The ButchFemmePlanet Kitchen

[Arwen]

Well the stew turned out okay. Would have been better with some carbs! LOL

Tonight's dinner guest thinks he's getting pulled pork or roast beef, but I've secretly replaced that with corned beef. HEY! I still had cabbage to cook.


Arwen's Never-Fail Crockpot Corned Beef


Corned Beef (2-5 lbs)
6-8 Red Potatoes, smallish
2 Onions, peeled and quartered
2 C baby carrots
1 TBS garlic
1 TBS black pepper
1 C cider vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar
Water to cover

In first, carrots. Be lazy. Get the pre-washed kind. Be healthy. Grab the certified organic ones. I am learning to love carrots again. I really love them sauteed in butter and brown sugar, but yeah...that's not the healthiest in the world.

The potatoes (I put them in whole because that's the way I roll) go next. Get you some of the baby reds not the big teen-aged thug ones. You can use the little whites if you prefer...I guess. Just remember that I like the red ones when you invite my happy rear to dinner.

Then the meat. I buy the kind in the package. I squeeze it out of the package along with all the slimy juice stuff. That's the brine, y'all. It's part of what makes corned beef corned. Stop wrinkling your dang noses! I use the little spice packet too. Just sprinkle it over the meat if you want to use it as well.

TIP FROM ARWEN: Keep a plastic grocery bag handy to throw all the waste into. You will appreciate the ease of clean-up afterwards.

Now I put the onions all around the meat. I take one or two quarters (depends on the size of the meat [no wait...doesn't everything?]) to lay all over the meat. I generally use yellow but whites were on sale last night so I used two medium to large whites. I think Vidalias would be DIVINE in this dish too.

Then the garlic, pepper and brown sugar. Because my brown sugar is in my freezer, I just break off a sizeable clump (I used 1 TBS for the measurements for those of you traumatized by my can of wine in the last recipe...thanks for the many reps on THAT one, y'all )and put the clump on the meat.

Then I put in the vinegar. NOTE: Cider is the only one I would use for this. I've tried white and balsamic. Balsamic is one of my favorite vinegars and I could (and do) drink it straight. However, it was decidedly NOT good with the corned beef. As in "ewwwwwwwwwwww who ruined the dinner" not good.

Next start pouring in hot water (straight from the tap if you've got good water). I hit the brown sugar to melt it into the juice. You want the water to cover the meat...of if you are like me, to get as close as you can without overflowing.

Now turn that crockpot on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-12. Of course, if you are like me, you can turn it on high for 4 and then on low until your guest arrives.

I'll be cooking the cabbage about 45 minutes in the crockpot if there's room. Um, oops. Once again I over-estimated my crockpot's capacity. (Hmm, I guess I am a size queen after all.)

Probably going to serve biscuits with this and call it good. I'll report back later. Maybe I'll take a picture too.

[Ashton]

Originally Posted by Arwen

Well the stew turned out okay. Would have been better with some carbs! LOL

Tonight's dinner guest thinks he's getting pulled pork or roast beef, but I've secretly replaced that with corned beef. HEY! I still had cabbage to cook.


Arwen's Never-Fail Crockpot Corned Beef


Corned Beef (2-5 lbs)
6-8 Red Potatoes, smallish
2 Onions, peeled and quartered
2 C baby carrots
1 TBS garlic
1 TBS black pepper
1 C cider vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar
Water to cover

In first, carrots. Be lazy. Get the pre-washed kind. Be healthy. Grab the certified organic ones. I am learning to love carrots again. I really love them sauteed in butter and brown sugar, but yeah...that's not the healthiest in the world.

The potatoes (I put them in whole because that's the way I roll) go next. Get you some of the baby reds not the big teen-aged thug ones. You can use the little whites if you prefer...I guess. Just remember that I like the red ones when you invite my happy rear to dinner.

Then the meat. I buy the kind in the package. I squeeze it out of the package along with all the slimy juice stuff. That's the brine, y'all. It's part of what makes corned beef corned. Stop wrinkling your dang noses! I use the little spice packet too. Just sprinkle it over the meat if you want to use it as well.

TIP FROM ARWEN: Keep a plastic grocery bag handy to throw all the waste into. You will appreciate the ease of clean-up afterwards.

Now I put the onions all around the meat. I take one or two quarters (depends on the size of the meat [no wait...doesn't everything?]) to lay all over the meat. I generally use yellow but whites were on sale last night so I used two medium to large whites. I think Vidalias would be DIVINE in this dish too.

Then the garlic, pepper and brown sugar. Because my brown sugar is in my freezer, I just break off a sizeable clump (I used 1 TBS for the measurements for those of you traumatized by my can of wine in the last recipe...thanks for the many reps on THAT one, y'all )and put the clump on the meat.

Then I put in the vinegar. NOTE: Cider is the only one I would use for this. I've tried white and balsamic. Balsamic is one of my favorite vinegars and I could (and do) drink it straight. However, it was decidedly NOT good with the corned beef. As in "ewwwwwwwwwwww who ruined the dinner" not good.

