todo.txt

Would like to write these up more thoroughly and/or archive them, since recipes sometimes/often disappear from the Internet or my brain. But this works for now since it is closer to the right place.


https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013216-grilled-corn-mexican-style?mcubz=1
roughly, with queso fresca as well, can sub Lime Tajin or cayenne if you want
I also added peaches when they were in season and it was a wonderful summer treat

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/charred-and-raw-corn-with-chile-and-cheese
This was quite good! Made with red peppers, could see also adding an additional jalapeno or something to give it a kick

Mango slices with cayenne pepper

Cheater BBQ pork recipes
 - Molasses Vinegar Pork Butt
 - Ultimate Cheater Pulled Pork

Grilled veggies
 - best type of container, IMO is the grill pan with holes in it
 - things that are good in it (cherry tomatoes, onion quarters, peppers of any sort, zucchini, squash, pineapple even, maybe garlic)
 - possibly using Italian dressing
 - salt, pepper

Carrot + cauliflower turmeric dish (also good on the grill!)
 - carrots, cut into 3rds and then halved or quartered depending on thickness
 - 1 head of cauliflower, cut into chunks and then cut lengthwise
 - put carrots on top since you want them to absorb as much spice as they can since the cauliflower gets it all otherwise
 - salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika, some of that special ginger tuna fry stuff
 - olive oil and bake in 400 degree oven
 - add garlic and onions halfway through (30m)

Progressions / variants of grilled cheese:
 - generally a lighter bread
 - toast the inside toast in toaster on bagel mode, or put in toaster oven / air fryer stacked so that the 
 - basic grilled cheese
 - Monte Cristo sandwiches (see Fresh20 recipe, since that was awesome!)
 - Anthony's jalapeño popper grilled cheese sandwiches
  - cream cheese on base
   - whenever you use cream cheese, either let it warm up or pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to make it easier to spread
  - jalapeño peppers, sliced small
  - cheddar
  - optional meat like bacon
  - optional egg added to melted butter for top
 - tomato soup or red pepper and tomato soup for the side
 - tomato slices and horseradish and ham for something
 - sauerkraut and corned beef
 - three-sisters-sandwich (need to improve since link is broken)
 - French Toast (essentially grilled cheese with just the bread and egg and milk and some different spices)
 - pan croutons
 - fried cheese outside inspired by Punch Burger
 - Kenji weighted grilled cheese


Waldorff Chicken salad http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222912/chicken-salad-with-apples-grapes-and-walnuts/

2023 style chicken salad
 - mayonnaise
 - spicy mustard
 - celery
 - celery salt
 - salt
 - pepper
 - paprika
 - cajun seasoning
 - lemon juice
 - chicken

Stuffed chicken caprese meal
 - https://cafedelites.com/caprese-stuffed-balsamic-chicken/
 - I did this on the grill and it was pretty good, although the cheese melting / keeping the chickens together were slight problems
 - great summer meal / tastes. Would actually pair well with the lamb stuffed peppers or some grilled corn / veggies.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/no-waste-tacos-de-carnitas-with-salsa-verde-recipe.html
 - Made twice. Both times were really good, first was actually better (saltier?)
 - Made in large cast-iron skillet and I thought this was a good approach.
 - Second time:
   - 6 lb of meat turned into around 5 lb after trimming, was not enough for like 17 people. Would have doubled?
   - I think I threw a little Mexican oregano in there this time
   - Possible to overcook, try to stick to under 4 hours. It might not look done but when you check the temperature it will be.

Hell's Kitchen Egg salad sandwiches:
 - http://sherrissanity.blogspot.com/2012/02/hells-kitchen-knock-off.html
 - used croissants as the bread and this was good
 - think I threw a little hot sauce in there as well and/or chili powder and paprika since I didn't have any cajun seasoning.

