Russ's Restaurant and Recipe Repository

[32aa]

@MelissaBaby,

I just saw this thread. I've heard of using cocoa but never tried it. MB, how much cocoa do you use? I know that's a pretty open question. I just made a batch in my 6qt slow cooker. Just a ball park would work. Many thanks.

@32aa, probably helps to tag @MelissaBaby, as she may not visit here regularly.

Thanks Russ. Never thought of doing that.

 

[Comshaw]

Do you like Cinnabon cinnamon rolls? If so I ran into a fabulous cake recipe that tastes almost like them. I tried it and my captive audience I use for my cooking (wife, daughter and mother-in-law) all love it.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
Bottom Layer:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted

Top Layer:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Oz. Cream cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Mix 3 cups flour, milk, white sugar, eggs, baking powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl until well-combined. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.
Beat 1 cup softened butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until smooth. Drop by spoonfuls over the batter in the baking pan.
Swirl the top layer into the bottom layer with a knife to create a marble effect.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out nearly clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Mix confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth.
Spread over warm cake.



Comshaw

 

[MelissaBaby]

@MelissaBaby,

I just saw this thread. I've heard of using cocoa but never tried it. MB, how much cocoa do you use? I know that's a pretty open question. I just made a batch in my 6qt slow cooker. Just a ball park would work. Many thanks.

Thanks Russ. Never thought of doing that.

In a big batch like that, maybe two tablespoons. It adds some richness and cuts some of the acidity from the tomatoes.

I think it might be a New England thing.

 

[Wonderer67]

My wife is Hungarian. This is her Goulash recipe.

3 lbs of beef cubes
2 med onions diced
1 green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/3 c of olive oil

Sautee in the stew pot

Once cooked partially, add:
4 tbsp of paprika
1 sm can of tomato paste
1.5 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook on low/medium heat for 2 hrs.

Serve over spaetzle. (See below)

 

[Wonderer67]

Spaetzle (from my wifes granny)

1c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c milk
2 lg eggs
1 clove garlic (or even garlic powder, but don’t tell her I said so)
2 tsp parsley

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mixing eggs and milk and whisk.

Let’s set for 10 to 15 minutes, get a medium pot of water boiling.

Scrape dough into the boiling water with a spatula. Let the blobs cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Then rinse everything into a colendar.

 

[32aa]

In a big batch like that, maybe two tablespoons. It adds some richness and cuts some of the acidity from the tomatoes.

I think it might be a New England thing.

Thanks. I may have to cut back a bit. My chili doesn't use tomatoes. It gets all the flavor from Ancho chilies that have been steeped in beef broth, and then put into a blender to make a rich dark chili sauce.

But what you gave me, gives me a place to start.

And, again... thanks.

 

[litfan10]

I loved this thread and would love to see it get a second life, even with the absence of Lori.

Thanks so much for coming up with this, Russ.

 

[litfan10]

Okay, I really believe this is a lesson in futility but I'm going to give it a shot.

Growing up, I was blessed with two very good cooks for parents. Certainly not Michelin star level and very basic but still really good. They are both long gone and my brother and I miss some of what they made and have never been able to replicate as good as what they made. They generally used basic ingredients, and we were right there watching them cook but not paying enough attention to catch it all.

For me I have three particular recipes that I would dearly love to have again and my every attempt falls way short, my brother's as well. I really don't feel this is a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder as they really were good cooks and everybody raved about their cooking, and my brother agrees with me. I'm also concerned that ingredients from the sixties and seventies were much higher quality and less processed and natural than what I am using today.

I have found recipes on the Internet for all three but nope, not nearly as good by a long shot.

So here goes:

First, and most annoying not to be able to get it right: we called it Dad's Special. Scrambled eggs with ground beef and onions. Simple, but we can't hit it right. Being raised by good German cooks my mom and dad weren't afraid to use lots of butter. The eggs were hard scrambled and very crumbly. Spicing was only salt and pepper. I've even tried lard instead of butter as lard was definitely in their kitchen, but both my brother and I remember butter for this one. It was called Dad's Special because everybody loved it and no one could remotely make it like my dad. Suggestions?

Second, also very simple but I keep missing the mark: fried zucchini. Both parents made this one but my mom more often. Slices of zucchini cut lengthwise, very lightly dipped in egg and flour (I think) seasoned with salt and pepper while sauteed in a pan. I don't remember if they used oil, lard or butter in the pan. It was quite a production with lots of batches. Like Dad's Special this was a family favorite that both my brother and I asked for whenever home on visits. The big problem for us in replication is the coating. It wasn't much but they definitely used egg and maybe some kind of flour mixture. The finished product was largely just zucchini until the final batch when the remaining egg mixture was poured in creating a thin omelet, almost crepe effect which makes me wonder if no flour was even used.

