Home Cooking 2023

[swakyaby]

I enjoy reading about both the hits and the misses, so I learn from other’s efforts. Love home cooking. So thanks for starting this thread, Pellice!

I see you’re in gardening zone 3a-5a, JP. Can’t imagine what tomato gardening is like out there.

 

[brett]

I started doing Thai during covid when we could not for two winters. We were desperate for good Thai food. Fortunately we have a few good Asian grocers nearby that stock the right ingredients.

Mostly Pad Thai, Penang Curry, Coconut/shrimp soup. With jasmine rice. Sometimes Massaman curry or red pineapple curry.

On the bbq..everything including chicken kebobs, port ternderloin, shrimp, salmon, a little beef from time to time. All seasons. Seldom use our oven.

We typically have a meat/fish/chicken entree and a large salad. Unless fresh corn on the cob is in season.

 

[audreyh1]

I fortunately took several Thai cooking classes decades ago, and they have really paid out dividends since.

We don’t have a good local Asian grocery. I order ingredients as needed. I ended up planting my own Kaffir lime tree as we live in citrus country. That has been nice!

 

[Midpack]

We cook four nights a week (two nights each), and go out for dinner three nights.

We’re trying new things all the time, but our current entree staples are Tuscan Chicken, Coq Au Vin, Chicken & Shrimp Etoufee, Pasta Ceci, White Chili, Jambalaya, 3 Bean Chili, One Pot Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup, Corn Chowder, Gazpacho, Dijon Chicken, Swordfish (or Tuna) Spiedini, Chicken Vesuvio, Chicken A-La-King, Pasta Bolognese, Risotto w Prosciutto & Asparagus, Chicken Parmesan w Rosemary, Chilaquiles, Peanut Chicken Sesame w Soba - from memory. DW is also an accomplished baker and budding chocolatier.

Foods we go out for because we can’t/don’t make at home - true Neapolitan pizza, sushi, red meat, Indian, most seafood, top notch Mexican.

We enjoy cooking, as long as we don’t have to 7 days a week…retired you know.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Cukes have been inexpensive lately, so I've been chopping up a Greek-style tomato/cucumber salad. DW and I don't care much for iceberg lettuce, and sliced, peeled cucumbers make a nice alternative. I throw in a couple dozen kalamata olives and some feta cheese cubes. Dressing is optional with the briny presence of the olives and feta cheese.

 

[Pellice]

Used my own garden grown cabbage, carrots, and a bit of jalapeno, as well as some store-bought stuff, to make coleslaw today. It was excellent. I have more cabbages coming, so any suggestions for other summery cabbage recipes?

 

[audreyh1]

We use sautéed cabbage as a low-carb base for many dishes - it’s a good substitute for noodles or rice.

 

[Jerry1]

Home cooking tonight was a stir fry. Chicken with a lot of veggies. Even used cauliflower rice instead of rice. Colorful too.

 

[Toast]

Jerry1, we’ve made many stir fries over the years and tried several different sauce recipes. None of them taste that great. Would you mind sharing your recipe?

 

[old medic]

I really enjoy cooking at home too.

That was one of my joys in retirement, having dinner ready for the DW when she got home from work. But now I'm the burden around the house, and its killing me that theres very little I can do for the next couple months...

 

[CincyDave]

Used my own garden grown cabbage, carrots, and a bit of jalapeno, as well as some store-bought stuff, to make coleslaw today. It was excellent. I have more cabbages coming, so any suggestions for other summery cabbage recipes?

I have not had very good luck with cabbage in my garden, primarily due to bugs. Do you like sauerkraut and if so, have you made your own? Super simple. The only thing you need besides cabbage is salt.

We also like cabbage on the grill. Rough chop some cabbage and onions mixed with a few slices of crumbled cooked bacon and the bacon grease from the bacon. Salt and pepper it, wrap it in foil, and throw it on the grill till the bottom starts to get a little char on it. Works best with a hot grill, something you'd cook steaks or burgers on.

 

[Pellice]

I have not had very good luck with cabbage in my garden, primarily due to bugs. Do you like sauerkraut and if so, have you made your own? Super simple. The only thing you need besides cabbage is salt.

We also like cabbage on the grill. Rough chop some cabbage and onions mixed with a few slices of crumbled cooked bacon and the bacon grease from the bacon. Salt and pepper it, wrap it in foil, and throw it on the grill till the bottom starts to get a little char on it. Works best with a hot grill, something you'd cook steaks or burgers on.

I thought sauerkraut was more involved. Hmmm.

The kind of cabbage I grow is a miniature - "Katarina Baby Cabbage." Only 4 inches, matures quickly, which helps with the disgusting slugs.

 

[CincyDave]

I thought sauerkraut was more involved. Hmmm.

