Octopus Overlords

Beef and broccoli

Thin slice some beef. Marinade for 30+ minutes in oyster sauce, mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, garlic powder, and a tablespoon of corn starch dissolved in water. Slice some shitake 'shrooms, thin sliced onion and saute in peanut oil. Add beef. Add broccoli chunks. Cook until broccoli is soft. Serve over rice.

I have to remember to make more rice in the morning so I can use left overs for lunch.

I made a new Spanish tuna salad recipe tonight. It was good enough to make The Book.*



Mine wasn't quite so photogenic, but same idea.

*The Book is a big album (like a photo album) where I keep recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines. Yes, I'm old.

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 11:24 am

gbasden wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 2:35 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2017 11:30 pm

Yesterday I made and froze another batch of hamburger patties, which wasn't a real smart move since I'll be closing the grill in five or six weeks, but I'm not prepared to shut down Burger Night until we set the clocks back. Here's how to mix up better burgers than you can buy anywhere:

Ground beef (duh), not too lean
Rolled oats -- these absorb the juice and add a nice chewy texture
Minced garlic, because mmmm, garlic
Prepared horseradish, same reason
Worcestershire sauce
Crushed red pepper
Onion flakes (optional if you put onions on your burgers, mandatory if you don't)

Mix it well, form up your patties, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, wrap in foil and freeze. They'll keep for a couple of months. Because the burgers themselves are so flavorful, you don't need much in the way of toppings. A slice of cheese, homegrown tomato, mustard, and you're there.

I missed this originally, so thanks for the thread ressurection! Roughly what proportions of these things are you using? I can guess for a lot of it, but I haven't the foggiest about the rolled oats and horseradish.

I just eyeball it, but I'll take a stab at proportions. I like to buy 3 lbs of meat to make nine 1/3-lb patties. Into those 3 lbs I'll work roughly a cup of rolled oats and maybe 2 T of horseradish, 2 T of minced garlic, 1/4 c of Worcestershire, and just a sprinkle of red pepper (1/2 t or less). Burgers are pretty forgiving, so you can adjust those ingredients up or down according to taste.

Thanks! I'll put this on the agenda for this weekend!

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 11:24 am I just eyeball it, but I'll take a stab at proportions. I like to buy 3 lbs of meat to make nine 1/3-lb patties. Into those 3 lbs I'll work roughly a cup of rolled oats and maybe 2 T of horseradish, 2 T of minced garlic, 1/4 c of Worcestershire, and just a sprinkle of red pepper (1/2 t or less). Burgers are pretty forgiving, so you can adjust those ingredients up or down according to taste.

I'm taking notes too. I prefer to use pulverized cream crackers instead of oats (they perform the same function vis-a-vis holding juices in the burger without being as in-my-face as oats), but I haven't been particularly creative with add-ins.

I plan to try this simple recipe next month. Ill be using store generic brands though. Not only are they cheaper most times by half but they also usually taste better too.

French Onion Beef Casserole

Ingredients

10 ounces egg noodles
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cans (10.75 ounces each) cream of mushroom soup
1 jar (15 ounce) Lay's French Onion dip
1 cup French's fried onions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
Cook egg noodles in a large pot of water, according to package directions. Drain.
Cook and crumble ground beef in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, until no longer pink. Drain any grease.
Add soups and French onion dip to beef in skillet. Stir together to combine. Gently fold in cooked egg noodles to mixture.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle fried onions evenly over top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve warm and enjoy!

That sounds like a good recipe. Seems the French Onion dip could be easily substituted by a dry season package mix.

Would seem to be a lot less moist then though.

Well you would still need to prepare the mix as directed. It would just be cheaper than purchasing the Lay's brand. Just a bit more work.

Oh like I mentioned I dont use brand name stuff. I get the cheap stuff at the cheap store thats actually better tasting.

What size french onion dip? (lrg or sm)

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 25, 2020 10:46 pm What size french onion dip? (lrg or sm)

1 jar (15 ounce) French Onion dip

The woman in this video seems to be using the same recipe.

I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I bought myself an egg cooker and an air fryer earlier and I'm trying various things in the other bits.

The frozen fish sticks in large bags come out really well in the air fryer. Didn't need any oil, crispier than anything I can buy from any fast food places. Same with frozen wings. Though it's easier to air fry them THEN serve with dipping sauces. Thousand Island, Ranch, Barbeque, etc.

Haven't done anything special with the egg cooker, other than trying to undercook the eggs a little, so it's not totally dried out. Would I want to make poached and scrambled eggs in it? Uh... no?

I actually have one of those Insta-pots that I hadn't even opened yet.

Seitan as meat replacement

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:12 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I have been trying for a year to get Wife to try an Impossible burger. She says she's just not there yet. Then she says she just doesn't like the taste of beef. Then I remind her how much she likes the meat loaf I make every xmas. Then she asks if it tastes like meat loaf, and I just go "..."

Tofu has its place, but substituting for meat is not it.

