BritoMom's White Lasagna

So, val & I were on the phone talking about white lasagna. I realized, with utter horror, that I'd never posted this marvelous, marvelous recipe. Very easy to make. Though mushrooms are a main ingredient, anti-mushroom folks have marveled. Oh! And the cottage cheese is crucial. I tried it with ricotta once and it was all kinds of wrong.

I've played with this over the years. If you're in a garlicky sort of mood, you can abuse the quantity of garlic in it. Chicken and veal are both lovely additions. Playing with different mushrooms works, though I like it best if other varieties (baby bellas are awfully nice) are mixed with the standard button mushroom.

lasagna base

• 8 oz lasagna noodles
• 1 ½ lbs small curd cottage cheese
• 16 oz grated mozzarella
• 4 oz shredded parmesan (Using parmigiano reggiano is especially worth it in this dish. Well, I'm rather fantatically obsessed with this type of parmesan that cheese & think it's always worth it. So, if you haven't tried it, try it. Seriously. You can just nibble on it alone! Especially if you have a nice red wine to sip along with it.)

creamed mushrooms

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb mushrooms washed & sliced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced finely
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup flour
• ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley

Sauté mushrooms in butter & lemon juice until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add flour and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes. Add milk and parsley, stir frequently until nicely thickened.

In a greased 13x9x2 pan, layer noodles, cottage cheese, creamed mushrooms, mozzarella & parmesan.

Top Chef's "Chino Latino" Seafood Sausage

This meal, created by Brian, won a recent Top Chef elimination challenge & I've appropriated it from the Bravo website. This sounds so very delicious & will be one of the first things I make for myself once my bionic esophagus heals. Leanne Wong demonstrates the basics of making the sausage on this short webcast. I highly recommend watching it. I've also added some hyperlinks to some of the more unusual or possibly obscure ingredients.

SAUSAGE:
1 Corvina seabass or any other seabass (1/2" cubed)
1/2 lb Black Tiger shrimp
1/2 lb scallops
1 T garlic chopped
1 T ginger chopped
1 bunch green onion – chopped
1 bunch cilantro – chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 T sesame oil
2 T red wine vinaigrette
2 T soy sauce

SWEET CHILI GLAZE:
1 cup Sambal chili paste (available in the international section of many grocery stores)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 T corn starch
2 T water

JICAMA SLAW:
1 jicama – peeled, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 carrot peeled, julienned
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

GINGER VINAIGRETTE:
1/2 cup shallots
1/2 cup ginger, peeled
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup Sriracha (available in the international section of many grocery stores or Asian specialty grocery stores)
1 cup canola oil
2 T soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1. For the Sausage: Combine all ingredients in food processor and Pulse until smooth. Form patties or pipe onto plastic wrap and form links.
2. For the Sweet Chili Glaze: Combine water and corn starch until smooth. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and boil for 3 minutes. If this is too hot add more honey. If you like the glaze to be hotter add more sambal. If you like it thicker, add more slurry. Brush the sausage with the sweet chili glaze during BBQing.
3. For the Jicama Slaw: Combine all.
4. For the Ginger Vinaigrette: Combine all but canola oil in a blender. Slowly drizzle in oil with blender on high. Combine with slaw.
5. For Plate up: Serve the sausage with the jicama slaw on the side.

blue artemis' Chicken and Potato Enchiladas

Here are some yummy sounding enchiladas from our queen of the cookfest! Amounts are a bit approximate, but the details should sort it all out!

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 medium potatoes
• oil
• seasoned salt
• chicken broth
• monterey jack or ranchero cheese
• corn tortillas
• salsa
• green beans (optional)

You cook chicken, and then shred it. Set that aside. Peel and cube potatoes. Fry them in a bit of oil, until they are all coated (season with seasoned salt). I then throw in a bit of chicken broth (usually from where I cooked the chicken) and cover them and let them cook until they are tender (stir occasionally so they don't stick). Once they are done, mix in the chicken, and set aside. You should also have some cheese (monterey jack or ranchero, or whatever, really). I also like a can of french cut green beans.

You then have two small frying pans on the front of the stove. In one, heat oil to fry corn tortillas. In the other, heat the salsa you are going to use.

Once the oil is hot, take a tortilla, place it in the oil to fry for about 30 seconds, then turn it over for another 30 seconds. Then take that tortilla (let it drip a bit over the oil) and dip it in the salsa, turning it over to coat. Now is the messy part, where you put the tortilla on a plate put some of the chicken/potato mixture in it, add some green beans if you like, then sprinkle some cheese and roll it up. You can put more cheese on top. Repeat until you have enough enchiladas to feed everyone.

