The Talked About Recipe Thread and Fun in the Kitchen

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Huntn

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas (makes 10 enchiladas)
2 cups cooked chopped chicken (I use skinned deboned thighs)
2 cups sour cream
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
3*cups of Longhorn (mild cheddar cheese) shredded- * set 1 cup of this cheese aside to sprinkle on top.
2 TBS chopped onion
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP pepper
10" flour tortillas (package of ten)
Vegetable oil

These are delicious and a huge hit in our family. :D Unlike many enchilada recipes there is no tomato sauce used, and these are not drenched/floating in sauces in the pan. They appear as rolled tortillas side by side, with just shredded cheddar cheese melted on top. This is closest picture I could come up with online but with just yellow cheddar cheese on top, no sauce.

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Cook the chicken: Boil it in water until cooked through. I boil it for about 20-30 min. Then shred or cut up into small pieces.

Mix the filling: Set 1 cup of the Longhorn cheese aside. Combine first 8 ingredients in large mixing bowl. It's optional to fry each tortillas one at a time in 2TBS oil, 5 sec on each side. I usually don't, using them straight out of the package. This recipe allows you to make up all 10 enchiladas at once or make up less and keep the left over mix in the fridge or freezer to assemble and cook later.

If making all 10, plan on 2, 8x12" or 9x13" glass cooking pans, 5 enchiladas per pan (glass optional ;)).

To assemble: You can, but it is not necessary to spray or wipe these pans with vegetable oil prior to placing the enchiladas in them. Place a large dallop of the mix in a tortilla and roll it up. This should make a substantial enchilada, not a little skinny one. Place in cooking pan seam down, side by side. Sprinkle some Longhorn cheese on top of each enchilada. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 min. Serve immediately.

Any mix left over can be refrigerated to make more later. This recipe lasts 2 people, 3-5 meals, 5 meals if each person only eats 1 enchilada. For us, it's usually 3 meals.
 

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Roast pork belly, loosely based on a Gordon Ramsay recipe.

This started with scoring the pork belly rind, into diamond patterns and rubbing sea salt (and, in my case, I also added brown sugar) into the crevices.

In a roasting dish - Gordon had called for a bulb of fennel which I forgot to buy yesterday - so, for vegetables, I used roughly chopped carrot, celery, onion, (the classic soffritto), plus parsnip, (I am a northern European, that is a root vegetable - and root vegetables go well with pork - and it is still winter), I sautéed vegetables, and later, fruit, and spices.

Unlike Gordon, I thought that fruit - a large cooking apple and a large conference pear - both sliced and peeled - would work well with pork. And a tin of apricots, their juice added later to the stock - I decided to forego citrus.

The vegetables (and fruit) were sautéed in olive oil in a large roasting tin; spices - several (around seven for me, whereas Gordon had mentioned a mere three) bashed (and peeled) cloves of garlic were added, as were several star anise, bashed cardamon seeds, and a fistful of caraway seeds. (To my surprise, my well stocked spice cupboard did not have the fennel seeds that Gordon suggested).

The inevitable sea salt and black pepper; the pork was seared on both sides; then a large glass of white wine was added, the alcohol allowed to burn off, after which I added the liquid from the tin of apricots, and some stock.

Next, into a preheated oven at 180C (360F) for two and a half hours.
 

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Another recipe loosely based on a Gordon Ramsay recipe: Classic comfort food:

Sausage and pasta:

Firstly, finely diced onion was sautéed until soft in olive oil, then half a head (around seven or eight cloves) of peeled, minced, garlic was added to the pan, and also sautéed until soft, and golden.

Merguez sausages, (artisan made) three of them (peeled of their casing and broken into chunks) were added to the pan, and browned; meanwhile, a few chopped tomatoes (a mix of vine tomatoes and a few cherry tomatoes) were roasted in the oven (for around 40 minutes - seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzed with olive oil); this (plus the olive oil, seasoned with tomato) was then also added to the pan and mashed and mixed through.

In a separate saucepan, boiling water (salted with a dash of olive oil) awaited pasta (fettuccine); a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water were then added to the sausage, onion, garlic and roasted tomato mix and stirred through.

The pasta was drained, seasoned with a little olive oil and black pepper, then added to the sauté pan, where it was mixed through with the sausage, onion, garlic and roasted tomato mix. Chopped parsley was added, and then it was served.

Dessert took the form of a (homemade) compot of blueberries and sliced strawberries - with a few teaspoons of honey and the juice of a small freshly squeezed lemon.
 

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Chicken Fricassee (Gordon Ramsay does a very good version) is a French rustic dish.

