There is another discussion about this, but unfortunately it's filed under "Yokosuka".  I wanted to start one under Food & Drink.  So here goes...

Post your favorite home recipes!  The only rule is: The ingredients must be readily available at the commissary or at a Japanese store (no mail order!)  If it's a Japanese ingredient, explain clearly what it is & how to find it.  I'll start, cuz I have it on the stove right now and it smells SOOOO GOOOODDDD!!!

So... Here is my world-famous Catfish Gumbo.

1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth
2 (16 ounce) cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 bay leaf
2 pounds catfish fillets
1 (10 ounce) package frozen sliced okra, thawed
Hot cooked rice

Sauté green pepper, celery, onion and garlic in hot oil in a Dutch oven until tender. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut catfish into 1-inch pieces; add to gumbo and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in okra; cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Serve over rice.

This is one of the few recipes I follow almost verbatim cuz it's nearly perfect as is.  The only changes I made today are I increased the vegetables, and added a splash of beer.  The broth is simmering right now and the house smells WONDERFUL!!

And here it is!  Time to chow down. 

That looks great!  Thanks for starting this thread.  As a Navy husband taking care of 2 kids while wife is deployed, various recipes will prove to be useful in keeping the kids taste buds from getting bored.  

My Family Loves Pretzels, and it just makes no sense to buy the ones in the freezer because they just don't taste the same as back home, so I found a recipe and we all love them, Its also fun if you let the toddler roll out their own pretzels as well.

1 jar cheese whiz or whatever you want to dip yours in ( we prefer cheese whiz and put canned jalepenos in it)

Ingredients
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping- we use sea salt.




Directions
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

I've learned to make a pretty yummy guacamole, since I really miss Chipotle's. Don't think I'll be able to replicate the chicken burrito bowl, so haven't tried that yet. Just have to wait for my next trip back to the states. Anyway, I don't really measure but this is an estimate.

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1/2 small red onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
cilantro, small handful chopped
chopped jalapenos, depends on your spicy tolerance
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 small tomato (optional)
salt to taste

Directions:
Chop up the vegetables first and put into a medium size bowl.
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit.
I usually slice them while still in the peel down then across, then scoop them out with a spoon and add it to the bowl.
Squeeze the lime juice in and add a little salt.
Stir and smash with the spoon until relatively smooth.
Serve with you favorite tortilla chips. I like the hint of lime Tostitos Yummo! Taste good on tacos and in burritos as well.

Both the gumbo and the pretzels sound good. Maybe I'll try it using half the ingredients since it's just me.

Adam was talking on Facebook about cooking a rib roast, and I promised to post this recipe so here it is.

Blackened Standing Rib Roast

3-7 bone prime rib
2 to 3 tablespoons peppercorn
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1 T dried rosemary
1 T dried basil
Olive oil

Set meat out to come to room temperature (important!) Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. In mortar with pestle, crush peppercorn, garlic, salt and herbs. Drip in olive oil to make a thick paste. Vary the herbs according to taste as desired.

Pierce meat deeply with sharp knife in one or two spots between each rib. Rub herb mixture all over the roast, and pack the pierced areas with seasonings so flavor will permeate inside the roast. Place roast bone side down in a shallow baking pan and insert meat thermometer into center of roast, being careful that pointed end of thermometer does not touch bone. Cook 20 to 25 minutes to sear. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue cooking approximately 20 to 25 minutes per pound or until desired temperature is reached (less 5 degrees).

When beef is done, let stand 10 to 15 minutes for easier carving and to let the juices set.

The final temperature for rare will be 130, medium rare 135 and 140 for medium. Remember too, that the placement of the thermometer can greatly affect the thermometer temperature. Serve with straight horseradish or (for wussies) a blended horseradish sauce.

2 pieces bread (if you want to get fancy use frozen waffles)
1 jar crunchy peanut butter
1 jar strawberry jam
1 small bag regular Lays potato chips

preheat oven to 180c
carefully spread Pnut butter in thick layer over 1 piece of bread/waffle
layer the Pnut butter slice with the potato chips (to taste)
pour on the jam to the other slice and spread it around all over(if you spill some lick it off the side of the bread)
place the jam slice on top of the Pnut butter slice (or you'll lose yer chips)
turn off the oven.