NorthenLass's Teriyaki Salmon Ramen

NorthenLass posted a picture of this dish that she took after making it recently. I drooled all over my computer & electrocuted myself. Then, I did my usual begging shctick & she sent me the recipe. NorthenLass warned that she doesn't so much measure & it changes a bit each time she makes it - since that's how many of us here cook, I assured her it would be fine.

• Salmon fillets
• Onions, chopped finely
• Garlic, chopped finely
• Red chiles or jalapenos, chopped finely
• Ginger, chopped or grated
• Cilantro, chopped
• Assorted vegetables (see below)
• Bouillon or stock cube
• Chinese five spice
• Teriyaki sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce
• Soba noodles

Marinade salmon fillets in Teriyaki sauce (for as long as possible)

Sautee finely chopped onion, garlic, red chilies (or jalapeños), ginger and coriander (cilantro) stalks in a large wok.

Roughly chop (or leave whole if not too big) any vegetables you want. E.g: Red bell pepper, Mushrooms (e.g chanterelle, portabella, shiitake, whatever floats your boat really), Sugar snap peas, Bok Choy (and/or spinach)

Put boiling water into the wok. Crumble in a stock cube. Add to taste: Chinese five spice, Teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce (if you like it hot, normal chili sauce) fish sauce, soy sauce.

Grill (or fry in a pan with a lid) the salmon.

While the fish is cooking add the vegetables to the water. If you are using spinach rather than bok choy, add it later, i.e. a few of minutes before you are ready to serve.

Boil up some more water to cook the soba noodles in (should take about 5 minutes).

Drain the noodles and then you are ready to serve up the bowls.

Put the noodles into the bottom of the bowl. Add the vegetables and soup. Then place the salmon on top (remove the skin first). Sprinkle with coriander and finely chopped chilies.

As side dishes have bean sprouts, mint and limes.

Goldrush Girl's Carmelised Onion & Sausages

I begged for this recipe and Goldrush Girl kindly (& wisely) obliged. She also began it with a confession that proves she's one of us (one of us, one of us): I should confess, my dear Britomart, that there is not an actual recipe as such. I don't hold with following recipes because I don't like being MADE TO OBEY INSTRUCTIONS. But this is what I cobbled together, and it goes really well with very good quality butcher-made English sausages, which should be browned in a frying pan then oven-cooked till nice and crispy. All amounts are entirely up to you.

Chop an onion or two into chunks (rather than slices). Melt a bit of butter in a lidded saucepan and throw the onion in. Put the lid on and turn the heat down very low. Leave for 20 or 30 minutes. You can sprinkle a little soft brown sugar on it if desired. Occasionally you can shake the pan around a bit, or give it a little a scrape if it starts to burn, but it's best if the onion sort of sticks to the bottom of the pan a little bit.

When the onion's deliciously soft and brown and sweet-smelling (with luck, this will be the same time as the sausages are ready), scoop some lovely thick creme fraiche into the saucepan along with as much wholegrain mustard as you desire, and a bit of freshly-ground black pepper. Stir together... the onion juices are divine with the creme fraiche.

Plop some of the sauce on your plate with the sausages. A vegetable or two would be good (braised fennel works well) and maybe a starch (mash, or mashed sweet potatoes, even better). The other day I had it with a beetroot salad on the side, and that was lovely.

Britomart's Baingan Bharta

I'm apparently going through an eggplant phase. And Martian emailed me about making this last night. As I was in a hotel at the time with no access to a kitchen or Indian food, I was quite miffed & rather petulantly jealous. I remedied the situation tonight. Anyway, this turned out to be absolutely lovely!

Note: from emails with adharas tonight, this isn't the same as hers (and I'll get a full recipe of her version to post in here because she is a cook of astonishing talent), but it's awfully damn yummy.

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 medium sized onions, minced
• 1 small tomato
• 4-5 green chilies, minced (to taste, depending on your tolerance for spiciness!)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated finely
• small pinch of garam masala powder
• small bunch of cilantro, chopped finely
• salt
• 2 tbsp ghee (or oil)
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp asafetida (available at Indian stores)
• ½ C yogurt

Roast eggplant in oven at 475 F for around 45 minutes. After half an hour, or when the skin of eggplant loosens up from the inner flesh, insert a knife and check if the inner portion of eggplant has turned soft. Remove from oven & cut eggplant open to help cool.