Chicken thighs (skin and bone attached, and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper) are sautéed (in a large sauté pan) in olive oil until golden, and diced pancetta, chopped - or diced - onion and roughly chopped cloves of garlic (I have a generous hand with garlic) added, and sautéed until all are soft. Mushrooms - halved (or quartered, depending on size) - are next added.

Fresh rosemary (and thyme, if you have it; I didn't have it today) are added; that is, you strip the "needles" - leaves - of both herbs, for that is what is to be added to the pan - and discard the woody stems.

Then, some white wine (around a small wine glass) is added, and let cook down until reduced. Next, in with some chicken stock, and let this lot simmer away for around twenty minutes, (uncovered) and a further ten minutes or so, with a lid - slightly covered, so that the steam can escape.

That is when you can add (should your inclinations lie that way) a generous glug (or more, I used around half a mug) of double cream. Allow that to simmer for a further five to ten minutes. Check for seasoning. Then, serve.

Today, I served it with sautéed (small, salad) potatoes, parboiled first, then sautéed in a little olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and roughly chopped (fresh) parsley.
 

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Easy Taco Soup from a friend in Tulsa. This is surprisingly good. The image below was grabbed online, I don’t include the chives, or greenery whatever it is, scallions sliced (?), flour tortilla strips, or the dallop of sour cream on top, but I might include that next time! :D

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  • 1-1.5 Lb of ground or shredded chicken (I might boil a package of thighs and shred them).
  • 1 large Onion, diced.
  • Olive Oil.
  • 1 Package of Ranch Dressing seasonings (dry).
  • 1 Package of Taco Seasons (McCormick with30% less salt).
  • 1-27 Oz can of pinto beans.
  • 1-15 Oz can of stewed tomatoes.
  • 1-15 Oz can of Mexican style tomatoes.
  • 1 package of frozen corn (off the cob).
Instructions
  • The quantities of chicken, pinto beans, corn and tomatoes can be varied to preferencem but start with the above. The cans of ingredients, don’t drain, dump it all in.
  • Fry the chicken and onions in a pan with olive oil. After it is cooked, stir in the Ranch and Taco seasonings, then place in a large pot.
  • Dump in the reminder of the ingredients, and add enough water to make it look like a soup. I filled the pinto bean can with water and used that.
  • Cook to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
This recipe as is, made 6 large bowls of delicious soup. :D
 

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Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo
found at Delish.com
This includes outstanding advice for preparation of the key ingredients.

Image to be posted​
Easy to make imo.

Great advice in general:
Overcooking the pasta.

Nothing is worse than a bowl of mushy pasta. We're going for al dente in this recipe—as in, it should still have some bite. This can be especially tricky when you're adding cooked pasta back to a hot pan because it will continue to cook. We recommend tasting your pasta for doneness a 3 to 4 minutes before the box recommends. There should still be a bit of firmness in the center of your fettuccine. That means, given a little extra cooking time in the sauce, it'll come out perfectly.
Overcooking the shrimp.
Never underestimate how fast shrimp can cook. Depending on their size and the heat of your pan they could cook in literally one minute, so keep an eye on them! As soon as they turn from gray and translucent to pink and opaque, they're good to go! Set them aside on a plate and continue with the sauce. Just don't ditch anything they've left behind in the pan! Those juices will add so much flavor to your final sauce. Using shell-on shrimp would provide even more flavor, but we don't love to use our hands while eating pasta. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, feel free to leave the shells on!
Curdling the sauce.
One of the secrets to making an extra creamy Alfredo sauce is the addition of an egg yolk. In order to incorporate that yolk without cooking it, you need to make the sauce in a specific order. After you've added your flour, add your cold milk and cream first, so that when you drop your yolk in, it won't start cooking immediately. When you do drop your yolk in, whisk it into the sauce immediately to avoid clumping. If it still sounds risky to you, you can whisk together your heavy cream, milk, and yolk in a separate bowl and pour it into your pan as a homogenous mixture.
Using pre-grated parm.
This creamy sauce is totally dependent on the cheese. Most of the pre-grated parmesan cheeses sold at the grocery store are mixed with preservatives in order to prevent caking, and to keep the cheese dry. Unfortunately, this can lead to a less than favorable texture, and can make it more difficult for the cheese to melt. If you can, splurge for a real piece of Parmigiano Reggiano (or another hard cheese like Locatelli or Pecorino Romano). It'll make your Alfredo sauce a bit more smooth and creamy.

