CMON recipe book

Einion

New member
Finn's idea from this thread. I'll start with my one-pot chilli recipe that I posted there:

ONE-POT CHILLI

Amounts are approximate because I don't measure except when baking, so feel free to play with the proportions.

Makes 4 good-sized portions, served with rice.

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Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium onions
1 stick of celery
1 large carrot
4-6 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
~1/4 tsp cinnamon
Lots of freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp salt + additional to taste
1-2 squares good dark chocolate (60% cocoa or higher)
Few shakes Worcester sauce*
1 tsp molasses or black treacle*
400g ground beef (~1lb)
1 x 420g tin red kidney beans or pinto beans (~1lb)
1 x 400g tin tomatoes (~1lb)
2 tbsp tomato puree

How you add the chilli flavour is entirely optional (fresh, powdered or whatever) as well as how much to include, so add as much or as little as you like. I tend to use one crushed Scotch Bonnet/habenero plus 1 heaped tsp mild chilli powder if I have it (e.g. ancho {paprika will do fine here if it's all you have}), or three large drops of Dave's Insanity sauce.

*Technically these are both optional but it's better with them in that out; they supply additional umami flavour that isn't being added by browning the meat etc.

Method
Finely chop all the veg, squash the garlic (reduce it to a paste if you feel like it).

Dump all ingredients except for beans and chocolate into a large pot and add enough water to cover, bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or so first day. Stir occasionally

Start the reheat the following day at least a couple of hours before you intend to eat, stirring occasionally until it's at temperature, then reduce to a slow simmer (blup - - - blup stage), uncovered, for 2 hours. Like most things of this kind more cooking time won't hurt it, long as it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pot. If it gets too dry, add in more water.

About 10 or 20 minutes before service add in the drained beans to heat through.

The chocolate should be added right at the end too. Don't overheat the chilli after this point as you run the risk of scorching the cocoa which can make the chilli bitter.

Taste it just before you serve and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Notes
If you don't like beans in your chilli just leave them out and double the amount of beef.

You can bulk this out very successfully with a couple of handfuls of wholemeal breadcrumbs; which I find aren't noticeable at all in the finished dish. If you toast or dry-fry them before use they can help with achieving a 'deep' flavour.

If you're a fan of cumin make sure to add in some more near the end to intensify its flavour; I add at least a teaspoon, sometimes a lot more if I'm in the mood. Similarly you can grind more black pepper in at the end.

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Einion
 

Einion

New member
MY PERFECT CARROT CAKE

This is my version of a carrot cake recipe I found online, cutting way down on the oil (far too much originally, double this amount).

Makes a 9" round cake, or other container of similar volume.

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Ingredients
350g carrots
50g pecans or walnuts (I usually add more nuts than this, as much as 100g works fine)
115g self-raising flour
115g wholemeal flour (plain flour works okay in a pinch)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger (grated fresh ginger works even better if you don't have any dried)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional, or reduce the amount to taste)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda / baking soda
120ml vegetable oil
170g soft brown sugar
5 eggs
8 tbsp golden syrup

Topping (optional)
200g cream cheese
50g softened unsalted butter
50g sifted icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). If you're using a fan-assisted oven, lower the temp by 10 or 20°.

Grate the carrots and chop the pecans. Put to one side.

Sieve together the self-raising flour and plain flour with the spices and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Tip the bran bits left in the sieve into the bowl.

In a separate bowl beat together the vegetable oil, soft brown sugar, eggs and golden syrup (heat the spoon first and the syrup will slide off easily),

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until it's nice and smooth. Stir in the grated carrot and chopped nuts.

Tip the mixture into a greased, lined cake tin (greased casserole dish or bread tin can be used instead) and bake in the middle of the oven for an hour, or until cooked.

For the topping mix the cream cheese, softened butter, sifted icing sugar and vanilla essence until smooth. Allow the cake to cool completely before applying.

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Einion
 

finn17

New member
Ridiculously quick, cheap, delicious snack.....

Ingredients
Tin of ham (preferably not the reformed cack)
Tin of pineapple rings
Grated cheese
Two slices of bread
Butter

Method
Make two slices of buttered toast and then put some sliced ham on top. Add one pineapple ring and then cover with grated cheese. Place under the grill until cheese is bubbling nicely. Eat.

