Recipes! (any cooks?)

[noxious.sunshine]

SO. Let's share recipes! No matter how simple or complicated, just do it!

(I don't measure when it comes to actual cooking, so consider everything "to taste")

Here we go!:

Grilled Marinated Salmon w/Brown Rice, Mango, & Cilantro:

For the Salmon:

- Allegro Hot & Spicy Soy Marinade (Optional)
- Lemon Juice
- Salmon Steaks

For the Rice:

- Brown Rice (duh)
- Mango (I use like 2) - peeled, cored, chopped
- Cilantro - a couple of handfuls, finely chopped
- Lime Juice


If using the marinade, marinate the salmon filets in the sauce with a squeeze of lemon for 30 min - 1 hr in the fridge, then grill or bake until Medium Well/ Med. Well+ (I'm not a fan of well-done salmon, so feel free to cook it dry if you want).

Otherwise, if -not- using the Allegro, squeeze lemon juice onto salmon and cook as stated above - no marinating needed.

-----

Cook brown rice according to package directions, then place in a large serving bowl.
Add chopped mango & cilantro, and squeeze out the juice of several limes.

Toss the rice mixture to combine flavors and adjust ingredients/seasoning as needed.

To serve, spoon rice mix onto a plate and top with one of the salmon filets.

^ This is actually a very healthy dish. I found it in a recipe book I had and it said it's great for those who are allergic to Gluten and/or have Type 2 Diabetes. I think the original recipe called for chicken, but if you're gonna use chicken - skip the Allegro all together.

[loaf]

The recipe on the back of a bag of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips.

[noxious.sunshine]

Facepalm.

Thanks Loaf. lmao

[Ryu-Kentoshii Hirokima]

I tend to be more of a simple cook, but I do make my own creations here and there that are really delicious.

First Recipe:

Personal Bacon and Cheese Omelette: Start by taking out all the ingredients, plates, utensils and bowls needed.

Ingredients: 2 eggs(white or brown, doesn't matter), olive oil, bacon(any kind), cheese(your choice, or multiple)

How to prepare it: Crack 2 eggs into a bole, whisk it with either a fork or a whisk for about 5 minutes or so to make it fluffy(gotta give it your love and time)
Cook the bacon(If the bacon you are using is already cooked and all you need to do is microwave it, then just do that, but if it is raw bacon, cook that first with olive oil). Once done, clean the pan and re-use it.
Coat the pan with just enough olive oil to spread around to make one layer, then heat it up to about Medium temp.

How to cook it:
Once the pan is heated up enough, pour the whisked eggs into the pan and let it cook for a bit. Add your bacon and cheese(s) into the centre or around all over the eggs. Let it cook a little bit longer, then flip it on one side to make a half moon shape. Then just finish the cooking process, turn off the heat, take it out, put it onto a plate, let it cool down for a minute or two, and enjoy ^_^

*Side note: You can use aluminum foil to cover the pan while cooking, but I don't do this myself.

[noxious.sunshine]

I love omelettes! I like to sautee sliced onions, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, and diced asparagus in olive oil and make a big fat jumbo one with Swiss cheese.. You gotta use like 6 eggs though for it to work cuz there's so many ingredients. On the plus side, it's enough for 2 - 3 people depending on their appetite.

And to add on to your recipe, a trick I learned off of The Chew from Michael Symon... When making an omelette, pour the beaten eggs into the skillet and let it sit and cook. Every so often, lift the edges to let the uncooked egg run underneath. Eventually, it'll be sturdy enough to add the filling and then fold in 1/2. For the eggs, I like to use butter instead of olive oil. It makes the eggs more flavorful and "smooth" in texture, IMO.

I was never good at making them - it'd end up being a scramble with all that stuff in it - until I saw Michael Symon do it on tv.

[Cyanist]

I've been waiting for a cooking thread! Thanks sooo much for making this, noxious!

Anywho, yeah, I'm the main chef in my house, that's like, 7 people, so my recipes are usually really big. this one though, only serves 4
My dad - king of charm - got this recipe from a woman who worked at a famous upscale restaurant in Minnesota and I've made it so many times I no longer need to glance over the recipe. It may seem a tad advanced for some, what with the middle-eastern spices, but *shrug* whatev.