Enjoy
World famous PBJPC sandwich

I love this thread. Thaiguy you are quite the cook. Ive never seen a bone-in prime rib here :/ and I LOVE Chipotle's JESSYE!

Short ribs

3 lbs of short ribs (adjust serving accordingly to your family's needs though)
1/3 cup oil
1 cup red wine
1 quart of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper ribs.

Heat a dutch oven or ovenproof skillet over med-high heat with oil. Add the ribs and brown all sides to form a dark crust. Add the red wine, stock, bayleaf and thyme. Cover and bake in the oven for 3 hours. Remove the lid, increase heat to 450 and cook for 20-30 min basting every 15 min until only 2 cups of liquid is left.

This is great served with mashed potatoes, polenta, egg noodles, or rice. It can also be used in the slow cooker if you are leaving for work

Since jessy is bringing the guacamole, I'll add in the refried beans. This is an awesome recipe, and it will make you choke the next time you look at those nasty canned refried beans. These have a light, delicious flavor, and no lard! I got this recipe from the food network, and have served it at pot lucks to rave reviews. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/...index.html

Delicious Refried Beans

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 jalapeno, minced
* 1/4 cup diced onions
* 1 packet Sazon seasoning (about 1 1/4 teaspoons) (commissary carries this in the Mexican section)
* 2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans
* 1 lime, juiced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapeno, onion and Sazon. Saute until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1 can of pinto beans including the liquid in the can. Simmer until beans heat through and soften, another 4 to 5 minutes. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the beans. Drain the second can of pinto beans and add those to the pot. Stir mixture together and cook until beans warm through. Stir in lime juice and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve with enchiladas or as a side dish.

The commissary has bone in prime rib...i get it once in awhile for special occassions and make at home. Here's a recipe (from my Mom) for Yorkshire pudding to go with the prime rib...

9x13 dish (or whatever will fit in your oven..for the Japanese size ovens)
Drippings from roast
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
pinch of salt (I omit the salt because when making my prime rib i use Hawaiian Salt on the outside, so the drippings have enough salt in it)

Pour out some of the drippings if there is too much...just need enough to generously cover the bottom of the pan...but the more drippings, the better..hehe
Beat eggs about 30 seconds (by hand or mixer) then add milk and beat again. Add flour all at once and beat again until smooth.
Turn oven onto 450 (I usually use about 200 or so in my Japanese oven) and heat drippings in the dish until REALLY hot...maybe a good 5-10 mins. or so. Add mixture all at once and bake for about 15 mins. Turn oven down to 350 and bake about 15-20 mins. more until puffy and deep golden brown. Cut into squares and serve. Important to NOT open the oven while cooking this as the heat will escape.
Times and temps may vary depending on if you use a Japanese oven, i have just kind of gone by eyeing it in mine.
Can also be done with chicken drippings.

SOUTHERN CHERRY DUMP CAKE

9X13 DEEP DISH BAKING PAN
2 CANS OF CHERRIES
1 BOX OF READY MIX WHITE CAKE, LIKE BETTY CROCKER 
LOTS OF BUTTER

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375
GENEROUSLY COAT DISH IN BUTTER
POUR IN THE CHERRIES SHOULD BE AN INCH HIGH
TAKE DRY CAKE MIX AND EVENLY COVER TOP OF CHERRIES
COVER TOP OF CAKE MIX WITH AT LEAST A QUARTER INCH OF BUTTER(THE MORE THE BETTER)
BAKE UNTIL TOP OF MIX BEGINS TO CARAMILIZE- ABOUT 30 MINS


I LIKE TO HAVE THIS CHILLED BUT IT IS GOOD WARM. WHEN COLD IT WILL BE CRUNCHY. VERY FATTENING BUT THATS WHY IT'S GOOD. ADD SCOOP IF ICE CREAM TO REALLY CLOG YOUR ARTERIES.

