Culinary Explorations

[Vlad]

Preface:

 

I am one of those that is blessed with almost every kind of cooking utensil, tool, device, and thingamajig imaginable. I am also blessed with an entire bookshelf of cooking books, and several more boxes sorted by category. That is, in addition to being able to turn on the television at any time and tune in to the Food Network for gastronomical intentions. For that, I thank my parents - who have their priorities in the right place, but only on occasion.

 

However, I am on a budget. So that makes eating rather interesting at times. This thread will be used to detail my adventures in the kitchen.

Sometimes, I will detail astounding successes from the most paltry of ingredients. Sometimes I will explain my failures, so that no one will ever make the same mistakes as I. Sometimes I'll just post thoughts I have about food.

 

And with that I bid you

An enjoyable time.

Good reading, good eating,

And good health as your wealth.

[Vlad]

Recipe 1

 

This is a budgetary creation I made this morning. And it didn't taste half-bad either.

 

Note: A traditional recipe would list the ingredients first, then list the steps in the best order to do them. This is anything but traditional. That is why the text will be listed in the order *I* did things, feel free to change it any way you wish in attempting to recreate my meal. Also, I'd like to state, for the record, that cooking is a very in-exact science. At least, it is when you don't have to bake anything.

[ingredients in bold.]

 

 

1/2 can (~6 oz.) of Sweet Corn, whole kernel.

1/2 can (~6 oz.) of Sweet Peas, whole... pea?

 

Combine in bowl, and mix slightly. Save remainder for tomorrow's meal.

I got these at the local grocery store for fifty-five cents each.

 

1 package (2.5 oz.) of thin sliced Turkey meat.

This was thirty-eight cents, same grocery store.

 

I cut the turkey into small squares, and prepared a large saucepan with Grapeseed Oil. I think that was the most expensive item I used, but I'm sure corn oil works just as well.

 

1 carrot, grated.

 

Saute the carrot gratings for one minute, stirring occasionally. This helps extract the beta-carotine, which is good for your eyes, and stuff.

 

Add the turkey, and continue stirring for another minute or two.

 

Diced onion

 

Add the onion, corn and peas. Let sit over low heat for one minute.

 

Add enough water to allow for uniform heat distribution, but not so much that it begins to look like a soup. Yes, this is vague. No, I didn't measure.

I just kept pouring until I thought "That looks like enough."

Add salt and pepper, to taste. I didn't use salt because prepackaged meats already have enough IMHO.

 

Reduce the liquid, and let simmer for five to ten minutes. Or until you're really hungry from the aroma.

Eat warm.

 

Serves 1 ...twice.

 

Edit: Total cost - $1.10

Doesn't beat ramen, but it also tastes much, much better.

Edited June 19, 2005 by Vlad

[Vlad]

Recipe 2: Raviolli salad.

 

This one was really easy to make.

 

I was looking through my freezer and found a package of completely frozen Beef Ravioli. I'm not kidding here. The plastic bag (already conveniently resealed with a twistie-tie) had a block of ice in it, will raviollies "floating" inside. Checking the expiration date (072105), I decided that, yes, I was indeed hungry enough.

 

Defrosting, I tossed the whole bag into a bowl of room temperature water and went on our IRC chat. Great way to pass the time, folks.

 

Anyways, after the ice was gone I thought about my health for a moment. I settled on parboiling the pasta and then finish frying it in a wok. I love the wok; greatest invention ever.

 

After preparing it, I tossed the raviolli into a large bowl. Adding torn lettuce chunks, diced tomato, diced white onion, diced celery, and a smathering of olive oil, I mixed completely.

 

Serves... I'm not sure yet. Just eyeballing it, it looks like 2 or 3.

[Ayshela]

included everything but the most pertinent details there, Vlad - was it edible, and did you survive the experience?

[Vlad]

Heh, must've slipped my mind.

 

But to answer your questions, Ayshela - yes and yes.

 

Oh, and it served three. Or rather, one once, and one twice. =)

 

 

 

Next recipe coming soon.

[reverie]

hey vlad... hope you don't mind if i high-jack your thread for a minute:

 

 

The Almond Experiment

 

Morning all, this morning I woke and decided to have something differerent from breakfast. So i grapped my handy little raw food primer and looked up their "Crunchy nut cereal" recipe.

 

From: from Chef suzanne alex ferrara "The Raw Food Primer"

 

 

Tools

 

Food processor

dehydrator

 

Ingrediats:

 

Part I

 

1 Cup Almonds

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnuts

2 cups water(distilled perfered)

1/2 maple sugar

 

Part II

 

1 cup golden flaxseed

2 more cups water

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

two pinches sea salt.

 

Almond Milk for pouring afterwards (optional)

 

makes 4 cups.

 

 

 

 

Preperation

 

First things first, I realize that there are only 1 of me, not four, so immediately divide everything by 4.

 

Part I Their way:

 

Recipe calls to Soak Almond, Pecans and walnut, and sunflowers in 2 cups of water for 6 to 8 hours. Rinse, drain, and chop coarsely. Toss the nut and and seed mixture in a bowl with the maple sugar and a pinch of salt.

Dehydrate at 105 degrees for seven hours. Set aside...

 

Part I My way:

 

Soak for 6 to 8 hours??? Who has time for this. Take all listed nut ingrediants and mill loosely in Coffer Grinder. And maple sugar??? Um, guess my eyes skipped over that... So I used the maple syrup instead. Set all in a manual hand cranked food processor.

 

Part II: Their Way

 

Soak flaxseed in 2 cups water for 7 hours, then drain it and place it in a food processor with the maple syrup, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Process for several minutes to make batter. Spread on solid dehydrator sheets. Dry 3 hours. Turn the batter over and place it on perforated dedhydrator sheets. Continue drying until it is completely crispy. Crumble into small flakes. Mix the flakes with dehydrated nut and seed mixture. Store in freezer.

 

 

Um, what ended up happening

 

Realized, I don't have a dehydrator. So just added everything into the hand cranked food processor... After few minutes of furious cranking, got frustrated and threw it all in a blender... After a few test whirls... decide that i was just one step away from a smoothy... So grabbed lot's of ice from freezer and blended all content together with a half cup of almond milk.

 

End result: the nuttiest milk shake, i've ever tasted... Not bad though... Maple yummie...

 

 

fun, fun

 

rev...

Edited July 1, 2005 by reverie