Once it’s cooled, peel the skin off the eggplant and scrape out the inner flesh of the eggplant. Scoop out black seeds, if any. Mash it with a spatula or chop coarsely.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. When it's hot, add mustard seeds. As they pop, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add chilies, onions, garlic & ginger and fry till onions are browned. Add tomatoes and again fry till the oil separates from the mixture. Add mashed eggplant and give it a good stir.

Add garam masala powder and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in yogurt, and serve with any Indian bread or rice.

Britomart's Eggplant Delight

As adharas has cruelly left us on her extended vacation in India, I was stuck surfing the web for Indian dishes with eggplant. I found this & enjoy it muchly. A number of recipes on this site looked yummy, so check it out. I have altered this one a bit and changed some of the instructions because that's just who I am.

• 2 medium-sized eggplants (or 6-7 little eggplants)
• I tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 small tomatoes - diced
• 2- 3 green chilies - minced
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp salt
• small piece of ginger - washed & diced
• small bunch of chopped cilantro leaves

Wash eggplants and poke them with a knife. Bake for about an hour & a half at 350F. Eggplants are done when they've collapsed and look quite wretched.

In a blender, put the tomatoes, salt, green chilies, garam masala, black pepper and ginger and puree them.

Heat oil in a skillet & add onions and tumeric. Fry them for 4 - 5 minutes until the onions turn slightly brownish.

Remove the eggplants from the oven, slice open & let cool. Peel eggplant skin & mash or chop the lovely eggplant innards. Add the eggplant to the onions & the blended mixture aND cook over low heat for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often.

Just before removing it from heat, add lemon juice and stir in cilantro.

blue artemis' Chicken & Potato Enchiladas

blue artemis made these in her weekly cookfest this weekend. I thought they sounded wonderful, so asked for a recipe. Thank you, ba! She does warn that this is one of the approximate recipes - it was one she learned from her grandmother, so exact measurements were never involved. (In my opinion, these types of recipes always ended up being the best.)

• Chicken (can be leftover from baking or stew or something) shredded.
• Potatoes
• Green (tomatillo) salsa (TJ's works fine)
• If you want, a can of French cut green beans
• Cheese (either queso ranchero or jack or mozzarella)
• corn tortillas
• Oil for frying

Peel and chop the potatoes into little pieces. Using a non-stick frying pan, cook them (with a little oil) and some seasoned salt, until they are soft. Once they are cooked, throw in the shredded chicken and mix.

You will then need two small frying pans, in one, heat oil for frying, in the second, heat the salsa. Take your tortillas (unheated) and fry them, one at a time, until they are kind of golden, but not fried to a crisp, they should still be bendy. Then take them (one at a time) and dip them in the heated salsa. (Basically, fry them enough that they don't fall apart when you do it, but not enough to make tostadas).

Put your tortilla on a plate, then use a bit of the chicken and potato mixture to fill, throw on some shredded cheese and a bit of the green beans (if you want them), and roll your enchilada. Top with a bit more sauce and shredded cheese. Make as many as you want (or have enough chicken and tortillas for).

adharas' Dal Be-Aab

When I stayed with her the other weekend, adharas made this for me and it is so divine. You'll be in danger of addiction. I know I am.

• 1 ½ c black urad dhal, available only in Indian store, and make sure it’s whole black, the white one will result in mushy mess.
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 t red chili powder
• Salt
• 2 T butter/ ghee/ oil (ghee gives best flavor)
• 1 ¾ t cumin seeds
• 2/3 c onions, chopped
• Green chilis, according to taste
  
• 1 T ginger, chopped
• 2 t garam masala
• ½ c tomatoes, chopped
• 2 T cilantro
• ¼ c lemon juice (not lime)
• 1 t ginger paste
• 1 t garlic paste

Wash lentils in running water and boil in approx 6 c water, with turmeric, red chilies powder and salt until cooked. You can make it dry, or as liquid as you want.

Melt ghee in pan, add cumin, sauté until it begins to crackle, and add onions, gr chilis, ginger, sauté until onions are light brown. Add dal, reduce heat, stir few minutes. Add garam masala, tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice. Cook few minutes. If too thin, just let it cook for a while, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add ginger garlic pastes, stir & cook for a few minutes.

valosin's Sesame Pork Loin

valosin emailed this to me last week! I somehow lost it in my inbox. Thank god she said something about it in the Hizzy! You know I'm stressed when I'm missing recipes... Anyway, valosin writes: I mentioned this recipe to sylph and I told her I'd send it to you to put up on the blog. It's from the Joy of Cooking.

