Whatcha Cooking today?

[pepperhead212]

I made another one of those jambalaya type dishes I made a few weeks ago with canned salmon, but this time I cut up some frozen whiting, I cut a few cubes of, and steamed, for the first serving. I'll do same when I re-heat each time. It was almost as good as shrimp would have been in it!

I started by soaking a little over an oz of dried tomatoes (equivalent of a lb) in some hot water, and a little under a cup of oat groats (the end of the jar), and 2/3 c brown basmati rice in some warm water, while I was cutting everything, and starting the cooking. I started with a large diced onion in a few tb olive oil, on sauté mode, and cut up a half lb of diced ham and added that, then 2 huge cloves minced garlic, then added 1 large diced bell pepper, then I added the herbs and spices - ¼ tsp ground bay, 3/4 tsp Syrian oregano (think Thyme), 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano, and 1/2 tsp ground cloves, plus the heat - about a tsp of "green powder" (my misc. dried green chilis), and a tsp of morita flakes (also adds more smokiness). Cooked that about a minute, then added 1/2 c white vermouth, and cooked about a minute. Then added all the last of the small celery stalks and leaves, plus one large diced stalk (maybe 2 cups). The last thing cut up, and added were all the extra bok choy stalks I had (saved the greens for other dishes). While this was cooking down, I ground up the soaked tomatoes in some of the water, then washed the Vitamix out with the rest of the water - about 4 c total. Then I rinsed the oats and rice off (soaked about 25 min total), and stirred in, and salted to taste, about 1½ tsp. I set it to wholegrain mode, on low (this is slower, but keeps the IP from boiling quickly, and breaking apart the grains), and 25 min., and put the lid on, and sealed. Then prepared that whiting - my substitute for the shrimp. When the dish was ready (turned out perfect - no water on the bottom, and nothing sticking!), I put the fish on the surface, put the lid on, but left the valve off, and set it to slow cook/high, for steaming it 3 minutes (same thing I do with shrimp). I ate all the whiting in the first serving, and it was delicious. I learned to like that fish in my early days, when I bought it because it was cheap, and being at the shore, it was incredibly fresh, along with other fish there.
About 2/3 oat groats and 1/3 brown basmati, soaked about 25 minutes, to cook in the jambalaya type dish. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The oats and rice, added to the Instant Pot, with the other sautéed ingredients, to pressure cook. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Just a small amount of whiting, to add to steam at the end, like I do with shrimp, in jambalaya. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The finished "jambalaya", with the whiting steamed 3 minutes, on slow cook high. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A serving of the jambalaya dish, serving all of the whiting chunks. I'll add more, when re-heating. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[worth1]

I pulled the extra turkey I bought during Thanksgiving and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.
I'm going to cook the thing this weekend and do something with it before it gets too hot.
There will never ever be anymore turkey brine thing going on with a frozen turkey that has already been brined.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

Sweet Spud Steaks:

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The Gotch

[worth1]

Last night I had the rest of my ground brisket cheese and macaroni concoction.

[worth1]

Last night I had my mayocoba beans with salt pork and buttered bread.

[worth1]

Looks like I'll be getting some shrimp today or tomorrow because HEB has the 13-15 count easy peel for 5 dollars off price at 5.97 a pound normally 10.97.

[pepperhead212]

I got some shrimp today - 26-30 for $4.99/lb, in 2 lb bag. Happened to see it at Acme, when I went up to get some thighs, for 99¢/lb. Usually Acme doesn't have great prices, just those occasional deals, and for some reason, no place ever has shrimp cheaper. They also had huge red bell peppers for 99¢ ea - largest was 10.5 oz, smallest was 9.2 oz. All the chicken is already cleaned, in foodsaver, and in the freezer - 4 bags just over 2 lbs ea.

I didn't use any of the new chicken, but took out my oldest pack, to thaw, probably a butter chicken, or something like that tonight.

[worth1]

Somebody just bought a package of beef ribs today.
I didn't get home with them and I didn't get charged for them either.
But I bought three packs and came home with two.
I hope they know what to do with them.
The didn't have much so they may have caught it.
I also got 3 pounds of the shrimp.

The ribs are going on a long slow braise and will have the usual stuff.
Onion carrots celery sweet peppers garlic cloves tomato juice or V8 mushrooms potatoes and so on.
Cooked in the correct order.
One of my mom's old recipes and one of my favorites.
Going in the cast iron enameled Dutch oven.

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[worth1]

Got the bottom vegetable mat placed the beef ribs browned but you can't tell it with the lights.
Mushrooms on top and my homemade thick fermented mushroom ketchup.
The braising liquid is straight Madeira fortified wine.
Totally a blast from the past.

