Cooking Fresh Food - breaking the jar/can/bottle habit...

[sloane]

bear - thank you for this thread! it's a great idea! i think that once you've stocked up on those basic ingredients, it gets really cheap to make things from scratch.

i'd love a good pepper sauce recipe for steak - DP loves it & i'm sorry to say that i've resorted to the powdered kind but i'd far prefer to make it properly!

i love mexican food & have been known to buy the old el paso kits on a regular basis. but recently i found a recipe for chilli that i really like. i use it to make enchilladas and i can really notice the difference in flavour & salt content from the packaged versions. but it would work for tacos as well or burritos or a baked potato filling

[Rouge]

Christy has some great athentic mexican recipes I'll get her to pop in and share

[sloane]

niliac - that would be great, thank you i think i might have seen some in another thread? i did a search for mexican hehe. but i'd love some chicken recipes as well because i think DP would like a change from my chilli!!

[New Dawn]

Ok just thought of another one that will be EASY for all you cooks out there


are you ready ......

GRAVY without using gravox you know like the way nanna used to make.....

I tried this the other day put the pan stuff in a fry pan and added cornflower but all a managed to do was fry the cornflower the smell was sicking lol BHL laugh at me and told me to buy gravox next time

[Tish]

Gravy! Is easy to make, and also cheaper!!

I make it whenever we have a roast (about 3 times a year LOL)...

I don't bother transferring the meat juice to a saucepan, just take the pan that the roast was cooking in and add some flour. How much flour you add depends on how much juice is in the pan, but I'd start with 2-3 tbsp and add more if needed, I like it to be the consistency of playdough.

Heat over a low flame (use an oven mitt to hold the pan) and stir until the flour has gone golden brown, or had a chance to fry off a bit.

Add a little water, then stir until it thickens again. Do this over and over (adding a bit more water each time) until the gravy is about the consistency that you like. Season with salt and bamix/blend to get rid of any lumpy bits.

It's so easy!

Something we eat loads of is chicken curry. I make it in big, school camp sized batches which cost about $25 to make, and I'll usually get 20 serves to freeze. I don't use a recipe (which annoys my husband no end, since it is different each time ) but this is approximately how I do it.....

Cheap and reasonably low fat chicken curry
1 Very big pot
2-3 Onions, chopped
2-3 Chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 packet chickpeas soaked, or 2 cans chickpeas/lentils
2-3 Carrots
2-3 Potatoes cubed
Half a cauli
Any other veggies you want
1/2 - 1 can light coconut milk

Spice mix
Some garlic
Some corriander
Some cumin
A little turmeric
A little chili powder
Some salt
Last time I put mustard seeds in it too, and that was yum!
2-3 tbsp tomato paste

In a bowl mix the spices and tom paste together to taste. Add a little water to help the ingredients bind until it's a paste. We like spicy so use quite a lot of each of these ingredients, e.g. 2-3 tbsp of corriander and cumin, 1-2 tsp of turmeric - but half the fun is figuring out what you find yum. We add chili for heat (I kid you not, half a teaspon of my dad's killer chilli powder does a massive MASSIVE pot, it's lethal).

Fry the onions in a little olive oil until soft, then add the spice mix. Fry off for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken and brown off for 1-2 minutes then add chickpeas and a little water. Combine well, and gradually add your vegies stirring each time. Almost cover to the top with water or stock, stick a lid on it and simmer on a low heat until vegies soft (usually 1-2 hours at our house due to the size of the pot LOL).

Before serving stir in the coconut milk.

That's my curry! Not bad for $1.50 a serve (and they're big serves too!).

Roux
Is actually pretty similar to making gravy. This is the way I do it, the same 3 times a year we have roast

Take equal parts butter and flour (e.g. 3tbsp flour = 3 tbsp butter), and over a medium heat cook together stirring all the time until golden NOT brown. Add a little milk and stir constantly until all absorbed. Do this again and again until it's the consistency you like.

The key is not to add any more liquid until the last lot you put in has been all absorbed, and not to add too much at a time.

At this point you can stir in either cheese and nutmeg for cheese sauce, or brandy and a little sugar for brandy sauce!! mmmmm Christmas food...

