Voodoolily's Snacktastic Recipe Thread!!

[Sky]

 Dicing the bread (we had some leftover buns) took a couple minutes, but then it's just dumping it in a bowl with the yogurt/milk mix. Sooo tender inside, and I crisped them up nice on the outside. Should try it once to see how you like it, and then incorporate what you will. I'm a recipe borg like that. There's some scientific reason the dairy products help keep the meat tender in the sauce and through cooking. Cut/paste of the original:

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
Published: January 1, 1998
Serves 4 to 6

This streamlined recipe can be on the table in under an hour.
INGREDIENTS

Meatballs
2    slices  white sandwich bread (crusts discarded), torn into small cubes
1/2    cup  buttermilk or 6 tablespoons plain yogurt thinned with 2 tablespoons sweet milk
3/4    pound  ground beef chuck ( or 1 pound if omitting ground pork below)
1/4    pound  ground pork (to be mixed with ground chuck)
1/4    cup  grated Parmesan cheese
2    tablespoons  minced fresh parsley leaves 
1    large egg yolk
1    small clove  garlic , minced (1 teaspoon)
3/4    teaspoon  table salt
Ground black pepper
vegetable oil for pan-frying (about 1 1/4 cups)

Simple Tomato Sauce
2    tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
1    teaspoon  minced garlic
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1    tablespoon  minced fresh basil leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
1    pound  spaghetti
grated Parmesan cheese


See Illustrations Below: Making Meatballs

1. For the meatballs: Combine bread and buttermilk in small bowl, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix all meatball ingredients, including bread mixture and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Lightly form 3 tablespoons of mixture into 1 1/2-inch round meatballs; repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 14 meatballs. (Compacting them can make the meatballs dense and hard. Can be placed on large plate, covered loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for several hours.)
3. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot for cooking pasta.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 -inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat in 10- or 11-inch sauté pan. When edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles, add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, regulating heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to paper towel--lined plate; set aside. Repeat, if necessary, with remaining meatballs.
5. For the sauce, discard oil in pan, leaving behind any browned bits. Add olive oil along with garlic; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil; add salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low flame.
6. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot. Ladle several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) over spaghetti and toss until noodles are well coated. Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each with a little more tomato sauce and 2 to 3 meatballs. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately.

[Signe]

That's the one from Cooks Illustrated.  I have that recipe.  That's so weird.  I only used it once, though.  I don't like their meatballs. 

[Sky]

You're not supposed to shove them down your shirt.

[Signe]

Shuddup, you!  I should have said... I like meatballs and meatloaf made with veal, lamb and pork, and it has to have onions in it.  I'm not so crazy about beef or mostly beef meatballs.  Sorry about the veal!   

[Ookii]

Busy bread weekend!



Whole Wheat Banana Bread, a nice Rustic Bread, a Whole Wheat Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf, and Bialys in the foreground.

[Signe]

And you don't eat any of that?   

I used to bake lots.  All kinds of nice stuffs. Not so much anymore.  We bought a treadmill instead.  I think it probably suits us better.

[voodoolily]

Yah, that's crazy talk, Ooks. By the time you can eat it again, you'll have honed your craft, I guess.

[Signe]

I don't eat sweet, sugary, gooey things (especially if they're chocolate) so I can actually make or buy stuff like that for Righ and not be super tempted.  I'd have a much more difficult time avoiding those gorgeous breads!

[hal]

Very nice texture to the crumb. You either used a bread machine or you worked at it. But nice job looks great and I am sure it tastes great.

[cmlancas]

Okay, this post is mostly  , but while I was checking my gmail university account today, here's what I saw as a headline:

New Recipe: Spam Confetti Pasta!

Oh yeah. That's all kinds of good.

[voodoolily]

I was just talking to Sauced about how spam would prolly be good on a banh mi. We just watched the Hawaii episode of No Reservations.

[Nebu]

Bad taste.  My apologies.

 

[voodoolily]

Did you mean to post that in the bacon thread?

[Nebu]

Did you mean to post that in the bacon thread?

No, but I should have. 

[Ookii]

So we're having this gigantic potluck at work and I'm wondering what I should make.  Last week we had a picnic/bbq and I made this Thai grilled dessert I found on the intrawebs, a banana wrapped in sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar, wrapped in a banna leaf and grilled until yummy.

I want something similar for the potluck, something exotic I can make that will:

- Taste good
- Look good

I'm trying to expand the horizons of my co-workers, people in Arizona rarely eat outside of their own ethnic groups (for the most part, it's a stereotype for godsakes).

[voodoolily]

Chocolate beignets with roasted banana ice cream!

Actually, that would be ruined in the heat. Bake some baguette and make some banh mi. You can slice them into 2-3" slices like one-a those giant hero sammiches. Everyone loves ham loaf and liver pâté! And the Latinos will at least recognize the jalapeños, cilantro and Maggi sauce. So will the Indians. It'll be a We Are the World love-in on bread!

typos edits

[Ookii]

Eh I didn't really have sammiches in mind, I was thinking about Indian myself.