Finally, late in life Dad found a recipe that he loved in some magazine, probably Reader's Digest, for Hawaiian meat puffs. Ground meat muffins with a baked on tomato or maybe cocktail sauce glaze. He didn't use pineapples unless they were extremely finely chopped or even mashed. I think he just used pineapple juice but I don't know. The end product had a real nice sweetness to it. I have no idea what else was in it other than I've found tons of Hawaiian meat puff or mini meatloaf recipes online but nothing comes even remotely close.

My brother and I have spent decades trying to recreate these with many tasty results but never even remotely as good as theirs.

Anyone have recipes or suggestions? Thanks!

Happy cooking and eating!

 

[Rustyoznail]

@litfan10, interesting ideas and I wish I could help. Maybe the second recipe used corn flour/starch?

 

[litfan10]

@litfan10, interesting ideas and I wish I could help. Maybe the second recipe used corn flour/starch?

Thanks, I'm game to try. For both my brother and myself these have been lifelong quests.

We both feel like asses for never asking either parent to show us how to make these. We were always in too big a rush to shove them in our eagerly awaiting mouths/stomachs.

 

[AloneTooLong]

usually when frying and a 'coating' is desired, first one 'rolls' the veggie in flour, then in a liquid (egg, maybe some milk or cream added?), and then again in a seasoned flour. One could also add seasoning to the liquid. Are you absolutely certain only salt and pepper for seasoning? Also, adding baking POWDER (not baking SODA) to the final 'flour' might make a difference. Some folks use buttermilk for the liquid. Just throwing out some ideas for you to consider.

 

[litfan10]

usually when frying and a 'coating' is desired, first one 'rolls' the veggie in flour, then in a liquid (egg, maybe some milk or cream added?), and then again in a seasoned flour. One could also add seasoning to the liquid. Are you absolutely certain only salt and pepper for seasoning? Also, adding baking POWDER (not baking SODA) to the final 'flour' might make a difference. Some folks use buttermilk for the liquid. Just throwing out some ideas for you to consider.

Thank you. Thing is, the zucchini wasn't really coated, at least until that final egg overload batch.
I do have trouble keeping baking soda and powder separate.
I really believe with the Dad's special and the zucchini it is more a matter of quantities and timing as for those two the ingredients were minimal. But again, none of us has successfully replicated either.
The meat puffs I believe is largely the sweeteners such as the pineapple. Dad made a great meatloaf and that I've matched, but these are like mini meat loafs in muffin tins but with a sweeter profile but not overly sweet.
Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[litfan10]

Health and pain are dramatically changing my diet and cooking habits.
Tonight we had tuna pasta salad:

One box of Barilla (not a sponsor) gluten-free rotini pasta. (I say Barilla as other gluten-free pastas just aren't nearly as good and the consistency holds up better.)
Two cans of tuna (packed with water, not oil) drained
One large red pepper seeded and cut into bite sized pieces. (You can use seeds based on heat preference.)
One large onion cut into bite sized pieces. (Onion selection is key as a strong onion will overpower the salad. I prefer Vidalia)
A handful of sweetish pickles drained and chopped into small bite sized pieces.
One heaping, maybe a half again tablespoon(s) mayonnaise (we use Helman's vegan mayo)
For seasonings I am a bitch to follow as I never measure; I always go light and build to taste so my measurements are an approximate.
Two heaping tablespoons of honey mustard or honey mustard dressing.
Italian seasoning to taste (usually around two tablespoons)
Smoked paprika to taste (usually around two tablespoons)

Cook and drain pasta and rinse with cold water to drop the temperature.
Combine everything in a large bowl. Serve or chill for later.

For an extra zing I sometimes add a tablespoon or two of thousand island dressing.
Another variation is switch the tuna for shrimp and/or imitation crab - the red and white style

Simple and great in hotter weather. Enjoy!

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thanks @litfan10. Bec is a celiac, and I've tried many different GF pastas. In general, the corn based versions, like Barilla, work best. The Aldi version is great and a reasonable price.

 

[litfan10]

Thanks @litfan10. Bec is a celiac, and I've tried many different GF pastas. In general, the corn based versions, like Barilla, work best. The Aldi version is great and a reasonable price.

Thanks I'll check Aldi's out. Barilla doesn't work so great as a leftover, breaks down and gets mushy real fast. You have one extra day tops.