HTH - I feel very martha stewart LOL. We make this stuff cos we're too tight to buy it!!!!

[Sair]

Ewww at Gravox. I find it tastes so bland, nothing like gravy at all but DP loves it

Sloane can you share that chili recipe? I love mexican.

I sure hope Christy pops in soon

All this food talk is making me hungry. I might have some 2 minute noodles I don't think you can make them from scratch in 2 minutes They are a major pregnancy craving for me as well as ham and cheese toasted sandwiches.

[sangie]

Ok thanks, putting carbonara on the list for next week!

Thanks Cai for the black bean tips! So is shaoxing wine only available at an asian grocer or can you get it at the supermarket? Sorry have no clue what it is!

[sloane]

little miss sunshine - absolutely! will post it tonight when i get home

getting realllly hungry now too! only a baked potato is going to cut it today in this cold melbourne weather!

[TheBear]

LMS - assuming your two minutes started when the kettle had boiled and you had added the water to the noodles then I think I've got you beat...just made some for a snack/early lunch.

00 - Start clock, put kettle onto boil, frypan onto burner with a little oil, noodles into a dry mixing bowl
01 - kettle still hasn't boiled, chopped shallot, frozen scallops from fridge, spinach leaves, garlic and chilli - found tub of miso paste in the fridge.
02 - kettle boiled, boiling water poured over noodles, garlic and chilli frying with shards of still frozen scallop
03 - Noodles soft so transferred to frying pan, with spinach and glob of miso paste and a splash of sesame oil. Stir fried quickly.
04 - All done :-)

[Sair]

at you Bear

I will give that a go next time. What noodles do you use?

[christy]

*rubbing hands together*

Okay:

Refried Beans.... Pinto beans are preferred but I use black beans mostly

400gm dried beans
4 cloves garlic (whole)
2 tsp chilli flakes or 1 small red chilli deseeded
1 jalepeno deseeded
1 onion
lots of water... LOL sorry!!!
salt & pepper
4 pieces of bacon - not short cut (or if vego use 1/4 cup olive oil)

First, rinse your beans, pick out the ugly ones.... than put in a large bowl and pour water in to 3cm over the bean level. Leave overnight. In the morning drain & pop the beans into a slow cooker... 5 litre or larger... Cover the mix with water & add 3 cm of water on top. Stir it all together. Leave on low, checking every hour or so with a stir & add water if needed. Near the end you need the water to only just touch the top bean layer at most.

When its finished cooking, I put containers of beans into the freezer. In takeaway portions. Then when I want to cook.... I refry

To refry:
In a fry pan put 1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil. Leave to heat, then add bean mix. Let warm stirring regularly. After everything is nice and warm... grab your favourite potato masher & work through until you get your desired texture. We like a few whole beans in ours.

Mexican Mince:

500gm mince
3 tomatoes
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika (hungarian... or sweet)
1 tsp coriander... cilantro
1 jalepeno sliced with or without seeds is whatever your choice of spice
beef stock.... 1 cup ish?
1 tsp salt
pepper

brown your mince. Pop your tomatoes in some hot water & peel, than core them. Chuck them in the pan & squash them in. Add all other ingredients and 1/2 cup beef stock. I cover and leave for 10 minutes and then stir & taste & add more cumin or salt sometimes cinnamon... I also add carrot finely grated and spinach in to trick my kids but its obviously not authentic I add stock if needed and in the end I mix 1 tbsp stock with 1 tbsp flour into a paste & stir it in to give it a gravy type feel and less watery.

[christy]

I use egg noodles from the asian isle.. but rice noodles work with that too!! My kids love it & sometimes after I've cooked the noodles that way I add an egg to make a noodle omelette for the kiddies.

[meow]

Oh this thread is great timing. I have almost kicked our jar/packet dependence of years ago but I have a few remaining things I still buy processed (and end up hating the processed flavour of) so would love to know how to make!

Pasta Bake
I usually buy a cheesy or creamy tomato style one and make it up with pasta, veggies and beans. I can't seem to make a sauce that isn't overly dry or runny. This is my "it's been a bad day" easy meal so the sauce needs to be a one pot or freezable creation.

