What's cookin', good lookin'? Part II

[wicked woman]

I made my very first pumpkin pie!

So much effort - I have a blister from peeling and processing a gigantic pumpkin. But it tastes good. Worth it!

Most of us just open a can of pumpkin purée. It's pretty easy that way. I love lots of spices in mine.

 

[HisArpy]

I made my very first pumpkin pie!

So much effort - I have a blister from peeling and processing a gigantic pumpkin. But it tastes good. Worth it!

Next time, use a huge knife and cut the pumpkin into large pieces. remove the seeds, and bake it first. The skin just falls off that way and you save yourself from blisters. It also takes a lot less energy. Once the pumpkin cools process like normal.

I saw your mac & cheese triumph. I have no idea why people use the box stuff - it takes the same amount of time either way. If I want something special, and I have the time, I pour mine into a shallow baking dish and cover with bread crumbs and bake it until the bread crumbs are toasty brown and it's more like a entree casserole than a side dish.

If you don't like bread crumb toppings, just bake it until the top is golden.

 

[barefootgirl69]

Apples are in the slow cooker to make sauce today. The house smells so very good at the moment.

 

[seela]

Most of us just open a can of pumpkin purée. It's pretty easy that way. I love lots of spices in mine.

It would have been nice to have that option!

Next time, use a huge knife and cut the pumpkin into large pieces. remove the seeds, and bake it first. The skin just falls off that way and you save yourself from blisters. It also takes a lot less energy. Once the pumpkin cools process like normal.

I saw your mac & cheese triumph. I have no idea why people use the box stuff - it takes the same amount of time either way. If I want something special, and I have the time, I pour mine into a shallow baking dish and cover with bread crumbs and bake it until the bread crumbs are toasty brown and it's more like a entree casserole than a side dish.

If you don't like bread crumb toppings, just bake it until the top is golden.

I usually deal with my pumpkins and squash that way. Definitely easier.

 

[seela]

Mushroom pasta.

Chanterelles, porcini, foxy bolete (cool name!!), and bay bolete. And butter, lemon, chives and parsley. And white wine. And onion and garlic. All the good stuff.

 

[Jada59]

My gardener is sick and thinks he's having wheat issues. So I made chicken soup with light brown rice, carrots and chicken. Also gluten free, buttery crackers that I oversalted a bit but they're still good. And leftover gluten free cranberry and walnut muffins.

 

[twister947]

My gardener is sick and thinks he's having wheat issues. So I made chicken soup with light brown rice, carrots and chicken. Also gluten free, buttery crackers that I oversalted a bit but they're still good. And leftover gluten free cranberry and walnut muffins.

Your gardener leads a much more interesting life than most...

 

[Jada59]

Your gardener leads a much more interesting life than most...

You don't know the half of it!

 

[seela]

I'm making carrot and coconut soup and earlier I baked rolls to go with it.


On Saturday we're having a little Christmas thing with friends and I'm in charge of the seafood section.

Gin and cranberry cured salmon
Sugar and salt cured whitefish

I'll also make seared scallops with celeriac puree and something crunchy, not sure what it's gonna be. Bacon crumbs maybe, or nuts. Suggestions?

 

[gracie920101]

I'm making carrot and coconut soup and earlier I baked rolls to go with it.


On Saturday we're having a little Christmas thing with friends and I'm in charge of the seafood section.

Gin and cranberry cured salmon
Sugar and salt cured whitefish

I'll also make seared scallops with celeriac puree and something crunchy, not sure what it's gonna be. Bacon crumbs maybe, or nuts. Suggestions?

Crushed pistachios.

Although one can never go wrong with bacon.

 

[twister947]

... one can never go wrong with bacon.

Words to live by. Pig ftw.

 

[seela]

Crushed pistachios.

Although one can never go wrong with bacon.

Ooh, pistachios! I hadn't thought of them. My go-to is walnut or hazelnut, but pistachios sound really good. Thank you!

 

[cookiecat]

I started weight watchers.

Made a cauliflower, kale, bean soup = delicious.

Tried chicken in the slow cooker with black beans, diced tomatoes. Made chips from corn tortillas. Burned them. Wasn't as delish.

