tablespoons sweet and sour sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce (reduced-sodium)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

Mix it all together for the sauce and pour it over the meat, veggies, and rice.

This one is really good too if you like mushrooms (and butter)
http://www.recipezaar.com/84696

Default
Shawarma

Serves 8.

If available, 1 package Sadaf Chicken Kabob Seasoning can be substituted for the spice rub mix.

• 1/2tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. cardamom

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 lb. boneless skinless chicken (thighs or breasts), cut into 1-in. cubes

• 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus 1 tsp.

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together garlic powder, cinnamon, nutmeg. paprika, cardamom. Add the chicken pieces and toss. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. (Chicken can be prepared to this point up to one day in advance and refrigerated.)

Heat the grill. With the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil, oil a large piece of double-thick aluminum foil. Set on the grill, oiled side up, when the grill is ready. Place chicken on the foil, carefully turning over chicken a few times until cooked through. Do not overcook, as the meat will get dry and tough. Remove from grill to a serving platter.

To assemble: Wrap pita, flatbread, or tortillas tightly in foil and warm in a 200-degree oven until warmed through. Alternately, heat a skillet on the stove at high heat. Pour in 1/4teaspoon of oil and spread around. Briefly heat pita, turning over until both sides are warm.

Spread Tahini sauce on one side of the pita, flatbread, or tortilla. Fill pita with chicken (or crumbled feta cheese), cabbage salad and pickled vegetables. Fold in half like a taco if using pita or flatbread. Roll up if using a tortilla.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 290 Fat 15 g Sodium 389 mg

Carbohydrates 1 g Saturated fat 4 g Calcium 42 mg

Protein 36 g Cholesterol 106 mg Dietary fiber 0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 5 lean meat.

jennrosefx said:

Which is what brings me here. Give to me your recipes. Preferably things that don't take toooo long to prepare and are relatively healthy (yes, I know, I want the woooorld). Don't have any dietary restrictions, and am a fan of all cultures.

Sooo? Help me make use of the super market!

*is pathetic*

Click to expand...

HA!!!!!!!! I Highly recommend also getting a slow cooker, you could prepare the food the night before and then toss it in your cooker in the morning and when you get home from a long day at work you will have the aroma of cooked dinner waiting for you.
Typically foods I prepare in the slow cooker smell and taste wonderful after 8 - 10 hours of cooking all day. Nothing better than having a Pork roast slow cooking all day in Chicken Broth, and spices. It just falls apart.

At times, I use this meat for Taco meat or any other dishes I want to use it for.

20 Garlic Chicken

My favorite slow cooker meal:

You need a whole chicken, a garlic bulb, olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper, and instant mashed potatoes.

Line the bottom of the slow cooker with a layer of sliced onions.

Mix 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp pepper. Spread this paste on the chicken.

Place the chicken breast side up in the slow cooker.

Separate the garlic into cloves- do not peel. Tuck the cloves around the chicken- inside, under the wings, etc.

Cook on low for 7 hours or longer.

Before serving, prepare mashed potatoes.

Squeeze four garlic cloves into the potatoes- mix well.

You can spread the remaining garlic cloves on bread or vegetables.

White Chicken Chili:

Buy the White Chicken Chili packet in the gravy section.

You need a pound of chicken, two cans of any white beans like Navy, Canneloni, etc., and a can of chopped tomatoes with chilis.

Cook the chicken by heating it in a pan, medium high, with just a smidge of olive oil, till it's no longer pink. Pour the chicken and the beans and tomatoes into a soup pot, mix in the chilli mix, and cook for at least 30 minutes.

Looks like I just might need to buy myself a slow cooker!

jennrosefx said:

Looks like I just might need to buy myself a slow cooker!

Click to expand...

Here you go..
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=289940

Mango Pear Chutney

3 lg mangos
3 pears (I used bosc last time)
1/2 cup raisins
2 limes
2 lemons
12 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp of mustard seed
8 medium onions
2 pieces of ginger (about 1 " long)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar (*I used a little less and it was fine)
1 tbsp turmeric

Peel all the fruit and slice fruit and onions into cubes/chunks. Slice ginger into thin pieces. Grate a little bit of the lemon 'zest' or peel. Juice the 2 lemons and limes. Combine the juice, lemon zest, spices, ginger, onions, vinegar, sugar, pears, and everything else except for the mangos, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat but keep to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the mangos and boil for another 10 minutes.
Pour into jars (wide mouthed works better) You can can these with hot water bath method, however if you just pour the boiling mixture into the mason jars, they will seal themselves and keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Stir-Fried Chicken Curry

1 whole chicken breast, sliced thinly
1/3 can coconut milk
3 tbsp red or green curry paste
3 tbsp palm sugar (substitute brown sugar)
3 tbsp fish sauce (found in oriental seasoning section)
vegetables such as carrots, turnips, potatoes, peppers

Boil chopped vegetables until cooked

Warm coconut milk in wok, add curry paste, stirring briskly until it becomes aromatic

Add chicken and stirfry until it just begins to change color

Add remaining ingredients, stir fry until chicken is cooked. Serve with rice or noodles

(You'd probably really like a rice cooker!!!)