> For the egg salad bring 8 eggs to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit about 10 minutes. Immediately run under cool water to stop the cooking. Allow to cool and peel. Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours (at least)

> Place your hard boiled eggs in a mixing bowl and add
1/4 C diced green onions (chives)
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp cajun seasoning (or more to taste)(I like McCormick's because it's not too salty)
about 1/4 C mayonnaise (your preference for moisture)

> Mash with a potato masher or pastry blender until desired chunkiness. Switch to a spoon and mix well. Serve on thickly sliced sourdough sandwich bread with bacon, avocado and lettuce.



Pasta with parsnips and bacon
 - was pretty good
 - http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fcooking.nytimes.com%2Frecipes%2F1015979-pasta-with-parsnips-and-bacon&oq=cache%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fcooking.nytimes.com%2Frecipes%2F1015979-pasta-with-parsnips-and-bacon&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.2070j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&strip=1
 - I should have cooked the parsnips longer since they were slighly underdone and getting them a bit more golden/crunchy would go well with the rest of the recipe. Maybe consider broiling them at the end or before recombining (since this would also heat them up before combining).

Parsnip gratin
 - https://food52.com/recipes/19693-parsnip-gratin-with-melty-gruyere-and-thyme
 - thought it was good and hearty, a bit time-consuming. Having a mandoline was helpful
 - leeks were good

Oatmeal
 - cook fruit in separate pan
 - cook oatmeal with water to start, add cream or milk toward end
 - oats that take a while are best
 - can throw granola in if you want to add a lot of decent stuff (raisins, nuts, etc.) easily. Does add sugar though
 - fruit can be apples with pumpkin spice or cinnamon, berries (simmer for a while in orange juice), etc.
 - made a variant with cooked sweet potato, warm spices, sliced almonds, coconut milk, and maple syrup that was good


Buffalo chicken mac and cheese
 - general inspiration: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/buffalo-chicken-mac-and-cheese/d5a9fd21-a136- 4b43-baaf-b7ed79b6b38b
 - using cream cheese, cheddar cheese, gorgonzola seems good
 - having celery salt while cooking and fresh minced celery at end was a good combo
 - put the buffalo sauce (see buffalo chicken sandwiches for sample recipe) on the chicken and let it soak
 - rotisserie chicken is good for this
 - make the sauce "cool" with cheese, ranch powder, celery salt, etc.
 - the chicken is "hot" with spices and red onions

Monica's lasagna

F20 favorites (dry-brined chicken, kofte, etc.)

Lemon rice soup (lemon, rice, chicken broth, carrots, celery, onion, dill, more?)

https://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-chickpea-buddha-bowl/
 - used asparagus instead of broccolini
 - used hummus instead of tahini
 - overall thought it was good, could have been more filling (more chickpeas?)
 - I liked the chickpeas especially and overall the recipe was easy since it was just throwing a bunch of stuff in the oven at the right times


Italian beef sandwiches with sausage
 Instapot
 Fry 5 sausages for a bit
 Put in green pepper and onion to fry as well
 Take them all out
 Sizzle beef for a bit (should be cut into chunks for faster cooking) ~3lb chuck
 Garlic?
 Italian seasoning mix 1 package
 Beef broth 1c
 Pepperoncinis?
 1c pepperocini juice
 Recombine everything and cook for 30 minutes (sausages are done) and then another 40 minutes
 This was done with my mom's instant pot


Roasted potatoes
 - quarter or halve small potatoes, otherwise chop into ~1" chunks
 - olive oil
 - salt, pepper, chile powders, ranch powder (!), thyme, etc.
 - 400 degree oven
 - halfway through (30m) stir and add garlic, maybe some parsley flakes
 - add more butter with 15 minutes to go
 - add some parmesan cheese near the end
 - could also add bacon somewhere in the process if you wanted
 - best served with sour cream


Spinach + chicken breast + alfredo sauce + cheese pasta bake



Cajun Shrimp pasta recipe (added some andouille sausage as well)





Overnight crockpot oatmeal

- 8 C water
 - 2 C steel cut oats oatmeal
 - pinch of salt
 - cook on low overnight (8-10 hours)
 - might add a bit of butter to help it not stick, although this hasn't made a significant stick difference

