Cooking decent, healthy and cheaply..

[gaijin6423]

Okay, I'm going to share my secret weapon:

Pork loin, stuffed with apples (aka: 'Deal Sealer'; 'Panty Dropper'; etc.)
1 pork loin
2 cloves garlic
1-2 medium apples (Granny Smith work the best)
Cinnamon
Thyme
Salt/Pepper
2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
Fresh Rosemary
Sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
Olive oil

Turn on your oven to about 425F. Trim the connective tissue and little end from the pork to clean it up and make it roughly even. Take a filet, boning, or other thin-bladed knife and make an X-shaped cut, directly in the center of the long axis of the meat to create a cavity*. Core, peel and section the apples, toss with the lemon juice, some thyme, the butter, and enough cinnamon and sugar to taste. Cram all that apple goodness into the cavity you just made in the pork. Take some more thyme, the garlic, rosemary, salt/pepper, and just a bit of olive oil, and grind it all up into a paste. Smear paste on outside of meat. Put a bit of olive oil into a hot pan, and add meat, turning to sear all exposed portions of it. Put meat in the oven (on a pan, dumbass), and cook until you reach an internal temperature of 165F (it will carry-over to 170 while resting). Take meat out, place tented piece of foil lightly over meat for about 5 minutes. Slice, serve with garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a nice white wine, then score.

*--You can also use a jerk-type cut to open up the meat, but it requires fair knife skills and butcher's twine to re-seal everything again.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Sounds pretty good, but I love garlic... So I'd probably bump it up to 4 cloves of garlic (two of which finely chopped), and include it with the stuffing... But that's just me. And for the record, I've had a panty or two drop in my day from cooking.

 

[eddie]

"Oh my God! Red meat makes me sooo horny!"

And I can BARELY barbecue...

A lot of them think it's cute if you just try.

 

[Rasczak]

"Oh my God! Red meat makes me sooo horny!"

And I can BARELY barbecue...

A lot of them think it's cute if you just try.

buy sirloin fajita meat, butterfly it, season it with any fajita seasoning, usually a mixture of salt, garlic powder and pepper(a good even mixture), and bbq it. Just watch it cause it cooks really fast. Those come out as the best damned fajitas you will eat. If you can find some mesquite to cook it with, instead of charcoal, even better.

You'll be in heaven....

 

[gaijin6423]

Sounds pretty good, but I love garlic... So I'd probably bump it up to 4 cloves of garlic (two of which finely chopped), and include it with the stuffing... But that's just me. And for the record, I've had a panty or two drop in my day from cooking.

I've used garlic and/or onions in the stuffing before, and to good effect. Roasted garlic, which has a sweeter flavor to it, would be another good option.

 

[Rasczak]

something I like to do is take a few head of garlic and mince them up real nice. Throw them into some cooking oil and cook them in a wok or a good sized pan. cook it till it's nice a brown, somewhat similar to roasted garlic. Except with this you use the oil as part of the sauce.
I'd say about 1.5-2 cups of oil for 3 head of garlic.
When your going to use it, you just stir it up and pour it on whatever your eating.

It goes great with fish. Especially with White cod and mackerel. Great thing is, is that you don't need much to flavor the food, and it will keep for a long time.

 

[awesomes]

If you like garlic here is a way to make mashed potatoes that are not so plain. Get the little red potatoes and cut them up and cook them (leave the skins on). Once cooked, mash them up and add minced garlic (as much or as little as you want), grated romano cheese, milk (just a little), and butter. They are epic!

 

[phrogpilot73]

Rachel Ray, while annoying... DOES serve a purpose!

Just pulled this off of the Food Network website (and no, I was an addict of the Food Network before Brett mentioned it - LONG LIVE GOOD EATS), and I can vouch for it's speed (took me about 25 minutes start to finish), healthy-ness (it's essentially chicken and spinach!), and taste. Courtesy of Rachel Ray and the Food Network:

Warm Chopped Chicken Picatta Spinach Salad Recipe

1 pound chicken breast cutlets, 6 pieces
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
2 pounds triple washed spinach, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. When oil ripples, add chicken and cook 3 minutes on each side then remove and let meat rest and cool.
To the same skillet, add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. Melt butter into extra-virgin olive oil and add the shallots, garlic and capers. Saute 5 minutes then add white wine and reduce 30 seconds. Next, add the juice of 1 lemon and immediately add the spinach - mound up the pan. You will not be able to fit it all in there. Keep turning the spinach and wilting it down until you get it all in there then turn the heat off. Keep some leaves still a bit crisp to vary textures in your salad. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. Chop chicken into little bits and add to the warm salad. Toss to distribute and serve.

Just for the record, I used 6 cloves of garlic. This added just the right amount of "bite" to balance the Pinot that I used in the recipe.