Nutrition (per serving): 910 calories, 37 g protein, 95 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 42 g fat, 25 g saturated fat, 1,148 mg sodium
YIELDS:4
PREP TIME:0 HOURS 15MINS
TOTAL TIME:0 HOURS 25MINS

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. fetuccine
  • 3 tbsp. butter, divided
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 1/2 c. whole milk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook fettuccine according to the instructions on box, reserving a cup of pasta water to thicken the sauce, if needed.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and completely opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
  3. Into the pan, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook until no longer raw, 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and milk, then whisk in egg yolk. Bring to a low simmer and whisk in parmesan. When cheese is melted and sauce has thickened slightly, add cooked pasta and shrimp, tossing to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Garnish with more parmesan and parsley.
 
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I made these last night, recipe courtesy of spinach & bacon. They are the poor man's version of lobster rolls and quite tasty.
If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, everything can be sourced from their store.


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Ingredients:​

  • 1 lb Frozen Argentinian Shrimp
  • 4 Brioche Hotdog Buns
  • 1/4 cup Minced Celery
  • 3 Green Onions Minced
  • 1/2 Lemon juiced
  • 1/4 cup Mayonaise
  • 5 tbsp Butter
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Method:​

  • Mince the green onions and celery and add to a medium size bowl. Add the mayonnaise, sea salt, and pepper and mix. Add the juice from half a lemon and mix. Keep cold until your shrimp are are done cooking.
  • Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a large saute pan. Once melted, add the thawed shrimp.
  • Cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Once, it is cooked, place shrimp on a cutting board and cut shrimp into 1″ chunks.
  • Toss shrimp into bowl with mayonnasise mixture.
  • Wipe out the pan that you cooked the shrimp in, and add the remaining butter into the pan. Melt it on medium low heat.
  • Place brioche hotdog buns, cut side down, into the pan to soak in the butter and grill up. Keep a close eye and do not let them burn.
  • Fill the brioche buns with the shrimp mixture and enjoy
I also used a bit of Chef Paul's Seafood Magic on the red Argentinian shrimp along with a dash of Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard for some added zing.

It was my first time making these and will definitely now be in my rotation for hot days when you don't want to turn on the oven. Delicious!
 
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DT

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Yes! The Argentinian Red shrimp are amazing, we get them from Omaha steaks (weirdly 95% of our orders are seafood ...). They're big and super succulent, definitely closer to lobster in taste and texture, that's a killer substitute for lobster.
 

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@DT enjoy every bite!

I just began thawing the other half bag I have on hand of my Argentinian shrimp. You nailed it with the lobster taste. No wonder I enjoyed them so much. Lobster is my favorite meal but sadly, haven't been able to enjoy for years due to cost. Now I have a workaround!

p.s: share a pic of your shrimp when done!
 

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Pasta Carbonara:

This evening, I reminded myself that these days, I live alone, and, as I love to dine late sometimes, why not indulge myself, as nobody here is demanding an early dinner.

Anyway, dinner took the form of the Italian classic, Pasta Carbonara; I realised that I had all of the ingredients to hand, and thought, why ever not?

So, Pasta Carbonara:

The ingredients for this dish are quite simple, and there aren't all that many of them, but, as with any supposedly "simple" dish, this means that it stands or falls on the quality of the ingredients.

The ingredients are: Pasta (preferably one of the long strand types, such as spaghetti, or tagliatelle, but any good quality pasta will suffice); eggs (actually, egg yolks - and here, the quality of the eggs do matter; preferably free range, as they taste better); guanciale (pig cheek); at a push, pancetta - or, any other bacon - will do fine, but guanciale is better; and Pecorino Romano (rather than Parmigiano Reggiano); some recipes call for a 50/50 mix of both, if you only have Parmigiano Reggiano that is fine, but the original recipe calls for Pecorino Romano.

And black pepper. This is a dish that calls for a generous hand with freshly ground black pepper.

Slice and dice the guanciale (remove the rind, and the peppered coating - just slice them off and discard them), then add the diced guanciale to a large saute pan, on a low heat. A very generous, a seriously large chunk of guanciale is what I have in mind; be generous, for this lovely bacon will add a wonderful flavour to your finished pasta dish.

Tonight, I added a little olive oil to the pan - most Italians do not even do this, as the fat of the guanciale will be rendered - to start them off; they will become translucent, and eventually, a little crisp.

Heat the pasta water; for once, you will not need to salt it, as the Pecorino (or Parmesan) cheese will be quite sufficiently salty, and cook the pasta - paying attention to how long it will take to cook - according to the instructions on the packet.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites (roughly one egg yolk per 100g of pasta, although you can be more generous), and add them to a bowl; tonight, I used two egg yolks (organic, free range) and one whole egg; whisk them.

