jimmy two hands wrote:Also note - get wild caught fish if you can. Tilapia sold in the states is usually farm-raised in a mud puddle in Vietnam or some shit but it's also usually cheapest - don't know if that's the case in the UK. If so, avoid it unless you're strapped for cash.We don't get a lot of Tilapia over here at all - haven't seen it for a couple of years.I guess Hake and Halibut are my go-to white fishes.... not cheap but delicious.Haddock is probably the cheapest option in most fishmongers.

Spinach and Egg curryReally simple and tasty meal. This makes loads and it tastes even better the next day. Again, don't go dirt cheap on coconut milk as the dish suffers when you do. One thing I've learned over the years is that any leftover fresh herbs can be stored in a tupperware container in the freezer without losing much of their flavour. Can do this with ginger too. Just grate some whenever you need it.3 tbsp oil2 large onions, peeled, halved and finely slicedSalt and freshly ground black pepper4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced2-3 green chillies, sliced (remove the seeds and membrane if you don't like it too hot)5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped1 tbsp korma or other curry powder400g tin coconut milk200ml vegetable stock6 eggs300g baby spinachJuice of 1 small lemon1 big handful fresh coriander, tough stalks removed, leaves choppedRice - I cheat and get some of the 2 minute microwavable stuff because I absolutely hate cooking riceIn a large saucepan, warm the oil over a medium heat and sweat the onions with a pinch of salt until they soften and turn golden “ about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, chillies and ginger, and fry for a couple of minutes. Stir in the curry powder, cook for a minute, add the coconut milk and stock, season and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.Put the eggs in a pan of warm water, bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes. Drain, put them in a bowl of cold water for a couple of minutes, then peel. Add the eggs and spinach to the curry “ put on the lid for the first minute, to encourage the spinach to wilt “ and simmer gently for five minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and half the chopped coriander, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Heat for only as long as it takes to warm the eggs through. Top with the rest of the coriander, and serve with rice.

here's a super easy one that I'm posting because I'm having leftovers for lunch today. It's a sausage and greens thing, which is an awesome combo:half a red cabbage6 or 7 stalks of kale (I like Russian better than lacenato for this)1 medium yellow onion1 hard pear (like a d'anjou)some fresh gingersome fresh garlicground coriandersome balsamic vinegarsome olive oilyour favorite sausage. I used a Swiss style ring bologna but this is good with brats or knockwurst toocut the onion such that you have some longer julienne bits rather than a dicecut the cabbage the same way. Toss 'em both in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil and get 'em to browningcut the pear in half, remove the core, then cut into 1/8" thick slices longwayget the skin off a hunk of ginger and chop it up fine. You want about a tablespoon of chopped gingerchop up a couple cloves of garlic nice and finetake all the leafy parts of the kale off the stalk by tearing them. put the stalks in the compost bin 'cause they suckonce the onion starts to brown and the cabbage starts to get limp, toss the ginger, garlic, kale, and pears in the sauce pan. Grind some whole coriander in there or toss in your preground corianderturn down the heat on the pan and put a lid on it. Continue to stir this on lower heat until the kale starts to wilt, then splash it with Balsamic vinegar, toss it some more, then shut heat off and put the lid back on. The whole cooking process takes from 10 to 15 minutes.Cook yer sausage however you like and serve it with the greens.

I have a very simple recipe that I'll break down into two parts for you - the first part being a very simple staple dish, and the second part being a super simple flourish that will take an additional ten minutes of cooking/prep time but puts it over the top - very good if you've got a hot date you want to impress or if youse just want to treat yourself.Part 1 - pan fried pork loin chopsget yourself some boneless pork loin chops, between a half inch to an inch thick. 1 pound will do you fine. 1 tbsp oil or butter into a frying pan, and heat until shimmering/melted, make sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Medium high heat - if your stovetop dial goes to 10, turn it to 7.While that's getting ready, salt and pepper your chops. You can add this while they're still on the styrofoam tray they were packaged in, or on a cutting board. You don't need a ton of salt or pepper, about a pinch to each side - but get both sides of the chops. That is the basic "floor" of spices you'll need, but it's best to add at least one more herb or spice. For pork, sage works well as does rosemary or thyme (or parsely if you want to get all Scarborough Fair up in this bish), especially for this recipe. I always like to add a little paprika and/or Midyett rub, but for this particular recipe you'll want to stick to one or more of those herbs listed above - you don't want to overdo it on the spicing. use a similar amount as the salt or pepper, just a pinch or more. For dried herbs, especially the rosemary and thyme, it helps to crumble up the herbs in your hand before adding so it gets evenly distributed.Ok, now your chops are all spiced up and your pan is hot and buttered, lay your chops out into the pan - 1 lb of 1/2 inch thick chops should all fit into a large frying pan (if they don't all fit, start off with half and do the other half afterward). I like to put the side that's facing up on the cutting board face down in the pan - more on this later. Pork cooks quickly and a lean cut can dry out if you over-cook it, so you'll want to put on a timer. For a 1/2 inch thick chop, go with 2 minutes (an inch thick, go 3). While you're cooking, have a look at the top of your chops. when you originally added the spices to both sides, the side facing down on the cutting board may have left a little spice behind. If so, add just a touch more.Ok, your timer's gone off, so flip each chop with a spatula, and make sure they're lain out evenly on the pan. 2 more minutes is what you need. You may only need 2 minutes for thicker chops - look at the sides of the chops to see whether they've changed color. If the sides have already changed color before you've flipped them, you may only need a minute and a half. If you're unsure, cut into the middle of one to see if there's any pink left. You'll get the hang of this after a few times. If they're cooked through or there's just a little pink left, take them out of the pan and put them on a plate. Since they're hot, they'll keep cooking for a bit and that extra pink will get cooked. a sheet of foil over the top will keep them warm if anything else is still cooking.Note, you can do this with other thin, boneless cuts of lean meat, like veal, or chicken breasts or thighs. If using chicken, the cuts won't be uniform thickness, which can cause part of the meat to get overcooked while you're waiting for the inside to cook. You don't want this to happen with chicken, because rare or medium rare chicken is gross and also not very safe. to get them to uniform thickness, you can either cut the meat in half width-wise, or you can pound them flat with a kitchen mallet. This is a nice tool to have, it's got a spiky side for meat tenderizing and a flat side for flattening. Put the meat on your cutting board, cover with a sheet of clingwrap or wax paper, and smack the shit out of it until it's an inch or half inch thick all over. Other cuts of meat go well with other spices, I find that I prefer thyme over sage for chicken. It all depends on the meal you're making and also what you prefer. That ends the simple, main course basis of your meal. I'll add part 2 in another post.