Curried Lamb/Chicken/Fish/whatever you got, actually

3 T oil (olive, if ya got it)
1/2 c large onion, chopped.
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, chopped

While you saute those together, find your spices.

1/4 t cardomum powder
1/2 t ground cloves
2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Coriander
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Turmeric
1 whole bay leaf
1 whole cinnamon stick

Toss these into the pan with the onion and stir. Add

1 large tomato, chopped into large chunks, then add a cup of water and let this simmer on low until the tomato skins become wrinkled and begin to fall off.

Now add 1 cup of yogurt, the mixture will look curdled, but do not despair.

Now add your 1 lb of meat, or something. Be sure to cut it into cubes if you want to eat sometime in this next century.

Cook on low heat. In the meantime, you're not done. Clean out the rice cooker bowl and start some rice. (It is possible to make rice without one, I have done this, but it's an unnecessary culinary nuisance)
Return to pan and flip over meat. Whew. Now find a lid, cover it and you can relax for for 30-40 minutes.

Serve hot over rice with a sprinkling of minced garlic on top.

Good luck.

[Kurt Zisa]

TBH the most 'cooking' I ever do is frying an egg for breakfast, but it's still a useful skill to learn lol.

Other than that I do make stir fry from time-to-time, usually made with rice, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, mushroom and tuna. Again it's pretty basic to make but it's an easy meal that doesn't need too much preparation/cleaning up.

[Heartless Angel]

Cheeseburger soup. ****ing amazing.

1 lb ground beef. Recipe only calls for 1/2, but it's way better with some more meat. Personally I do as much as 1 1/2.
3/4 cup chopped onions, I usually go for a full cup, just because I like onions.
3/4 cup shredded carrots. I've actually left this out entirely a couple times, didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference.
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 tbsp butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups velveta cheese, I actually go for about 2 1/2, I like it a bit thicker and cheesier.
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp pepper, I actually prefer to substitute famous dave's steak and burger seasoning, I like what it does to the flavor.
1/4 cup sour cream, though i usually leave this out when i make it, I've never been big on sour cream.

That's the basic recipe and my own revisions to it, I also like to add some diced jalapeno peppers, seranos if you can handle a little more heat (not that seranos are hot to me by any means, but a lot of people i know can't take it that hot, if you like it hotter, go for it, I just personal like the falvor of seranos for most things I cook) usually about 1/4 cup, just for flavor. Blackened seasoning is really good in this too.

1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

[Dodie16]

Pretty much in the same boat as Kurt Zisa. I mainly cook for myself, so whatever I can heat up fairly quickly, I'll make. Good ideas in this thread though. I did make some pork eggrolls earlier, but they turned out way bland. Next time, I'll add in soy sauce and black pepper while cooking for a bit more flavor. This is the recipe I used, but I doubled the amount of ginger and added just a smidge more garlic. Also, I took the lazy way and just bought cole slaw mix. Preshredded carrots and cabbage, woo~

[noxious.sunshine]

Miss Dodie.. Yer gonna have to learn a bit more cooking if jew gon' get murried.

I kid. lol Make Tel do it all... Much like I used to with my ex-fiancee. Hurdy hurdy

I seriously effed up my pot roast last night. Mainly 'cuz we didn't have a big enough effing pot. Whatever. Also, You welcs, Cyan! ^_^

Anywho..

Mexican Food. 'Cuz errbody loves Mexican food. And if you don't, you should. You gon' learn today.

Potato Tacos (they're actually taquitos, but whatever), Arroz Rojo (Red Rice), Frijoles Negros (Black Beans), y Salsa Verde. It's an entire meal, so bear with me. Long post.

Taquitos de Papa:

- Potatoes (either Yukon Gold or Idaho)
- Roma Tomatoes (Some for the potatoes, some for topping), chopped (but make sure you keep the juices with the tomato. Don't try to drain the innards or anything)
- Onion, finely diced
- Some S & P
- Maybe Garlic Powder
- Chicken Bouillion
- Cilantro
- Queso Fresco
- Salsa Verde
- Corn Tortillas
- Sour Cream (buy a big tub if you're gonna use Yukon Gold potatoes)
- Maybe some finely shredded/chopped Cabbage
- Veggie Oil

Now then.

