Alexa, I just made that for the first time, using some of the Meyer lemons from Arlene. It was really good. I don't have a broiler to speak of, I have one of those things under my oven what means you have to lie on your stomach on the floor to put anything under the "broiler". So, I browned the chicken in the oven, dumped the sauce over top and baked it until the chicken was done and the sauce reduced a bit. It turned out wonderfully. Teresa, I just made limoncello from some of those Meyer lemons too, I used Doucanoe's recipe and it was/is really good. OK, one of my new favorites Shaker Lemon Pie From the episode: Two Perfect Pies You will need 6 tablespoons of lemon juice for this recipe. Have an extra lemon on hand in case the 3 sliced lemons do not yield enough juice. Serves 8. Ingredients 1 double-crust pie dough 3 large lemons , sliced thin and seeded (see note) 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cornstarch 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon heavy cream Instructions 1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 dough round and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 2. Squeeze lemon slices in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl; reserve juice (you should have 6 tablespoons). Bring drained slices and 2 cups water to boil in saucepan, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slices are softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well and discard liquid. Combine softened lemon slices, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup reserved lemon juice in bowl; stir until sugar dissolves. 3. Whisk cornstarch and remaining lemon juice in large bowl. Whisk eggs into cornstarch mixture, then slowly stir in lemon slice mixture, then slowly stir in lemon slice mixture until combined. Pour into chilled pie shell. Brush edges of dough with 1 teaspoon cream and top with remaining dough round. Seal, crimp edges, and brush top of dough with remaining cream. Using paring knife, cut 4 vents in top of dough. 4. Bake until light golden, about 20 minutes, then decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour. Serve. (Pie can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days.) We found that using a knife to evenly cut the lemons into paper-thin slices was a difficult and time-consuming task. We had better results with a mandoline (or V-slicer), which produced perfectly thin slices in no time at all. If you don’t have a mandoline, we did find another piece of kitchen equipment that will make the process easier��"the freezer. Popping the lemons into the freezer for about 30 minutes firms them up for better hand-slicing, which is best accomplished with a serrated knife. This was one of the few Cook's Illustrated recipes that I've tried that I like and will use again, it was delicious, tart and bitter from the rind. Annie

As usual I am LATE to the party, but BF and I made the BEST applesauce date bread tonight. He loves dates. This is going to be quite the keeper, since I think it could be used for all kinds of dried fruits like raisins or dried cherries for example. The original recipe was for figs. I very often have applesauce and yogurt in the fridge to use up. This bread is YUM! Date, Applesauce and Almond Breakfast Loaf (original recipe was for Figs) Recipe by Barbara Estabrook, for "Cooking Light" magazine, October 2010. Makes 2 8 inch loaf pans. Struesel topping (I left this off) 2 1/2 TBSLP brown sugar 2 TBLSP all purpose flour 1 1/2 TBLSP coarsely chopped almonds 1 TBLSP chilled butter, cut into small pieces 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon Bread: 1 cup dried figs (or dates) 1/2 cup boiling water Cooking spray 1 TBLSP all purpose flour 2 large egg whites 1 large egg 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/3 cup fat free yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil 1/2 tsp. almond extract (I used Amaretto liqueur instead) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds (no salt) 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda Preheat oven to 350 degrees Prepare struesel topping ingredients by mixing them together in a small bowl and setting them aside. Spray or grease the two 8 inch loaf pans and then shake the flour around in them until very lightly coated. Combine wet ingredients Add flours and baking powder, soda, etc. Drain dates and mix in Add almonds. Pour batter into pans, top with streusel. Bake for 55 min. or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Not the best photo, one of my bread pans was too large.

Posted by lindac (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 0:48 you know things that wear their skeleton on the outside....things like clams, oysters, shrimp, crayfish, lobster....but not things like squid or salmon. We could include things like grasshoppers if you like and chocolate covered ants....but I'd rather not! I would say this could be sweet or savory a la Food Network....but. So...I'll start. You'll need 2 pounds of freshly de headed shrimp, a big pan, a little salt lots of water and a couple of teaspoons of crab boil ( I know! They are NOT crabs, but run with it, OK?)....bring about 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add the crab boil and 1 tsp of kosher sale....plop in the shrimp....watch carefully, and when that pot of water comes back to a boil, shut it off quick!....let the shrimp sit in the hot water for 3 minutes, drain and sit down with a couple of friends a couple of beers and peel and those lovely shrimp. Linda C Follow-Up Postings: o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 2:58 Yay, great choice! Love me some exo's...lol. I'm probably being anal, but now I'm worried that the thread might go too far before Nancy gets a chance to put the link to the old thread and the stuff about how the cookalong runs. Sooooo,... I'll just paste her stuff here for her. From Nancy/WizardNM on previous threads. For those that may have missed the previous Cookalongs ..... the idea here is to post hints, recipes and discuss the focus ingredient over the next two weeks. Recipes can use any form of the ingredient. Please mention the recipe source and whether it is one that you have already made (T+T) or one that you might be trying for the first time. Ummm.. she would have also said that the next date for the Cookalong will be Saturday April 25th, 2009. Also Nancy said "Don't hesitate to post earlier than that if needed. I know how life gets in the way at times." People have posted on Sunday too. Nancy/WizardNM picks a new person on the following Monday morning. Phew, I hope I did that right and no one minds. Here is a link that might be useful: CookAlong #6 Dried Fruits o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 5:57 This is originally from and is T&T. It is absolutely TDF. MARINATED SHRIMP WITH CHAMPAGNE BEURRE BLANC Sauce base 2 cups Champagne or other dry sparkling wine 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns Shrimp 1 cup Champagne or other dry sparkling wine 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons minced shallots 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 24 extra-large uncooked shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled with tail left intact, deveined 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces For sauce base: Combine Champagne, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns in heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup liquid, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) For shrimp: Combine Champagne, olive oil, shallots, and ground pepper in resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag and seal; shake bag to coat shrimp evenly. Marinate shrimp at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Mix chives, tarragon, and parsley in small bowl. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Drain shrimp; discard plastic bag with marinade. Arrange shrimp on prepared pan in single layer. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Stand 3 shrimp, tails upright, in center of each plate. Rewarm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will separate). Season beurre blanc to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon warm sauce around shrimp. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve. Market tip: Champagne and sparkling wines labeled extra dry are actually slightly sweeter than those labeled brut. The latter works best for this dish. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 8:23 Whew....was glad to see that Linda responded this morning. I was worried that I was going to have to pick someone else. Either that or connect with her in someother way...another reason Facebook could help out. Thanks Coconut, you did the opening just fine! To those who can't participate due to the theme..... Blame LindaC. I think she forgot! So, let's run with it and have some fun with exoskeletal creatures...I love the common ones and don't plan on trying the weird... Nancy o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by donna_loomis (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 8:59 I saw this recipe in the Sunday newspaper insert years ago. It was presented by Jill St. John shortly before she married Robert Wagner (1990). I absolutely love the bold flavors of this dish. Fiery Cajun Shrimp 2 cups (4 sticks) melted butter 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons ground pepper 2 tablespoons hot sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons salt 5 pounds unpeeled medium shrimp 2 lemons, thinly sliced French bread, for dipping Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stir together the butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pepper, hot sauce, garlic, and salt. Pour half this mixture into a large heatproof dish. Layer half the shrimp and half the lemon slices in the dish; then form a second layer with the remaining shrimp and lemon slices, and pour remaining sauce into the dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, stirring twice. Pour off the sauce into individual serving dishes. Serve the shrimp with plenty of French bread for dipping in the spicy butter sauce. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 9:33 I'll be sitting this one out, unless you count, say, an orange as an exoskelatal critter. Sally o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bbstx (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 9:34 This recipe is T&T, many many times. Crawfish Etouffe cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped green pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup butter, melted ¼ tsp whole dried thyme ¼ tsp chili powder ½ tsp whole dried basil 2 Tblsp flour ½ cup fish stock ½ cup white wine 1 cup cream of mushroom soup 2 ½ cup peeled crawfish tails ½ cup chopped green onions ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ tsp creole seasoning (Tony Cachere's) ¼ to ½ tsp hot sauce 1 tsp tomato paste Saute first 4 ingredients in butter until tender. Add thyme and next 3 ingredients. Stir well. Cook 15 minutes, stirring often. Add fish stock and wine. Cook 10 minutes. Stir in soup and crawfish. Simmer 15-20 minutes covered. