Drazzil Mega Thread: Round table panel skills presentation +Took a home drug test for THC; failed at 45 days sobriety.

[Drazzil]

I need some simple homecooking recipes. Recipes should be quick, simple and preferably cheap.

I'm not as addicted to restaruant food as i used to be but I still manage to find myself at a restaruant every few days. I should cut this down too so, I'm asking the hivemind.

[wonderpug]

Need an idea of your skill or comfort level with cooking. What's the most complicated thing you might currently cook for a weeknight meal?

[Kraken]

Define "quick."

[em2nought]

If you want easy buy rotisserie chickens, you can do a great variety of dishes with those. Make it into chicken salad, fajitas, casseroles, bbq chicken, buy a Campbell's green curry packet and eat it Thai, eat it the way it comes. My local Walmart marks them down to $2.76 at around 9PM. YMMV

[Jeff V]

1 standard bottle of pasta sauce will handle 1 lb of dried pasta. Here there is nearly always $3/5 sales on the sauce and $1 ea on the pasta. 1 lb of dry pasta makes at least 3 generous servings, so for $8 you get 9 meals. I doubt you'll find cheaper (or easier) than that.

[Isgrimnur]

Not meth.

[Drazzil]

Need an idea of your skill or comfort level with cooking. What's the most complicated thing you might currently cook for a weeknight meal?

I'm extremely out of practice, but I can. bake, fry, boil, steam,you. name. it.

Last thing I did was fried porkchops, baked potatoes and. asparagus.

[stessier]

If you want easy buy rotisserie chickens, you can do a great variety of dishes with those. Make it into chicken salad, fajitas, casseroles, bbq chicken, buy a Campbell's green curry packet and eat it Thai, eat it the way it comes. My local Walmart marks them down to $2.76 at around 9PM. YMMV

This is a good recommendation.

[LordMortis]

If you want easy buy rotisserie chickens, you can do a great variety of dishes with those. Make it into chicken salad, fajitas, casseroles, bbq chicken, buy a Campbell's green curry packet and eat it Thai, eat it the way it comes. My local Walmart marks them down to $2.76 at around 9PM. YMMV

This is a good recommendation.

I'm a fan of the $5 chicken. I also part it out for salads, sandwiches, chicken fried rice, and other things that aren't coming off the top of my head.

I'm also a fan of crockpot cooking and making many meals at a time that way. While simple and cheap (per serving) it fails the quick part, though. For me taking a bunch of crap with almost not preparation and coming back to it six hours later on a Saturday, and it miraculously becomes food of which I can partake for like six or ten meals? It's a gift from God. My favorite is my working on Guido's crockpot chili over the years. The most "difficult" part is browning meat before dumping it in the crockpot.

Which also reminds me 1 pound of ground meat, burrito seasoning, tortillas, a can of refried beans, a package of 2 cups of shredded cheese and you have 8 beef and bean burritos. Easy peasy and covers four meals easy.

You have to be like me though and not care about eating the same meal four or six times in a row.

[hitbyambulance]

dried legumes and root vegetables, and the food combinations to be had of those. that will get you through the winter

[Z-Corn]

Searching this very forum will yield recipes, we've had several threads.

[killbot737]

Quick & Easy

Beans, rice, pasta are your friends.

[DD*]

I see pasta, rotisserie chicken, and crock pot have been covered. Don’t forget some good freezer storage Tupperware for the leftovers. I have crockpot stew and chili in the freezer now. Pull it out, let it defrost a bit, heat on low and boom! Ready to eat home made meal.

[killbot737]

Sometimes I take a spoonful of peanut butter and some grapes and eat them at the same time for a bread-free PBJ.

And of course there's this practice, which I follow on rare occasions.

[Drazzil]

Any OOers have good croc pot recipes?

[Drazzil]

Hey. I have some six gun chili mix I want to adapt to the croc pot. I'll grab a pic of the bag with the recipe along with what I think I'm gonna have to do to change it.