- Boil a pot of water, and add the chicken flavoring to taste. Add the potatoes. You can chop them first to cut down on cooking time. Boil until fork tender.

- Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Mash them up very well, adding a couple of handfuls of chopped tomato (with the juice), a small amount of diced onion, a dash of S & P & Garlic powder, and another small sprinkling of Bouillion.

- If you're using Yukon Gold potatoes, you'll need to add about a tablespoon or so of sour cream. Yukon Golds are a waxy potato (as opposed to starchy like Idaho). Adding the sour cream makes them more well. Creamy. You could also do this with the Idaho potatoes, but it's not an absolute necessity.

- Heat a skillet to about med.-high heat. Heat the corn tortillas, flipping occasionally, until soft and easy to roll without breaking. As you heat them, stack between a few paper towels or in a folded, -clean-, dish towel to maintain warmth. You'll need to heat up as many as you need to use up the filling. -However-. If you made too much, just make enough taquitos as you're going to eat. Otherwise, they don't keep well once they're already made. They get soggy-ish and un-crunchy in the fridge. It's best to just put the leftover filling in some tupperware & save it for later.

- Anyway. Once you've heated up the tortillas, begin filling them - with about a tablespoon or two of the mashed potatoes. You need enough to fill it, but not too much that it's gonna over flow and fall out the ends during the frying process. Lay them seam-side down on a plate or something.

- In that same skillet, pour about 1/4 - 1/2 in (maybe less. IDK.. Enough that it'll fry the damn things) of veggie oil and heat oil. In batches, fry the taquitos, again starting with laying them (carefully) seam side down. Depending on the size of the skillet, you could probably get in about 3 or 4. You don't want to overcrowd it though, because too much food in the pan lowers the temperature of the oil -and- will cause the food to steam as opposed to fry.

- Carefully roll them and fry until golden - tan on all sides. Remove & drain on paper towels. Yes, they will stand on their own on the sides. And if they don't, you can scoot one over and they can hold each other up.

- Serve with rice, black beans. Top with sour cream, queso fresco, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and salsa verde (or leave off whatever you want).

Mexican Red Rice:

This is my own recipe. I learned in Phoenix the basics, but then made my own twist and added my own seasonings. Everyone that's had my rice (including Mexicans) have said it's the best they've ever had.

- About 1 c. white rice (long grain)
- Jalepeno, finely chopped (and seeded if you don't like a lot of spice. Just 1 or 1/2 of one)
- Onion, finely chopped (about a generous palmful)
- Garlic, 1 or 2 decent sized cloves, minced
- Salt
- Chicken Bouillion (since you already bought it for the tacos)
- Cumin
- White Pepper (it tastes better than black in this)
- Veggie Oil - about 1 to 2 tablespoons


1.) Heat the oil and sautee the onion, jalepeno, and garlic until soft & fragrant. I also like to go ahead and add all of the spices. Just a bit of each to start, but you can add more later.

2.) Add the rice and sautee altogether. You want the rice to become a lighter white/opaque color, which means you have to stir constantly and pay close attention. It's okay if some of them toast a bit and turn brown. Won't hurt 'em.

3.) Add water (I guess 1.5 cups.. I'm sorry, this is something you'll just have to judge for yourself. Even I have trouble with it sometimes) to the pan along with tomato sauce and chicken bouillion. You want to add enough tomato sauce to make the mixture a good red color, but not "soupy" (otherwise it'll make the rice much more sticky). Stir it all up to combine the flavors. You can also add more of the seasonings if you'd like. Beware of the Cumin though - a little bit goes a -long- way.

4.) Reduce heat to simmer/med-low and cover. It'll take about 30 minutes to cook and you're -not- supposed to uncover it at all, but I do. Cuz I never know if I added enough water or not. Just check on it periodically and stir to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and add water if it's low and the rice isn't cooked thoroughly.

5.) In the event that you -did- add too much water, and it's good & cooked, uncover, increase the heat, and keep stirring/"fluffing" with a fork or spatula (gently. Don't wanna break the rice) until the water cooks off as well as possible.

