Recipe thread?

OK, look. I know most of us have crazy hours and the fanciest we can get sometimes is poking a fork through the top of that cellophane stuff in order to keep our meal from exploding in the microwave. Still, when you actually manage to get a few days off now and then, or maybe if you escape early, what do you make?

Yes, I know there is a "what's for dinner" thread, and that's not really what I'm going at. Maybe this thread is destined to die a quick death. But I enjoy to cook when I get the chance and am actually pretty good at it. Anyone else out there? Maybe we can drop a few of the easy/tasty/favorite recipes on here.

 

I've gotten into crock pot cooking.

It is so nice and works well with our schedules. You put everything in before you go to work and when you get home, not only does your house smell nice, but you have a really good dish waiting for you.

I made some pot roast with veggies and a side of mashed potatos and gravy this week. It has lasted nearly all week.

 

Atta boy.

 

I know you've gotta be missing sweet tea though, my friend. So here ya go. Posted once before but the thread is now long forgotten.

jps' Sweet Tea

First you need to make the sugar syrup. Pour 2 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar into a saucepan and stir together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and stir until slightly thickened. Turn off heat, and set aside. (I know, I know, 4 cups sounds like a lot. It is. But we're talking sweet tea here -- and it doesn't all wind up getting used, anyway.)

For the tea:
* 4 cups water
* 8-10 regular-sized or 3 family sized bags orange pekoe tea (preferably Lipton or Luzianne)
* Pinch of baking soda

Strip tags from the tea bags and tie strings to the handle of a wooden spoon. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat, and place the tea-tied wooden spoon in the pan with a pinch of baking soda (It smooths out the tea's tannins.). Once it's suitably darkened -- and still hot -- pull out the spoon. (Don't squeeze the tea bags ... it clouds the tea and, well, why would you feel the need to do this anyway?)

Stir 1 to 1 1/2 cup of the sugar syrup into the tea until it's thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture into a 1 gallon glass or metal pitcher and fill to the top with water. Stir and chill. Pour the remaining sugar syrup into a glass jar and cover.

Once the tea has cooled, serve it in tall glasses 2/3 filled with ice, with sugar syrup on the side so guests may sweeten according to their personal taste.

(I tend to wind up with about a perfect gallon at about 2 or 2 1/2 cups of the sweet stuff)

 

Sorry ahead of time about my lack of ability to write out things in recipe format, but I would like to share this.

- Get a ham steak (salt- or sugar-cured, but preferably salt-cured)
- Cook it in a skillet/sauce pan.
- Cut it into pieces.
- Cook white rice.
- Heat up some canned black-eyed peas in a separate pot.

After the ham is cut up, the rice is done, and the peas are ready, take a bowl and a couple of cups worth of each into it. Mix it up, stirring Tabasco and Louisiana Hot Sauce in. Add salt and pepper if desired.

The end result is Hoppin' John.

 

Apologies for the gravedig, but I figured rather than do a d_b this would be slightly better.

I don't get to cook very often since I live in a house with two people who love to cook in their own right. Thus, when they leave, I see the days of solitude as my opportunity to experiment in the kitchen, or to actually cook meals I've been wanting to have for a long time.

One main dish I got from my cousin who got it through his uncle is salmon croquettes. If you don't have canned salmon, canned tuna works nearly as well for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 egg
one can of salmon or two cans of tuna
bread crumbs
cooking oil
pepper and salt for seasoning

Beat the egg
Add pepper and salt
Toss in the fish
Mix in bread crumbs until it’s caked
Shape into patties
Oil up the pan
Add patties, then cook a couple of minutes on each side. They should be golden brown.

You can serve these with a number of sides and vegetables. My favorite side is rice. I also like broccoli or spinach with these.