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook 3-5 minutes covered. Remove from heat. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Serve over plain hot white rice. 4 servings For the slackers among us (and I am one): Frozen crawfish tails including all the juice in the package may be substituted for fresh. Shrimp may be sustituted for crawfish. Clam juice may be substituted for fish stock. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 10:17 You better hurry for this one....it's still ApRil but not for long. Oyster Stew 1 qt shucked oysters ( never said it was a budget recipe) 1/4 cup butter 1 T finely chopped onion 1 T finely chopped celery 3 cups milk 1 cup cream (half and half is fine) Pick over oysters to remove any bits of shell, save liquor Heat butter in a large heavy Dutch oven and slowly sautee onions and celery until they are soft and translucent but not browned, turn up[ the heat and add the oysters with their liquor and cook until the edges just curl. Add the milk and heat slowly until bubbles just break the surface, add cream, heat until hot correct seasonings, I like lots of fresh ground pepper, and serve. The above recipe works with bay scallops also. Linda C o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 10:54 Great choice, albeit against the rules. Something tells me I'm going to be clipping this entire thread! I think I've posted this before but can't find it, so here goes again. To me it's the best Baked Stuffed Lobster I've had anywhere. It's very basic, but I love the high seafood-to-filler ratio. Don't let the killing/cleaning get to you; it's really no big deal. I've seen people have the fish store kill and clean the lobsters, but I don't think that's a good idea. I seem to recall hearing that dead lobster degrades quickly. Baked Stuffed Lobster (stuffing amount is for 4 lobsters) Kill 1.25 lb lobsters by driving a knife through the brain and down through the head. Then use kitchen or poultry shears to cut down the middle of the belly side, all the way down through the tail. Pry open and clean out guts under cold running water. Pull off claws, boil for five minutes, shell and reserve meat in butter until the last five minutes of baking. (I dice the knuckle meat and add it to the stuffing.) In large saute pan over med-high heat, combine 1 stick of butter, two stalks of celery, minced, half an onion, minced, and cook until soft. Add 1 lb sea scallops cut into bite size pieces and 1 lb of cleaned shrimp that have been halved lengthwise. Cook until just shy of done, remove from heat, add two sleeves of Ritz crackers, crumbled. Add salt, pepper, basil, thyme to taste. If the mixture seems too wet, add some breadcrumbs. It should be moist but not mushy. Sprinkle Parm Regg over the stuffing and mix well. Add 3 cloves garlic, minced, and mix again. Jam the lobsters' body cavities full of stuffing, and continue down through the tail. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, laying the reserved claw meat on top for the last 5 minutes. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 15:17 Hey that's not kosher! :-) Click the links below for pix that go with each recipe. One of my favorites from Nancy/Wizardnm: ========================================== Crab Imperial 3 tbs butter 2 tbs chopped onion (I use green onions) 2 tbs all-purpose flour 1/2 cup milk or half and half 1 lb fresh lump crab meat, drained 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning 1/4 tsp ground white pepper 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tbs dry sherry Paprika Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender. Combine flour and milk, stirring well. Add to onion and cook about 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring often. Add crab meat and next 4 ingredients. Spoon into a greased 2-qt baking dish or individual baking shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6. Note: I usually add a pinch or two of mace and if I have a mild cheddar, I sprinkle a little on top. Nancy (wizardnm) ------------------------------------------- And another good one from Nancy: Gingered Shrimp Cakes 1 lb. large shrimp, cooked 4 scallions, sliced, green parts included 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1/2 C fresh corn, cooked, cut off cob (can use frozen) 1 lg egg 3 Tbsp mayonnaise 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce 1/2 tsp salt Pinch of ground black pepper 1 1/2 C fresh bread crumbs or panko (divided) 2 Tbsp olive oil (or more, for frying) 1 Tbsp butter (with the oil, for frying) Coarsely chop shrimp in bowl. Add scallions, ginger, lemon zest, parsley and corn. Combine mayonnaise, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper and fold into shrimp mixture. Add 1 Cup breadcrumbs and gently mix. Form into 4 patties and gently dredge in remaining 1/2 C breadcrumbs, adding more if necessary. Put on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 min and up to 4 hours. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over med-high heat. Saute cakes until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, adding more oil to skillet as needed, about 8 minutes. Chile Garlic Sauce To make Chile-garlic cream sauce, combine 2 Tbsp chile-garlic sauce (from Asia aisle at supermarket) and juice of 1/2 lime with 1/2 cup sour cream or cream fraiche. Spoon about 3 Tbsp of sauce on each plate and place shrimp cake on it, serve immediately. Makes four servings. Variation: Substitute lump crab meat for the shrimp. Nancy (wizardnm) ---------------------------------------------- Here's a mouth-watering recipe from the L.A. Times: Grilled Shrimp Charmoula Note: This recipe calls for bamboo skewers. 1 pound cleaned, tail-on jumbo shrimp (12 to 16) Charmoula (see recipe), divided 1 large lemon, sliced crosswise into 1/8 -inch slices Oil for the grill 1. Combine the shrimp and one-third cup charmoula in a large nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Ten minutes before removing the shrimp from the refrigerator, soak the bamboo skewers in water to prevent the wood from burning. 2. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread with the lemon slices onto the prepared bamboo skewers. 3. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, oil the rack and place the skewers on top. Grill the skewers until the shrimp are puffy, pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with the remaining charmoula sauce. Each of 4 servings: 172 calories; 18 grams protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 168 mg. cholesterol; 218 mg. sodium. CHARMOULA: Note: Store the charmoula for up to 1 week, refrigerated, in an airtight jar or plastic bag. 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1/3 cup chopped cilantro Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons sweet Spanish paprika Pinch cayenne powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 dried bay leaf, crumbled Pinch saffron 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1. Using a mortar and pestle, or in the bowl of a food processor, grind the garlic and ginger to a paste. Add the chopped parsley, cilantro and lemon zest and coarsely mash. Stir in the lemon juice. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, cumin, bay leaf and saffron and grind to incorporate. 2. Slowly pour in the olive oil while blending to form an emulsion, then stir in the salt. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 day before using. Each tablespoon: 64 calories; 0 protein; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 38 mg. sodium. o the pix clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 15:30 Oh, the top 2 pix are mine, the last one is from the Times. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by velodoug (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 15:59 It's not quite as simple as LindaC's, but there are still only four essential ingredients, besides the beer: Boil, peel and coarsely chop a pound or two of shrimp. Mix with enough Hellman's mayonnaise to make a nice shrimp salad consistency. Serve on toasted hot dog buns with a sprinkle of Old Bay. (You can add some sliced scallions, chopped celery, pickle relish or whatever else you like, but I prefer to keep it simple.) This was an off the cuff suggestion by Mike Colameco at the end of a show where he made lobster rolls. We often make them when the Acme has 2 lbs packs of IFF shrimp on sale for $9.99. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 16:07 Nice pic's Gina, I don't remember seeing either of them before.......ubeenholdinout! Glad you posted the recipes, I'll look through for some other favorites...we love our seafood!! Nancy o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by riverrat1 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 16:12 YAY! It's crawfish season and they are really nice this year. I'll try to participate in this cookalong. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1971 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 16:20 Here's an easy crab casserole from the sixties. KAPPY'S CRAB CASSEROLE 1 Lb crab meat 2 Pkgs frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture) 13 oz. Cracker Barrel Cheese (or any sharp cheddar) 1 Cup chopped onions 1 Cup sour cream 1 small can tomato paste Alternate layers of spinach, onions, crab meat and cheese in a casserole dish. Top with sour cream; carefully spread tomato paste on top. Bake 350, approximately 40 minutes (until tomato paste begins to crack). NOTE: I've always sliced the cheese and layered it, but I suppose you could grate it, as well. The truth is, I never had a cheese grater until 1978! Annie'71 o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 21:53 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO riverrat....noooooooooooo.... you dirty little rat faced rat..... wahhhhhhhhh.... I miss La... I want my crawfishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... wahhhhhhhh..... throws self down on floor and flops around like a catfish out of water.... screeching..... crying..... crawfishhhh... crawfishhhhhh... wahhhhhhhh.... sobbbbbbbb... hiccup... sobbbbb... noooooooooooo.................NICE THIS YEAR... WWWwahhhhh.... noooo...nooooo... o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by pkramer (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 22:42 Dumb question, but what date? Crawfish? I loved those mudbugs but all I can get here in Chicago are the nasty ones from China. Blech! i do have shrimp, scallops and lobster in the house. Thinking..... o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by riverrat1 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 8:43 LOL cocoNUT! I didn't know that you have spent time here in LA. Did you live here? Come on back for a visit. We would love to have you over for some mudbugs. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 9:46 Coconut, I'm really going to make you flop around on the floor! We had Camp Fais Do Do at RiverRat's house. One night RR took us on an adventure to experience some local culture. As we drove through dark, lonely roads, I was a little skeptical especially when we drove up to a ??roadhouse?? with a parking lot deep in motorcycles, pickups, and old Chevy BelAirs. But memories of trays piled high with crawfish whizzing by all night, the Cajun/Zydeco band, people doing the Arcadian Two-step, still clearly resonates in my head. The food, the entertainment, the locals, was such a rich experience, one that I will treasure for a long time. We did a lot of "Eating the Tail - Sucking the Head". Here is a link that might be useful: Listen and really flop around!! o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 10:57 Heh riverrat. Yes, I lived in NO for 9 years. My DW from there. Mostly the Westbank. She goes home to visit every year or two, but I've been so crippled up that I haven't been in a while. One of these years soon. Smiles. I really do miss the crabs too and all my shrimper friends that would drop off a cooler with 40#'s at a time. Ah, the good ole days. At least we have our blue crabs up here and frozen shrimp, but.. crawfish.... sniff.. lol. I just talked to Christys sister last night and she said the GN had crawfish last night. I carried on and the poor kid said she felt sorry for me..lmao. Aw, Cathy thanks for that link. It reminds me of going down to the bayou to visit our friends in LaRose, then heading way out on Little Lake to their camp. Also those fishermen I spoke about above were all Cajuns and had some great parties. Good times. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by craftyrn (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 11:37 Here's 3 of our favorites: Maggie's recipe-- Deviled Lobster Free Image Hosting at Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Shrimp & Lobster Deviled Lobster Tails ===================== 2 teaspoons Salt 4 (about 10 ounce each) frozen Lobster Tails 4 tablespoons Butter 4 Green Onions, sliced 2 tablespoons Flour 1-1/2 cups Half and Half 1/4 cup Cocktail Sauce 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce 1/3 cup unseasoned Dry Bread Crumbs . Bring water to boil with 2 teaspoons of salt. Add lobster tails; return to boil. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until lobster shells turn red and meat is opaque. Immediately plunge lobster tails into cold water to stop cooking. Lobster will not be thoroughly cooked, but will continue to cook during baking step. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in medium saucepan; add onions and cook about 2 minutes. Add flour; cook and stir until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add half and half, stirring constantly. Bring to boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cocktail sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the hot pepper sauce; mix well. Remove from heat. With kitchen scissors, cut and remove membrane from under side of each lobster tail - discard. Remove lobster meat; cut into chunks (reserve shell). Add meat to sauce and mix well. Return mixture to shells. Place on ungreased baking sheet - place small crumbled pieces of foil between tails if they look like they will tip over. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add the bread crumbs; mix well. Sprinkle over lobster mixture. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bread crumbs are brown. * my notes ( works great with scallops too) posted by Maggie +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Another T & T is Ina Garden's Baked Shrimp Scampi; Baked Shrimp Scampi =================== Ina Garten Serves 6 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell 3 tablespoons good olive oil 2 tablespoons dry white wine Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 clove) 1/4 cup minced shallots 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 extra-large egg yolk 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes) Lemon wedges, for serving . Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined. Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges. From Swap Cookbook ( The Essential Eating Well Cookbook ) sent by Blueiris South Pacific Shrimp: Free Image Hosting at Home Cookin Chapter: Shrimp & Lobster South Pacific Shrimp ==================== From "The Essential Eating Well Cookbook" Combine the following in a medium bowl: 1/3 cup "lite" coconut milk 2 serrano chilies or red jalapeños, seeded & minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon brown sugar Add: 1 # medium shrimp , peeled & deveined Toss to coat, cover & marinate in refrig for 10 - 15 min. Heat 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a 12 in skillet over med high heat. Add drained shrimp ( reserve marinate) & cook-- turning shrimp once , until barely pink- about 30 sec per side-- transfer to plate . . add to pan: 1/2 c seeded diced tomato 4 c. baby spinach. cook-- stirring until spinach starts to wilt , about 30 sec.-- add reserved marinate, simmer until sauce thickens slightly- return shrimp to pan-- heat through o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 12:57 Not sure what I'll do. We will be at the cottage for "opening" weekend which means putting the docks in, putting the boats and seadoo in, spring cleaning the bunkie and doing yard cleanup. Of course all that assume the ice is out of the lake...big assumption! It's a working weekend so I need to provide warm comfort type food. Chris, Amity, Doug and Sara will be there. Amity is allergic to shellfish and Clive is not thrilled with any shellfish except shrimp, mind you he likes crab or lobster if it's in a sauce like a thermidor. Got give it some think time but I'm in. This is one of my all time favourite recipes but I rarely make it because Clive doesn't "do" scallops. I've made it with shrimp and with lobster but it's best with scallops. Coquilles St Jacques (Originally From The Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cooking ) 1 1/4 Lb scallops butter (or margarine) 6 shallots (or green onions), chopped Bouquet Garni (dried parsley,celery leaves,thyme, bay leaf) 1 1/2 c dry white wine salt 12 mushrooms,finely chopped 1/3 c water or chicken broth juice of 1 lemon Fresh groud pepper 3 T Flour 4 egg yolks 1 c cream grated parmesan fine dry bread crumbs Wash scallops and dry with paper towel. Place in a saute pan with 2TBSP butter, the shallots and the Bouguet Garrni. Barely cover with white wine. Season with a little salt and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer about 4 minutes or until the scallops are barely tender. Drain and save broth for sauce. When the scallops are cool enough tohandle cut in small pieces or in slices. Saute mushrooms in 2 TBSP butter for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth or water,lemon juice, salt and pepper. Simmer until mushrooms are tender. Drain and reserve liquid. Combine the reserved liquids from the scallops and the mushrooms and heat. Melt 3 TBSP of butter in a sauce pan, blend in the flour, add the liquid, heat and stir until thickened and smooth. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the scallops, heat through. Beat the egg yolks and mix with the cream. Add this to the sauce and cook gently, do not boil. Add mushrooms and season to taste. Spoon into individual ramekins or shells, sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs. Glaze under the broiler for just minute or two. NOTE: Can be made several hours in advance and then spooned into the dishes and placed under the broiler just before serving but let it come to room temp first. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 14:24 Shall we call"The Party" for the weekend of the 25th-26th? Or shallw e just let this thread go on as long as the yummy recipes keep piling in? I think the 25/26 weekend ought to be good. Let's see....shrimp ono for appy, Manhatten clam chowder for a soup, main dish of either grilled diver scallops wrapped in bacon, or Alaskan King Crab....and for dessert, white chocolate mousse moulded in a scallop shell and topped with a drizzle of Frangelico scented dark chocolate sauce. And how about sugar snap peas in the SHELL and a salad of baby greens with a balsamic vinaigrette and SHELLED toasted pecans? Linda C o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 16:06 Oh Chase's Coquille St. Jacques is fantastic. I vouch for it! Nancy I posted those pics a long time ago when I still had time to participate a bit in WFD. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 16, 09 at 21:24 Here is a good one I made for our South American virtual dinner years ago. Free Image Hosting at peruvian marinated shrimp (seviche de camarones) 1 to 1 1/2 pounds cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup each lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 scallion (spring onion) green and white parts, finely chopped 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley finely chopped red or green hot chile pepper, to taste salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste 2 to 3 avocados, halved and pitted (optional) combine all the ingredients except the avocados in a glass or ceramic bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. chill for at least 1 hour before serving. serve mounded on the avocado halves, or on a bed of lettuce. serves 4 to 6. David o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Tue, Apr 21, 09 at 6:56 I used to like crab cakes with as little "filler" as possible but not any more. Our local newspaper printed a recipe from a restaurant known for their crab cakes. It was sold a few years ago when the owners retired and finally released their "secret" recipe. I tweaked it a little but they were the best crab cakes I ever made. CRAB CAKES Combine: 1/4 cup grated celery 3 Tbs. grated onion 1 grated hard boiled egg 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. parsley flakes or 1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley Add to the first mixture in the order given: 1 raw egg 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 3 Tbs. mayonnaise dash of hot pepper sauce 3 slices white bread, crusts removed and then cut in TINY cubes Mix until smooth. Then add 1 pound of lump crabmeat and mix gently with your fingers to avoid breaking up the crab. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour; then form into six patties. Sprinkle with paprika and put in ungreased baking dish containing about 3/8" of water. Bake on center rack of oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Turn on broiler, leaving the cakes on the center rack and brown tops of patties. Grated hard-boiled egg, celery, onions, seasonings and raw egg: Photobucket Mayo and tiny bread cubes mixed in: Photobucket Now the crab is mixed in and ready to shape: Photobucket In the pan and ready to bake, then broil: Photobucket Done: Photobucket Photobucket o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by riverrat1 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 21, 09 at 9:01 Ack! I'll be out of town for that weekend. We may go out to eat crawfish and if we do I'll be sure to take pictures. rutanna, Those crabcakes look scrumptious. Lot's of gleening going on in this thread. Chase's Coquille St. Jacques is going in the "to try" pile of recipes. Cathy, We did have fun at roadhouse. Our Cajun culture sure has some people leaving the State and scratching their head. They just don't get it. Dancing to loud live Cajun music, dancing till you almost drop, sucking head and eating and pinching tails....ahhhh, what a life. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Tue, Apr 21, 09 at 9:29 I doubt that I can play along, due to time restrictions, but I've copied and pasted some of the great sounding recipes here and will let you all know when I make them. Riverrat, I'm so jealous, it sounds like one more fun way to enjoy the south! LOL o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Fri, Apr 24, 09 at 15:44 bumpity bump! I am C&P all these recipes, they all sound great! However - I am looking for MORE recipes that might be served cold. It is going to be in the 90's here on Sun and we are invited to a BBQ. I am bringing the appys, and I would love to have a chilled exoskelton theme! Alexa o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 16:57 Anybody cooking for the Cookalong tonight? I'm making a new recipe from the May issue of Gourmet. I'll be back later with the recipe and a picture. Nancy o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by momj47 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 17:08 Hmm... maybe I'll get a lobster or two for dinner tonight. They have exoskeletons, don't they. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 17:12 I'll be cooking tomorrow Nancy. I bought a couple of crabs today and have a couple of Crab Louie recipes I want to combine and try so when it's ready tomorrow I'll post how I made them with photos. I went out and bought all the ingredients this afternoon. Looking forward to it! Alexa mine will, of course, be a cold dish. SharonCb o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by joanm (My Page) on Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 19:55 I'm not a big fan of exoskeletal critters. So I smoked pig skeleton in my new smoker. It smelled like a fair at my house. Yum! o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 20:06 Well, I cooked, we ate, I'm full and I'm tired tonight! It will probably be tomorrow before I post. It was pretty good though. Nancy o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by pkramer (My Page) on Sat, Apr 25, 09 at 22:06 Nancy, I cooked and ate and am stuffed! I had planned a lobster as one is in the freezer, but changed my mnd and made shrimp. I used Doucanoes Greek style shrimp with oregano and pasta. That is a dish that has become comfort food for me. And not low cal either as it also has feta cheese in it. No photos though. Sorry. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 10:08 I didn't get a chance to take any photos but since the temperature was a degree away from a record-breaking high, we had a picnic dinner featuring David's Peruvian Marinated Shrimp. The orange juice gave it a different flavor and we really liked it. I also made a dandelion and egg salad with cream dressing and grilled kabobs of new potatoes and mushrooms. The shrimp will go on my summer menu list for sure and I'll be trying other recipes on this thread, as I've done for the other Cookalong threads. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 10:19 I decided while I was still at work yesterday to make a Paella for dinner. I had Moe pull some spotted prawns out of the freezer. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work and picked up some chicken and chorizo. Chicken and Prawn Paella Platted o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 12:32 We had stir-fry with shrimp. The shrimp were frozen tiger shrimp from Trader-Jo's. Very good. My sister and her 16yr old daughter joined us for dinner. Cassidy (16) went back for seconds. In addition to the shrimp the stir fry had cabbage, green pepper, carrots, onion, fresh spinach, a couple of bags of frozen stir fry veggies. The sauce was a curry coconut milk combo. It was very good. We forgot to take pictures. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 13:20 I made Crab Louie, using 2 frozen cooked whole crabs, which is the only way to find crab withing a reasonable distance here, although it also comes in tins. First time trying this recipe and I will make it again but without these crabs which have no resemblance to Dungeness crabs. The work was not agreeable as there was no white meat in the body, it was only in the claws. I put it down to experience so as long as I live here, I will buy tinned crab and save making the mess I made looking inside the innards trying to find white meat LOL. The salad was great though. Lars I did try to find your recipe but it didn't show up in a search here, so I combined recipes from Rachel Ray and Epicurious for the sauce. It was a good challenge, anyway! Looking forward to the next one. SharonCb o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 13:39 We made the shrimp stew but that was earlier. We've both been hurting so plans for last nights dinner got canceled. I was going to make my recipe for seafood crepes. Shrimp and crab in a light bechamel made with stock from the shrimp shells. Served in some nice thin, tender crepes. Hope to have it soon. Last night I just boiled some shrimp to munch on all evening with remoulade. Hit the spot and really very little work. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by malna (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 17:48 Working outside all day Saturday in almost 90 degree heat really took the edge off our appetites - but we did do crab cakes and homemade coleslaw. I had 3/4 of my sandwich left for breakfast this morning (LOL). o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleen_li (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 19:16 I realize a clam is a mollusk, but its shell is like its skeleton..so stretching it.. Here comes dinner.. Photobucket a whole load of fresh Long Island Clams..with them you can make this.... Photobucket or baked clams Photobucket or Long Island Clam Chowder... Photobucket Photobucket chocked full of Long Island potatoes, of course..:) And now I will clam up! And find some exoskeletans.. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 19:18 Been working in the church kitchen all day.....and will hit it again tomorrow early...funeral for a 21 year old soldier. Think I'm going to thaw soem frozen shrimp and mix ti with a few veggies and rice and call it shrimp fried rice....I might splash it with a little sesame oil and add a little ginger to make it special....but frankly....oatmeal would be fine.... Linda C o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 21:01 Tried a new recipe from the May issue of Gourmet Magazine for the Cookalong. I was disappointed in it, just not enough flavor. I'll be glad to post the recipe if anyone asks but I'm not pushing it. It's on page 97 if you get the mag. First we had a salad.. Photobucket Then the pasta... Photobucket I'll draw a name in the morning...PLEASE check this thread. Maybe it will be you that gets to pick our next ingredient. Nancy o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Sun, Apr 26, 09 at 22:36 The pasta looks great! what was wrong with it? I ended up with cooked brown rice.....and a mess of sauteed veggies, red pepper, onions, garlic, tomato, celery and spinach....mixed it with some thawed shrimp and some dark sesame oil, ginger, a bit of habanera hot sauce ands ay sauce.....and it was yummy comfort food.....and there's enough left for tomorrow! Linda C o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Mon, Apr 27, 09 at 6:34 I ended up making David's Peruvian Marinated Shrimp for last night and everyone agreed that it is excellent! Sorry I didn't get a picture, I had forgotten to bring my camera. Alexa o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 27, 09 at 9:26 Good job everyone! Nice collection of recipes. Coconut-nj.....are you around??? You get to pick the next ingredient to focus on. Please post it to this thread. Because I want to include as many posters as possible, I'll do a little reminder that I think it's better to stay away from meats, poultry, fish and seafood as the topic ingredient. No problem with recipes that use the focus ingredient and a meat, etc. but I want to make sure no one is left out because of religion or being a vegetarian. Thanks. Coconut, I'll keep a watch on here for your choice! Nancy o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Mon, Apr 27, 09 at 12:37 Wow, I had a premonition. Cool. Yesterday I thought it was going to be me, then said, nah, that's silly. So many other people. Okay, hmmmm... too bad I didn't think about what I'd pick in case my "feeling" was right. LOL. Ok, I'm trying to think seasonal, so I hope it's not too early for this one, but, let's make it Asparagus. Mine is just starting to push through, so I might have a bit by the dinner in two weeks. I think/hope most of us will be able to get some. o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 27, 09 at 13:54 Here's the link to the next Cookalong. Thank you to all that participated in this one. Nice to have all these yummy recipes collected. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #8 --- Asparagus o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Mon, Apr 27, 09 at 18:25 Nancy... I just realized I didn't post the Crab Louie recipe but I halved this one and changed lemon for lime as that's what's on our tree and added avocado and hard boiled egg on the plate and in the dressing as well as black, not green olives. The sauce was very rich but good, and if I make this again I need a source of fresh, lump crab which is not still inside the shell , because we don't get the right kind of crab here and it's a very messy job to find the meat LOL. CRAB LOUIE - epicurious yield: Makes 4 main-course servings active time: 20 minutes total time: 30 minutes For dressing * 1 cup mayonnaise * 1/4 cup ketchup-based chili sauce * 1/4 cup minced scallion * 2 tablespoons minced green olives * 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice * 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce * 1 teaspoon bottled horseradish * Salt and pepper to taste * 1 1/2 lb jumbo lump crabmeat * Iceberg lettuce, shredded * Capers * Tomato wedges * Hard-boiled egg * Lemon Make dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, chili sauce, scallion, green olives, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bottled horseradish, and salt and pepper to taste. Pick over crabmeat, then divide among 4 plates lined with shredded iceberg lettuce. Garnish with capers and wedges of tomato, hard-boiled egg, and lemon and serve with dressing. SharonCb o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 27, 09 at 21:28 I'm late reporting back here. I managed to trip on the cord to my laptop and the very end of it broke off inside the port. So.....I was MIA all weekend. I had a couple of friends over for the afternoon and we did crabcakes for a late afternoon munchie before grilling some steaks. I used Ina Gartens recipe but will be trying Ruthanna's in the future...Sue's recipe is a good one too. Glad to hear that you two liked the Peruvian Shrimp. I love the citrus flavor and the heat from the peppers...I up that a little. Saving all the recipes in my TT file and thanks for all the pics too. Sorry I couldn't post any this time. Now on to asparagus...YUM! David o RE: cook along --- 7----- exoskeletal critters! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 8:52 More coming.

