Recipes

[Gypsiyee]

i would think nice grilled flatbread would be great with that dip

hmm.. you're probably right, probably crostinis or pitas too.

i've always liked to take cream cheese based dips and use them as a spread on sandwiches in place of mayo and cheese too. spinach and garlic cream cheese dip with turkey on a bagel is fantastic~

[leah]

cream cheese dips are delicious, but omg that dip sounds so naughty!!!

we need to start posting some super-duper-healthy recipes hehe

i don't have any recipes b/c i don't know how to cook; however, i recently purchased some 10-minute marinade that is sooooo good. i started making chicken & veggies with it, along with some garlic rice. nothing too fancy or impressive, but i think it's a very delicious meal.

i need to learn how to cook, or at least learn how to be more creative with food. i'm trying not to eat out anymore as much as i used to b/c i want to start saving money NOW NOW NOW for italy (i don't know how much saving can be done in 4 months, but we'll find out . . . ) and that means eating at home a lot and that sucks when you don't know how to make good food hehe

[Gypsiyee]

It's not really *that* naughty if you use the fat free and lowfat cheeses. aside from that it's just hot sauce and chicken really~

[10sun]

I just finished preparing the best/worst food appetizer possible.

Panchetta wrapped figs with a very tiny bit of butter on top.

They are fucking delicious... but I know that they are horrible for me because all it is grease & sugar.

You make them by getting panchetta (or cottage ham or even thick sliced bacon), wrapping pieces around de-stemmed figs (removing the stem is important folks!), putting a tiny bit of butter on the top, and then putting them in the oven for 10 minutes or so at 425ish.

Voila! All set to go. Best served hot.

-Adam

[Gypsiyee]

Thought I'd post a fudge recipe since it's christmas time and I just made this on Sunday and it's really the easiest fudge I've ever made and it's impossible to mess up.

Peanut butter fudge:

16 oz powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 sticks butter
1tsp vanilla

Put the pb and butter in a large microwavable bowl and nuke for 2 minutes. Take out and stir, put back in the microwave for another 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir all together, put in a cake pan on top of wax paper and spread evenly, then put another piece of wax paper on top to kind of flatten and smooth it - then chill it until it's set

[Evermore]

i just bought a new Kitchenaid mixer. i think i am gunna get the ice cream maker attachment.


banana nut bread ftw..

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Stir in vanilla and banana. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Blend the banana mixture into the flour mixture; stir just to combine. Fold in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.


notes: make sure the bananas are about black or you will notice an aftertaste.

You can make a nice twist on a bananas foster with this.

make a simple syrup and carmalize it. ( PM me if you dont know how to do this ) add dark spiced rum (1 oz) stir vigorusly until alchohol is evaporated. ( roughly 15 sec ) becareful not to burn its really easy to do. Remove from heat.

2 slices of the bread, a scoop of French Vanilla on top. spoon this over the ice cream while still warm and add some whipped cream on top. I like to put lightly toasted pecans or almonds on top.

[Evermore]

Christmas Cookies



You'll need the following:

1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
4 large brown eggs
2 cups of dried fruit
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
Nuts
1 bottle of whisky

Sample the whisky to check for quality. Take a large
bowl. Check the whisky again. To be sure it's the
highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter
in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and
beat again. Make sure the whisky is still OK.
Cry another tup. Tune up the mixer. Beat two leggs
and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried
fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fired druit gets
stuck in the beaterers, pry it goose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whisky to check for tonsisticity. Next,
sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares?
Check the whisky. Now sift the lemon juice and strain
your nuts. Add one table. Spoon the sugar or
something. Whatever you can find. Grease the oven.
Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget
to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the
window. Check the whisky again and go to bed

[Martrae]

I need a good sugar cookie recipe...anyone got one?

[The Kizzy]

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Decorating icing (optional)
Food coloring (optional)


Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 minutes with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) into an 8 1/2-inch round (1/4 inch thick) on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, rewrap in plastic and chill until firm.) Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with cutters and transfer to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging cookies about 1 inch apart.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, gather scraps and chill until dough is firm enough to reroll, 10 to 15 minutes. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll scraps only once) and bake on cooled baking sheets.
If using icing and coloring it, transfer 1/4 cup icing to a small bowl for each color and tint with food coloring. Spoon each color icing into a sealable bag, pressing out excess air, and snip a 1/8-inch opening in 1 bottom corner of bag. Twisting bag firmly just above icing, decoratively pipe icing onto cookies. Let icing dry completely (about 1 hour) before storing cookies.
Yield: 24 servings

[Martrae]

How do they taste, Kiz? Are they to die for or just ok?

[The Kizzy]

We make them for the kids to frost. WHen I think sugar cookie, I think plain cookie with sugar on top. THese arent those. Not one of my favorites

[Martrae]

Hmmm....I wanted a recipe to frost but I want a great tasting one.

[Gypsiyee]

it really depends on what consistency of cookie you're looking for Mart. for me I don't like hard cookies that crumble as soon as you bite into them; I like ones that give a little bend.

I tried this recipe a while back and liked it a lot, but like I said I don't like crunchy cookies



2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk
Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.

Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

[Gypsiyee]

bumpage because I invented this a couple days ago for aid in my 'i'm on a diet and need chinese food' kick, super yum too.. I think anyway. Obviously for those of you not on a diet you can use real stuff instead of low salt, minimal sauce, soy burger (though seriously, I just discovered boca and it's amazing, especially with the ground burger - I can't tell the difference at all.)

Asian Lettuce Wraps
Yield: 2 servings
1 protein, 2 veggies, 1 fat

Ingredients:

6 whole lettuce leaves
1 pouch boca ground burger
1 packet sliced mushrooms
1c julienne carrots
1 tbsp low sodium teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp Mrs. Dash spicy teriyaki marinade
3 green onions, diced
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of "no salt"
A spray of PAM
Salt free lemon pepper (to taste)
Garlic powder (not salt; to taste)

Combine the mushrooms, oil, sauces, onions, and seasonings together in a PAM coated large saute pan or wok over medium heat. Heat until mushrooms are halfway cooked, about 3-5 minutes

Add 1 packet of Boca ground burger (there are 3 packets to a box for clarification) and the carrots and mix well. Saute until boca meat is heated through and carrots are tender, another 3 or so minutes.

If you can't get the saucy consistency you're looking for, add a little water - throw it in a lettuce leaf, wrap up and enjoy =)

[Drem]

that sounds really good, gyps. i went to this asian market for fun a while ago and picked up some wonder tool from Thailand that's like a potato skin peeler but it's not. the blade is jagged and peels off carrots in perfect strip-style for stir fry. it also has some notch on it that sticks out that's just long enough to peel the rind off an orange. and if you turn it 90 degrees it has some triangle-shaped tool to cut a lime in half with style. it's the coolest utensil i've picked up in a while

if y'all want a really easy and healthy snack, go out and buy some puff pastry sheets and some spinach. wrap the spinach up in a few layers of puff pastry and flat grill it til it's as crispy as you like. all you have to do is put salt on the finished product for taste and it's a super easy and healthy snack you can have anytime of the day in about 2 mins

on another, at my new job i learned a great recipe for greque prawns. little oil/garlic at first, add marina, sautee your shrimp, add saffron butter, add celantro, etc etc and lay it on top of a bed of linguine. best shrimp i've ever had. i'd be more in depth with the recipe but what i just said is as deep as i go when i think about it... it's too natural at this point to list amounts by tsp or tbsp, sorry

[brinstar]

make leah post the recipe for our mom's Melt-In-Your-Mouth sugar cookies

they are the fucking bomb

[Gypsiyee]

that sounds really good, gyps. i went to this asian market for fun a while ago and picked up some wonder tool from Thailand that's like a potato skin peeler but it's not. the blade is jagged and peels off carrots in perfect strip-style for stir fry. it also has some notch on it that sticks out that's just long enough to peel the rind off an orange. and if you turn it 90 degrees it has some triangle-shaped tool to cut a lime in half with style. it's the coolest utensil i've picked up in a while

if y'all want a really easy and healthy snack, go out and buy some puff pastry sheets and some spinach. wrap the spinach up in a few layers of puff pastry and flat grill it til it's as crispy as you like. all you have to do is put salt on the finished product for taste and it's a super easy and healthy snack you can have anytime of the day in about 2 mins

on another, at my new job i learned a great recipe for greque prawns. little oil/garlic at first, add marina, sautee your shrimp, add saffron butter, add celantro, etc etc and lay it on top of a bed of linguine. best shrimp i've ever had. i'd be more in depth with the recipe but what i just said is as deep as i go when i think about it... it's too natural at this point to list amounts by tsp or tbsp, sorry

oh man i love tools like that. i wouldn't trade my apple peeler corer slicer for the world.

those spinach-puffs sound really good; I can't have them on the diet I'm on currently, but for sure I'll try them after.. I always look for a reason to use puffed pastry o.O

those shrimp sound awesome too - I have a hard time with measuring things by tool as well, but on a diet you have to

[leah]

make leah post the recipe for our mom's Melt-In-Your-Mouth sugar cookies

they are the fucking bomb

i'll do it sometime this week, i have to dig it up first (or ask mom for it). anyway, he does not exaggerate--MIYM cookies are the best things ever made.

[Evermore]

Ok Here is the ultimate app


Atomic Buffalo Turds


bet ya can't eat just one

[Tikker]

that's not bad looking at all

pretty similar to Jalapeno poppers, just with sausage

[kaharthemad]

Since Halloween is coming up...
And for all you Cat Crew folk..


Kitty litter Cake.

1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Roll candies

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper
Instructions: Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put 3 unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything -- this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top. For the coup de gras take one Tootsie Roll and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

Further notes:
I had a reader write in saying this recipe only needed half the amount of pudding. I personally liked the cake with the amount given in this recipe. But feel free to use this as a loose guideline, use more or less as you see the need. Also, since the layer of cookies (with the chloropyll green specks, covers the top, you could really use any flavor or flavors or cakes underneath.

Last but not least, you can also opt not to crumble the cakes, but rather layer them in the pan with the layers of pudding in between (much like you would layer a trifle into a trifle dish), sprinkle the top layer of pudding with a heavy layer of crumbled cookies. Same effect, different texture entirely to the dessert.


its good and you always have extra cause noone will eat the damn thing.