My absolute FAVORITE recipe that my husband cooks for me is Chicken Bistro Twist... we got it from a Pampered Chef cookbook. I seriously beg him to make this for almost once a week... it's sooooo good!!!


Ingredients:
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (1-1/2oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 pkgs (11oz) Pillsbury refrigerated French bread dough
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp Italian seasoning mix

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Chop chicken using Food Chopper. Dice bell pepper using Chef’s Knife. Snip basil using Kitchen Shears. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine chicken, bell pepper, basil, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well.
2.Place bread dough, seam sides up, on smooth side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Using Serrated Bread Knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough. Using Baker’s Roller, roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down center of each loaf.
3.Spoon half of the chicken mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an “X” pattern on Rectangle Stone. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure “8”, keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of stone and leaving two 1-1/2 inch openings in center of twist.
4.Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut a 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese over loaf. Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 300, Total Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 20mg, Carbohydrate 38g, Protein 15g, Sodium 650mg, Fiber 0g
U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2½ starch, 1 meat, ½ fat (2½ carb)

Variation: Pepperoni Pizza Twist – for filling, combine 1 pkg diced pepperoni slices, 1 can pitted ripe olives (drained and chopped), ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 1 pressed garlic clove. Continue as recipe directs in Steps 2 through 4. Sprinkle the loaf with 2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese before baking.

reading those last two recipes went straight to my a$$. thanks.

it's ONLY 300 calories!! Lol! You must watch your carbs.... I promise you, it tastes soooo amazing though..... just thinking about it is making me hungry!

We also make our own french bread dough, we have a bread maker. And we don't use the exact measurements in the recipe, we just kind of dump stuff in.

Navywife, that Chicken Bistro Twist sounds intriguing. Have your husband take some pix next time he makes it (both in-progress & the final result). I wanna make sure I'm envisioning what you are really describing.

I'm getting hungry reading all this stuff. Everyone try to post pix of your recipes!

I have a picture of the finished product, I'll be sure to take some in progress next time I get him to make it!! (hopefully this weekend ). How do I post a picture on here? I've never actually attempted that before.....

Where can you find fresh basil leaves?

I got this recipe from the Homesick Texan website. I've made these and they are delicious! I cooked them on a gas grill, though. It would be great with the previous guacamole and refried beans recipes, too.

Behold, my copy and paste skills:

Tacos al carbon, small-apartment style
Ingredients:
2 pounds skirt steak
Juice of 4 limes (about 1/2 cup)
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of canola oil or nonstick cooking spray
Four green onions (optional)

Method:
To make the marinade, in a blender mix all the ingredients except for the skirt steak, canola oil and green onions. Pour over skirt steak and let it marinate for 2 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Before cooking, rinse off the marinade and let the steak come to room temperature. Heat on high for 10 minutes a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan (you may have to cut the steak in half to fit). Also, turn on the broiler in your oven. When the skillet is hot (to test I throw in a drop of water and it should immediately evaporate), grease your pan with either the oil or nonstick cooking spray and add your steak. Cook on one side for two minutes then turn and cook on the other side for two minutes.

After it’s cooked on both sides, place the green onions in the skillet with the steak still in it and place the skillet under the broiler for two minutes. Remove steak from pan and let it rest for 10 minutes. If onions aren’t charred enough, slide the skillet back under the broiler. After meat has rested, slice the meat against the grain and roll in fluffy, flour tortillas with green onions on the side.

@Groovie-You can usually find them at the Commissary, next to the parsley and cilantro. Japanese grocery stores have them, too...

Wow, what a great discussion!

Can anyone post the Japanese word for basil? (kanji & romaji please.) ThaiGuy needs a regular supply to make all that great Thai food and basil is hard to come by in lil Iwakuni. We actually mail-order it from a Thai vendor in Tokyo which is, of course, expensive. Regrettably, Japanese & American basil is not the same as Thai basil, and when you're making pad krapow gai (stir-fried basil chicken) you need the real thing.

geewhiz, I'm totally gonna try your al carbon recipe. And you're right -- it would be an almost spiritual experience combined with the preceding guac & refried beans.