Cookalong #21-----BEANS Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:26 This subject is wide open for interpretation... .........BEANS......... green beans, navy beans, red beans, yellow beans, black beans, white beans...did you ever think about how many colors beans come in? No wonder there's a recipe called Calico beans.... :) Thank you Kathleenca...fun choice! Beans, beans, the musical fruit......(I'll stop there) Add recipes now thru Feb 20. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #20---Broccoli Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:34 Don't forget ceci/garbanzo/chick pea! All the earlier Cookalong threads are linked below. Here is a link that might be useful: All the other Cookalong Links o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lorijean44 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:42 I made a traditional hummus, cooking dried chickpeas. Much easier than I expected! Traditional Hummus Cover 1 cup dried chickpeas with water and soak overnight. Drain and place in a sauce pan with 1/2 teaspoon salt and water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and reserve the water. Place the chickpeas in a food processor with the juice of 2 lemons, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and salt & pepper. Process. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. (I first drizzled some good olive oil over the top before sprinkling with the parsley.) Serve with toasted pita. You can substitute one 16-ounce can of chickpeas for the dried. Yield: about 1-1/2 cups. Source: Memories of a Lost Egypt - A Memoir with Recipes, copyright 1999 Lori o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by pat_t (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:53 Lori! You're killing me! I want some! My niece suggested that I cook some red beans & rice for dinner on Wed. and then proceeded to invite herself over for dinner. I guess you know we'll be having cornbread too. RED BEANS AND RICE 1 lb. dry red beans 6 cups cold water 6 cups hot water 1 lb. meaty ham bone or smoked ham hocks 1 large onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces Hot cooked rice Sliced green onions Rinse beans. Soak overnight in covered pan. Drain and rinse beans. In Dutch oven combine the beans, water, ham bone, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and red pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 2-1/2 hours or until the beans are tender, adding more water if necessary, and stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone; cut meat from bone and add to beans. Add sausage. Boil gently, uncovered, 15-20 minutes more or until a thick gravy forms, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with green onions. Remember to remove bay leaf! Yield: 8 servings. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 0:16 This is a favourite. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera ======================================================= Adapted from: Krinos Foods (The original recipe called for a large can of tomatoes and did not include garlic or oregano.) Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera)This is a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese . 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (or dried) 1 14 ounce can of Italian-style tomatoes, chopped. 1/2 cup chicken broth . Heat oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saut� 5 minutes.Add Garlic and green beans and saut� until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, potatoes, cayenne pepper, parsley and oregano. Pour tomatoes and their juices over vegetables. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Can be prepared 1 day ahead -- cover and refrigerate. Serve warm or at room temperature. 6 To 8 Servings o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 9:43 I have 2 lbs of pinto beans soaking right now. We'll eat them over the next few snow days as bean soup, tostadas, burritos, beans and eggs...... I'll see if I can find Uncle George's Amazing Baked Bean recipe to post. I make them often enough that I don't know the proportions of ingredients, but boy, are they good, and they start with canned pork and beans. Bacon, hamburger, brown sugar, ketchup, onions. Mmmmmm. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by skeip (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 11:32 Two for a snowy winter day: SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP 2 Cups Dried Black Beans 1 Large Onion, Chopped 1 Pound Bacon, Cut Up 1 6 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce 1 14 Ounce Jar Medium Hot Salsa, hotter if you wish 2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic 2 Tablespoon Dried Basil 2 Tablespoon Instant Chicken Bouillon Freshly Ground Black Pepper Salt to Taste Sort through the Beans and remove any foreign material, and any discolored beans. Rinse well under cold running water. Place the beans in a large kettle or stock pot, and cover with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour. While the Beans are cooking, cut up the bacon and chop the onion. Place both in a heavy skillet and over low heat sautee until the bacon is just starting to brown and the onion is cooked. Drain off most of the Bacon Grease if you wish. Add the Salsa, Tomato Sauce, Garlic, Basil, Pepper, and Salt. Heat to a simmer, taste to correct seasonings, and remove from heat. This mixture should be fairly spicy. After the Beans have cooked for one hour, add the Bacon and Onion mixture to the stock pot. Bring back up to a simmer, cover and continue cooking over low heat for an additional hour, or until the beans are as tender as you like them. If the soup seems too thick add more water. Soup should be fairly thick, and the Beans still whole. Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream and a sprinkle of grated Cheddar Cheese and chopped Green Onion. Serves 8 generously. PROVENCAL STYLE WHITE BEAN SOUP 2 Cups Dried Navy Beans 1 Large Onion, Chopped 1 Pound Bacon, Cut up 2 14 Ounce Cans Stewed Tomatoes 2 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Garlic 2 Tablespoon Dried Basil 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley 2 Tablespoons Instant Chicken Bouillon Freshly Ground Black Pepper Salt to Taste Sort through the Beans and remove any foreign material, and any discolored beans. Rinse well under cold running water. Place the beans in a large kettle or stock pot, and cover with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour. While the Beans are cooking, cut up the bacon and chop the onion. Place both in a heavy skillet and over low heat sautee until the Bacon is just starting to brown and the Onion is cooked. Drain off most of the Bacon Grease if you wish. Add the Stewed Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, and Chicken Bouillon. Bring this mixture to a simmer, taste to correct seasonings, and remove from heat. This mixture should be fairly highly seasoned. After the Beans have cooked for one hour, add the Bacon and Onion mixture to the stock pot. Bring back up to a simmer, cover and continue cooking over low heat for an additional hour, or until the beans are as tender as you like them. Soup should be fairly thin. Serve with a dollop of Plain Yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped Fresh Parsley. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 15:04 A friend gave me this one about 1963. Though it starts with canned pork 'n beans, the flavor is really good. I like it a lot more than DH does - it's a little too spicy for him. Barbeque Beans 6 - 8 servings 1 1-lb 15-oz can pork 'n beans 1/2 c ketchup 1/8 c Worchestershire sauce 2 - 3 squirts Tabasco sauce 3 Tbsp dark molasses 1 tsp salt 1/2 - 1 tsp liquid smoke 1 - 2 Tbsp dry mustard 1 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp vinegar Mix all ingredients in a 2-qt baking dish & bake in a 325 degree oven until bubbly. Bake for 2 hours for more flavor. Can also be simmered in a pot on the stove, but the baked flavor is richer. I have also made it with vegetarian beans. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by liz_h (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 15:56 We had red beans & rice the other day. I usually use andouille sausage, but tried it with Johnsonville's hot 'n spicy bratwurst (with Cajun seasoning) instead. It was very good! Red Beans & Rice for Two 1/3 medium onion 1 stalk celery 1/2 bell pepper 1 tsp bacon fat, butter or oil 1 bay leaf salt & pepper 1 or 2 cups homemade stock (pork, chicken or beef) 1 can red beans 1 link andouille sausage, cooked and sliced 2/3 cup dry rice, prepared with 1-1/3 cups water Mince vegetables & saute in hot fat for a few minutes. Add stock & bay leaf. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add sausage and undrained can of beans. Simmer together for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, prepare rice. Serve beans over rice. DH suggested that next time I cook the rice with the beans from the beginning, making it even simpler to prepare (& clean up) I'll try that. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 17:47 Can you believe I have never had red beans & rice? I am definitely going to try one (or both) of the above recipes! Here are my contributions. I'll probably be making the minestrone in the next few days. Julie�s Baked Beans 1lb ground beef, browned and drained 1/2lb bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled 1T Worcestershire sauce 1/2c catsup 1/2c light molasses 1/2c brown sugar 2 medium onions, chopped 1 3lb7oz can B&M or Bush�s beans Place all ingredients in casserole and bake one hour at 325F OR Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook 5-6 hours on low. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cannellini Minestrone my adaptation of a recipe found in Cooking Light magazine. 1 T olive oil 1 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped celery 1 clove garlic, minced 3 14 oz cans cannellini beans, drained 1 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper 1-1/2 c beef broth 1 T dried parsley 1 T dried basil 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes 12 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped 1/2 tsp green chili sauce Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet, saut� onion, celery and garlic 3-5 minutes or until tender. Place1 can of the beans, salt and pepper in food processor, puree until smooth. Place drained beans in a large stock pot. Stir in puree and beef broth. Add onion mixture to pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, basil, pepper, tomatoes, spinach and chili sauce, simmer until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through. 