Frijoles Negros:

(This one's easy peezy. I also lurve black beans, so you might wanna get 2 cans)

You need:

- La Costenita brand Frijoles Negros Enteros (Whole Black Beans). 1 can for 2 people, 2 cans if you've got 3 - 4, etc.
- Garlic, Jalepeno, Onion, finely chopped
- Mexican Chorizo (optional)
- Salt & Pepper
- Chicken Flavoring (optional)
- Veggie Oil

1.) Heat oil in a large pot (size depending on how many cans of beans you use) and add onion, garlic, jalepeno, S & P. If using chorizo, skip the oil (there's enough fat in it to keep it all nice). Saute until soft - if using chorizo, cook until well crumbly and almost "crispy" looking in texture.

2.) Pour in the beans, stir to combine flavors, add chicken seasoning if using, and pour in about 1 can of water. There's no need to drain & rinse the beans. It adds more flavor.

3.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to about medium and let it simmer like that until the water/juice reduces some. Eh, about 30 minutes.

4.) However, if you have the time and patience, the longer you let the beans simmer, the better they'll taste. Just keep adding a bit of water so that they don't dry out. As the water cooks off, it concentrates the flavors more. But for time's sake 30 min - 1 hr should do the trick. Just make sure to watch the "juice" levels.

**Note: You can also add chopped bacon in with the chorizo, sliced hot dog, epazote (it's a Mexican herb), or ham to make more of a "Stew". It's still really good.

Salsa Verde:

I learned this recipe from my ex

You Need:

- Tomatillos - about 1 - 2 lbs, husked and rinsed
- Garlic Cloves, smashed & peeled - 2 - 4
- An Onion - 1/2 of a large or a whole small one, quartered in some way
- Jalepenos, whole, 3 or 4 or more, depending on how brave you are
- Cilantro

1.) Boil the tomatillos, jalepenos, garlic, and onion for about 30 minutes to an hour until soft.

2.) Strain (DON'T throw away the cooking liquid) and place the veggies into a blender along with about a handful of cilantro, and maybe 1/4 c. of the cooking liquid

3.) Blend until well blended. If the salsa seems a bit thick, add more cooking liquid. It's okay if there's too much.

4.) In a skillet, add about 1 tblsp of veggie oil, heat to about medium and pour in salsa. Cook stirring occasionally until it reduces down to a thick, darker green salsa. (Again, it concentrates the flavors).

5.) If it's too spicy, squeeze in some lime juice & use less on your tacos.

**Note: You can also blend an avocado in after the veggies are cooked. Just let them cool first in the blender, add a little bit less water, and add 1/4 of the avocado at a time until you get a smooth, creamy salsa. This version is always added as a side condiment at taco shops here in Nashville. It's typically murderously spicy 'cuz they use Serrano peppers instead of Jalepenos

** Another note on Jalepenos: I'm sure this may go without saying, but there's honestly no way to tell how spicy a jalepeno actually -is- until you eat it.Their heat all depends on what part of Mexico they were grown in/the climate (yes, even though Mexico is south, there are large mountains and areas that can get dreadfully cold as well as the more desert areas that stay hot and then "rainforesty" type places that stay hot -&- humid), what kind of soil/fertilizer was used to grow them, etc. A jalepeno could very well be as spicy as a mild Serrano, or it could have -no- spice at all. It's up to you to decide if you want to test it out and leave some or all of the seeds & membrane in them.

[Tallulah]

Something simple I made up completely by myself, wondering what to do with the spare dried couscous I had. I originally bought it for a semi-successful attempt at Moroccan chicken which was nowhere near as good as the Tesco ready-meal I sampled.

Couscous stuffed peppers

100g packet instant couscous (any flavour)
150g cream cheese (Philadelphia Light is best)
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 medium bell peppers (the red ones are the best)

- Preheat oven to 200c/Gas Mark 6 (no idea what Fahrenheit temp to use, convert it on the internet if you have to.
- Prepare couscous according to packet instructions.
- Mix prepared couscous with cream cheese and tomatoes until well combined.
- Chop the tops off the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membrane.
- Spoon the couscous mixture into each pepper until almost full. Pack it in fairly tightly.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until piping hot.
- When ready, slice peppers carefully in half with a sharp knife, and serve.

Until I made the above thing, I thought I was a lousy cook.