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[JRinPA]

"Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in."

Hunting is over but I ended up with another deer a few days ago - poor little bugger got hit on the road, real cleanly though. So it's back to tender steaks and stew and scrapple making. I binged through Northern Exposure. What a crap ending to a great show. And I finally finished the Pretender. Now, onto Baywatch while picking meat off the bones. Ah, the hard life...

Turnips. I've been putting the turnips and rutabagas in the deer stew. Easy and good. That reminds me, I need to pick the rest of the carrots before the next rain wakes them up for spring. The last picking have held up pretty well, store outside in a cooler on the carport.

[worth1]

It's such a waste Texas won't allow us to harvest a deer that was hit on the road.
I had one run in front of me twice this week.
But I was only going 15 miles an hour.

[JRinPA]

Yeah, in PA, there are some minor hoops to jump but I think both deer and turkeys are allowed by PA citizens but have to be reported. You can't keep the antlers of a nice rack unless you pay for them. Most nice racks are cut off by the first guy with a battery sawzall that sees it. I would expect turkeys are picked up for the feathers and such. Knock on wood, I have only ever hit one deer.

I am totally hooked on buttermilk biscuits made with tallow instead of butter...I had no idea biscuits were so easy to make. I guess I always thought of biscuits as being made with sour dough. Flour baking powder salt sugar, cut in the tallow, a tbsp of apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup, fill the rest of the cup with milk, mix it all for 30 secs until if pulls off the sides of the bowl, shape into balls, 12 minutes in the oven. With cracklin is good too, but more variable and takes special ingredients.

[worth1]

I got up at 1:AM ant checked the braise.
Added thick slices of russet potatoes on top and put back in the oven.
Turned oven up to 215F and went back to bed.
Woke up at 8:00 AM gave everything a flip and this is what I've got.
Around 14 hours in the oven on low temperature braise.
There are people braising at 375 for two hours and that's not braising in my opinion.
The ribs have a lot of collagen and it takes forever at a very low temperature starting around 165 to 175 to break that down into something you can eat.
That includes the membrane on the back of the ribs.
You see people trimming all this off today but nobody in their right mind would have done it years ago.
In reality these things were poor peoples food and they couldn't afford to throw away anything.
Well any who.
Here's the ribs and all I have to do is pull all the bones out and get the tallow out to make a roux for the gravy.

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[worth1]

Pulled the bones and roasted them for awhile at 400F.
In the water to make bone broth.
Added sweet peppers to the now boneless ribs and in the oven to cook a little because they don't take long to cook.
The roux is in the oven as well as a baked roux in a skillet because it's easier than stove top roux.

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[Kurt]

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Our version of jerk chicken with the Jamaican scotch bonnet merianade plus.

[worth1]

I've got a whole turkey roasting in the oven.
Nothing fancy nothing trick or special.
Just put fine grind black pepper Knorr chicken bullion powder and garlic powder on the darn thing and put it in uncovered at 300F.
I didn't even bother with putting anything on the back side.
Stuck thermometer in the breast set for 145F.
And walked away.
Obviously the leg thigh won't be done but I don't care I have other plans for them.
And I don't like turkey legs anyway.

[Uncle_Feist]

Had some lightly apple wood smoked jowl from the smokehouse for breakfast. It was delicious on a leaf lard and butter biscuit!

uploading pictures

[GoDawgs]

Today's fare will be one of our standby casseroles, eggplant/cheese/hamburger casserole. Fresh creamy broccoli/bacon/onion salad on the side with some Craisins sprinkled in.

No fancy munchies for the game tonight. Just some good old homemade popcorn!

[worth1]

Today's fare will be one of our standby casseroles, eggplant/cheese/hamburger casserole. Fresh creamy broccoli/bacon/onion salad on the side with some Craisins sprinkled in.

No fancy munchies for the game tonight. Just some good old homemade popcorn!

I honestly didn't know the Super Bowl was today or who was even playing.
No wonder the store was packed on Friday.
But next on the list is the 3+ pounds of shrimp I bought.
It's all going to get a quick blanch in salted water and frozen for later use.
Gotta big kettle heating up as we speak.

[worth1]

Shrimpy's flash cooked and cold water to stop cooking.
Probably 30 seconds to 1 minute at most.
Water was at a rolling boil.
Ready for 1/2 pound bags to go in the freezer for later use in gumbo or some sort of pasta dish.
Speaking of pasta the salted now shrimp flavored water is on reserve for cooking pasta later on.
No reason to waste flavor and 3 gallons of water.

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