OK, now that you've seen part 1, here's the flourish.Part 2 - pears with balsamic reductionYou'll need 1-2 pears, 1-2 onions (2 small or one large for each), butter or oil, and 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar.pour your balsamic into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and cook it until it's been reduced by half. Your whole kitchen will smell of vinegar since that's what's boiling off, so you may want to open a window or turn on the exhaust fan.While this is happening, slice your pears & onions into very thin slices, at most say 5 mm, lengthwise top to bottom. Cut out the seeds & stems of the pears & toss those. Heat a frying pan to medium high & add a tablespoon of oil or butter just like for the pork chops (I prefer butter for this recipe) and add the sliced onions & pears. Cook these about 10 minutes, until softened & slightly browned.Now check on your balsamic. It should be thickened by now, about the consistency of syrup. Good? Ok, now put your pork chops from step 1 on a plate and artfully arrange the onions & pears on top, then drizzle your balsamic reduction on top. Make a little zig-zag pattern if you want to get all fancy like those restaurants for rich assholes. If you're on a date, have some nice white wine, and your date will be like "damn, this dude can cook", and you'll probably get laid, too.jimmy two hands wrote:I have a very simple recipe that I'll break down into two parts for you - the first part being a very simple staple dish, and the second part being a super simple flourish that will take an additional ten minutes of cooking/prep time but puts it over the top - very good if you've got a hot date you want to impress or if youse just want to treat yourself.Part 1 - pan fried pork loin chopsget yourself some boneless pork loin chops, between a half inch to an inch thick. 1 pound will do you fine. 1 tbsp oil or butter into a frying pan, and heat until shimmering/melted, make sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Medium high heat - if your stovetop dial goes to 10, turn it to 7.While that's getting ready, salt and pepper your chops. You can add this while they're still on the styrofoam tray they were packaged in, or on a cutting board. You don't need a ton of salt or pepper, about a pinch to each side - but get both sides of the chops. That is the basic "floor" of spices you'll need, but it's best to add at least one more herb or spice. For pork, sage works well as does rosemary or thyme (or parsely if you want to get all Scarborough Fair up in this bish), especially for this recipe. I always like to add a little paprika and/or Midyett rub, but for this particular recipe you'll want to stick to one or more of those herbs listed above - you don't want to overdo it on the spicing. use a similar amount as the salt or pepper, just a pinch or more. For dried herbs, especially the rosemary and thyme, it helps to crumble up the herbs in your hand before adding so it gets evenly distributed.Ok, now your chops are all spiced up and your pan is hot and buttered, lay your chops out into the pan - 1 lb of 1/2 inch thick chops should all fit into a large frying pan (if they don't all fit, start off with half and do the other half afterward). I like to put the side that's facing up on the cutting board face down in the pan - more on this later. Pork cooks quickly and a lean cut can dry out if you over-cook it, so you'll want to put on a timer. For a 1/2 inch thick chop, go with 2 minutes (an inch thick, go 3). While you're cooking, have a look at the top of your chops. when you originally added the spices to both sides, the side facing down on the cutting board may have left a little spice behind. If so, add just a touch more.Ok, your timer's gone off, so flip each chop with a spatula, and make sure they're lain out evenly on the pan. 2 more minutes is what you need. You may only need 2 minutes for thicker chops - look at the sides of the chops to see whether they've changed color. If the sides have already changed color before you've flipped them, you may only need a minute and a half. If you're unsure, cut into the middle of one to see if there's any pink left. You'll get the hang of this after a few times. If they're cooked through or there's just a little pink left, take them out of the pan and put them on a plate. Since they're hot, they'll keep cooking for a bit and that extra pink will get cooked. a sheet of foil over the top will keep them warm if anything else is still cooking.Note, you can do this with other thin, boneless cuts of lean meat, like veal, or chicken breasts or thighs. If using chicken, the cuts won't be uniform thickness, which can cause part of the meat to get overcooked while you're waiting for the inside to cook. You don't want this to happen with chicken, because rare or medium rare chicken is gross and also not very safe. to get them to uniform thickness, you can either cut the meat in half width-wise, or you can pound them flat with a kitchen mallet. This is a nice tool to have, it's got a spiky side for meat tenderizing and a flat side for flattening. Put the meat on your cutting board, cover with a sheet of clingwrap or wax paper, and smack the shit out of it until it's an inch or half inch thick all over. Other cuts of meat go well with other spices, I find that I prefer thyme over sage for chicken. It all depends on the meal you're making and also what you prefer. That ends the simple, main course basis of your meal. I'll add part 2 in another post.