Yesterday, I also made mac 'n' cheese, but I used farfalle (pasta bows), and added some sliced gammon left over from my sandwich filling. Delicious. I used this recipe to make the sauce, although I used 4oz of cheese, and chucked in some cubed ham (about 4oz of that). I baked it with 2 handfuls of prepared pasta, topped with some more grated cheese in a 200c oven for 20 minutes. The pasta shape totally doesn't matter, my dad uses the larger tubes. I still have some left over, but I bought some more food from Asda, as I was flowing with ideas.

[noxious.sunshine]

OOooooh T! Try corkscrew pasta & bacon next time! It's suppppper yummy.. LongHorn uses it. I'm not sure what cheeses they use, but it's a 4-blend of white cheeses. I need that recipe. And they put a parmesan crust on top - I'm assuming a mix of panko & maybe grated (powdered?) parm cheese. I've been looking for a copycat recipe, but no such luck.

Yay! I'm so glad this thread is working out so far! %^_^

~ AUTO-MERGED POSTS ~

My cake recipe:



Yer welcome.

[Taco-Calamitous]

lol Make Tel do it all...

She has her work cut out for her, and she knows it, heh. When I lived on my own back home and prepared food for myself, I generally ate easy mac and canned chili that I cooked in the microwave. I think I maybe made something that required boiling water once or twice, but generally I don't cook.

Julie is best cook though :3 <3 Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[noxious.sunshine]

Well then sir, I suggest you DVR The Chew or the Food Network. XD

Nuthin's sessier than a guy that can cook. True story.

[Cyanist]

O.o noxious, you got me craving Mexican food. One dish in particular. This one is a humongous recipe and leaves even my family with leftovers, which taste really good heated up the following morning >.>

Spicy Tortilla Chicken Soup (everyone on the planet must try this soup)

1 whole chicken, cut the breasts off and throw the rest into a large pan. Fill it with:
8 c. Water and boil this for 1 1/2 hours. After this time, start preparing:

20 Corn Tortillas, cut into 1" x 3" strips. These you will cook in:
1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil until just crunchy. Now it's really easy to burn these, so I advise you recruit a little brother to take care of the frying, because you'll be too busy.

Cut the 2 chicken breasts (from earlier) into small cubes, set on a tray and bake in oven on 375 degrees F.

Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients below:

1 large onion, cubed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
2 Green bell peppers, gutted and sliced.
1 whole jalapeño pepper, seeded and cut into half moons.
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp Salt
1 T Oregano
1 large Carrot, diced small (for fast cooking)
1 tsp Chilly flakes

Put them all into a pan until it creates the most amazing smell. Turn the stove off. By about this time, your chicken cubes in the oven should be done. Take them out and set aside.

Now mix the following together in a big bowl:

5 Soft yet firm Avocados, sliced thin. (I like big chunks, but, eh)
3 Limes, juiced.
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Roma Tomatoes, cubed. Set this aside.

Finally we can get to that chicken carcass you've been boiling all this time. Strain the liquid, so you have a nice broth DO NOT ACCIDENTALLY POUR THIS PRECIOUS BROTH DOWN THE SINK! (bad stuff happens sometimes, but not to us) Next, add the amazing smelling stuff that you sautéed in the pan, along with the chicken cubes on the tray, to the broth.

Serve in bowls with fried Tortilla strips and a spoon (perhaps 3) of the guacamole on top.

Good luck.

[noxious.sunshine]

I LOVE CHICK TORTILLA SOUP! Oooooh oooh ooooooooh! And that's pretty much the recipe I use, though I haven't made it in ages.

[Heartless Angel]

Nuthin's sessier than a guy that can cook. True story.

You'd have to define the point at which 'heating food' becomes 'cooking' before that narrowed anything down. Most men are masters of the microwave.

EDIT: Also, Cyan, why would you deseed the jalapenos? That's like, 2/3 of the capsaicin right there. That's just... wrong... IT'S WRONG!

[LocoColt04]

I spent almost three hours in the kitchen tonight between baking peanut butter cup cookies and then baking some [item1] to mix into [item2].

Sorry, men are masters of what now?

I'll share my recipe very soon. It's actually part of a cooking contest on another website so I don't want to throw it out into a thread publicly yet (as at least one of those judges is floating around here somewhere) - but if you can't wait like a week, send me a PM and I'll copy it over to you, because you should eat delicious food. The step-by-step process is ridiculously detailed. :3

[noxious.sunshine]

You'd have to define the point at which 'heating food' becomes 'cooking' before that narrowed anything down. Most men are masters of the microwave.