BTW, I discovered cumin when I learned to make carnitas in Bangkok. What an amazing spice! I add it to lots of things that don't call for it, and it always dresses up a recipe, esp if there are stewed meats or vegetables involved.

Navywife, here's how to upload pictures. It's unnecessarily complicated... Near the bottom of the page, click the "+Add Reply" button. It's above the text box where you normally type replies. In the resulting page, click the yellow arrow where it says "Attachments." This opens a dialog box. Click "Browse" and browse your way to the desired picture on your computer. Click upload and go get a cup of coffee.

When the upload is done, you're STILL not finished. Click the little icon that appears under "Insert Image" and now your pic is posted. Type whatever note you want, then click submit. Simple, huh?

This one is for Frank (and anyone else) with kids to cook for, if you're looking for easy, tasty & reasonably healthy foods.  My wife & I are becoming Boboli cuisinaires.  The above pizza was AWESOME.  I've started creating my own recipes by plagiarizing bits & pieces I pick up elsewhere.

This one is ThaiGuy's Buffalo Chicken & Veggie Pizza. 

To make the sauce:
Combine 8 oz can of tomato sauce & 1/2 can of tomato paste in a saucepan. Stir over low heat.  Add in a little minced garlic, a splash of wine (or beer or sake), a generous dose of Italian spices, oregano and whole fennel seeds. Simmer a while & let cool.

To make the buffalo chicken:
Cut skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Either shake it in buffalo chicken mix, or make your own mix with a little flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt & a pinch of sugar. Shake off excess. Stir fry it all in olive oil until fully cooked. Add a few shakes of Tabasco for good measure as it cooks.

To assemble the pizza:
Take a large Boboli crust. Spoon on the cooled sauce, but you'll only use 1/2 or 2/3 of the sauce (save the rest for dipping!)  Leave 1" sauce-free around the edges.  Lay on THICK slices of fresh tomato and big handfuls of baby spinach. Sprinkle on a little shredded mozzarella. Now add buffalo chicken, thick sliced zucchini, olives & whatever, top with a bunch more shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle parmesan & oregano on top, bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool for a couple of minutes.

The mound of spinach will shrink as it cooks, so it won't come out as the huge mountain the way it went in. 

With the sauce I described above and a little cheese, you can make an infinite variety of delicious Boboli pizzas.  We did a seafood pizza with scallops, shrimps, and canned tuna.  Way good!

Thaiguy, my husband made it for me tonight, and I took pictures, but it wouldn't let me post. Maybe I can only post one at a time? You were right though, it took forever to load, then didn't even post! Maybe I'll try one picture per comment... Seems excessive though.... I'll look into it tomorrow

Try to reduce the file size. Easy on a Mac; I don't know how to do it on a PC.

Adam was kind enough to fix my post for me last night!! I'll put up the other three after work today (including the final product). How do I reduce the file size on a mac? Thaiguy, you a mac wizard! I must admit, I love my mac to death, but I'm afraid I don't know how to do much on it!

Posted By navywife86 on 01-23-2012 7:32 AM
How do I reduce the file size on a mac? Thaiguy, you a mac wizard! I must admit, I love my mac to death, but I'm afraid I don't know how to do much on it!

When you double-click the photo, it opens in Preview.  Click "File, save as..."  (or File, Export if you have Lion).  Save it as a .jpg format, and there is a sliding scale at the bottom where you can choose the file size.  Even if your original file is like 3 MB, you can slide it all the way down to 50K and it still looks ok on the web.  And it will post a LOT faster. 

Yeah, I'm getting better & better on Apple products.  Check out my recent posts about the iPhone 4s and Lion software.  I'm really having fun with this stuff.  I'm looking forward to seeing your final photos tonight.

Anybody know how to make sinigang na baka? it's a filipino dish I miss from home and I don't know how to make it!!

Try this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sinigang-na-baka/

I'm liking this website more & more; I get lots of great recipes here. 

baka = beef

stupid is "tanga"

Thanks ThaiGuy! Hopefully it's as good as my friend makes it back home!