I like adding add some tbsps of peanut butter, apple sauce, cinnamon or other warm spices (allspice, clove, etc. I usually use pumpkin spice since I get it on sale from Kroger after fall madness), and raisins or other dried fruit

Can top with something like nuts, cut up fruit, chia seeds, etc. If you add milk or cream, add it right at the end or before serving since otherwise it cooks too long



Wags enchiladas

The sauce - In a large skillet melt 3 tbsp butter, add:

 - 2 tbsp Mexican style chili powder
 - 1 clove minced garlic
 - 5 tbsp flour
 - ~3 cups of water and a pinch of salt

Mix until no clumps and let simmer until the sauce thickens.  I usually make at least a double batch of the sauce, but you know how I can be saucy!

The filling - It's up to you, I like to use cooked, shredded chicken, ground beef works and I also like the spinach and black bean filling as well.  

Cooking - Get 5 inch corn tortillas.  I usually just layer the tortillas, filling and sauce, but that's because I'm lazy and don't like to roll them individually.  Either way bake them covered at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.  Then uncover enchiladas, cover the top with cheese and put back in the oven until cheese is melted, you can also use the broiler to melt the cheese, but be careful as to not burn the cheese.

Spanish chicken slow cooker - https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spanish-chicken/aadfbb93-7c58-4268-92be-6b20b26dba0e

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spanish-chicken/aadfbb93-7c58-4268-92be-6b20b26dba0e

https://food52.com/recipes/22806-eggs-in-spicy-minted-tomato-sauce

Mike's Goat Cheese + Garlic + bread appetizer
 probably close to https://www.howsweeteats.com/2014/10/baked-goat-cheese-with-roasted-garlic-and-pull-apart-baguettes/

Avocado toast
 toast
 avocadoes
  mash them
  salt, pepper, maybe a little garlic, maybe a little lemon juice, maybe red pepper flakes


Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
 Good for a breakfast or late night snack
 Toast bread
 Add peanut butter and banana slices (sliced lengthwise)
 Can add honey


---++Black bean burritos (V)

Ingredients

 * 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
 * 1 small chopped onion
 * 1 tsp. minced jalapeno peppers
 * 1/2 chopped red bell pepper
 * 1 tsp. minced garlic
 * 3 ounces cream cheese
 * 1 can rinsed and drained black beans
 * 1/2 teaspoon salt
 * 2 TBS vegetable oil
 * 2 tortillas (flour or corn per your preference)

Directions

   1 Over medium heat, place oil in a skillet and then add onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos to skillet. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Then pour beans into the skillet, and cook while stirring for 3 minutes.
   1 Cut cream cheese into cubes and place in skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes making sure to stir occasionally. Slowly pour cilantro into mixture.
   1 Now evenly distribute mixture in the center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up.
   1 Serve immediately or after cooled down.

AJP:  I tried this recipe.  It was very fast, tasty, and I would imagine at least somewhat healthy.  I think two regular-sized cans are necessary with the proportion of red pepper and onion in the recipe.  One more comment is to be sure to take the beans out and wash them in a colander and drain well, as there is crud in the can, it will reduce the sodium probably, and the mixture at the end had too much liquid.  I just microwaved some taco shells.

---


Sheet pan bakes (shrimp + corn + potato + smoked sausage + garlic + butter)


Oatmeal bakes
https://mealprepmanual.com/peaches-and-cream-baked-oatmeal/
https://mealprepmanual.com/chocolate-chip-banana-bread-baked-oatmeal/
https://mealprepmanual.com/berries-and-cream-baked-oatmeal/
https://mealprepmanual.com/lemon-blueberry-baked-oatmeal/




Remoulade sauce / spicy mayo recipe
 - mayonnaise
 - sour cream (less than half as much as mayo)
 - spicy / whole grain mustard
 - lemon juice
 - hot sauce like Frank's
 - perhaps some brine (from pickles / capers)
 - couple of capers, minced