8 servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Navy Bean Soup From Food Network Kitchens 1 lb navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained 10 sprigs parsley 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 lb 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped 8 c cold water 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper Butter for garnish Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie parsley, thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen twine. In large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions and garlic with the water. Bring to a boil, cover and adjust the heat so that the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans and hocks are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Turn off heat and remove hocks. Cool slightly. Remove meat from hocks, discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut meat into small cubes. Remove herb bundle from soup and discard. Puree about 3 cups of the beans with some of the liquid in a blender. (For a smooth soup, you may puree all the beans). Stir the puree and diced meat into the soup. Heat the soup and adjust seasoning as needed with salt & pepper. Ladle into heated bowls, place a small pat of butter on top of each bowl of soup, serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Green & Yellow Bean Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing and Feta Source: The Best of Cooking Light 3/4 lb yellow wax beans, timed 3/4 lb green beans, trimmed 2 c chopped tomato 1 T sherry vinegar 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 c fresh basil, thiny sliced 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese Cook beans in boiling water 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water Combine tomato, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Divide the beans among 8 salad plates. Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture over beans on each plate. Sprinkle each serving with 1 T of the basil and 1 T of the feta. Serves 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nacho Cups 4 (12 inch) flour tortillas 6 oz Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded 3 roma tomatoes, diced � red bell pepper, chopped 4-5 green onions, chopped 1 (14 0z) can black beans with cumin & spices � c salsa 6 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray two 12 cup muffin tins with cooking spray. Cut each tortilla into 6 wedges, and push each wedge into muffin pan to form a cup. Layer approx. 1 tsp each of cheese, tomato, pepper, onions, beans, salsa and cheese in each cup. Cover loosely with foil and bake 5 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more until bubbly and cheese is golden. Makes 24 appetizers **You could use any ingredients you like in these, try cooked taco meat, diced jalapenos, Mexican rice, pepper jack cheese, etc. for different flavor combinations. Linda o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 17:59 Recipe from a New Orleans souvenir postcard. I've been using this recipe for years: Red Beans & Rice 1 ham bone 1/2# ham, cubed 1# dried red beans 1 large onion, chopped 1 c. chopped green onions, tops & bottoms 1/4 c. chopped bell pepper 1/4 c. chopped parsley 1/2 t. basil 2 bay leaves 1/4 c. butter Salt & cayenne pepper to taste *I aways add lots of garlic to this recipe Put beans in a heavy pot w/ enough water to cover; bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes, then soak overnight in that same water. In the morning, bring to a boil again & add all the other ingredients. Reduce heat & simmer for at least 3 hours. The ham bone is important for flavor. Be sure beans are not old. They should become very creamy, but most will remain whole. Add cold water as needed. Goes well with smoked sausage & sliced raw onions. ***[Rice cooking instructions that I've never followed but including it because it's part of the orig recipe.] Serve over fluffy long grain rice cooked as follows. Bring 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add salt, one tablespoon of oil and one of vinegar, and one cup of rice. Oil will keep water from boiling over and vinegar will let each grain of rice falls to itself. Reduce heat and simmer exactly 18 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse off excess starch with cold water and steam in colander until well warmed again. This is a very good recipe, very much like the red beans & rice that I ate in NOLA. I always douse them liberally w/ Tabasco. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 20:34 Here's another recipe that's especially good this time of year. Pistou Soup makes 3 1/2 quarts 2 Tbsp butter 1 c chopped onion White part of 1 leek OR green onion, chopped 1 c 2-inch cut green beans 1 c shelled butter beans OR small lima beans 1 c peeled potatoes in 2-inch cubes 1 1/2 c peeled chopped tomatoes OR 1 c canned tomatoes, broken up 8 c chicken stock 1/2 c vermicelli, spaghetti or small pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces salt & pepper 2 Tbsp tomato puree 1/4 c olive OR salad oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme OR 1/2 tsp dried 1 c grated Parmesan chees Melt butter in large pot or skillet over medium heat. Saute onion & leek until tender. Add green beans, butter beans, potatoes, tomatoes with liquid, & chicken stock. Cover & bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer 15 minutes. Add pasta & cook 15 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Place tomato puree in bowl & whisk in oil, drop by drop. Add garlic, basil & thyme. Stir mixture into soup. (Soup may be made to this point several days in advance, frozen & reheated.) Sprinkle with grated Parmesan at serving. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 23:09 Ack, I just got the ingredients for the broccoli cookalong today, that's how behind I usually am! I eat beans almost every day, so every day is bean cookalong for me! What I'd like to make is hummus starting from scratch with dried garbanzo beans. I've only ever made it with canned before. I saved the hummus thread so that's where I'll get my recipe. Right now I've got two bowls of butterbean soup to finish, and then I'll probably make this soup out of my "Cucina Ebraica" cookbook by Joan Nathan. It is very, very similar to the other bean soups listed, and pretty typical of the kind I usually make, with the exception of adding the fake meat crumbles. Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta - Venetian White Bean Soup with Pasta and Beef Sausage Serves 6 1 3/4 cups (~14 oz.) dried white or borlotti beans, picked over and rinsed. (I'll use canned canelinni beans this time) 4 TBLSP EVOO 2 onions, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 3/4 lb. freshly made or purchased fresh fettuccine, cut into maltagliati (irregular 1 1/2 inch pieces) (I bought tiny penne for this instead, dried. I can't afford fresh pasta and I don't make it.) About 2 cups meat broth (I'll use veggie broth) 1/2 lb. meat mixture for beef sausage, rolled into tiny meatballs. (You're on your own with this, I'll use 1/2 lb. fake meat crumbles or fake italian sausage cut up.) The mix Joan mentions included boneless beef shoulder, finely ground, 1/2 lb. beef kidney fat (whatever THAT IS), and lots of spices. Maybe chuck that and just buy some italian sausage and cut it up. Buy all beef if you want to stick to the original Jewish origins of this dish. Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook beans as you usually do for dried beans (in my case that means soaking in 2 times their volume of water overnight and then draining). Add fresh water to cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sautee the onions, celery, and carrots in 4 TBLSP of olive oil until softened, about 10 min. Add to the beans and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. If you're making this with canned beans, you can skip the cover with water and bring to a boil part, and just add the beans after you've sauteed the vegetables. Then add the vegetable broth to cover all the soup ingredients. Also, I would suggest adding 1 tsp. of italian seasoning unless you are using a spicy italian sausage in the soup. While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. Also, scoop out half the bean mixture and puree when the beans are sofrt(I just run the hand blender for a couple of seconds until half the soup is pureed, or mash with a potato masher a bit). The recipe says bring the meat broth to a boil and cook the meatballs. If you're doing meatballs you're on your own as to how you make them, but they need to be the small ones. Add the meat broth and meatballs to the soup and simmer 10 more minutes for flavors to meld. (In my case it will be add the fake meat and some additional broth to cover.) At the very end, add the pasta and 2 cups chopped cooked swiss chard or curly endive to the soup. (Yeah right. I just toss in some frozen chopped spinach and cook until it is defrosted and heated through). Before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste. You can also use tubetti pasta in this soup. I couldn't find tubetti which is why I bought the tiny penne. The last recipe I'll share is from my friend Carolyn. I've been craving it, but I have a ton of other food to use up in the fridge so probably won't get to it this cookalong. But it is definately worth trying if you're up for something adventurous and want to expand your bean repertoire. Carolyns' kids are quite picky yet they like this, although they have been raised vegetarian so they love pasta. Definately for cilantro lovers though, that's what makes the dish. Carolyn's Yummy Sauce 1 can of white beans 6 garlic cloves pressed (I use 3) 2 TBLSP fresh ginger, grated 2 cups fresh cilantro (basically one bunch) 1 TBLSP chinese sesame oil 1 TBLSP hot chili oil (1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper dissolved in 1 TBLSP sesame oil). (I use commercial Thai chili sauce) 1/2 cup peanut butter (or maybe tahini, but I use peanut butter) 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 TBLSP sugar (I use brown) 3 TBLSP rice wine vinegar or rice wine Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until the mixture is of uniform creamy consistency. Pour over hot pasta and heat additionally in a pan if necessary to heat through. Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts or diced cucumber if desired. This is great with fusilli, shell shaped pasta, or cavatelli, or orichiette or those snail shaped ones, lumache or whatever they are called. I add a small amount of finely chopped steamed broccoli to this or spinach, or sauteed red pepper, if I am in the mood but it is not necessary. Don't use tahini in this if you can't get it fresh, peanut butter is fine. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by katiec (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 0:58 We eat a lot of beans, but I don't have many recipes. I don't think I've ever had red beans and rice either...maybe that's what we'll make this weekend. Doubt I could fine andouille around here,though. This is a fun one... * Exported from MasterCook * Quitza Recipe By : Katie, from Baking With Julia Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- --DOUGH-- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1/2 cup Yellow cornmeal 3 tablespoons Nonfat dry milk 3 cups Unbleached all purpose flour 2 ts Chili powder 1 1/2 ts Salt 1 cup refried beans 1/4 cup Chile-infused olive oil or vegetable oil 1 lg Egg 1 tablespoon Chile-infused olive oil or vegetable oil 2/3 cup water -- (approximately) --TOPPING-- 12 ounces cream cheese -- room temp 2 cups chunky salsa -- drained if watery 1 cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese -- shredded Put dough ingredients into bread machine and set for dough. Dough should form a ball; add up to 1/3 cup more water a little at a time, if necessary. At the end of the dough cycle, remove and let rest on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 16 inch circle. Fit the dough into oiled pan, stretching and pressing it so that it covers the bottom of the pan and comes up the sides. Spread the softened cream cheese over the bottom of the dough. Spoon the salsa over the cream cheese and top it with the shredded cheese. Let rise, uncovered, at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until the dough is puffy and doubled in bulk. Bake at 475F on center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is deep brown and the cheese is bubbling. Serve hot or at room temperature. Quitza is best served the day it is made. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 11:44 I can't take a photo of it (I guess I could use my cell phone, but that wouldn't really be all that great!). I'll post one my mom and I asked for the recipe at a local restaurant. It's pretty close to what they make. Haricot Vert from J Alexander's 1/2 1b green beans, snapped and strings removed 2 tablespoons olive oil Montreal seasoning (recipe below) Cook the beans according to your preference. I like to boil the beans until tender, but still green, and then drain them. While the beans are still hot, add them back to the pan, drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle on Montreal seasoning. Toss. These are usually best when the beans sit for a few minutes and absorb the oil and spices. __________________________________________________________________ Montreal seasoning 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon granulated onion 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon dill seeds Combine and set aside o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 12:30 I do something with green beans kinda similar to what Ann posted, but just with onions, garlic occasionally, green beans and new potatoes. It's very informal. I just saute a sliced onion till softened, add the garlic and saute for a minute more, then add either fresh, which is best of course, or canned green beans and small or quartered large new potatoes. Add enough water or veggie broth, or broth of your choice, to cover, and let cook slowly till tender and the liquid has reduced a bit. Salt and pepper and butter to taste. Some chopped parsley is good added at the last minute, too. Simple but very tasty. I also like to just quick cook fresh green beans till al dente, either by steaming or sauteing, and top with a Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is actually from a recipe for asparagus, but it's great on green beans, too. I just substitute green bean for asparagus. It's from Jack Bishop's The Complete Italian Vegetarian. 1 1/2 pounds Green Beans 1 teaspoon grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 large lemon 1 medium shallot, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, shallot and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until smooth. Adjust the seasonings and set aside. For the green beans, either bring a pot of water to boil and boil the green beans just until tender but not mushy, (In the original recipe using asparagus, he says to boil till tender but not limp, about 4 minutes. I think green beans would take about the same amount of time, maybe a little longer, though) or steam them till the same texture. Drain the green beans and place in a single layer on a large platter. Whisk the dressing again and drizzle it over the green beans. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. I have to confess...one of my favorite things to do when I don't feel like cooking is to toss a can of black beans or pinto beans and a can of Chile Fixins Rotel together, with some chopped onion and sometimes a diced clove of garlic, and some chopped cilantro if I have some on hand. Heat until hot and serve. I call them chile beans. Simple, and surprisingly good. Do Lentils count as beans? I've made this lentil soup before, and it's quite good. I don't remember if I've posted it before, so I apologize if I'm being redundant. from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (You'd think I didn't have any other cookbooks, but really I do. It's just that this is my go to cookbook for most of my every day things.) Hearty Lentil Soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups finely diced onion 3 large garlic cloves Salt and freshly milled pepper 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1/3 cup finely diced celery 1/3 cup finely diced carrot 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 1/2 cups French green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar Chopped celery leaves and parsley Heat the oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to color around the edges., 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mince or pound the garlic in a mortar with 1 teaspoon salt. Work the tomato paste into the onion, then add the garlic, celery, arrot, bay leaves, and parsley and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir in the mustard and vinegar. Taste and add more of either as needed. Check the salt, season with plenty of pepper, remove the bay leaves, and serve, garnished with the celery leaves and parsley. The longer the soup sits before serving, the better it will taste. Sally o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 12, 10 at 20:57 AnnT...we loved your Green bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew. We had it with a rotisserie chicken and rolls and it was GREAT, definitely a keeper. Thanks, jude o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 17, 10 at 18:41 This chick pea salad is really good and a little different. Chick Pea Salad: 2 16 oz. cans Chick Peas, rinsed and drained 2 C. chopped Romaine Lettuce (use scissors) 1 1/3 C. Seedless Red Grapes, halved 1 C. Sweet Red Pepper, chopped 2/3 C.thinly sliced Celery 1/2 C finely chopped Onion 1 1/2 to 2 C. Poppy Seed Dressing Poppy Seed Dressing: 3/4 C. sugar 1/3 C. cider vinegar (heat to boil and pour over sugar) 1 teas.salt 1 teas. dry mustard 1 teas. finely chopped green onion 1 C. vegetable oil 1 T. (+) poppy seeds Combine first 5 ingredients in blender til smooth. Turn blender on high and gradually pour in oil in slow steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds - cover and chill. Enjoy. jude o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 8:45 My family has always loved beans and I make them so many ways. This recipe posted here by AdrienneLIQ is one of our favorites. When I make a casserole of beans, it's usually served as the main course rather than a side dish. TUSCAN BAKED BEANS Ingredients: 1 lb dried cannellini beans 4 T EVOO 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 oz. Pancetta, roughly chopped 3 leaves fresh sage (if fresh not available, use 4t chopped fresh parsley). 1 Leek, finely sliced 1 14 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped with their juice salt and freshly ground black pepper. 1. Carefully pick over the beans, discarding any stones or other particles. Place the eans in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain. 2. Preheat the oven to 350. In a small saucepan, cook pancetta until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan and set aside. Heat the oil and sautee the garlice cloves and sage leaves for 3-4 minutes until garlic is tender but not brown. Remove from the heat. 3. In a large deep baking dish combine the beans with the leek and tomatoes. Stir in the oil with the garlic and sage. Add pancetta. Add enough fresh water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Mix well. Cover the dish with a lid or foil, and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 3/4 hours. 4. Remove the dish from the oven, stir the beans, and season with salt and pepper. Return the beans to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 7-8 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature. **For vegetarian version, simply omit the pancetta. For 'everyday' baked beans, I use this recipe. They're better when made ahead and reheated with some additional water to thin out the sauce. BAKED BEANS 1 lb. Great Northern or navy beans, soaked overnight in cold water 1 cup chopped onions 4 slices bacon, diced 2 Tbs. white sugar 1 Tbs. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 2/3 cup molasses 2 Tbs. cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups tomato juice 1 cup water Salt to taste Drain beans and add fresh water. Simmer until beans are almost tender. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients and add to beans. Bake uncovered in bean pot or deep casserole at 250 degrees for 4 hours or until very tender. Check them every once in a while and add more water to keep them from drying out. I have made nearly every bean recipe in Molli Katzen's Vegetable Heaven cookbook because that woman know what to do with them. Here are two recipes from her book that I have made many times. FIRECRACKER RED BEANS (6-8 servings) 2 Tbs. olive oil 3 cups finely minced onions 2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger 2 tsp. fennel seeds 2 Tbs. minced garlic 1/2 tsp. allspice 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt 1 cup dry sherry 2 Tbs. prepared mustard 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tsp. minced chipotle chiles 1 cup water 1/4 cup almond butter 2 Tbs. brown sugar 1/2 cup boiling water About 6 cups cooked small red beans or kidney beans (3 or 4 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained) Wedges of lime Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, and fennel seeds, and saute for about 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic, allspice, thyme and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in sherry, mustard, ketchup, chipotles and 1 cup water. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Place the almond butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mash with a spoon until it becomes a uniform mixture. Stir this into the sauce and cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the beans in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or equivalent casseerole, and pour in all the sauce. Cover with tight-fitting lid or foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, still tightly covered, so the beans can continue to absorb the liquid. Serve hot or warm, with squeezable wedges of lime on the side. Notes: You can make the sauce a day or two before serving and keep in the refrigerator; then combine with the beans before baking. Add 15 minutes baking time. The sauce can also be pureed in the blender before pouring onto the beans but I like it chunky. TUNISIAN TOMATO SOUP 1 to 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 cup uncooked lentils (any kind), rinsed and picked over 7 cups water 1 cinnamon stick 2 Tbs. olive oil 4 cups finely minced onion 2 Tbs. minced garlic 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. tumeric 1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 2 large or 3 small bay leaves Approx. 