[Freyland]

I'm probably a terrible person, but as someone who isn't following this thread but still sees the frequent title changes, going from "I had to put my cat to sleep" right to "Simple home-cooked recipes?" made me at least snicker.



Sorry.

[killbot737]

The difference between crockpot chili vs stew is the vegetables.

Meat: whatever you want, except no poultry or fish with bones. Unless you like eating tiny surprise bones. Beef or goat or lamb have large enough bones that you'd probably notice them before you eat them.

If you choose beef, brown the beef. You don't have to. I have done both and it does not really matter except that I can sorta taste the difference from the browning. It's not a big deal. What is a big deal is the size of your meat. Ha ha shut up. I go for inch cubes, they mostly stay intact if you don't stir the pot too much.

Anyway. Brown (or not) your meat. Add by volume, depending on your pot, equal parts:

Stew: potatoes, celery, carrots, onions. All roughly chopped. Big enough that it won't melt into the stock. 1/2 inch pieces or bigger.
Chili: chiles (whatever kinds you want), onions, beans (if you are Satan). Same deal with the chopping.

Now it comes to the spices. I overspice, so don't ask me. Garlic, sage, thyme, chili powder, cumim, cilantro, whatever.

I don't salt anything, it always comes salty enough. You could sprinkle some salt on your meat when you dump it in the pot to get some extra flavor out of it. Don't go crazy with that. Maybe do the TV chef thing and sprinkle salt and let it sit for a few minutes.

Don't use lentils in a crock pot. They turn to mush. Unless that's what you're looking for, if you were to cook a soup for example.

[DD*]

The difference between crockpot chili vs stew is the vegetables.

Meat: whatever you want, except no poultry or fish with bones. Unless you like eating tiny surprise bones. Beef or goat or lamb have large enough bones that you'd probably notice them before you eat them.

If you choose beef, brown the beef. You don't have to. I have done both and it does not really matter except that I can sorta taste the difference from the browning. It's not a big deal. What is a big deal is the size of your meat. Ha ha shut up. I go for inch cubes, they mostly stay intact if you don't stir the pot too much.

Anyway. Brown (or not) your meat. Add by volume, depending on your pot, equal parts:

Stew: potatoes, celery, carrots, onions. All roughly chopped. Big enough that it won't melt into the stock. 1/2 inch pieces or bigger.
Chili: chiles (whatever kinds you want), onions, beans (if you are Satan). Same deal with the chopping.

Now it comes to the spices. I overspice, so don't ask me. Garlic, sage, thyme, chili powder, cumim, cilantro, whatever.

I don't salt anything, it always comes salty enough. You could sprinkle some salt on your meat when you dump it in the pot to get some extra flavor out of it. Don't go crazy with that. Maybe do the TV chef thing and sprinkle salt and let it sit for a few minutes.

Don't use lentils in a crock pot. They turn to mush. Unless that's what you're looking for, if you were to cook a soup for example.

Dude, if your chili and your stew are identical other than the veggies, you are doing something wrong...

[Drazzil]

I'm probably a terrible person, but as someone who isn't following this thread but still sees the frequent title changes, going from "I had to put my cat to sleep" right to "Simple home-cooked recipes?" made me at least snicker.



Sorry.

[DD*]

I'm probably a terrible person, but as someone who isn't following this thread but still sees the frequent title changes, going from "I had to put my cat to sleep" right to "Simple home-cooked recipes?" made me at least snicker.



Sorry.

Waste not, want not, as the saying goes,,,,

[killbot737]

stuff

Dude, if your chili and your stew are identical other than the veggies, you are doing something wrong...

That's not what I'm saying. They're just very similar dishes in prep time and effort when you use a slow cooker. When I do chili I like to do 1/2 pork 1/2 beef (ground and browned first). Stew starts with chunk meat of your liking. But the rest is the same: chop veggies, add spices, wait.

Oh and I forgot to mention adding the canned tomatoes. That adds liquid volume. I like crushed, kinda depends on if you want tomato chunks or not. Whole peeled or stewed works well also.