Of course, https://www.seriouseats.com/sauced-louisiana-remoulade-recipe is a good base


Mustard BBQ sauce (yellow mustard, brown mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, honey or maple syrup)

^ can put this on a pulled pork sandwich with pickles and maybe ham, and make it as a grilled cheese sandwich


Instant pot baked ziti recipe

White fish tacos



Nancy's instant pot chicken chili variant (with cream cheese, see printout)


[IP butter chicken](https://littlesunnykitchen.com/instant-pot-butter-chicken) (+ Saag Paneer + rice + yogurt)


Preserved lemon recipe (lots of salt, lemons, and extra lemon juice as needed)
Can do this with limes as well


Recipe blocker (Recipe Filter) extension


Buddha bowl



[Pickle soup](https://www.saltandlavender.com/polish-dill-pickle-soup-smoked-ham/)


Pressure cooker cauliflower soup
 Adding baking soda trick


Roasted broccoli soup
Roast broccoli and garlic 400
Bring chicken stock to simmer and add broccoli and garlic
Immersion blend and add pesto cube x 2



Instant pot split pea soup
Onion; celery; carrots, peeled and sliced; garlic
1 lb raw split peas, rinsed/picked
Good hunk of ham on bone and some more ham
1 qt chicken stock
Thyme, salt, pepper

In instant pot, saute mirepoix, add garlic at the end and turn off heat
Add stock, peas, and ham
Add seasoning, and a little chipotle hot sauce
Pressure cook for 20 minutes on high, slow release for 15 minutes



Fried bean vegetarian chili recipe from that one cookbook



Cookbooks that I like
 On Food and Cooking





General tips:
Sear, then cook, for flavor
 If you're cooking something in oil and want browning, need to reduce the water content by drying out, otherwise it will
Use salt. Salt early, especially meat. Taste. Kosher salt is nice. Have a few boxes on hand since it's not expensive and basically never goes bad.
Use acid to brighten up food, including heavy meals.
Generally cook various aromatics first. Add onion first since it has very high water content and will take a while to cook down. Garlic can burn easily, so add it last, just a minute or two before you add liquid, and can do with the heat turned off.



General instant pot tips


Ways to spice up packaged ramen
 Get better base ramen (Nongshim Shin Ramyun is good)
 I usually boil water in a kettle, then in a microwave-safe bowl that is in the shape of the ramen puck, add the seasoning packet(s) [usually not all], then add the puck, then pour the boiling water over it. Then I microwave it for about 3 minutes.
 Add some of the following:
  - egg (typically I crack it as the last add-on I put in)
   - you could also add a soft-boiled egg after cooking
  - almost any vegetable
    - green onions
    - mushrooms
    - spinach
    - kimchi
    - carrots
  - already cooked protein (chicken, pork, beef, fish, etc.) [add at end to heat up since it's already cooked]
  - gochujang for some extra spice / flavor
  - sesame seeds
  - sesame oil (seems to balance out the flavor)
  - sriracha
  - garlic
  - ginger
  - corn
  - cheese
  - seaweed


Thoughts on meal planning
 Mention Fresh20
 Have a stock of recipes you like and can make quickly that are healthy
 Emergency food stash


Dry brine chicken approach (see Fresh20)


Turkey brining recipe


Instant pot french onion soup
 Adding baking soda trick



White bean + spicy sausage + parmesean cheese rind + greens







Red lentils curry
 - typically fry in coconut oil, could use butter or oil if desired
 - onion
 - ginger
 - garlic
 - red lentils (at least a cup)
 - can of chickpeas (best) or beans
 - can of tomato (fire-roasted crushed is best, but can use diced, etc.)
 - 1/2 can to can of coconut milk
 - pressure cook for like 10 minutes, can do natural release


Useful charts / diagrams / memes
 Broccoli and cauliflower come from the same base plant chart
 Peppers that are dried vs. fresh are called different things chart
 Recommended temperatures
 Conversion chart (cups to grams, etc.)
 Golden ratios
 Instant pot general cooking times