Do not buy cheese already grated, it will not be fresh and it will taste of nothing; instead, buy a hunk, and grate it yourself.

When I had the cheese grated, most of it (in two batches) was added to the already whisked eggs, and stirred and whisked. Add some freshly ground black pepper.

If this mix is too claggy, too solid, one can dilute it a little with a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water (which I did this evening); also, - although the purists will howl - should you feel the need for cream, this is when and where you can add it; as with the pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons/dessertspoons should suffice. You want the egg/cheese mix to be neither runny nor solid.

Turn off the heat for both the pasta and the guanciale in its saute pan. This is because you do not want the egg mixture to become scrambled eggs once it has been added to the pan.

Remove (and reserve) around half a mug of pasta cooking water; drain the pasta, and add it to the pan. Stir, coat it with the guanciale (and, above all, that lovely bacon fat that has rendered into the cooking liquid); add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid to it and stir and mix and marry.

Now, you pour in - slowly - the egg and cheese mix, on top of the pasta; stir around, blend, mix and meld and marry the lot, with tongs, and/or a wooden spoon; and don't forget to add plenty of freshly ground black pepper while you are stirring.

The pasta should be creamy, and should taste delicious (what is there not to like? For here, we have a dish that combines bacon, egg, cheese and pasta).

Serve, and savour.
 
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DT

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We made a little slaw that was shredded slaw mix, some [light] ranch, a little fresh lime and Sriracha - we also took some of the slaw mix, and brazed it in the same skillet with a little onion, so we had a couple of ways to eat them. Had some more traditional taco toppings like cheese, lettuce (shreds) but decided to stick with the slaw variants.

We went ahead and cleaned the whole bag, so there are another 12+ ready for tomorrow, might do some kind of panko crust and make some cheese grits :D
 

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Extra Creamy Lobster Mac and Cheese

C6CEA08E-2CC5-46C9-A1B2-9DB2FFD4D289.jpeg
Not my image. Recipe found online.​

Not the typical inexpensive Mac and Cheese kids are normally fed, at least the kids I know personally. :)

Ingredients
  • 8 ounces lobster meatcooked, chopped, about 2 cups *Shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon, combination can be substituted. I use 4 small lobster tails @$6 each.
  • 16 ounces dry pastacavatappi, penne or shells (I used about 3/4 of the cooked pasta to fit in a 6x9” baking dish.)
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to taste
  • 2-3/4cups milk
  • 1/2 cup light cream
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar shredded
  • 1 ¼ cups Gruyere cheeseshredded, or swiss cheese, mozzarella, or havarti
  • 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese shredded
Toppings
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon parsley chopped
Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 pan.
  • Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water and set aside.
  • While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Stir in flour and seasonings and cook 2 minutes.
  • Combine milk and cream. Add to the flour mixture a little bit at a time whisking in after each addition. The mixture will be very thick at first but will smooth out as you continue adding liquid.
  • Once all of the liquid is added, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1-2 minutes or until thickened while whisking.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses whisking until the sauce is smooth and melted.
  • Combine the sauce and the pasta. Gently stir in half of the lobster meat and spread into the prepared pan.
  • Add remaining lobster meat on top and sprinkle with the topping mixture.
  • Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and topping is browned. Do not overcook.
To Boil Lobster Tails for Meat
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Place 3 lobster tails (approximately 3-3.5 oz each) in the boiling water and let simmer 3-4 minutes or just until cooked through. The thickest part of the meat should reach 140°F. Check them early to ensure they do not overcook.

Note: No clue on how you check the internal temp of lobster tails in boiling water. I took 4Small refrigerated lobster tails and placed them in boiling water, and let them cook for about 9 minutes total.
 

DT

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Hahaha, Daughter is an M&C gourmet, she can ID various brands with just a taste :D

Wife's Mac is stellar, I've mentioned this before, the secret ... is xxxxxx xxxx. :ROFLMAO:

Fluffy? Creamy?


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Toss it in a skillet, MORE CHEESE and bake it? YES PLEASE :D

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Ragù:

Perfect winter fare.

This recipe takes time: Around an hour of prepping - it can be nice, relaxed cooking, - and seven hours in the oven.

For the meat, I used shin beef, bone attached, ordered from the organic butcher who has a stall in the weekly farmers' market. This is a cut of meat that requires long, slow, cooking, (minimum fours hours, preferably a lot longer) but the flavour obtained from this method of preparation is well worth the time it takes.