 

[seela]

I started weight watchers.

Made a cauliflower, kale, bean soup = delicious.

Tried chicken in the slow cooker with black beans, diced tomatoes. Made chips from corn tortillas. Burned them. Wasn't as delish.

Send all the best recipes my way!

It's really easy to burn the chips, I've done it a lot. I've learned my lesson and these daysI pretty much sit in front of the oven when I bake them and won't take my eye off them, but I also don't mind a little bit of tinge around the edges as long as they're not burned.

 

[cookiecat]

Homemade chili. Homemade cornbread.

homemade! mmmmm.

 

[cookiecat]

white bean, corn, cauliflower, kale soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups chopped kale leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 32 oz carton vegetable broth
1 15.5 oz can cannelini beans, drained
1 15 oz can butter or lima beans
1 10 oz bag frozen cauliflower florets
1 8 3/4 can corn, drained
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

in a large pot, heat oil, add onion, cook until soft (about 5 minutes)
add kale, garlic, until kale wilts (about 2 minutes)

stir in broth, beans, cauliflower, corn, salt, pepper. cover, bring to boil

remove from heat, transfer 2 cups soup to blender. puree.
stir puree in to remaining soup.
bring soup to simmer, reduce heat, simmer covered for about 20 minutes

I'm not a huge fan of soup but i liked this one - garlic was good, it was just creamy good.

 

[gracie920101]

J has to work Christmas eve and Christmas day. The most holiday cooking I'm doing this year is baking a ham and roasting a few root vegetables.

I haven't even baked a damned thing this year.

 

[cookiecat]

J has to work Christmas eve and Christmas day. The most holiday cooking I'm doing this year is baking a ham and roasting a few root vegetables.

I haven't even baked a damned thing this year.

You're my hero!!

 

[FurryFury]

Today I made Cinnamon rolls and toll house cookies from refrigerated previously prepared dough.

Also made stuffed mushrooms, two pots of coffee, green beans, a hash brown casserole and a Fri Chik pot pie.

Who knows what I'll do tomorrow! I do know I want to make tabbouleh. I hope to peel a pomegranate and also juice one.

My husband was assigned extra shifts which sucks but allows me time in the kitchen since I'm off for a few days!

 

[seela]

white bean, corn, cauliflower, kale soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups chopped kale leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 32 oz carton vegetable broth
1 15.5 oz can cannelini beans, drained
1 15 oz can butter or lima beans
1 10 oz bag frozen cauliflower florets
1 8 3/4 can corn, drained
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

in a large pot, heat oil, add onion, cook until soft (about 5 minutes)
add kale, garlic, until kale wilts (about 2 minutes)

stir in broth, beans, cauliflower, corn, salt, pepper. cover, bring to boil

remove from heat, transfer 2 cups soup to blender. puree.
stir puree in to remaining soup.
bring soup to simmer, reduce heat, simmer covered for about 20 minutes

I'm not a huge fan of soup but i liked this one - garlic was good, it was just creamy good.

Thanks! I'll have try this or at least something similar to this. I don't like cauliflower, but I keep cooking with it because I want to like it! Maybe I'll substitute cauliflower with Romanesco broccoli?

Interesting idea to puree some of the soup. I've never done it before, but now that I think of it, it makes so much sense!

J has to work Christmas eve and Christmas day. The most holiday cooking I'm doing this year is baking a ham and roasting a few root vegetables.

I haven't even baked a damned thing this year.

Low key Christmases are lovely!

I still don't know what exactly I'm going to cook, and the main event for us is tomorrow, because we're a Christmas Eve celebrating nation. I'll figure something out. It'll be very low key here as well. I'm leaving to my much awaited trip on Wednesday and will be gone a few days, so I definitely don't want to overdo cooking this year.

Today I made Cinnamon rolls and toll house cookies from refrigerated previously prepared dough.

Also made stuffed mushrooms, two pots of coffee, green beans, a hash brown casserole and a Fri Chik pot pie.

Who knows what I'll do tomorrow! I do know I want to make tabbouleh. I hope to peel a pomegranate and also juice one.