Cheese sauce
Someone please help me understand how to make a roux! I have been shown countless times but can't seem to get it. Any fool proof cheese sauce recipe would be VERY appreciated.

Scalloped potatoes
I can't seem to make a tasty sauce that cooks together and isn't runny. I like creamy, garlicy sauces.

[christy]

Pasta bake: Pre-milk allergy in my house was:

250gm ricotta cheese
1 cup grated tasty cheese
1/2 cup cream
1 packet frozen spinach
1 clove garlic minced
salt & pepper
If you want more tomato taste with it as in creamy tomato flavour I would add 2 tbsp tomato paste. Mix it all together & toss through some par cooked pasta.


Scalloped Potatoes (basic version)

6 potatoes cut thinly
250gm double cream
1 onion chopped & floured... (put onion in a glad bag with 1 tbsl flour in it & toss around)
4 slices short cut bacon chopped
tasty cheese grated
chopped parsley

I would put this into a baking container and layer it, onion, potato, bacon and then pour on some cream.... etc etc until the top layer of bacon. Top with chopped parsley and grated cheese.

[TheBear]

Ren - a few quick thoughts for you

A roux is a mixture of equal parts of butter and flour - you can make it up in large batches to keep in the fridge, or make it as you need it.

Just melt the butter over a low heat, then stir in the flour until you have a paste then keep cooking and stirring until the floury taste goes away, but before it starts to develop a darker colour. If you keep cooking beyond this point then you will get a brown roux which has a nutty flavour to it.

A progression of creamy sauces using a roux:-

Bechamel Sauce (Basic creamy sauce) - add milk to the roux and cook until you have a smooth, thickened sauce - if it get too thick then add a little more milk - grate in a little whole nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. The nutmeg is really worth doing properly - don't use powdered nutmeg, it really helps with digestion of the fat in the sauce and adds a great aroma. Bechamel keeps very well in the fridge.

LMS - if you have a craving for ham and cheese toasties, then the addition of bechamel sauce to the sandwich will provide you with a classic french croque monsieur. I usually have a little pot of left over bechamel in the fridge, and this is a favourite way of using it up.

Basic cheese sauce - just add grated cheddar/tasty cheese to the bechamel until you reach the desired taste/consistency - pour the sauce over cauliflower or other vegetables and pop in the oven for great cauliflower cheese.

A more sophisticated cheese sauce - use a mixture of different types of cheese with the bechamel - the first one to go in is a soft cheese for richness - mascarpone or ricotta, next add a sharp, salty hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino to give the sauce a little bit, after that add a good melting cheese for texture - mozzeralla or fontina is good and finally if you like blue cheese then you can add some of that for the smokey aromatic finish. Mix this sauce with pasta shells or gnocchi for a really spectacular dish - careful with the portion size, this is very rich - so eat a little for the taste and accompany it with hunk of decent bread and a good salad - you can lighten it up a little by stirring in a handful of fresh spinach until it has wilted down into the sauce.

[ll80]

This thread is making me so hungry!

Just thought I would add my two cents in on pasta forno (pasta bakes) and pasta sauces.
Being Italian I can't go more than a couple days without pasta.
There are heaps of quick sauces out there that you can make but I love the long slow cooked ones.

Bolognese Sauce

Olive oil, enough to cover at least 1cm of the pot, 2cm even, heaps.
Half quantities of beef and pork mince about 500g
Onion, diced
Garlic, if you like it, I add about 6 odd cloves, I like it
salt, pepper
Passata, couple bottles
Water if needed

Just warm the oil in the pot, add the onion and garlic, cook them really slowly, don't let them brown, keep them transparent. I cook them for about 20 mins sometimes less if I am pressed for time.
Add the minces, fry til brown, but not over too high a heat.
Add your passata and salt. pepper to taste.
Simmer for at least a couple hours, the longer you cook the, the better it tastes. If it's getting to thick and dry just top up with water.
Serve with parmasen and as Bear said not the pre grated crap. I won't tell you what I call it as it's crass and I'll probably offend someone.
Growing up we used grana padana on pastas, we would have been shot if we put the good parmasen on it, That was strictly after the meal, mind you it was the awesome Reggiano.
If you haven't tried it BUY IT, expensive but you will never go back to pre grated!