EDIT: Also, Cyan, why would you deseed the jalapenos? That's like, 2/3 of the capsaicin right there. That's just... wrong... IT'S WRONG!

Would you PLEASE refer to my notes on Jalepenos, ma'am!? Not everyone is macho enough to handle the GD capsaicin/spiciness. Aside from that, the spiciness of the Jalepeno depends on the soil, climate, fertilizer, who pisses on it, etc. You don't know how spicy that mofo is until you eat it.


And... My ex could cook. So can Jay, though he's too lazy. He swears up and down he can cook Philippino food, but I give him shit and say "NO YOU CAN'T PROVE IT BYATCH!"...... Which he hasn't done yet.

I rest my case.

And I'll also post another recipe as soon as I smoke a cigarette and tear a new asshole.

I give the Ultimate Cooking Award to anyone who can properly grill a Black & Blue (aka Pittsburg) style Steak - any cut.

[Heartless Angel]

Would you PLEASE refer to my notes on Jalepenos, ma'am!? Not everyone is macho enough to handle the GD capsaicin/spiciness. Aside from that, the spiciness of the Jalepeno depends on the soil, climate, fertilizer, who pisses on it, etc. You don't know how spicy that mofo is until you eat it.

First I'll go ahead and point out that I'm a dude, just in case that wasn't a joke XD.

I know it still ain't got shit on me. The high end scoville rating on a jalapeno is only like 10k. I grow peppers, because I use them in pretty much everything. My favorites to cook with are seranos (10k on the low end,upwards of 25k on the high), just because they have the flavor of a good green pepper, I actually like them slightly better, but they have a good heat to them that green peppers don't, that doesn't overpower whatever I'm making. But they're nowhere near my tolerance level. I snack on habeneros anywhere between 100k-350k, I also cook with them, or scotch bonnets, roughly the same heat, but sweeter, so they're good for other dishes. I dehydrate ghost chiles (1millionish) and grind them into seasoning, which I use on a lot of shit. Hottest sauce I've ever used for actual eating rather than showing off or winning bets was just over 1.5 million scoville units. I've been a capsaicin addict since I was like, 9.

I give the Ultimate Cooking Award to anyone who can properly grill a Black & Blue (aka Pittsburg) style Steak - any cut.

It's pretty simple. Get a relatively thick cut, put some olive oil and butter in a pan, and sear the living **** out of it and get it off the heat before the inside gets a chance to cook. Never been a fan of it myself, but a couple friends ask me to do that when I'm grilling steaks all the time.

[noxious.sunshine]

That post started out with "Sir" ............. I sorry. I just I just... I got confuzzled. I sorry!

Now then, I do hail you on your pepper knowledge (& tolerance level) muchly. I always kind of assumed that Habaneros & Scotch Bonnets are essentially the same ... Though they're on the same level on the Scoville? It's been awhile since I've looked at a chart. heh. The flavors are different though, I guess.

Jalepenos, I can handle, though it -might- tear my stomach up later, and Serranos & Habaneros I can take in small doses (meaning, small enough dice/chop to equal to 1 jalepeno). How the GD hell you can handle Ghost Peppers, though... All hail to you, sir. My innards are in pain just thinking about all that.

And yes, I know how to grill Black & Blue steak, but if the cut isn't thick enough and you don't have the skillet/grill screeching hot, it's not gonna work. You -might- successfully sear the outside, but the inside will almost for sure wind up Medium at the very least.

[Heartless Angel]

Yeah, the scoville rating on habeneros and scotch bonnets is pretty much the same. Scotch bonnets however, are a Caribbean pepper, red in color rather than orange like a normal habenero, and they have a sweeter taste, so they're good for Caribbean type food. I particularly like scotch bonnets with jerked chicken or something along those lines. They're also an ingredient in a lot of Caribbean type hot sauces, Mad dog I believe uses them as a base in their hotter sauces, which are delicious.

I've always had a pretty high spice tolerance. We discovered this when I was 8 or 9, my dad had made some dirty rice, and put some dehydrated habenero seasoning he made on his. I'd seen this, didn't know what it was, and decided to try it. By the time he realized what I had done (I used like 5x more than he had) and was warning me not to eat it, it was already in my mouth. And I liked it.