 

[FlyingBeagle]

Bachelor's breakfast burrito:
Scramble crumled, firm tofu in a skillet with Soyrizo (you can usually find it in the produce section), season with a bit of tumeric, put on a tortilla and top with a good jarred salsa and some cheese if you'd like.

Unopened, the salsa won't go bad, and the tofu and soyrizo can be frozen indefinitely. Unlike eggs its nearly impossible to over or undercook tofu and there is no risk of food contamination. Higher protein, lower fat and cholesterol and you won't know the difference (I prefer the taste over the classic). Total cook time about 5 minutes, only one pan required, and cheap.

 

[HercDriver]

I'll have to find my ribs recipe...to follow. As for advice, I found that if I go through a cookbook, pick out some recipes, and shop at the grocery store based on these recipes I won't spend as much money on getting every shiney thing I see before me that looks good. It is easier to track calories as many cookbooks have the calories contained in each recipe.

Indeed this is epic. Who's gonna contact the Food Network? We could have the top rep-ed AW be guest chef's each show.

[threadjack for foodies] Reminds me of a blog I saw that Anthony Bourdain (host of No Reservations on the Travel Channel, a great show IMO) wrote about the Food Network...a few choice quotes:

On Emeril: "I STILL find him unwatchable..."

Rachel Ray: "Complain all you want. It’s like railing against the pounding surf. She only grows stronger and more powerful. Her ear-shattering tones louder and louder. We KNOW she can’t cook... She’s a friendly, familiar face who appears regularly on our screens to tell us that “Even your dumb, lazy ass can cook this!” Wallowing in your own crapulence on your Cheeto-littered couch you watch her and think, “Hell…I could do that. I ain’t gonna…but I could--if I wanted! Now where’s my damn jug a Diet Pepsi?”

Paula Dean: "I’m reluctant to bash what seems to be a nice old lady. Even if her supporting cast is beginning to look like the Hills Have Eyes..." (He also says she is a lookalike for the transvestite Divine from the John Waters films).

Sandra Dean: "Pure evil. This frightening Hell Spawn of Kathie Lee and Betty Crocker seems on a mission to kill her fans, one meal at a time. She Must Be Stopped."

Mario Batelli and Giada (she of the nice rack and irritating pronunciations) are both given props for their cooking. Funny stuff for foodies to read...
http://blog.ruhlman.com/2007/02/guest_blogging_.html
[/end threadjack]

 

[HercDriver]

Not the healthiest recipe, but....

Barbecue rub:
2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons paprika

2 full racks of 3/down pork spareribs

Preheat oven to 180 deg.
I pull the connective tissues off the back of the ribs then rub them down
w/the rub. Put in the oven for 3 hours on a cookie sheet. Drink a few beers. After 3 hours take them out and put them on a grill with a low fire. Grill for 5 mins or longer (you are looking for a light crust), then take them off.

BTW, you can use baby back ribs, which take less time… around 2 hours at 350 deg

 

[nittany03]

I'll add an easy one: Shepard's Pie.
1lb ground beef
1 bag frozen french-cut green beans
1-2 potatoes
sliced cheese (optional)
chipotle peppers, diced tomatoes, and/or onions (optional)

Brown the ground beef and mix it with diced tomatoes, diced chipotles, and/or sauteed onions if desired. Throw it in the bottom of a glass casserole dish. On top, add cheese slices if you want. Pepperjack is great. Cook the green beans (it helps to get the ones you can microwave in a bag) and put them on next. Finally, mash the potatoes and add them on last. Bake the result at 350 degrees for maybe 20 minutes until the top begins to brown. Will make about 6 portions usually. This is great to cook on the weekend and then throw in Ziploc containers to brownbag at work.

 

[robav8r]

Pirates Gold marinade

Mix three equal parts of either soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, orange or pineapple juice (or concentrate), and finally a good italian dressing (or you can use oil & vinegar to avoid the spices). Pour over cut-up chicken pieces, or a london broil and let sit over night (refrigerater). Throw on the grill the next day and you will have some good eats! You can also use this on fish - but only marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.

 

[Rasczak]

Ribs
Boil some baby back ribs until they are nice and soft.
While boiling heat up some teriyaki sauce. Add chives and a touch of soy sauce. After the ribs are done, lather them with the teriyaki sauce. Some of the best ribs I've ever had.

 

[The Chief]

... Boil some baby back ribs until ...

Great, best of the best. Add other fav seasonings to rib boil such as but not limited to:

Couple garlic cloves or sliced fresh ginger, or chopped fresh jalapeno or crushed red pepper. Use imagination.

Also after they are boiled, can put them on the charcoal grill with the teriyaki sauce for about 3-5min/side. Not necessary for flavor but seems to satisfy the grilling mafia.

Easy, no hassels, just great ribs.