Genealogy Forum UK

Hi guys...

We are going to have a Monthly Cook in or Cook off!

Get those recipe books down and look for somat really great that we can all have a go at cookin'!

So once a month we will feature a recipe from someone and we will all have a go at cooking it.
Hopefully all on the same evening!
or if not certainly over last 2 weeks of the month ..... then report back the beg of the next month

So the challenge is post a recipe
we will then vote on which one... I will put a poll up when we have a few in.

Just a main course to start with see how it goes.
and just the name of the dish to start with please, then whoever wins can post the cookin method too.....ok? easy peasy eh?
We will then all cook it and let everyone know whether we liked it or not and putting the following on...

= Loved it!
=Good!
= not too sure!
= Sorry hated it!

and feel free to take a photo!

So come on all you budding Gordon Ramseys....who will start the ball rolling?
What are we going to be cooking in the last 2 weeks of the month?



___________________________

BELOW ARE THE PREVIOUS RECIPES WE HAD EARLIER THIS YEAR

Previous Recipes and link to archive for method and photos.

JANUARY

CAROLS FISH PIE
All enjoyed it- and would cook it again------so thumbs up!
See here for the January recipe etc.

FEBRUARY

MALLY'S BACON-WRAPPED PORK WITH VERMOUTH SAUCE
(known locally as Pork wrapped in bacon with a saucy vermouth!)
All enjoyed it and would cook it again......so thumbs up!
See here for the February recipe etc

MARCH

Di's POTATO, BACON, CHEESE AND PAPRIKA CASSEROLE
The majority was a
and went down well so thumbs up!
See here for the March recipe etc

APRIL

Mallys TARRAGON CHICKEN WITH LIME AND CREME FRAICHE
Verdict on the ones who did it was a
others still to cook and will let us know so this could change to a or a
whole spectrum of emoticons here.....
See here for the April recipe etc

E R then!! A Dutch Recipe!! We ate it last saturday!! delicious!!

Braised steak (Gestoofde runderlappen as they say in Dutch)


1 kilogram/2.2 lbs chuck or blade steak
flour
salt & pepper
1 large onion
2 large carrots
1 bottle/3 deciliter dark beer
1 tsp vinegar
sachet garden herbs
parsley
2 tbsp vegetable oil


Cut the meat into chunks. Peal the onion and chop into chunks. Clean and slice the carrots.

Heat the oil in a casserole, Dutch oven or large skillet. Mix flour with salt and pepper and coat the meat thoroughly with this mix. Quickly brown the meat on all sides, then take from the pan, leaving the oil and drippings. Put in the onion and carrots, turn down the heat and simmer slowly for 5 minutes. Put the meat back in, add the beer, vinegar and herbs, and mix well. Put a lid on the pot or casserole and place it for 140 minutes in a preheated oven at 170C/330F.

If the mix becomes too dry while braising in the oven, add some water.

When ready to serve, take out the herb sachet. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the dish. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green salad.

This would go well with Rob's Braised Steak, or with soup, or with butter and Golden Syrup or honey.

Di's recipe for November

Aussie Damper
Damper is traditionally a simple Australian unleavened bread baked in the hot coals of a campfire. The dough was wrapped around a stick and cooked or put into an iron pot and buried in the hot coals. The bread is called damper because the fire is damped to allow the bread to be cooked over the ash covered hot coals.
Of course it can be cooked an oven, but it really tastes best when cooked in the coals of a campfire. Traditionally, you didn't put it in a container or wrap it in anything. We just made the dough into a sort of flattened round shape and chucked in the ashes, covered it in hot ashes also, and then knocked the ashes off when it was cooked and ripped into it. Yummy eaten hot with butter and Golden Syrup melted into it. (Can cause dreadful indigestion eaten like this though )

Ingredients:
4 cups of self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
50 grams of butter - melted
1 stubby of beer (can use milk, but beer makes it nice and fluffy)
1 bread tin

Method:
Preheat oven to 210C.
In a large bowl, sift the self-raising flour and make a well. Into the well add the melted butter, beer and salt. Gently mix the batter and knead to smooth dough. Place dough into a pre greased and floured bread tin and allow to rise for about 15 minutes before placing in oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked. You can tell when its cooked by tapping the crust. If it sounds hollow, it's cooked.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Reserve for later use and slice as required.

(I suggest, if you're making this, don't leave it too long before eating it. It's at its best when it has just cooled.)

You can add all sorts of stuff for variety - grated cheese, herbs, chopped bacon. Some people say you can make a nice sweet version by substituting a can of lemonade for the beer and putting in dried fruits. Haven't tried this, but I think I will now.

A cheap and quick tea, not a posh meal! Only a guide of measures because I just mix and match what I have in.
Quick, Cheap, Chicken Soup!
1/2 bag of Iceland casserole mix (frozen veg) cost £1.00
1/4 bag of Iceland cubed chicken breast (cooked from frozen) cost about £4.oo but actual use about £1.00
A couple of bay leaf
a little dried sage
salt and pepper
Whatever veg needs using up!

