Spring, MO The cooking/recipie thread

I think Jon needs to have a dinner party.

 

I'd love for Jon to feed me!

Wait...

 

I'm actually just posting them here because it's an easy place for me to find them.

Perhaps I'll have a potluck this summer. You can all bring something. After all, I've provided enough ideas!

 

Name: Albicocche Ripiene
Difficulty: **
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
- 10 large, firm apricots
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2/3 cup Disaronno amaretto (almond liqueur)
- 6 amaretti, crumbled (or almond cookies)
- 1 1/2 tbsp crushed almonds or macadamia (optional)

Instructions:
1. Peel apricots. Cut in half and remove pits. Dice one finely and set aside.
2. In large skillet, melt butter over low heat and add sugar, cooking until brown.
3. Slowly add amaretto (warning: may spatter!) and simmer 2 minutes.
4. Put 1/2 of apricots in syrup and simmer until almost tender.
5. Remove apricots with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with second half.
6. Remove second half and add crushed amaretti to syrup.
7. Add diced apricot and simmer until slightly thickened.
8. Allow syrup to cool slightly and spoon over apricot halves. Sprinkle with crushed nuts.

Notes: This recipe is a super rich dessert or side dish. The syrup becomes very thick on standing and would go extremely well with a vanilla ice cream.

 

I prefer a little more effort in mine.

Pale Ale

10 pounds 2 row malted barley
1/2 pound crystal 60l malted barley
1/2 pound crystal 60l malted barley
1oz Perle hops
1oz Centennial hops
Ale yeast of preference (WYeast #1056 works well)


Heat 11 quarts of water to 170 degrees and mash in with barley. Let rest for about 45 minutes. Extract Wort and sparge in additional strike water until you get about 6.5-7 gallons of total wort strained from the grain.

Bring wort to a boil in a large pot. As the boil starts add 1oz Perle hops. After 45 minutes of boiling add 1oz Centennial hops. At 60 minutes stop the boil.

As quickly as possible bring the temperature down to about 60 degrees.

Transfer the cool wort to primary fermentation vessel. Pitch yeast and add airlock. Put in dark place, check the gravity daily after about one week. When the gravity stops falling (around 1.015) bottle. Use approx 1 cup dextrin to prime the bottles.

Leave in a cool dark place for about 1 week.

Refrigerate and enjoy

 

Are you insane man?!? Who has a week to wait for that beer?
Why, you could be hit by a bus between now and then.

 

I wish it was a week, it usually winds up being closer to a month till drinkable. I've actually got two batches, a 5 gallon kolsch and a 3.5 gallon-ish pale ale that are ready for bottling I just need to find the time.

 

I'm not a beer type, but I have been wanting to learn to home brew wine.

 

John, a month ?!?!

Heavens to megatroid!?!? A man could dehydrate.


And Jon, I'm firm believer, anyone who is not a beer type is just not working at it.

 

[image=http://www.creativejenius.com/Tuna/9.jpg]

Name: Spicy Seared Tuna
Difficulty: **
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
- Yellowfin Tuna steaks
- Juice from 2 Limes
- 1 Jalapeno
- 5 cloves Garlic
- Grated or diced Ginger equal to volume of garlic
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 cup Spinach
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- Avocado
- "Spring" Salad

Instructions:
1. Remove top and seeds from jalapeno.
2. Place jalapeno, garlic, ginger, juice from limes, soy sauce, and honey in food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
3. Add spinach and olive oil to blender and chop briefly.
4. In a skillet, sear tuna steaks in olive oil until cooked.
5. Slice Tuna and serve over salad with slices of avocado.

Notes: Although this recipe is deemed "spicy", I could barely detect any spice from this and I'm a pretty big pansy about such things. Additionally, the original recipe called for cilantro instead of the spinach, but even the smell of cilantro gives me awful migraines, so I traded it out. If you like cilantro, use 3/4 of a bunch of cilantro tops.

Recommended side is brown rice and edamame.

 

Name: Zucchini Quiche with Gruyere
Difficulty: **
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 large Zucchini (sliced thinly)
- 1 cup chopped Onion
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
- 1/2 cup Parsley (chopped)
- 2 tbsp Pesto
- 2 Eggs (beaten)
- 1 cup Gruyere (grated, substitute with swiss)
- 1 8 oz package Crescent Rolls

Instructions:
1. In a tart dish or springform pan grease lightly and spread crescent rolls along bottom and sides, pressing together at seams.
2. Spread peso along bottom
3. In a large skillet sautee zucchini, onion and garlic in oil until softened.
4. Stir in parsley and herbs.
5. Remove from heat and add eggs and cheese.
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to shell. Bake at 400ºF on middle rack for 16-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Notes: This recipe is entirely vegetarian but still very good. The Gruyere is fantastic with the crust. If you're worried about drippings from the springform pan, place a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch.

 

Name: Creamy Artichoke Pesto Chicken
Difficulty: *
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts (dubed)
- 2 cups brown rice (after cooking)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 can artichoke hearts
- 4 tbsp pesto
- 1 can cream of celery soup


Instructions:
1. Brown chicken in olive oil.
2. Cook rice according to package directions.
3. Add chicken broth.
4. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Notes: This recipe is a super simple one that can be prepared very quickly. It reheats very well.

 

Name: Tomato-Basil Pasta and Shrimp
Difficulty: *
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
- 3 cups bow-tie pasta (before cooking)
- 1/3 cup Vinaigrette Dressing (Sun-Dried Tomato if you can find it. If not, add 1/4 cup sun dried tomato to normal vinaigrette)
- 1 lb large shrimp
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 8 basil leaves cut into thin strips

Instructions:
1. In a large skillet, fry shrimp in 2 tbsp dressing.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Pour off liquid and set shrimp aside.
4. In skillet, add chicken broth, garlic powder and pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5. Blend in cream cheese and simmer until smooth.
6. Add grape tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese melted (~2 minutes).
7. Return shrimp to sauce until warm.
8. Serve shrimp and sauce over pasta and sprinkle with basil leaves.

Notes: I couldn't find the Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing when I made this recipe, hence the work-around. It still turned out very well although, for the amount of pasta, I think the amount of sauce could be increased by a good 50%.

 

Name: Grilled Havarti Sandwich With Spiced Apples
Difficulty: *
[/b]Cooking time[/b]: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
- Butter
- 1 apple
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 8 slices of bread
- Havarti cheese

Instructions:
1. Slice apple thinly and cook with cinnamon and sugar in butter until the water from the apple is mostly removed and forms a thick paste with the cinnamon and sugar. Remove from heat.
2. Butter bread and form sandwich with Havarti and apples.
3. Cook until cheese is melted and bread is lightly browned.

Notes: Grilled cheese made better. Served with a vegetable soup and was amazing.