The two biggest triggers to worsening my pain level is weather and certain foods, with gluten and pork products the absolute worse. Sadly as I'm sure you know gluten is in so much.

slave_ also has a problem with gluten so between the two of us we just don't bother. I find gluten-free breads are just outrageously expensive. We use rice cakes as an alternative.. I found some good frozen pizzas that are gluten-free and some cauliflower crusts are pretty good.

 

[litfan10]

Thanks @litfan10. Bec is a celiac, and I've tried many different GF pastas. In general, the corn based versions, like Barilla, work best. The Aldi version is great and a reasonable price.

I checked Aldi's online filtered for my local store and did find for a decent price gluten-free heart of palm linguine and angel hair pastas. I will definitely check this out. Thanks.

 

[AloneTooLong]

I checked Aldi's online filtered for my local store and did find for a decent price gluten-free heart of palm linguine and angel hair pastas. I will definitely check this out. Thanks.

there is 'pasta' and 'rice' both from hearts of palm (on Amazon) but a bit pricey. No Aldi's near me (about 50 miles, I think).

 

[AloneTooLong]

One of the Facebook 'cooks/chef' I follow is The KETO Cajun chef who has lots of cajun (thinking of Lori here) recipes that are usually gluten free, and low carb. His bread recipe is good, easy to make (and once you have a couple of not usually found in one's pantry items) pretty inexpensive to make.

 

[Rustyoznail]

GF bread can be hit and miss. I've been told a decent sourdough can break down gluten so that someone who is gluten intolerant could handle it. No good if you're a coeliac.

 

[litfan10]

there is 'pasta' and 'rice' both from hearts of palm (on Amazon) but a bit pricey. No Aldi's near me (about 50 miles, I think).

Thanks, I'll check out Amazon as well but Aldi's has it at a pretty good price, less than Barilla. I've also dabbled with Miracle Noodles and Nasoya's pasta zero both using konjac. You need to rinse them or they have a very earthy smell and the texture, rubbery, takes getting used to as well.

 

[litfan10]

slave_ went shopping today and made a point to go to Aldi's. I now have whole grain gluten-free bread and gluten-free linguine. Fun.

 

[litfan10]

Thanks to Russ!
Tonight's dinner:
Daring (that's the brand) fake chicken one package of the grilled, not breaded style
One red pepper chopped bite sized
Two cans mushroom slices and pieces, drained
One package Aldi's heart of palm linguine
In a large skillet saute the fake chicken first with some olive oil and some soy sauce and smoked paprika
After about two minutes add the pepper
After another couple minutes, add mushrooms and 'pasta'
Add a healthy dose of soy sauce (I use low sodium) and smoked paprika
Stir until cooked to preference.
If you use regular pasta, cook to package directions
Aldi's heart of palm pasta just needs rinsing and draining before adding to pan.
Vegan, gluten-free, and low carb

 

[yowser]

Indian Potatoes with Sesame Seeds and Spices

2 lbs boiling potatoes (8-9 medium sized)
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
6 Tbsp oil
1-3 dried hot peppers (or several tsp pepper flakes)
2 Tbs sesame seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Boil potatoes in jackets, drain and cool, dice into ¾ inch cubes. Combine cumin, fenugreek & mustard seeds in a small bowl, and arrange other spices into small bowls in the order in which you will add them next to the burner on the stove where you will be cooking. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. When very hot, put in the spices: cumin, fenugreek & mustard combo, let sizzle for 10-20 seconds, stirring. Red peppers and stir, sesame seeds and stir, turmeric and then the potatoes.

Stir and fry the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, add salt, pepper and fry for another five minutes. Best with a few brown spots on the potatoes which make a nice crust of spices.

 

[WonderingVagabond517]

Indian Potatoes with Sesame Seeds and Spices

2 lbs boiling potatoes (8-9 medium sized)
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
6 Tbsp oil
1-3 dried hot peppers (or several tsp pepper flakes)
2 Tbs sesame seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Boil potatoes in jackets, drain and cool, dice into ¾ inch cubes. Combine cumin, fenugreek & mustard seeds in a small bowl, and arrange other spices into small bowls in the order in which you will add them next to the burner on the stove where you will be cooking. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. When very hot, put in the spices: cumin, fenugreek & mustard combo, let sizzle for 10-20 seconds, stirring. Red peppers and stir, sesame seeds and stir, turmeric and then the potatoes.

Stir and fry the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, add salt, pepper and fry for another five minutes. Best with a few brown spots on the potatoes which make a nice crust of spices.

Sold. Next time I make potatoes, I'm doing this!

 

[litfan10]

Sold. Next time I make potatoes, I'm doing this!

I agree, going to try this.