Keep some brown rice and / or barley already cooked in the fridge. Then you can quickly add various frozen veggies (I love onions and bell peppers in everything, but the more veggies, the better for health!). And you can add either canned chicken or tuna, or brown some low fat hamburger or ground chicken / turkey. For various flavorings, use different soups. Canned cream of mushroom, celery, or chicken is great. Or go for a non-creamy broth or or whatever flavor you like. You can buy soups that are "regular" or low fat, low sodium, whatever you want. By varying the meat, veggies, and soup, your whole grain rice and barley can make a different, quick meal every night. It can be as healthful or decadent as you want.

I also love to make quick spaghetti by starting with a jar of Prego's. Then add a small can of diced tomato. In a (separate) frying pan, brown some green (or other color) pepper and onion with low fat hamburger, then drain any fat. Boil one of the whole grain or higher fiber spaghetti noodles if you want extra fiber (Dreamfield is good). The whole thing will only take about 20 minutes and you can have lots of leftovers for the next few nights.

Nanci - that sounds great! I love coconut flavor in other foods. I will try it.

This is really yummy.. I have tried this.
This is for when you have the time.

Collard and Mustard Greens in Ham Hock Gravy
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces beer (any type)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
8 cups chicken stock
3 pounds ham hocks (about 4 medium hocks)
2 bunches (about 2 1/2 pounds) collard greens, thoroughly washed, picked over for blemished
leaves, and tough stems removed
2 bunches (about 2 1/2 pounds) mustard greens, thoroughly washed, picked over for blemished
leaves, and tough stems removed
1 cup water

Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook until softened. Add flour, stir with a wooden spoon until smooth, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add beer, and then add all the remaining ingredients, adding the greens by the handful until all of them are combined in the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, until the hocks are very tender, about 2 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and serve warm.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 2 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars

I have done a similar dish of my own before finding this.

Smothered Pork Chops
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004
8 thinly cut (about 1/2-inch thick) pork chops, about 3 pounds
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups thinly sliced onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 bay leaves
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cans water (measured in the chicken broth cans)
1 pound smoked sausage or andouille, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes

Season both sides of the chops with the Essence.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the pork chops, 3 to 4 at a time, and lightly brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork chops and transfer to a platter. Set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the flour and stir constantly until the roux is the color of peanut butter, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions are slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Return the pork chops to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the smoked sausage and the potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Serve with either steamed white rice or rice pilaf.


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 4 to 8 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars



And instead of buying the spice, here it is.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Also, there are a bunch of recipe books out there now that are broken down into Three Ingredient Meals, Four Ingredient Meals, Five Ingredient Meals. A book like that would be pretty cool.

There is Rachel Ray's 30 Minute meals.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/re_collections/text/0,1977,FOOD_11656_12135,00.html

Easy tortilla soup

3-4 cups chicken broth
1 can corn
1/2 cup salsa
Generous pinch chopped Cilantro
1/4 lb cooked shrimp, peeled
Tortilla chips
Combine and heat all ingredients, except chips, which are sprinkled on top right before serving.

Chicken Picatta (I love this so much!!!) Serves 2-3

6 boneless chicken breast halves. (Choose fillets so they are flatter)

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine (I wouldn't use chardonney- anything else)
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp capers, drained
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken slightly
season with salt and pepper

Heat 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown. Transfer to serving platter and keep warm.

Pour off drippings in skillet and add 1/4 cup butter, wine and lemon juice. Bring to boil and reduce slightly (lower heat and cook till a little thicker). Stir in capers, parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce over chicken breasts. Serve with pasta or rice.

texas beef skillet

this makes a huge batch, so this would be good for a bigger family (like mine) or it does heat up really well for left overs. also good for parties...its one of my family's favorites and its really easy.

Texas Beef Skillet

2 lbs ground beef
2 – 16 oz cans tomatoes – cut up – (I used Italian style)
1 – 15 ½ oz can red kidney beans – undrained
½ cup quick cooking rice – (I used regular)
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
½ cup water
½ tsp salt

In a skillet – cook beef. Drain off fat. Stir in all the ingredients. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20-30 minutes, until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

We eat it like this – with salsa, sour cream, corn chips. Whatever you like. You can also top with shredded cheese the last few minutes before serving.


(p.s. this is my mom's resipe, not mine, but i have made it before)
enjoy