My husband was assigned extra shifts which sucks but allows me time in the kitchen since I'm off for a few days!

Wow, that's a lot of cooking! I've been itching to bake cinnamon rolls as well, although ours are a little different than yours. I don't think I'll bake them until next year, though.

What do you stuff your mushrooms with?

I've been eating a lot of mushrooms recently, because I found a stash of mushrooms I had totally forgotten I even had.

2016 was an amazingly good mushroom year and I picked so much of them that they still keep popping up in the freezer and and the pantry. Good thing they keep fairly well, especially when dehydrated.

 

[FurryFury]

Thanks! I'll have try this or at least something similar to this. I don't like cauliflower, but I keep cooking with it because I want to like it! Maybe I'll substitute cauliflower with Romanesco broccoli?

Interesting idea to puree some of the soup. I've never done it before, but now that I think of it, it makes so much sense!


Low key Christmases are lovely!

I still don't know what exactly I'm going to cook, and the main event for us is tomorrow, because we're a Christmas Eve celebrating nation. I'll figure something out. It'll be very low key here as well. I'm leaving to my much awaited trip on Wednesday and will be gone a few days, so I definitely don't want to overdo cooking this year.



Wow, that's a lot of cooking! I've been itching to bake cinnamon rolls as well, although ours are a little different than yours. I don't think I'll bake them until next year, though.

What do you stuff your mushrooms with?

I've been eating a lot of mushrooms recently, because I found a stash of mushrooms I had totally forgotten I even had.

2016 was an amazingly good mushroom year and I picked so much of them that they still keep popping up in the freezer and and the pantry. Good thing they keep fairly well, especially when dehydrated.

Cinnamon rolls are xmas traditional here. The recipe I used for the mushrooms is here though I didn't have any bell pepper so omitted that. And I doubled it. I got a thing of baby portobellos and some white ones too.

Bread Crumb and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
Total:30 mins
Prep:15 mins
Cook:15 mins
Yield:8 Portions (8 Servings)
These tasty stuffed mushrooms make an excellent appetizer for a party or family gathering. The mushrooms are stuffed with a delicious mixture of bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and chopped peppers and onions.

Feel free to substitute finely chopped celery for the chopped bell peppers in this recipe. The recipe is easily scaled up for a party.

Ingredients
12 large mushrooms (fresh)
a little oil oil
2 tablespoons green bell pepper (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons*onion*(finely chopped)
1 1/2 cup*bread crumbs*(fresh)
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated or shredded)

Steps to Make It

1. Heat the oven to*325 F (165 C/Gas 3). Butter a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the mushroom caps in a single layer.

2. Clean the mushrooms; remove stems, leaving caps whole. Chop the stems finely.
3. Saute the mushroom caps in 3 tablespoons of butter until tender; transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Saute the chopped stems, green pepper, and chopped onion in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter until onion is translucent.
5. To the onion and pepper mixture, add the*bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly.
6. Fill each mushroom cap with the bread crumb mixture and then sprinkle each with a small amount of Parmesan cheese.
7. Arrange the stuffed mushroom caps in the prepared baking dish.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling*has browned.

 

[gracie920101]

The ham just came out of the oven and smells wonderful!

I kinda forgot it's just the two of us so it took 4 sheet pans to roast all the veggies. Sweet potatoes, carrots, green peppers, butternut squash, zucchini, and portabella mushrooms plus drunken onions in a separate pan.

I won't have to cook the rest of the week except for the biscuits and gravy for breakfast tomorrow.

 

[twister947]

Iced in....making sausage and potato soup.

 

[seela]

I made pasta from scratch. Needed to do something with my hands.

Had it with blue cheese, sauteed spinach and hazelnuts. Turned out pretty tasty!

 

[midwestyankee]

I made pasta from scratch. Needed to do something with my hands.

Had it with blue cheese, sauteed spinach and hazelnuts. Turned out pretty tasty!

Please define "scratch" here. As in, did you use your hands and a rolling pin to flatten the dough or did you use one of those yuppie pasta machines? What you did with the pasta sounds completely delicious, for sure.

I made tea, though I used a teabag to be honest.