6 cups water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth 1 20-oz. can crushed tomatoes Black pepper and cayenne to taste 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (or to taste) Cook the lentils with 7 cups of water or broth and the cinnamon stick until tender, about 30 minutes for gray lentils or about half that time for red lentils, which I prefer for this soup. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick; drain lentils, saving the cooking water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, salt, tumeric, ground and whole cumin and coriander, and saute over medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are slightly softened. Add 6 cups of water or broth (including the reserved cooking water from the lentils, if any is left) and the tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for another 15 minutes of so. Fish out and discard the bay leaves. Stir in chickpeas and lentils, and cook for only about 5 minutes longer, so the legumes don�t get mushy. Season to taste with black and cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Serve hot, topped with some yogurt and fresh chopped mint, if desired. Makes about 6 servings and freezes well in an airtight container. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 10:57 Oh my--those Firecracker Beans sounds delicious, Ruthanna! My mom copycatted a green bean recipe from a local restaurant many, many years ago. Quickly became a family favorite. She dubbed it 'Spanish Green Beans' because it is much like her Spanish Rice recipe. No specific am'ts. It's one of those wing-it type recipes. Anyway, it goes like this: Jerry's Spanish Green Beans Saute some chopped bacon (3-4 strips) to desired degree of doneness. Remove the bacon & discard most of the fat, leaving 1-2 T. Add chopped onions to the bacon fat & saute til soft. In a casserole dish, empty a couple of cans of green beans. Stir in reserved bacon & sauteed onions. To this, add some tomatoes. Doesn't really matter--she used home canned tomatoes. OR, a couple of small cans of tomato sauce is very good. I kinda' prefer using the tomato sauce. Alternatively, a combination of tomatoes & tomato sauce makes for a prettier dish & is very good. [Garlic is a nice addition.] Cover the dish & bake in oven. I often cheat & use the microwave, but the results are better if you cook it in the oven. I've always used canned products for this, probably because it's a hearty winter-type dish. (My garden fresh & frozen beans usually get a quick saute.) o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bunnyman (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 14:14 I like to keep my beans simple. Being single and working I don't have time for anything these days. With beans I like to work with smoke, heat, and sweet for flavoring. For smoke I use ham, smoked poultry, or liquid smoke. For heat I use red cayenne and habenera with green jalapeno and serreno peppers used pretty much chili only. The red peppers seem to tickle my taste with bean dishes. For sweets I work with brown sugar, onions, garlic, molasses, and maple syrup. To me onions and garlic are fairly potent sweeteners when cooked with beans. I've had lots of fun with variations on bean soup. My current favorite is a mixture of black beans and kidney beans in a ham broth with cayenne... chopped cabbage optional. Hot and smokey. Lentils I've fallen in love with adding spinach to the soup. Gives the soup a green tint and flavor. White beans (navy/great northern) I've been enjoying as a side dish. I was making bean soup when I got hungry and scooped out a bowl of just done beans. I had flavored the cooking water with a couple drops of liquid hickory smoke but added nothing else. They were delicious and I drained the cooking water so the rest of the beans could be eaten as just beans. Dry beans are one of the best bargins on my grocery bill! My pantry has a few pounds most all of the time. At the moment I have black, navy, and kidney beans, as well as green peas and lentils. Peas soup is wicked with a single slice of habenera pepper added to the pot. Amazing how many people I meet that have never had pea soup! When I cook a pot full I often share some with friends and have made a few into soup-a-holics. : ) lyra o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 17:12 Well, finally, two weeks after I got the ingredients, I made my version of the Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta - Venetian White Bean Soup with Pasta and Beef Sausage. I used fake italian sausage instead of making meatballs, and I used tiny pene instead of making fresh pasta or breaking up spaghetti. And I added a bay leaf and 1.25 tsp. of Penzey's "Tuscan Sunset" to the soup. Oh, and I used a red onion because I had half of one I had to use up, and I threw in one wilting roma tomato. And I used canelinni beans because I have never seen borlotti beans. For someone who is of N. European Jewish and Scots Irish, English and Dutch heritage, I sure have an affinity for Italian style cooking! o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 19:47 Green Beans Oriental 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans 2 slices bacon 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips 1/2 cup thin onion wedges 1/2 cup whole cashews In a small bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, honey, and butter. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lemon juice. Drop in the beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beans are bright green. Drain the beans in a colander and then plunge them into the iced water. Drain again and set aside. In a skillet, cook the bacon until very crispy, crumble and set aside. Saute the bell pepper and onion in the hot bacon fat for 2 minutes. Add the beans, cashews, and bacon to the skillet. Add the teriyaki-honey sauce and toss gently Note: I have made this using soy sauce and maple syrup instead of teriyaki and honey, both ways are good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michigan Beans & Sausage 1 lb. fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 1 medium onion, chopped 1 c. catsup 3/4 c. packed brown sugar 1/2 c. sugar 2 T. vinegar 2 T. molasses 2 T. prepared mustard 3 cans (15.5 oz. each) great northern beans, rinse and drained Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-proof Dutch oven, bring the kielbasa and onions to a boil with water to cover and boil for 2 minutes. Drain. Put the remaining ingredients in the Dutch oven with the kielbasa and onions. Mix well. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours until the mixture reaches the desired thickness. Serves 8-10. NOTE: Can also be prepared in a Crock Pot. Prepare up to baking and place in Crock Pot on LOW and heat for 6-8 hours. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS// clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 20:53 I just pulled a new name out of the hat...from those who posted over the last two weeks... it is: ~~~~~~~~~~ Lorijean44 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lori, please post your choice for the next cookalong here. I'll be watching for it... Thanks Nancy o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 10:03 Well, I didn't make beans this weekend, but we've had beans frequently during this time period. Shortly after this cookalong was posted, I cooked up a pot of pinto beans. Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned pinto beans with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, bay leaves and other herbs I've forgotten, salt and pepper - oh, and a splash of liquid smoke. I still have some in the freezer, as I can't make just a small amount of beans. That Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta looks delicious! I'm going to have to try that soon. Sally o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 10:39 Sally, that sounds good and something I need to do, soon! Lorijean.....please pick the next cookalong ingredient. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 11:53 I'm not really late, just late in posting. I cleaned out my pantry last week and found that I had cranberry beans, great northern beans, navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas and half a package of mayacoba beans! So, Elery made bean patties for breakfast, we had them with eggs and salsa. Well, he had salsa, I had eggs and bean cakes, LOL, and then Saturday we had split pea soup for lunch. Beans twice in one day... Annie o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 14:22 ttt Lori??? o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 16:19 Lpinkmountain, I forgot to mention, that bowl is just beautiful, I love the colors. C'mon Lori, pick the next ingredient..... Annie o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 18:49 Annie--What are bean cakes? How do you make them? o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 21:03 cilantro, Elery likes spicier food than I do and he eats it for breakfast, so be forewarned, LOL. The original recipe comes from Mayo Clinic, but Elery added the jalapenos and he adds cumin to everything, I swear. The bean cakes are easy, drain and rinse two cans of black beans, mash them roughly with a fork or potato masher. Add a couple of cloves of mashed/minced garlic, some chopped green onion, maybe 1/2 cup of cilantro and a tsp. of cumin. Elery adds jalapenos to his but he made mine before he put jalapeno in the rest of them. Shape the mixture into patties and put them in the refrigerator for an hour or so to firm up. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the bean cakes until they are browned and crunchy on both sides. We had ours topped with soft eggs, he had salsa. Not me, mine were just bean cakes, no jalapenos and eggs. I don't know how he can eat that stuff first thing in the morning, he always covers his eggs with Sriracha if we're having omelettes! Annie o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 12:31 ttt....still looking for Lori I'll try an email o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lorijean44 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 14:01 I'm here! I'm here!! How about... Eggplant! Lori :D o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 14:39 Thx, Annie! They sound yummy. I love hot & spicey so I'll try it the Elery-way but w/ less cumin. :) o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 15:55 We seem to be on a real vegetable roll... Lori has picked Eggplant for the next Cookalong A big -----THANK YOU---- to all who participated!! Nancy