[voodoolily]

I'm partial to a spicy chana dal, myself.

[Ookii]

Okay how about something that is flashy and yummy and which has a main protein that isn't lentils.

[voodoolily]

Chana dal is chick peas. But you could do some fish or chicken tikka, right? What's the thing where it's on the sizzling clay plate?

Don't ask me for a recipe, you'll hafta epicurious that shit.

[MrHat]

Vindaloo!

Also, I've had a couple of successful meals.   One was champagne risotto (zomg so good).  The other I made quiche, crust and everything.

Last weekend I made some home made biscuits, but I think I put too much sugar in, they came out way sweeter than I wanted (still good, but too sweet).  VDL you had a biscuit recipie you use right?  I've been combining the cold butter with the flour w/ a food processor since it seems the best way.

Anyone have any killer biscuit recipies?

[Ookii]

I have some of them in my bread books at home, the only problem is they all call for this one specific brand of flour that makes the best biscuits.

I'm sure you could substitute with a flour of the same protein level though...

[MrHat]

Protien level?   

All I knows is you sifts the flour!

[voodoolily]

Vindaloo!

Also, I've had a couple of successful meals.   One was champagne risotto (zomg so good).  The other I made quiche, crust and everything.

Last weekend I made some home made biscuits, but I think I put too much sugar in, they came out way sweeter than I wanted (still good, but too sweet).  VDL you had a biscuit recipie you use right?  I've been combining the cold butter with the flour w/ a food processor since it seems the best way.

Anyone have any killer biscuit recipies?

Yar, here you go.

[MrHat]

That's the stuff you sexy minx.

[Sky]

March 17th. While other people go out and get publicly shit-faced, I make stew. Guinness stew, easy-peasy style.

Got a great deal on a massive chuck roast, cleaned it up and diced into 1" chunks. Browned and thrown into slow-cooker. Sauteed mushrooms in butter, into cooker. Sauteed onions and garlic, into cooker. Worked up a roux and added thyme and chipotle (called for cayenne, the smoky aroma of the blooming chipotle was great). Added beef broth and guinness (two bottles!), thickened and dumped into cooker. Diced potatoes and added a bag or shredded carrot leftover from a salad. Simmer for hours until the meat falls apart.

At first I thought I may have added too much chipotle, but I think it's about perfect. Which means everyone else will be looking for a fire extinguisher. More for me!

[voodoolily]

That sounds really good, man.

[Sky]

Thanks! I had a recipe but decided it sucked and just threw it together like I usually do (seat of pants). I'd par-boil the potato chunks and carrot next time, the roots took forever to soften, though the potatoes ended up nice and creamy because I let it simmer an extra few hours.

Since everyone + brother was buying corned briskets, I nabbed one on the supah cheap. Going to clean out the slow cooker tonight and cook up the brisket for reubens on Thursday. I make a decent (basic, easy) reuben but need to come up with a better solution for the kraut. Store-bought bagged kraut is a big letdown when paired with a quality brisket, a nice mellow nutty swiss and fresh rye...pan-friend in butter, of course.

[voodoolily]

You could try a braised cabbage or just make a slaw (since a reuben has thousand island) with a remoulade instead of store-bought mayo. Adding a hit of vinegar to your slaw will wilt a bit, giving that kraut tooth to it.

[WayAbvPar]

My wife did a corned beef in the slow cooker on Sunday. She found some 'fresh' sauerkraut in the deli section of the local store that was actually quite decent. Some good rye (sliced on site for us) and swiss, a dollop of Newman's 1000 Island, and pop the whole thing into the panini press. Nirvana.

[Ookii]

Made Ciabatta this weekend!





Nom nom nom.

[MrHat]

Grats! That looks really good.  I made Tabouleh but couldn't get the parsley as finely chopped as I wanted.

[Signe]

Ciabatta bread makes the bestest toast ever.

[voodoolily]

Ooks, start a fake blog just to post your pictures so I can post them on Tastespotting, k?

[Bunk]

Currently eating the results of my first try at a recipie my Mom does for the holidays, and it turned out great so I thought I'd share. We'd always been a Mashed Yams/Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows on top family until she found this recipie. It's on the simple side for a VDL thread, but hey, I'm still learning this whole cooking thing and figure there a people in a similar boat here.

Orange Flavoured Yams

2 or 3 average Yams - cubed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
juice of one large orange
orange zest
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspon vanilla
1 cup pecan bits or halves, lightly toasted

Mix the orange juice, zest, spices, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Throw the yam cubes in the slow cooker, pour the mixture overtop, spoon in the butter in blobs. Cook on high for about two hours, mixing in the pecans at the last minute. Yummy.