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:14 am I bought myself an egg cooker and an air fryer earlier and I'm trying various things in the other bits.

There are so many ways to cook eggs that IDK what an egg cooker tries to do, and I can't even guess why you'd want to fry air.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

As a vegan I can say that I can cook with both hands and never have to consider that a recipe that may include meat can't be easily altered. Check out the Brand New Vegan for some ideas.

Kraken wrote:I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

I've had tempeh before and it may be a good meat substitute in that casserole recipe.

Some of the substitute meats are not bad in stir-fry. Don't know if they can stand up for being stewed though.

Sorta food related... This guy tests military meals, some dating back to WW2. No, I'm NOT KIDDING.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVOIgPrDH7E

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 2:11 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:12 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I have been trying for a year to get Wife to try an Impossible burger. She says she's just not there yet. Then she says she just doesn't like the taste of beef. Then I remind her how much she likes the meat loaf I make every xmas. Then she asks if it tastes like meat loaf, and I just go "..."

Tofu has its place, but substituting for meat is not it.

Gardein makes a decent plant based crumble (that is also gluten free). It doesn't really taste beefy, but it gives the same texture. My wife doesn't like the taste of beef, but she'll use that for a taco or in chili. She doesn't much care for the Beyond version of the crumble, though.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:01 pm

Kraken wrote:I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

I've had tempeh before and it may be a good meat substitute in that casserole recipe.

Does tempeh really crumble well like ground beef? My wife usually ends up slicing it and using it as strips.

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2020 2:51 am Sorta food related... This guy tests military meals, some dating back to WW2. No, I'm NOT KIDDING.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVOIgPrDH7E

Actually he has eaten Civil War rations and older.

Wrong thread.

Wrong thread.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2020 10:57 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 2:11 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:12 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I have been trying for a year to get Wife to try an Impossible burger. She says she's just not there yet. Then she says she just doesn't like the taste of beef. Then I remind her how much she likes the meat loaf I make every xmas. Then she asks if it tastes like meat loaf, and I just go "..."

Tofu has its place, but substituting for meat is not it.

Gardein makes a decent plant based crumble (that is also gluten free). It doesn't really taste beefy, but it gives the same texture. My wife doesn't like the taste of beef, but she'll use that for a taco or in chili. She doesn't much care for the Beyond version of the crumble, though.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:01 pm

Kraken wrote:I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

I've had tempeh before and it may be a good meat substitute in that casserole recipe.

Does tempeh really crumble well like ground beef? My wife usually ends up slicing it and using it as strips.

Doesn't crumble as well so it should be diced up as best you can. You lose the "ground beef" texture a bit but I do like the flavor profile.

I made the French Onion Casserole. Its ok but a bit bland. I kept the recipe and have tweaked it for next time I make it. Instead of 2 cream of mushroom and 1 french onion dip Im going to use 2 containers of french onion dip and oen can of soup either cream of mushroom or chicken. It also needs salt and pepper. Lastly I may or may not use a packet of meatball seasoning in the ground beef.

A search fails to reveal a previous posting of the recipe, so..

Dinner tonight was a favorite I make several times per year, Crawfish Monica with Bruschetta.

1 box rotini, cooked just shy of al dente.

1 bunch scallions, sliced.
1 stick of butter
16 oz half and half
1 package Louisiana crawfish tails (spend a couple bucks more and avoid the Chinese ones...because...CORONA VIRUS!)
1/2 cup Cajun spice mix. Mine is 4 parts paprika (not smoked), 3 parts garlic powder, 2 parts dried thyme, 1 part ground black pepper, 1 part ground cayenne pepper (if cooking for women, otherwise, indulge! 2 or 3 parts is not unheard of....you can use Tobasco squeezings if you got it, but I only had that once when gifted a couple of pounds by a friend who visited the factory).

Bruschetta - 2 Roma tomatoes, diced. 3 large cloves garlic, chopped. 8 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade. 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper. About 2 TBL EVOO. 1 crusty baguette (the take and bake work best), sliced into disks, drizzled with EVOO, sprinkled with garlic powder and baked until the crumb starts to brown.

Melt butter in high-walled frying pan. Add scallion and cook a few minutes until tender. Add half and half. Add spice mix. Add crawfish. If crawfish is frozen, cook on medium until it fully separates then reduce heat to low. Add pasta and toss thoroughly. Simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed by the pasta...there should not be much surplus sauce, just enough to keep it from drying out.

Serve with a box of your favorite wine. Bruschetta goes atop the baguette slices, but if there are left overs, I add the bruschetta to the leftover pasta. Sometimes I dice an additional tomato to be sure there are extras.

This recipe will feed 4-6, although if you're feeding six and using a full-size baguette, double the bruschetta recipe if you're not serving salad with it.

Wow, very nice. I’ll have to try this someday.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 2:11 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:12 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I have been trying for a year to get Wife to try an Impossible burger. She says she's just not there yet. Then she says she just doesn't like the taste of beef. Then I remind her how much she likes the meat loaf I make every xmas. Then she asks if it tastes like meat loaf, and I just go "..."