As for black and blue... if the butter doesn't bubble as soon as it hits the pan, it's not hot enough yet.

[noxious.sunshine]

Nice! I've never seen Scotch Bonnets around here. Habaneros, Serranos, of course, but I've never seen a Scotch Bonnet.

I love making salsa de chile arbol with dried japanese chilis and the chiles en arbol. Super hot (for me) but super good.

Does butter work better for doing black & blue? I've always used veggie oil.. Just 'cuz I thought it would sear the steak better. Not that I've ever considered butter an option, or anything... I've also found that weighing the steak down with something heavy (foil-wrapped brick, a stack of plates, etc) kind of helps with the searing process without overcooking the inside.

[Heartless Angel]

I had to order the seeds online, nowhere around here sells them.

I used to make my own salsa, but then I found Mrs. Renfros ghost pepper salsa. Good flavor, good heat, and comes in a jar so I don't have to put any effort into it.

I use extra virgin olive oil, and butter. I was taught never to press the meat down, that just puts more of the meat in contact with the heat source.

[noxious.sunshine]

Huh. Interesting. I always read/saw that because EVOO or even plain Olive Oil has a low smoking point so it isn't good for cooking things in high heat - just sautes and whatnot. I also figured that weighing it down would sear more quickly thus keeping the inside as rare as possible... lol You just schooled me, sir. Thanks! ^_^

EDIT: So does mixing butter with the EVOO counteract the low smoking point perspective? I've mixed the 2 before, but not to make a B&B steak....

[Heartless Angel]

I've never really had it smoke on me. I don't know the actual science behind it, I just asked around, looked at some stuff online when friends started asking me if I could do it. That's what I read, gave it a try, and it worked out. I actually oil the steaks themselves too, mix my seasonings into the oil. Cleaner that way. But from what I understand, other oils work just as well, but what I originally read was to use olive and butter, and it works, so I've never bothered to change it. If I ate the stuff myself I might be more inclined to experiment and refine the technique, but as is I only do it for two friends, and neither has ever complained about the way it was done, no real need. The rationale behind not pressing it is pretty simple, when you push down and remove air pockets, you have more meat in contact with already heated parts of the meat, sharing heat more freely throughout the steak, which is exactly what you're trying to avoid. I'm more of a medium-medium rare guy myself. I like my meat dead. And marinated in a nice Jack Daniel's marinade.

[noxious.sunshine]

I'm Med. Rare - Rare. and Mid Rare is pushing it. lol I've only ever made it for myself a couple of times, but I get the heat dispersing more quickly throughout the steak when it's weighed down...

It's like when people insist on stabbing a perfectly good steak to death with a fork in an attempt to tenderize it. DON'T DO IT!!!! The reason you can eat steak rare/mid rare/not well done is because bacteria doesn't get inside the steak during cooking. When you stab it, it creates the holes and bacteria can get in there and make you sick. IDGAF, I'll still eat it. Steak is Steak and Steak is delishous.

So I made Buffalo Chicken Dip. And it's awesome.

You Need:

- Pre-cooked Chicken (I like the Oscar Meyer whatever bran Southwest Flavored Grilled Chicken) - like 2 or 3 packs
- 2 or 3 blocks (8 oz) of Philly Cream Cheese (or be cheap and use Great Value)
- Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- A Large Bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Butter

1.) Preheat oven to like 350-ish

2.) Shred chicken (it'll be in slices, but it needs to be shredded) and heat butter in a skillet over med. high heat. Add chicken and pour in enough hot sauce to coat chicken (or add more if ya want).

3.) While yer doin all that, it's easiest if you throw the blocks of cream cheese in a bowl & microwave for about a minute - minute.5. Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a baking pan. Drizzle a coat of Frank's on top followed by a layer of Ranch Dressing.

4.) Throw the chicken on there in the baking pan.

5.) This step is OPTIONAL: Drizzle another layer of Hot Sauce & Ranch on top of the chicken.

6.) Sprinkle a big ole helping of Cheddar Cheese on top to make it look all pretty and casserole-y

7.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until Cheese is melty & bubbly.

8.) Serve with tortilla chips... Tostitos Scoops are excellent for this.