It's pretty hard to make something actually inedible with a crock pot if you have any cooking sense whatsoever.

[RunningMn9]

Basically every ingredient is different, but the process is similar. Brown meat, insert into pot. Add vegetables. Add spices. Slow cook. At that high level the work involved is definitely similar.

My “chili” really isn’t chili anymore, as I add a lot more vegetables to boost the volume and make it a little healthier. I generally use ground turkey, and then add a diced onion, three diced peppers, four sliced jalapeños (or three minced habaneros), can of diced tomatoes, can of corn, and a can of whatever beans I feel like (not being from Texas I’m allowed to add these). I use a dark beer to up the liquid volume, and mince up a bunch of carrot (which adds an interesting sweetness to the dish).

I made the modifications and lightened up the meat to make it something I can put together on Sunday while watching football, and then bring a small bowl for lunch at work every day.

[Jeff V]

My “chili” really isn’t chili anymore, as I add a lot more vegetables to boost the volume and make it a little healthier.

Mine uses stout beer and black coffee, the foundations of my food pyramid. To each his own.

[DD*]

stuff

Dude, if your chili and your stew are identical other than the veggies, you are doing something wrong...

That's not what I'm saying. They're just very similar dishes in prep time and effort when you use a slow cooker. When I do chili I like to do 1/2 pork 1/2 beef (ground and browned first). Stew starts with chunk meat of your liking. But the rest is the same: chop veggies, add spices, wait.

Oh and I forgot to mention adding the canned tomatoes. That adds liquid volume. I like crushed, kinda depends on if you want tomato chunks or not. Whole peeled or stewed works well also.

It's pretty hard to make something actually inedible with a crock pot if you have any cooking sense whatsoever.

Wow, that went right by me the first time. You are correct, they are very similar. As is soup (of various flavors), and you are right, it is very hard to screw things up with a crock pot. Pro-tip - do not put the noodles for soup in at the beginning of the process. They do not like being cooked for hours.

[RunningMn9]

Stout beer, yes. Never considered black coffee.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[em2nought]

Stout beer, yes. Never considered black coffee.

Being short of bbq sauce I've even dumped a packet of instant hot chocolate into some bbq chicken once. I bet it might be interesting in chili too.

[Drazzil]

I made the chili. It turned out very good. I cooked roughly a half a pound of kidney beans putting lots of garlic powder, and just a dash of salt. Set them to slow cook. I may have cooked them just a little too long, a few had split. I started out with 3 cups water. After the beans were done I poured in the six gun chili mix, with one can of stewed diced tomatoes, and about a third cup of water. I browned 3 lbs of hamburger, poured off all but a bit of broth and grease. I seperated the hamburger, then cooked the onions in the same pan I cooked the meat in. I undercooked the onions a tad, intending to finish it in the chili. I put the onions and a bit of the hamburger broth (just a few tablespoons) in the chili. I then added another 1/3 cup water and simmered everything on low for 1 1/2 hours.

All in all, a success. Next time I will use more beans and less meat, and maybe more stewed tomato.

[RunningMn9]

Why are you referring to hamburger broth and grease separately?

[Drazzil]

Why are you referring to hamburger broth and grease separately?

Dunno.

[LordMortis]

My currentish version of Guido's crockpot chili

one pound burger ($3.00)
one pound spicy ground pork ($.2.50)

2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans of red light red kidney beans
2 cans of chili beans
2 cans of black beans

(Wait for sale costs about $5.00)

Small can of tomato paste ($.50)

Can of tomatoes, sliced stewed, whatever ($1.00)

Onion optional ($1.00)

Small of chili peppers ($1.00 or maybe $.50)

Lots of incidentals to taste

Chili powder
Garlic
Garlic Salt
Black pepper
Oregeno and the usual spices...
Hot sauce

Current cost about $14. Makes 18 plus cups of chili.

There is no over cooking. I've cooked on a lower heat for 16 hours or longer.