Every week I have decided to make a new dish.  I have been at it for a few weeks now, and am getting pretty good at making some delicious meals.

Here was last weeks Prime Rib challenge.

---

So today I stopped by the commissary and picked up a "Beef Boneless Round Roast"

I have seen them in the commissary so many times, but just never knew how to make one, or cook one that would turn out well.
So I asked a friend, and here is what I did.

Here is what you need to make it:

4LB. Beef Boneless Bottom Round Roast



1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix





1 Can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup



------------------------------------------------------

STEPS:

1) Place enough foil in baking pan to over roast firmly.



2) Place meat on foil.





3) Spread the cream of mushroom soup over roast.





4) Sprinkle Lipton Onion Soup Mix over meat.





5) Fold foil over meat and seal securely.





6) Cook at 300 degrees for 4 hours.

** New recommendation** Cook at 300 degrees for 1 hour and check it.

I just baked mine way too long!

It just finished, and here are the pictures.



As you can see, its burnt a little.  I stuck a thermometer in and it said it was 200 degrees inside.  I think thats WELL DONE  Oops....



Got it on the plate, and have all the leftover juices in a separate bowl, which will be great for gravy, with some mashed potatoes.



I cut a piece out and tried it.  It was good, just a little too well done for my taste.

I think next time I try this, I wont let it cook for 2 hours, and just try an hour, and test the thermometer to see what the temp is.

Oh well.  Hope you all enjoyed the pictures.  If I did something wrong, please let me know.  I will try this over again in a few weeks.

One of my favorite winter recipes.  It's super easy.  The hardest part is opening all the cans!  Taste great on a cold, winter day :

Taco Soup

2lbs -ground beef or turkey
1 Medium onion diced
2 -cans pinto beans
1 -can kidney beans
1 -can whole kernel corn
1 -can Rotel Mexican style diced tomatoes (spicy or mild, up to you)
1 -can diced tomatoes
2 -4oz cans diced green chilies
1 –packet taco seasoning
1 –packet ranch dip dry mix
2 cups of water

Don’t drain any of the canned goods

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 8 or 10 hours (5 or 6 hours on High)
                                                    Or
Brown beef and onions.  Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes on stove.


Serve over Chili Cheese Fritos and top with grated cheese and sour cream.  Yum! 

Adam, are you cooking in the Japanese microwave/oven that is similar to what the base gives to offbase residents? I would love directions on how to use the oven, all I know how to use is the microwave and I was given no directions from self help on how to use the rest of it. Thanks!

Posted By ThaiGuy on 01-20-2012 7:42 PM


This one is for Frank (and anyone else) with kids to cook for, if you're looking for easy, tasty & reasonably healthy foods.  My wife & I are becoming Boboli cuisinaires.  The above pizza was AWESOME.  I've started creating my own recipes by plagiarizing bits & pieces I pick up elsewhere.

This one is ThaiGuy's Buffalo Chicken & Veggie Pizza. 

To make the sauce:
Combine 8 oz can of tomato sauce & 1/2 can of tomato paste in a saucepan. Stir over low heat.  Add in a little minced garlic, a splash of wine (or beer or sake), a generous dose of Italian spices, oregano and whole fennel seeds. Simmer a while & let cool.

To make the buffalo chicken:
Cut skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Either shake it in buffalo chicken mix, or make your own mix with a little flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt & a pinch of sugar. Shake off excess. Stir fry it all in olive oil until fully cooked. Add a few shakes of Tabasco for good measure as it cooks.

To assemble the pizza:
Take a large Boboli crust. Spoon on the cooled sauce, but you'll only use 1/2 or 2/3 of the sauce (save the rest for dipping!)  Leave 1" sauce-free around the edges.  Lay on THICK slices of fresh tomato and big handfuls of baby spinach. Sprinkle on a little shredded mozzarella. Now add buffalo chicken, thick sliced zucchini, olives & whatever, top with a bunch more shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle parmesan & oregano on top, bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool for a couple of minutes.