[Heartless Angel]

I also make steak burgers a lot. Get a decent cut of steak that's a manager's special deal at the store (meaning it's older, not ideal for actually grilling steak, but if you're just going to grind it anyways, no big deal), grind it up, make patties, mix in chopped onions and peppers as I'm grinding it, usually seranos and habeneros. When I do burgers I also like to put my cheese inside of the patty when I'm making it. I usually do habenero pepperjack when the store actually has it, otherwise I just do normal pepperjack. I soak my patties in a little bit of whiskey when I have it, good flavor, then I usually top it with sauted onions and jalapenos, and bacon. Good shit. I don't do much traditional cooking, but grilling and smoking, THAT I do pretty regularly.

[noxious.sunshine]

How do you grind it without a meat grinder? (Which is something I know -I- don't have, anyway lol)

That made me think of Hamburger Steak....

Ground Beef, Heinz 57, mix it up with onion and garlic, make hamburger patties, and grill. They're -so- good.

Also.. Shit on Shingles & Turkey Shit. (What my mumzy calls 'em)

For Shit on Shingles,

Brown ground beef in a skillet - salt & pepper is enough for seasoning.

Make Gravy: I like to use Crisco veggie shortening, but I think you can use butter as well.. Anyway, you want to use about equal parts shortening & flour and make a roux - don't let it get too dark - then whisk in milk. You've gotta turn the heat up to about med. high to get the roux/flour to cook & thicken.. If it seems too thick, add a bit more milk. Too thin? Whisk in a bit more flour. Either way, it should be creamy. I like my white gravy to be pretty thick & hearty, personally. Season with -a lot- of salt & pepper to give it flavor.

Once gravy & ground beef are done cooking, mix the 2 together (if the ground beef has a high fat percentage, feel free to drain some off)

While the gravy is cookin', toast some bread.

Top the toast with the ground beef/gravy mixture.

It's one of my favorite breakfasts.

As for Turkey Shit:

If you have leftover turkey meat (from Thanksgiving or Giftmas), same method as above. Just make sure you finely shred the turkey meat before adding to the gravy.

And another super simple breakfast.... This is my ultimate comfort food. And yes, getting the technique right -can- be tricky. It took me a few tries to get it right.

Macaroni & Tomatoes:

You need:

- A can of whole stewed tomatoes
- Elbow Macaroni
- S & P

You'll need to break up the stewed tomatoes by hand - leaving the juices - in a big bowl. No. No other kind will work. And Hunt's brand Tomato products -are- the best.

Bring water to a boil and add macaroni. Boil for about 4 minutes, then drain the macaroni.

Return macaroni in the pot back to the burner. Add the canned/stewed tomatoes, stir to combine, lower heat down to about medium-low and -cover-. Cook until macaroni is soft.

The final cooking process allows the macaroni to absorb the tomatoes & their flavor. No seasoning is required (or needed) during cooking.

Season with salt & pepper as needed for serving.

**Note: You want to be careful with the macaroni to tomatoes ratio. It's better to have too much tomato than too much macaroni - otherwise, there's not enough flavor and it's just yuck. I'd say use about 1/2 a box of macaroni to a regular (large?) sized can of tomatoes. Like I said, as simple as this recipe is, getting the ratio & consistency right is very tricky.

I can eat like 5 lbs of that shit. It's soooo good. With Diet Pepsi (which I ordinarily hate).. Yeah buddy. Ultimate breakfast right there. Southern style cookin' Y'all!

[Heartless Angel]

I have a meat grinder lol. And I use the hell out of it, I like to mix meats in a lot of stuff I make. Like in pasta, I always do a mix of italian sausage and beef, I just grind em together, add some of my seasonings and shit right there. Particularly nice for mixing onion and peppers into meat, which I do in just about everything I'd use ground meat for. But I primarily got it for burgers, so much more convenient to mix stuff in with your meat when you can just toss everything into a grinder.

I do like a salsa con queso macaroni kinda thing sometimes, that's a good breakfast when I feel too lazy to make an omelette. I like to get up and make a massive omelette loaded with sausage, bacon, cheese, onions, peppers, and country potatoes, topped with more cheese and salsa, but sometimes I'm lazy. Or cheap. In that case it's some shells pasta, Velveta, and Mrs. Renfros ghost pepper salsa. Good shit.