Mix:

• 1/4c Soy sauce
• 1/4c Hoisin sauce
• 1/4c honey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Trim 2 pork tenderloins (~12 oz each). Place the tenderloins in a heavy plastic bag. Add marinade and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 2 to 24 hrs.

Spread 1/2 c sesame seeds on a plate.

Remove meat from the marinade and drain the excess. Roll in the seeds to coat. Place in a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast at 500 F until an instant read thermometer reads 150 to 155 F (20 to 25 min). Let the pork stand, loosely covered with foil for 5 to 10 min (the temp will rise 5 degrees or so), then slice. Serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables.

SaraWolfe's Bourbon-Glazed Peach Chutney Ham

Sara told us in the Hizzy how wonderful this recipe is, then kindly shared it! Thanks, Sara!

• 6-7 lb bone-in shank portion smoked ham
• 12 oz peach preserves
• 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups sliced peaches (1/2" pieces)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Trim skin, and most of the fat from the ham. Place ham on foil-lined roasting pan, on a rack, cut side down. Score fat 1/4" down, in a diamond pattern. Roast about 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until 140 degrees.

In small saucepan, over medium heat, stir preserves, whiskey, and mustard for about ten minutes, until thickened. Cool slightly, then brush over ham several times during the last half hour of cooking.

In another pan, boil the vinegar and sugar, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened. This is the glaze for the peach slices.

MisaGoddess' Coconut Chicken Curry

Thank you, Misa!

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons of chicken soup base (Penzey’s)
• 2-3 tablespoons of red curry paste (I used Roland’s)
• 1/3 to ½ cup of lite coconut milk (also Roland’s - nice coincidence)

I washed the breasts, rubbed them with black pepper and placed them in a glass pan. I poured the coconut curry mixture over them and baked the dish, uncovered, at around 375 degrees for about an hour (or until just done). I served them over brown rice but I also tried them with orzo pasta. Yummy with both.

Eilan's Pork Tenderloin Yumminess

sylph was cooking a (doomed) pork tenderloin today (doomed because she forgot about Alan Rickman!), so Eilan kindly submitted this recipe. Apparently, this recipe is by Nancye DeLoach. Who is she? I have no idea. Why does she have a weird, extraneous "e" at the end of her first name? I do not know.

2 pork tenderloins, 1 pound each

Marinade:

• ¼ cup bourbon (Jim Beam)
• ¼ cup (or less) vegetable oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix marinade ingredients, stirring well. Pour over the thawed tenderloins. Cover and refrigerate overnight to two days. (If you freeze it for a couple days, it’s even better, just thaw before cooking.) Cook 4 – 8 inches high over hot coals and grill for 15-20 minutes, basting occasionally. Or put into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, basting twice. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

lostdwarf's Eenie Meenie Fettucine

Say it aloud a couple times! It's fun.

• 12 ounces uncooked fettuccine (plain or spinach)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced (I usually use 2 - 4, depending)
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk (I used skim and it still has a fantastic creamy texture)
• 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp each salt, black pepper (meh, do it to taste)
• 1 can (6 1/2 ounces) water packed tuna, drained
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Mix the milk and flour together until smooth. Add to garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and thickened, about 4 - 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 - 2 more minutes, until cheese is melted. Stir in tuna, sour cream and peas. Cook until heated through about 2 minutes.

Pour sauce over fettuccine and toss to coat. Sprinkle parsley over top. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired. Best if served immediately.

If you want, you can add chicken or salmon to this as well and when they say serve immediately, they do mean it. Don't leave the sauce sitting for long. It becomes VERY thick. My baby sister loves it and she can't stand tuna.

WackieJackie's Drunken Noodles

WackieJackie writes: "There isn't a drop of alcohol in this, the name refers to how much you'll want to drink to combat the heat. I suggest a sweet sparkling wine, or a good cold beer." She also comments, "I think I prefered it with the chicken breast chunks, but just barely. This really is hot, it left my lips burning, but it's very good and easy to make."