Nothing flash here, but so easy and tasty. I always keep a tin of ham and a tin of pineapple rings in my cupboard for that late-night snack...Nom nom:D
 

dogfacedboy uk1

New member
Nice thread idea Einion!

Going with Finn's simplistic snack theme, here's an alternative way to SERVE up brekky I quite enjoy sometimes. Beats just dumping everything on the plate.

Ingredients

1. Fry Mushrooms (the mega large ones, sliced neatly) in a little butter
2. Cook your bacon in the oven to get it a little crispy and use back bacon - not that streaky American rubbish!!!!
3. Grilled tomato (again the large the better and thinly sliced)
4. Grate a big pile of cheese - something nice and strong and cheddary, not cheap muck!!!
5. 2 Sausages, preferably high percentage meat content or something a little different like pork and herb etc, you know the ones. should be sliced down the middle
6. 1 Slice of toast

Now assemble it up as follows

put the sausage on the toast
put the tomatoes (and thats toe-mar-toes by the way!!!) on the sausage
put the bacon on the tomatoes
put the mushrooms on the bacon
pile on the grated cheese and add some mixed herbs and ground peppercorns

Chuck it under the grill to melt the cheese nicely

serve an omelette on the side with fried potatoes.

Lovely Jubbly.

dfb
 
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dogfacedboy uk1

New member
Nice one Einion, if theres one thing I love it carrot cake mmmmmmmmm

I am renowned as the greatest eater of cake on planet Earth, if not the Galaxy, but the one cake I detest is Carrot Cake!!!!! Bleeeurrghhh!!! (as nice as your recipe may be Einion :) ) Being a lover of cake has its downfalls, not least the expanded belly - people think its funny to get in the queue in front of you and buy the last slice of the afternoon cake, or worse, hide the entire plate under the counter and pretend they have all sold out. Some people are even mean enough to sing cake songs at me as I charge into the canteen in the afternoon for some tea and errrr, cake.

Anyway, I am a great lover of Caramel shortbread slices covered in chocolate and Rocky road cakes, loaded to the gills with marshmallows, so awesome recipes for these would be appreciated......

dfb
 
Here's one good for all ages, and simple too.

Ingredients:
200g Marshmallows
200g Toffees ('Value' ones work fine)
200g Butter
250g Rice Krispies

Method:
Melt Butter, Toffees and Marshmallows in a big pan over a low heat.

Once thouroughly blended, remove from heat and mix in the Rice Krispies.

Place mix into a 8"x12" (yes, I'm British!) baking tray and put in fridge to set.

Consume at rapid pace before your haousemate eat it all.
 

freakinacage

Well-known member
this thread must be stickied!!!
Ribs:
A pile of ribs (did it the other day with 2kg)
6 tbsp jam. Something like plum, crabapple, redcurrant. I use tesco greengage
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsps soy
Couple of garlic cloves
Bit of ginger (about a tbsp)
Some chilli
Mix up and cover ribs with marinade. Leave for at least 2 hrs. I tend to leave mine over night
Cook till it starts to blacken. Enjoy
 

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
Traditional Biryani

This reciepe is provided from our friend Naeema. We've tried it and Boy It's really cracking.
(Plus, Naeema's mother did one for us herself which was better than our attempt.)
Ingredients

Rice:
2 cups of basmati rice

Meat to marinate:
3 or 4 large pieces of boneless chicken (you can cut up into smaller pieces of your preference)
2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons of green chilli paste (this can be made by blending green chillies with drops of water – only add enough water to blend it into a thick paste.
1 teaspoon of garlic and ginger paste (mixed – again this can be made in the same way – add water as required when blending to make a thick paste)
1 teaspoon of red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon of tumeric
Red colouring to personal preference (I added around 6 drops).