Though I also will have $3 in shredded cheese and $1 in oyster crackers or $3 in some sort of chips to add and when I'm feeling really randy I'll spend $4 on artichoke dip or $2 on sour cream.... Costco's artichoke dip in Chili?!?!?! OMG, sooooooo good.

Canned beans are really the way to go. Much easier than soaking bean or adding water. All so very simple but a minimum of 8 hours for the chili to get really really good. You can eat it after four but I find it isn't *there* until 8 hours.

[McNutt]

Why does it have to be quick? Easy and quick are not the same. Some recipes like pork carnitas or jambalaya will take some time, but yield many delicious meals.

[Drazzil]

Why does it have to be quick? Easy and quick are not the same. Some recipes like pork carnitas or jambalaya will take some time, but yield many delicious meals.

Good point! If you feel like sharing fire away.

[ImLawBoy]

Canned beans are really the way to go. Much easier than soaking bean or adding water. All so very simple but a minimum of 8 hours for the chili to get really really good. You can eat it after four but I find it isn't *there* until 8 hours.

I've started making a lot of my own beans from dried (at this point, black and pinto are what I make). It's really very simple. One or two pounds of beans covered in 3-4 inches of water, a large onion halved (keep the end on so it's easy to remove - use two if your onions are smaller), 8 cloves of garlic (smashed), an orange (halve it, squeeze the juice into the pot and then add in the halves). Bring to a boil and then drop to a bare simmer for 1-2 hours or until beans are as done as you like them. Remove the extras (don't worry too much about the garlic, as it will probably be hard to get out all but the biggest pieces), bring the heat up to high and boil for 15 minutes or so until the sauce clings to the beans. Add salt to taste. At that point, I usually use a slotted spoon to put the beans into tupperware. Makes a crap ton of beans that taste way better than canned (and supposedly lose less nutritional value than canned beans, but I have no evidence to back that up). After a few days, I freeze in plastic bags - a can is about 1.5 cups.

I still use a lot of canned beans (important protein source with a vegetarian wife), but it's always better when we have homemade beans available.

[LordMortis]

I still use a lot of canned beans (important protein source with a vegetarian wife), but it's always better when we have homemade beans available.

At first I used them for convenience. For chili, they're great because the juices enhance the chili as well as making everything easier.

Then I was watching America's kitchen and they were testing various beans and their cooking and tasting properties and they were surprised to conclude the cheap canned beans were the way to go. They went in the preconceived notion that hydrating stored beans were going to win hands down.

So now I will pretend to know that canned beans are better but I don't know that. I just know I'm lazy and like the results of what being lazy gets me.

[ImLawBoy]

Were they just hydrating the canned beans? Or were they cooking them with added flavors (onion, garlic, orange)? That's the difference to me, although it's likely to be less noticeable in chili.

[em2nought]

The low sodium canned beans at Walmart are priced the same as those that aren't. Something to watch for, if you were to add a can of tomato soup to a dish for instance you really wouldn't want to be adding any more sodium to the meal.

I've found that I like the low sodium dark red kidney beans so much after I've doctored them up that I gain weight from eating them.

[Formix]

My chili recipe is very similar, only I throw in a cinnamon stick for about an hour. Also, I cook it in a cast iron pot in the oven at 350, rather than the stove top. Having recently joined the cult of Instant Pot, I've been thinking about converting the recipe over, but I'm having too much fun trying new strange ones. Like Instant Pot Cheesecake.

[LordMortis]

Were they just hydrating the canned beans? Or were they cooking them with added flavors (onion, garlic, orange)? That's the difference to me, although it's likely to be less noticeable in chili.

You'll have to locate my memory and ask it. I have no answers for you.

[Alefroth]

Were they just hydrating the canned beans? Or were they cooking them with added flavors (onion, garlic, orange)? That's the difference to me, although it's likely to be less noticeable in chili.

Where did you get the idea for the orange? Is it just for flavor, or does it affect cooking too?