Next start pouring in hot water (straight from the tap if you've got good water). I hit the brown sugar to melt it into the juice. You want the water to cover the meat...of if you are like me, to get as close as you can without overflowing.

Now turn that crockpot on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-12. Of course, if you are like me, you can turn it on high for 4 and then on low until your guest arrives.

I'll be cooking the cabbage about 45 minutes in the crockpot if there's room. Um, oops. Once again I over-estimated my crockpot's capacity. (Hmm, I guess I am a size queen after all.)

Probably going to serve biscuits with this and call it good. I'll report back later. Maybe I'll take a picture too.

Can't report on the biscuits, but the rest of it was killer...both plates full!!

[WolfyOne]

Arwen, I just got a recipe book in the mail from my cooking club with nothing but appetizers. If you're still looking for recipes, let me know and I'll go through the book.

[Sachita]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG9dPXu26oo"]YouTube- My kitchen[/ame]

my kitchen. I actually have more stuff. There are a few things that are essential for my cooking;

wok
rice cooker (now I have one that makes brown rice)
Vitamix

the rest are just things that make it simple. When i have more time I'll get fancy with pizza etc. I suck at baking. I dont know why.

speaking of pizza, does anyone has a fast easy tasty crust? I have a pizza stone. I just need a good crust.

[WolfyOne]

This appetizer recipe was in my new cookbook.
It sounded yummy, so I thought I'd share it

Peanut Dip

1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

In medium bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, oil, honey, red pepper, garlic and hot pepper sauce; mix well. Refrigerate covered, until ready to use. Serve with vegetable sticks, if desired.

[iamkeri1]

I felt like baking today (second time already this year - very unusual for me, I usually bake only at Xmas time), and I had a bunch of peanut better in the house so I made a couple of different cookie type things with peanut butter. But sorry, that is not the recipe I am going to tell you about, so sorry if you are a PB freak.

Anyway, I also made a yummy chocolate cookie that my mom used to make when i was a kid. I, however have perfected the lazy woman's method of cooking these. They are called Coconut Islands (if you have shreaded coconut), however I didn't discover that I had none till I had some of the ingredients in the bowl already, so today we had Pecan Islands instead,. They were every bit as yummy.

Blah blah blah I hope you haven't been holding your breath all this time waiting for the recipe, because if you have, you're turning blue by now.

I package of chocolate cake mix
three whole eggs
1/3 cup veggie or canola oil

Put it all in a medium bowl and stir, If desired, add 1/2 cup nuts to the mix after it is stirred. It makes a stiff batter, almost like piecrust - I used the mixer with a dough hook to mix them today - lots easier than stirring this thick batter.

When fully blended together, roll the dough into little balls and set on a cookie sheet. The dough will spread out a little, so leave an inch in between the cookies. Press each ball down with something - I used a rubber scraper and it worked fine. Bake at 350 for ten to twelve miutes. Let cool and then ice each one with canned chocolate icing. Drop a nice little pinch of shredded coconut on top, or as I did today, sprinkle so chopped or crushed pecans on top. Pat it down a little into the icing. Grab a glass of milk and munch away. I got 59 cookies about 1 1/2 inches in size out of this recipe.
Smooches,
Keri
These cookies freeze well if you don't want to eat them all at once. put wax paper between the layers before freezing.

[morningstar55]

Originally Posted by Sachita

YouTube- My kitchen

my kitchen. I actually have more stuff. There are a few things that are essential for my cooking;

wok
rice cooker (now I have one that makes brown rice)
Vitamix

the rest are just things that make it simple. When i have more time I'll get fancy with pizza etc. I suck at baking. I dont know why.

speaking of pizza, does anyone has a fast easy tasty crust? I have a pizza stone. I just need a good crust.

you have an awsome kitchen..... i love the silver rack shelf thing..

[Medusa]

I want to make something with curry but need some easy. I've never used curry in my own cooking

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I want to make something with curry but need some easy. I've never used curry in my own cooking

I make a summer rice salad (served cold) with curry, green and red peppers, scallons, and artichoke hearts that is always a hit at BBQ's with BBQed chicken.... I gotta hunt up the recipe. But, I must admit, I always change it...

Originally Posted by Medusa

I want to make something with curry but need some easy. I've never used curry in my own cooking

can I suggest you google Madhur Jaffrey, you should find some fantastic authentic curries from her.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I want to make something with curry but need some easy. I've never used curry in my own cooking

i love to make this and it's easy, you can even skip the part about sauteing the chicken in oil and place the raw pieces in the bubbling coconut broth--this is how my sister and i do it anyway. of course, cook the chix for a few minutes before adding the vegetables.

oh yeah, cook your rice any time during the day (if you're planning on this for dinner) or a day ahead--when i'm super organized i like to have cooked rice at all times in the fridge because it's like half the meal pre-made.

also, you don't need to add any sugar when making this, i never have and for ease, use pre-made green curry paste found in most grocery stores, and kaffir lime leaves aren't required but DO load this up with bunches of basil, you won't be disappointed, i julienne the basil and add 3 times as much as any recipe. yum--even if you can't get 'thai basil' any fresh basil will do. and not a lot of (western) 'green curry thai' is made with potato, you can substitute bamboo shoots, slivered carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, eggplant or a mixture of all of the above.

recipe! http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3...-chicken-curry

[SassyLeo]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I want to make something with curry but need some easy. I've never used curry in my own cooking

Talk to June-y... she uses it in so many recipes... always delicious.