• 2 14oz packages 1/4 inch wide flat rice noodles
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 12 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai chiles
• 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken (I've also used boneless chicken breast, cut in to small chunks)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup black soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 large plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 Anaheim chiles cut into strips
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil leaves)

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy large (seriously, huge pot) pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and Thai chiles; saute for about 30 seconds. Add chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar, and saute until chicken is cooked through. Add noodles, tomatoes, and Anaheim chiles, toss to coat and heat. Transer to a large platter, sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.

Makes 6 servings

MisaGoddess' Fettucine Alfredo (The Light Version!)

I rejected this recipe, so in love am I with the full fat version. Though I also hate it. It's a complicated, unhealthy relationship I have with fettucine alfredo. Misa hit me when I finally did ask for this. But she still sent it. Misa writes: "Okay, you lucked out! WackieJackie requested that I send in the recipe anyway. I have been making this for ten years now and think it is pretty good. But to each his own."

• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups skim milk
• 2 tablespoons light process cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (cooked without salt or fat)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, and saut 1 minute. Stir in flour. Gradually add skim milk, stirring with a wire whisk until mixture is blended. Cook, stirring constantly, 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Stir in cream cheese; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until Parmesan cheese melts.

Pour sauce over hot cooked fettuccine, and toss well to coat. Top fettuccine with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and pepper.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 345(25% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 4.4g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g);
PROTEIN 16.8g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 333mg; SODIUM 401mg; FIBER 2.3g;
IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.7g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 1996

digmom3's Corning Beef

I bet this is divine! I've never heard of pickled beef before. digmom rocks.

Put trimmed 4-lb. brisket (preferable flat cut) in large non-metallic container big enough to hold brisket completely. Dissolve 1 cup Morton Tender Quick in 4 cups water. Add 2 Tbsp. pickling spices and 5 cloves of garlic, crushed. Pour mixture over brisket. Put small saucer on brisket to keep it submerged. Cover with tight-fitting lid and refrigerate 24 hours. Flip brisket and refrigerate another 24-48 hours.

digmom3's Corned Beef

digmom sent this in honor of St. Patrick's Day. This entry would have been well-timed if I'd actually posted it when she sent it to me. I have gone insane.

Takes 3 hours.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Rinse 4 lb. corned beef in water to rinse off curing salt. Dry with paper towels and put in large roasting pan.

Combine:

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Rub mixture over both sides of corned beef (rub in really good). Add 2 cups cold water to pan, pouring in the side so you don’t rinse off rub. Cover tightly with foil and braise in oven 1 hour. Remove brisket and drain off water, return meat to pan and add 2 cups fresh water. Braise another hour. Drain and add 2 cups water again and braise a third hour.

In a small bowl mix:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Remove meat from oven and raise temperature to 450 degrees. Pour off liquid and brush on glaze. Return to oven, uncovered, 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.

adharas' Vegetable Akbari

Ooooh! It has nuts! And green beans! I love green beans. I'm off to found the official adharas fan club.

• 2 medium onions, cut into rings
• ½ c peas
• ½ c French cut green beans
• 1 carrot, cut in cubes
• 1 green pepper cut into small pieces
• 1-4 T oil
• Salt to taste
• Red chilipowder, to taste
• 10-12 cashews
• 15-20 raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 min
• ¼ c cream
• 4-5 black pepper corns, crushed.

Heat oil. Add onion rings, and cook over medium until brown. Add cashews, fry for 2-3 min. Add carrots, cook covered until ½ done, add beans, and green peppers. Cover and cook over low until veggies are tender. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well, and heat for 1 min. Remove from heat. Serve.

eyeroller's Chicken and Dumplings

eyeroller writes: I make Chicken and Dumplings on cold, yucky nights as comfort food. It's deeply satisfying. Tonight, I codified my recipe.

• Six cups water
• Four chicken leg quarters, or one whole chicken, cut up

Boil water; place chicken pieces in boiling water; after five minutes, reduce heat to simmer level and cover the pot. Cook for 45 minutes total.

Remove chicken pieces from pot and set aside. Skim broth to get out ny stuff that's floating.

Season broth with:

• 1 teaspoon powdered chicken broth, or 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay, or other seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or ground sage
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Chop:

• Four ribs celery
• Two medium onions
• Four carrots, or 1.5 cups baby carrots

Add to broth, cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove fat and bone from chicken meat, chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to pot with the vegetables.

Chop four stalks fresh curly parsley, add to the pot.

Mix:

• 2 cups baking mix
• 2/3 cup milk

Mix together. Drop tablespoons of dough into boiling pot; reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and cook for 10 minutes.

Should be ready to eat when you turn the heat off.