Tofu has its place, but substituting for meat is not it.

Lucifer was The Morning Star...just sayin'.

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:59 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 2:11 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:12 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I have been trying for a year to get Wife to try an Impossible burger. She says she's just not there yet. Then she says she just doesn't like the taste of beef. Then I remind her how much she likes the meat loaf I make every xmas. Then she asks if it tastes like meat loaf, and I just go "..."

Tofu has its place, but substituting for meat is not it.

That stuff is actually pretty good. I just had two of their 'grillers' burgers for dinner. I have them at least once a week. And no, it isn't a beef substitute. At least you don't want to look at it that way. If you look at it as a new kind of meat, it tastes fine. If you go in expecting it to taste just like hamburger, though, you'll be disappointed.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:23 am

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:59 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 2:11 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:12 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:55 am I like casseroles, but cooking for a vegetarian means I always have one hand tied behind my back. That recipe would just be sad without beef.

Flavored tofu? Buy 10 impossible Whoppers and crumble them up in it?

I have been trying for a year to get Wife to try an Impossible burger. She says she's just not there yet. Then she says she just doesn't like the taste of beef. Then I remind her how much she likes the meat loaf I make every xmas. Then she asks if it tastes like meat loaf, and I just go "..."

Tofu has its place, but substituting for meat is not it.

That stuff is actually pretty good. I just had two of their 'grillers' burgers for dinner. I have them at least once a week. And no, it isn't a beef substitute. At least you don't want to look at it that way. If you look at it as a new kind of meat, it tastes fine. If you go in expecting it to taste just like hamburger, though, you'll be disappointed.

Wife likes their black bean burger-shaped objects.

Only one we ever liked was their Garden Veggie Burger. The grillers and beans and such were just bad.

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 medium chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
5.5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
28 ounce San Marzano peeled whole plum tomato with basil, mostly drained and tomatoes quartered
2 thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed torn/chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 Medium sized sliced zucchini
12 oz delallo gluten-free potato gnocchi

In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, zucchini, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Increase heat to near boiling, add gnocchi, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Made for gluten-free daughter and we all really enjoyed it. Best topped with freshly shaved Parmesan (and served with a crusty French bread for the gluten eaters). I have also now done it with plant-based sausage crumbles and enjoyed it. Pretty flexible recipe and good for as simple as it is. Original recipe called for tortellini and I think that would be good but was aiming for gluten free and also worried it would soak up too much broth and get mushy. I liked the gnocchi.

it's hard to go back to Morningstar Farms and Boca burgers after being spoiled by these:

Unless the concept of eating meat really puts you off, there doesn't seem to be much point in consuming a Beyond Burger in terms of health benefits vs. good old fashioned beef:

ConsumerReports.org wrote:What Is It?
The Beyond Burger is an all-plant, gluten-free patty with protein from peas, mung beans, and rice, plus beet and pomegranate to provide meatlike redness. It gets its fat from canola oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter; those last two ingredients also give the product its marbled look, the company says. Further, the burger, made by Beyond Meat, has no genetically modified organisms. The company also makes other plant-based “meats,” such as a sausage and "crumbles" (think ground beef).

Is It Healthier Than Beef?
Not necessarily. It does have zero dietary cholesterol—though that has less effect on the cholesterol levels in your blood than does saturated fat. And on that more important measure, as well as for total fat and calories, a Beyond Burger and a typical 80 percent lean beef burger are similar. The Beyond Burger has much more sodium, too. Plus, "while its starting materials may be plants, the main ingredients are all highly processed concentrates, oils, and flavors," says Amy Keating, R.D., a CR nutritionist and taste tester. Research links such foods to obesity and heart disease. "If you want the health benefits of plants, eat them as whole foods with their nutrients and fiber naturally present."

While its starting materials may be plants, the main ingredients are all highly processed concentrates, oils, and flavors. If you want the health benefits of plants, eat them as whole foods with their nutrients and fiber naturally present.

It's not healthier for your body, but it is for the planet -- even taking into account all the processing, it requires a fraction of the land a cow needs and emits less carbon and methane. (I haven't had a Beyond yet, but the Impossible that I tried tasted just fine.)

I still haven't persuaded Wife to try one yet, as she avowedly doesn't like beef and can't bring herself to eat something that looks and tastes like it. She really likes her black bean burgers. I'm working on her because I know she'll change her mind if she gives it a chance....

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:08 pm It's not healthier for your body, but it is for the planet -- even taking into account all the processing, it requires a fraction of the land a cow needs and emits less carbon and methane. (I haven't had a Beyond yet, but the Impossible that I tried tasted just fine.)

I still haven't persuaded Wife to try one yet, as she avowedly doesn't like beef and can't bring herself to eat something that looks and tastes like it. She really likes her black bean burgers. I'm working on her because I know she'll change her mind if she gives it a chance....

What are the comparative emissions for a plant massacring facility? I bet it's greater than zero, maybe even greater than a gaggle of farting cows.