Also, here is one my momma makes for me when I visit her. And when she was here in PDX visiting, she made it for dinner with June & Kat. We all drooled:

Chicken Divan

16 ounces fresh cut broccoli, steamed
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, cut up
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup (you can also use cream of mushroom)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder (depends on the kind of curry you have...)
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup soft fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter

Combine broccoli and chicken in a buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish; set aside. In a bowl, combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder; stir to blend. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. In another bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

[Arwen]

Someone saw me posting about my Lazy Lady Chicken and requested the recipe via PM.

Y'all, this is probably the most common way I fix chicken and it is incredibly versatile. You don't like one of the seasonings? Try another!

I got the title Lazy Lady Chicken from a cookbook or newspaper recipe somewhere.


Lazy Lady Chicken

However many frozen skinless chicken breasts you want
glass pan to fit them
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Spice Combination (see below)

Throw them in the pan. Put a little olive oil on them (maybe a 1.5 tsp per breast if you are one of those who needs measurements). Then sprinkle some lemon juice on.

Now choose one of the following (I make small pans so I can have more than one flavor.)


1. Mrs. Dash & Soy Sauce (sprinkle over the chicken)
2. Garlic & Honey (I love the garlic in a jar but powder will do)
3. Lemon Pepper & Garlic
4. Tabasco & Honey

Etc. Etc. Etc. Then bake at 375 for 45 minutes. I do NOT recommend overcooking these because dry chicken is just the most icky thing, y'all. Ptooie!

You can pop these in the fridge and eat one with a huge green salad if you live by yourself or server them out of the oven with green beans and biscuits.

Truly this recipe is like a basic baked chicken and then you just add what you like. Don't overdo the spices though. The point of this dish is to be reallly fast and easy (like me...hahahah)

Sometimes I'll throw in a few small red (new) potatoes if I am going to eat it right then.

[Arwen]

Just had the best danged black beans I've EVER had. Going to try to recreate them. Basically black beans with some brown sugar, chopped tomatoes, onion and spices.

Wow. I could have eaten the entire danged pan.

[morningstar55]

is there much of a difference of schnabbs and brandy???
lets say ...........
peach schnabbs compare to peach brandy???

[VuDu]

Shrimp Chips! yum. Haven't had those in a bit.

I have yet to make a cucumber salad that isn't too tart. Then again, I have yet to follow a recipe without adding my own spin on it. Needless to say, the choco chip cookies I made were "different" because of it. lol.


IN Honor of the Shrimp Chips, here is an easy recipe for those days when you don't feel like cooking.

12 jumbo shrimp, cleaned & deveined
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp. salt and pepper
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
Preheat oven to 475°F degrees. Mix together olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss lightly to coat.

Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour. In shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Place each shrimp in bread crumb mixture and turn them to lightly coat both sides. Arrange shrimp so that they aren't touching each other in a ungreased cookie sheet. Drizzle with melted butter. Place pan on the center rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes or until done. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by June

Black Eyed Peas (Vegan)

I never soak my beans or peas. I wish someone would tell me why we're supposed to do this. Mine always turn out fine.

Anyway. This turned out more like a soup/stew.

• 1 Bag blackeyed peas
• 2 boxes low sodium Trader Joes Veggie Broth (I wish I could buy this by the case!)
• 1 large can of good roma tomatoes, whole and juice
• 1 large onion, carmelized
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1 yellow and 1 red pepper chopped rough
• 5 stalks celery, sliced, even the good inner green part
• Old Bay seasoning to taste
• Dried Parsley to taste
• Salt to taste
• 4 bay leaves, I have a tree in my yard, use fresh if you can get it, I think it makes a difference!

I started the peas in a large pot with the broth, tomatoes and about 1/2 can of water, then I carmelized my onion and added it and my seasonings and cooked it for a couple of hours at a simmer. I wasn't sure how long it would take the peas to cook, so when they were soft, I turned off the heat and sauteed my carrots, celery and peppers, then added some water to cover and cooked them till tender and added it to the soup.

I made mine non-vegan by adding some grated parmesean on top. I will serve it tomorrow with greens and some brown rice. If I am feeling like it, I might make some corn muffins.

I also made more of those damn chocolate toffee squares, I shall report back on the apple cake I am making in the morning. I haven't settled on a recipe yet.

Soaking them takes a lot of the starch and gas-producing stuff out of them, as well as allowing them to cook faster. Plus, if there are any icky beans, they float to the surface during soaking and can be picked out easily.

Good recipe, btw!