I think I've found the perfect recipe for a fairly quick red pasta sauce, and the secret is a good sofrito, which forms a rich complex base that gives plenty of flavor - even done as vegetarian or vegan. For this you will need:1 large onion, finely chopped1 large shallot, diced2-3 red/orange/yellow bell peppers, finely chopped8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, diced3-4 cloves garlic, minced1/3 C tomato paste (about 2/3 of a small can)2/3 to 3/4 C dry red wine (I use the $5 bottle of Nero D'avola or Montepulciano D'abruzzo from Trader Joe's) 2 C chicken broth (or vegetable broth if doing vegan/vegetarian)(1) 28 oz can of san marzano tomatoes (normal plum tomatoes are too watery, not sweet enough, and then you play a game of reducing further, adding sugar, adding salt to compensate for acidity, and you're still dealing with lotsa seeds)1/2 Tb fresh rosemary, minced1-2 tsp dried oregano1 tsp. smoked paprika1 tsp. crushed red pepperOlive oil[Optional] cooked drained meat (I usually used 2 links of italian sausage, removed from casing and browned. I've also used chicken sausage)Bring about 3-4 Tbs of olive oil to a shimmer over medium-high heat in a large 4-6 qt. dutch oven. Add the onion and shallot and cook until softened, about 2 min, add a pinch of salt to sweat outAdd the peppers and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring regularly and adjusting the heat to ensure that no liquid forms or pools in the dutch oven - this is IMPORTANT. You want everything to caramelize and brown slightly - NOT boil in its own liquid. This means keeping everything hot while stirring so it does not burn!Continue to cook until the veggies start to soften and meld/mix into a caramelized paste of sorts, at this point, add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring. Overall, this will take 20-30 minutes. After the garlic softens, you should be seeing a fond start to form on the bottom of the dutch oven (fond is a layer or specks of browned vegetable material stuck to the bottom - this is good!)Add the tomato paste and keep stirring. The tomato paste should start to darken and thicken with the veggies and add to the fond on the bottom. Once the paste is darkened and smells earthy, and some nice fond has settled, add the red wine and stir, scraping the fond from the bottom and mixing in with the rest. This a the sofrito; and once rich and complex, the hard part is over and you're ready to complete the sauce (the easy part).Once the wine has broken up the fond and evaporated slightly, add the stock and the can of tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes into bits and heat just to a boil. Add the herbs and seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste. Add the meat (if using). Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer another 20-30 minutes until thickened to stick to the back of a spoon. Add to cooked pasta and blend to coat. Serve.

This video is pretty good at laying down the foundations of all good things:phpBB [media]

Hey Folks,Great thread, I did a search on this thread and found the oxtail stew but it's a bit too much for me in the sense that I need something a bit easier to start with. I'm really not that great of a cook but I can follow a recipe. So I'd like a good basic beef stew. My mom used to make a nice one with potatoes, carrots, celery, and a few other things but I have no idea how to go about what herbs and spices she used and how she got the base going etc.. So please send your recipes my way. Thank you,Eddie

My mom improvised her stew recipe, used corn starch for her slurry, and finished it off with drop dumplings, which I've never been able to perfect. I couldn't get her to break it down for me.I've had good luck with this one, but have not added the sugar. Instead, I've thrown in a Tbsp of Worcestershire, sometimes thrown in an equal amount of soy sauce. I also recommend doing 4 C of beef broth vs. 2 C of broth and 2 C of water. (Just buy a whole 4 C box of Swanson's and dump it in.) Not like Mom's, but, um, "elevated" without being too tough to make. The wine is the most expensive ingredient, but if you have a bottle lying around, any old crap red will do. Would love to see recipes from other folks!https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/b ... atoes.htmlThanks! I decided to cheat a bit and use a Lawry's packet for the initial seasoning just to try and get the cooking of the beef and vegetables right and that was a success. I did add bay leaf and star anise and that kicked up the flavor a bit.The slurry consistency seems to be a real trick so I'm going to work on that next.Thanks for the recipe..btw can you use gyoza (trader joe's) as dumplings or will they fall apart?Best,Eddie