The meat was browned (in a mix of olive oil and butter), and then chopped roughly, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and placed into a large, copper casserole.

A tin of tomatoes, (San Marzano, an excellent Italian brand) was chopped and mashed and added to the casserole, and the tin rinsed with water that was also added to the casserole; next, I added some stock, and half a bottle of Chianti (an Italian red wine).

In the sauté pan, some chopped Guanciale (pig cheek) was sautéed; some recipes call for pancetta, but, I realise that I have come to prefer guanciale for such flavours. The sautéed guanciale was added to the casserole, and the lot then put into a preheated oven (150C, 300F) where it mingled, married, and melded for around an hour.

While the meat was being greeted with heat, a wall of warmth, I prepared the soffritto: two sticks of finely chopped celery, one large (very large) carrot, and two enormous onions, all diced finely, and sautéed in the sauté pan (more olive oil and butter added), which took the best part of an hour (on a low heat) to soften and caramalise; while they were sautéing gently, I added six fat cloves of finely chopped garlic to the pan.

The soffritto and its gloriously softened garlic were then added to the casserole which - upon examination - gave evidence that it was coming along nicely.

After that, around every hour, or every hour and a half, the casserole is removed from the oven, inspected, tasted, stirred, - whereupon a little (a few tablespoons) of milk, (yes, milk, full fat milk) are added - and then returned to the oven for a further hour's alchemy, where the wonder of warmth and heat can work its magic.

Ragù recipes often suggest - or recommend - that gremolata is served as a condiment to accompany the dish: (Gremolata: Finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, grated lemon rind, juice of half a lemon and some olive oil).

Now, as it happens, all of these ingredients were winking at me.

So, the gremolata has been prepared.

This dish can be served with polenta, potatoes (boiled, mashed, roasted), fresh bread, or - obviously - pasta, something such as fettuccine, or tagliatelli.

And, as with any such dish, it improves when consumed (devoured?) the day after it has been prepared, and tastes even better.

My own personal suggestion is to serve something along the lines of pasta the first day, and, perhaps, roast potatoes the following day.
 

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Pasta e fagioli: (Pasta and beans):

This recipe - classic comfort cooking, soothing winter cooking, what Italian friends describe as "classic peasant food" is deceptively simple, yet utterly delicious.

I started with the classic soffritto: Very finely diced carrot, celery, and onion, - sautéed in olive oil until soft (something that always takes a lot longer than you think), and added four fat cloves of garlic, finely sliced, to the (large, copper) sauté pan.

Next to be added was some finely diced guanciale - pig cheek, which - to my mind - is even better - far better - than pancetta, and fulfills a similar function in Italian cuisine; the rendered fat adds a most wonderful flavour to the finished dish.

Once they were soft and translucent and tasty - I added the contents of half of a jar of excellent quality (Spanish, because that was what I had to hand) cannellini beans to the sauté pan. In this instance, a jar was better than a tin, as the jar containing the rest of the beans could be kept in the fridge.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, water - actually, stock, to which I added some olive oil - was set to boil, at which point fettuccine was added.

A generous half cup (that is, a Le Creuset mug, not the formal American measurement) of pasta cooking water - nice and starchy - was reserved, and added to the sauté pan, where it met with, mingled with, (a stir with a wooden spoon aided this process), merged and married the other ingredients already in the pan, and they were brought to a smart simmer for a few minutes.

The pasta was drained and then, the rather tasty sauce added, whereupon dinner was served, with napkins, tablecloths, proper glassware, and so on.
 
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Gingerbread Cutouts

1 Cup Butter
1 Cup white granular sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup Dark Molasses
2 TBS Vinegar
5 Cups All Purpose Flour
1.5 TSP Baking Soda
2 TSP ginger
1 TSP Cinnamon
1 TSP Cloves


Cream butter. Add sugar, beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar. Blend in dry ingredients. The original recipe says to sift ingredients, but I never do. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill.

Then take out of the refrigerator, allow to warm enough to roll out at 1/8”-1/4” thick on a flourerd surface. Cut into desired shapes, ideally with cookie cutter cutouts. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375, 5-15 minutes depending on thickness. Allow to cool on sheets of paper towels. Then after they have cooled, apply icing and sugar sprinkles if desired. Should make several dozen up to 5 dozen, cookies depending on how large they are.

Here are my masterpieces. My favorite is the road kill reindeer and the Christmas headstones, somehow Mickey Mouse showed up. :)


That is very similar to my grandmother’s recipe.
 
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