As for pasta bake
I use that sauce, with some cooked pasta, al dente, a couple eggs and some pecorino, or mozarella or parmasen, or all three.
Bake it for about half an hour on 200. It's awesome and lasts for ages.

if you make a heap of the sauce you can freeze it and use it to make a quick pasta bake, I do that sometimes.

ETA If you are PG be careful with the Italian cheeses as most of them use unpasturised milk. I'm dying for some good parmasen right now!!

[Olive]

ren i love making roux's!!!
i dont use a recipe but i think its meant to be equal parts butter and flour.
melt butter add flour and cook for 1 minute, add milk tiny amounts at a time (off heat) nix thoroughly keep going to all milk added, put bak on heat and heat til it thickens!
try 1tbs butter
1tbs flour
1 cup milk

i also cheat and make one in the microwave

[Phteven]

I once posted a stack of curry powder recipies. Most of them are pretty easy and use spices that you will find in your local supermarket.
The trick is to make them in bulk and then put them in a bottle in your pantry then you just need to chuck a spoonful in the bottom of a fry pan or saucepanand fry them up then add whatever else you have on hand.
I'll try and dig them up.

ETA - https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...885-curry.html

I make a yellow curry powder in bulk here is the recipe
1.5 tbs ground tumeric
.25 tbs ground cardamon
.5 tbs ground cinammon
.25 tbs ground ground cumin
.25 tbs ground ground coriander seeds
.25 tbs ground ginger

I just put it all in a glass jar and leave it in the cupboard then when it's time to cook just fry it on a low heat with garlic, ginger and lemon grass until it's fragrant then brown your meat and or veges and chuck in some coconut milk and palm sugar and fish sauce and boil it for a while until it thickened a bit. Or you can just chuck the whole lot into a slow cooker for a few hours. When I use the SC I find it tastes better if you brown the spices first then I stir the coconut milk into the frying pan to pick up all the browned bits.

Here are some other spice mixtures you can use - just adapt/adjust them to suit yourself.
Curry
6 dried red chillies (take the seeds out to reduce the heat)
8 tbs coriander seeds
4 tbs cumin seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbs ground tumeric
1 tsp ground ginger

roast or dry fry everything except the tumeric and ginger then grind them to a powder (a coffee grinder will do this really well or use a mortar) then put it in a jar and add the tumeric and ginger and shake it all about to mix them in.
You can reduce the heat by putting less chilli in and de-seeding the chilli.
You can also try adding a cinnamon stick, 6 cloves and 1 tbs fenel seeds before roasting.
It makes about 16 tbs.

Sambar powder
8-10 dried red chillis
6 tbs coriander seeds
2 tbs cumin seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp fernugreek seeds
2 tsp white split gram peas
2 tsp yellow split peas
2 tsp yellow mung beans
1.5 tbs ground tumeric.

Roast or dry fry the spices, repeat with the pulses (make sure they're evenly toasted - you need to shake them)
Grind the spices and pulses into a powder then mix the tumeric in and jar it up. It makes about 17 tbs.

Panch Phoran (Bengali 5 spices)
Mix equal quantities
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Nigella seeds

You don't process it - just fry it in oil to flavour it before adding the main ingredients or fry it in ghee or oil and add it to vege and dahl dishes just before you serve.

Sri Lankan Curry Powder
6 tbs coriander seeds
3 tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs fenugreek seeds
5 cm piece cinnamon stick
1 tsp cloves
8 cardamom pods
6 dried curry leaves
1-2 tsp chilli powder.

Dry fry or roast the coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek seperately until they darken(they turn dark at different times).
Dry fry or roast the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom until they give off a spicy smell.
Remove the seeds from the cardamom then grind all the roasted ingredients with the chilli and curry leaves.
Makes about 12 tbs.

ETA 2 - it's really important to cook your spices (dry roast or fry). If you don't they can be kind of bitter.