Sauce:
2 ½ red onions thinly sliced
3 large tomatoes (peeled and sliced into tiny pieces).
¼ tin of tomatoe sauce (you can use the tinned chopped tomatoes and just blend it in a blender)
1 ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder
1 teaspoon of green chilli paste
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons of garam masala (you can buy from a local Indian grocery, supermarkets possibly sell it as well)
¼ cup of Sunflower oil (approx – add more if the onions are sticking)
Handful of Basil
Handful of Parsley

Method

1. Marinate the chicken pieces 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt, 2 teaspoons of green chilli paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic ginger paste, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon of tumeric and red colouring.
2. Slice 2 ½ large red onions very thinly. Cook the onions in cooking oil (sunflower maybe) until they are golden brown (do not let them get too brown or they will burn).
To the onions add 1 teaspoon of green chilli and 1 ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder. Stir this for about 30 seconds and then add the tomatoe sauce and the 3 large sliced tomatoes. Let the sauce thicken for around 2 minutes (add some water if it is sticking to the pan).
3. Add the marinated chicken mixture to the sauce, close the lid on the pan and let the chicken cook for about 20 minutes (or until it is cooked and tender – make sure that you keep stirring the sauce every couple of minutes to ensure that it is not sticking).
When the chicken is cooked and the sauce thick add salt to taste and two teaspoons of garam masala and add a handful of basil. Cook this for 30 seconds and turn off the gas.
4. In another pan boil 2 cups of rice in boiling water for 12 minutes (or until cooked).
5. Get a third pan and layer the rice and the sauce. The first layer on the bottom of the pan should be a thick layer of rice, then add the meat mixture, then rice again, meat again and rice at the top. (Between each layer add some parsley to garnish the biryani).
6. Put this saucepan into the oven on Gas mark 5 for 15 minutes (or until the steam is coming out from the top of the biryani).


Changes when making lamb biryani - when you marinate you do not add the colouring if you do not want to and you do not add the yoghurt when marinating.
You must boil the small pieces of lamb until it’s soft and tender before adding to the sauce that you make. Then you must cook in the sauce again for a further 20 minutes.
Also, when layering your sauce and rice you should add a teaspoon of natural yoghurt between each layer of rice.
 

gohkm

Active member
Burfi

Traditional burfi - an Indian sweet

200g dessicated coconut
1 tin of sweetened condensed milk
50g finely chopped pistachios
A sprinkling of cardomon

Reserve 50g of the coconut.
Just toss everything into a bowl and mix really well.
Make sure your hands are wet, then shape the mixture into balls.
Toss the balls in the reserved coconut.
Lightly toast.
 

wiccanpony

Official Freak Bar Witch
Fudge Brownies

1 cup sugar

5 TBL butter soft
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (chips, chunks)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3//4+ cup walnuts (or toasted pecans)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees... using about a TBL butter prepare an 8X8 pan and 1 TBL flour and set aside. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Place the sugar, butter and 1/4 cup cold water in a heavy bottom saucepan and bring to simmer on medium heat continue until sugar is dissolved remove from heat add 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted. Let mixture cool.

Place the eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk until pale yellow and ribbons form. Slowly stir in the melted chocolate mixture until well incorporated. Fold in the flour mixture and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate and the nuts and mix well.
Place the batter in the prepared pan and bake about 25-27 minutes. The key to successful brownies is not to over bake them or they loose their flavor and are dry. Let them set as they cool and you will get a soft fudge center and a crispy top.

Cool and cut into 12 squares and serve plain or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
 

freakinacage

Well-known member
Chicken and broccoli bake

some chicken
some broccoli
something for the sauce (you can use cream and stock but tbh I tend to just use cream of chicken soup as it's quick and just as good)
sweet/normal potatoes
cheese (a good cheddar)

Cook chicken (I tend to have mine to use up leftovers rather than cook specially), potatoes and broccoli. Dump chicken and broccoli and half the soup/sauce (pre warmed if you want to grill or not if baking) into an oven proof dish. Top with potatoes and the rest of the soup. Add tons of cheese. Bake/grill till bubbling. Nice winter warmer
 

dogfacedboy uk1

New member
Dont you mean cut into 6 squares Wiccanpony???

I had brownies and ice cream for breakfast in Florida once, when I mentioned this upon my return home I was getting some strange looks.... And if anyone has ever been to the Rainforest Cafe they serve a brownie desert called The "Volcano" which comes out with a firework attached and is for sharing. I ordered it for myself though hehehe, it nearly defeated me, nearly aint good enough though.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiTFGUQrcrs&feature=related

dfb
 
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