The kind of cabbage I grow is a miniature - "Katarina Baby Cabbage." Only 4 inches, matures quickly, which helps with the disgusting slugs.

I'll have to try that baby cabbage. Sounds interesting. Could even do it in containers. If you want to try kraut on a small scale to start, google mason jar sauerkraut. The main things are to get the salt to cabbage ratio right (best to weigh if you have a kitchen scale) and don't use iodized salt.

 

[KB]

That was one of my joys in retirement, having dinner ready for the DW when she got home from work. But now I'm the burden around the house, and its killing me that theres very little I can do for the next couple months...

Old Medic, you are not the burden around the house, you are giving your DW the opportunity to show her love by caring for you.

 

[Jerry1]

Jerry1, we’ve made many stir fries over the years and tried several different sauce recipes. None of them taste that great. Would you mind sharing your recipe?

Here’s the original recipe:

https://www.momontimeout.com/easy-chicken-stir-fry-recipe/

We changed it a little. We added onions and we use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. We also add a little more broth to the sauce because we like the sauce.

It’s not like restaurant stir fry in a wok but it’s a pretty tasty combination of protein and vegetables.

 

[pacergal]

That was one of my joys in retirement, having dinner ready for the DW when she got home from work. But now I'm the burden around the house, and its killing me that theres very little I can do for the next couple months...

Hang in there, oldmedic! Take your time to heal.

I have some zucchini and yellow squash from my brothers garden, and planning to stir fry those with onions, carrots, celery, then add some quinoa for dinner tonight.

 

[Ronstar]

My favorite kind of cooking

 

[Pellice]

I'm looking for the best way to always have cooked chicken on hand, most likely in the freezer. I'd like to resist buying Costco's (and similar) packaged, cooked chicken removed from (I guess) unsold rotisserie chickens. It's mighty convenient - I just made chicken salad this morning from some - but it's loaded with additives, taken from the cheapest and worst-treated chickens, and heavily processed. Cooking and freezing whole chickens would make it cost-effective to use higher quality chickens.

My old Joy of Cooking talks about poaching whole chickens, and I also have my Instant Pot, which could essentially produce steamed chicken, but I wonder if any of you have tried any method for easily cooking whole chickens. I'm not planning to immediately feature the meat in a meal, as you would with roast chicken.

But maybe roast chicken would be easiest, as with that method you could leave the skin on and just salt and pepper the outside? I'm looking for something that doesn't require cutting up the whole chicken, removing the skin, or preferably doing little more than removing the innards and tossing it into a pot.

What have you all tried?

 

[audreyh1]

I smoke whole chickens, one or two at a time, brining them overnight first and using a rub. It’s the most delicious way by far and my favorite.

Before that I would roast a whole chicken spatchcocked (backbone cut out then pressed open) in a large cast iron skillet in the oven, breast side down first. This also was delicious but there is some oven splatter. I think I found a video on this from American Kitchen.

Here it is:

 

[old medic]

Old Medic, you are not the burden around the house, you are giving your DW the opportunity to show her love by caring for you.

Hang in there, oldmedic! Take your time to heal.

Thanks

 

[audreyh1]

My favorite kind of cooking

Yeah, same here. Smoked a whole duck this morning. It didn’t take long.

 

[W2R]

I cooked every single meal for my family for decades upon decades when I was younger, when I was between ages 10-55. After that I started gradually losing my enthusiasm for cooking. Now that I am 75, I can afford to eat restaurant food, and TBH I really don't enjoy cooking when it takes longer to cook something than it takes to eat it.

So, I don't actually cook any more although I might make a sandwich once in a long while. Finding restaurant take-out that is healthy, delicious, and affordable really is not an insurmountable task any more in 2023.

 

[swakyaby]

I'm looking for the best way to always have cooked chicken on hand, most likely in the freezer.

My old Joy of Cooking talks about poaching whole chickens, and I also have my Instant Pot, which could essentially produce steamed chicken, but I wonder if any of you have tried any method for easily cooking whole chickens.

Besides poaching or roasting whole chickens, another method you might consider is sous vide a whole chicken. The prep is simple: fill the cavity with sliced onions and lemon slices, rub the poultry skin with your own or store-bought dry rub. Either place in a large zip-lock bag with most air evacuated or use a vacuum seal bag. It would take about 6 hours at 150 F in a large pot of water with a foil covering to reduce evaporation. It’s idle time, somewhat like a slow cooker.

 

[Jerry1]

To pre cook a chicken for freezing and eating at a later date, I would just find an easy InstaPot recipe. It would be easy cleanup and not something you’d have to watch over.

 

[Kings over Queens]

My favorite kind of cooking

I made one last week. Love pulled pork.