Heat a small amount of oil in frying pan and cook off chicken cubes.
Cover casserole mix with boiling water and boil till just tender, keep the water, add stock and crushed garlic clove.
Blitzs with blender.
Add cooked chicken.
In the same pan you cooked the chicken, fry up diced onion and anything else that needs using, like, grated carrotts, leeks... potato if you like.
Add that to the soup, a little sage or rosemary, season to taste.
Add more stock to your liking.
Let it simmer untill all well cooked.

If I have cream to use I add a little once it's in the bowls and we have french stick with it, some toasted and rubbed with a garlic cube.
Quick, cheap and tasty.
Jo

well i kinda like the idea of a starter,main meal and a dessert but as i've said many times the best chefs are men and we seem to have a natural feeling for " haute cuisine".
At the moment though not many people seem to be interested or just, and i feel i have to say this at the risk of hurting a few feelings, bone idle!!!Sorry lazy!!

Salmon and cucumber boats.

1 large orange
6 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 large tomato (about 1/4 pound), diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 kirby (or Persian) cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 slices pumpernickel (or whole-wheat pitas)

Preperation:
Zest orange over a bowl. Cut away rind. Section orange over bowl, removing membranes and catching juices and sections in bowl.
Mix in salmon, tomato, onions, basil, oil, pepper and salt. Divide salmon mixture evenly among cucumber boats.
Top each boat with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream. Serve with bread.

Then - Braised steak (Gestoofde runderlappen as they say in Dutch)


1 kilogram/2.2 lbs chuck or blade steak
flour
salt & pepper
1 large onion
2 large carrots
1 bottle/3 deciliter dark beer
1 tsp vinegar
sachet garden herbs
parsley
2 tbsp vegetable oil


Cut the meat into chunks. Peal the onion and chop into chunks. Clean and slice the carrots.

Heat the oil in a casserole, Dutch oven or large skillet. Mix flour with salt and pepper and coat the meat thoroughly with this mix. Quickly brown the meat on all sides, then take from the pan, leaving the oil and drippings. Put in the onion and carrots, turn down the heat and simmer slowly for 5 minutes. Put the meat back in, add the beer, vinegar and herbs, and mix well. Put a lid on the pot or casserole and place it for 140 minutes in a preheated oven at 170C/330F.

If the mix becomes too dry while braising in the oven, add some water.

When ready to serve, take out the herb sachet. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the dish. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green salad.

And then-

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Bar Dessert .
An incredibly easy rich and satisfying ice cream dessert made with ice cream sandwiches and fudge sauce. This keeps in the freezer very well and can be eaten straight from the freezer.

INGREDIENTS.
1 (16 ounce) can chocolate syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
19 ice cream sandwiches
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup salted peanuts

DIRECTIONS
1.Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes on high. Do not allow to boil. Stir peanut butter into hot chocolate until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2.Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with a layer of ice cream sandwiches. Spread half the whipped topping over the sandwiches. Spoon half the chocolate mixture over that. Top with half the peanuts. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm, 1 hour. Cut into squares to serve.


Drinks to be served ? I haven't decided yet.Red or White wine?

Gosh Rob that all sounds lovely .

Annie

I Love Salmon, Braising steak and ice cream with fudge but would miss out the nuts, and lemon istead of orange for the salmon.

Annie

See!!! At last someone with taste and finesse!!
Annie you remind me of a lady i once knew.Winnie was her name.
Anyway thats besides the point Annie.I've been told off for putting the recipes on!!
They have to be put on nearer the time.So anyone else having a go dont forget Dont include the recipes yet!!!

Poor Rob you always seem to be in bother you can't do right for doing wrong

Annie

Rite Robbie you can run this.... come on use your charm to enage the members

I pass the baton to you!

No you don't!!
I have an important event happening any day now and i cannot commit myself!
Anyway i have a feeling this is going to be a non-event!1
There's only you me and Di.
Where's San lately? Has she fell down again?

Just ignore my cheap chicken soup Rob, why dont you!
Jo

How about:

Beef and stout stew

followed by

Pears in red wine

(Am test-cooking the former tomorrow so I may withdraw it later but it sounds so good it is bound to be delicious. The pears are always good.)

PS How will you vote on this? Is it mix and match or whole menu only? I could find a starter if you insist.

Right San have you had a think after your holiday!!?
We've got Me,Di,The girl from up North,Jo and Gardner at the moment.
Come on Peterd start showing us your cooking skills!!
Annie? Mikleed(where is he lately?) Linell,A5Baggie,MarkCDod,Steve T,Sparkstopper!!
Who else ? Apowell!! Come on you can do us a military tinged meal!! Bully beef or whatever they eat! KP rations!!
Rocky Fowler! You can cook something they're all eating in Blackheath at the moment.Balti?
Who have i forgot? Maths Girl !! Come on and you mjsmith!!
Come on it's great fun!! Cook the meal.Make a digital photo (presentation is important) and send it in.The judges, who are still to be apointed,will decide who the eventual winner is.
The winner gets to spend an evening listening to me talk about Oldbury and Tiddlywinks!!!

Hurry cos the closing date is 30 October 2009 2359 hrs.