The mound of spinach will shrink as it cooks, so it won't come out as the huge mountain the way it went in. 

With the sauce I described above and a little cheese, you can make an infinite variety of delicious Boboli pizzas.  We did a seafood pizza with scallops, shrimps, and canned tuna.  Way good!

Thanks ThaiGuy!!! 

Adam- I've made that roast many times. Next time, try placing the meat in an oven-safe dish and covering with foil (Do not wrap the meat itself. This way, you have all the gravy contained and easier to serve.)

It's supposed to be "done"...the point is to cook it long enough (low and slow) to make the meat very tender so that it can be easily cut (or shredded into chunks, which is what I prefer). Good luck!

Tonight's special:  Salmon Chowder



This was very easy to make, and is nutritious.  See my notes below the recipe for extra tips:

1 (7 1/2-ounce) can salmon
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
Minced parsley

Drain and flake salmon, reserving liquid.

Saute onions, celery and garlic in margarine. Add potatoes, carrots, reserved salmon liquid, chicken broth and seasonings. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until vegetables are nearly tender.

Add broccoli and cook 5 minutes. Add flaked salmon, evaporated milk and corn; heat thoroughly. Sprinkle with minced parsley to serve.

**** ThaiGuy's notes ***

This is VERY filling.  I love leftovers and doubled the recipe, but really didn't need to.  With just the two of us, we'll be eating this for days.

I used low-fat broth & evaporated milk; worked great.

Be careful while flaking the salmon.  The brand I bought (and maybe all brands) includes the spine of the fish.  Some people might eat this, but I don't find it to be appetizing so I picked out the bones before adding to the pot.  Any small bones I missed can be eaten.

After adding the condensed milk, the resulting broth is fairly liquid.  I like a thicker broth in my chowder.  I'm thinking to maybe add a little cornstarch next time, or let the potatoes boil down to thicken the broth (before adding the milk).  But, the dish was delicious as-is.

Here's a veggie dish I made tonight. It was a side dish for an awesome meatloaf, mashed potatoes and homemade jalapeno cheddar biscuits.

This recipe is Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Clean the sprouts, cut off the ends, and slice vertically. Remove any loose or yellowed leaves.  On the sliced face of the sprouts, rub a little olive oil.  Heat a pan lightly coated with olive oil, and place the spouts in, cut side down. Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, until they start to caramelize (light golden brown.)

Turn the spouts over and continue cooking, about another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add enough water to cover the base of the pan with about 1mm of water and crumble half a bouillon cube into the pan. Cover & allow to steam-fry, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has cooked off and the sprouts are tender.

Dish them up and sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

Thaiguy, I havent had Brussels Sprouts in a long time. I am going to try this recipe out. thxs

It's been a while since anyone's posted on this discussion. Any good holiday recipes in the works? Tonight I'm making afritada, a filipino dish. But I use a mix for the sauce, so it's kinda cheating. :-)

Well, I cooked afritada tonight and even though the sauce was from a mix (Mama Sita brand), I was very pleased with the result.  If you're stuck for something new to cook for your family, take a walk through the filipino section of the commissary and there are many delicious sauces & recipes.   If you've never been to a filipino birthday party before, get yourself an invitation to experience a palette of delicious foods.

I made this recipe with pork (just cut up some pork chops) even though the Mama Sita package says to use chicken.  Of course, all the vegetables are fresh. Oh, and always double the recipe!  

I finally got around to making the Chicken Bistro Twist that navywife86 posted.  You can read her recipe on Page 1 of this discussion & see her pix on Page 2.  Things being what they are, I modified the recipe and it was delicious. I think the lesson is, you can make this many different ways and adapt the filling for different recipes.

In my case, instead of ground chicken I cut up a chicken breast into bite-sized chunks (about 3/4" cubes) and sauteed them in a pan. In the filling, I reduced the mayo by 1/2 and made up the other half with BBQ sauce. This changed the flavor entirely and was very delicious. Finally, I added chopped onion and chopped broccoli florets (both raw).  The photos below show the various stages of construction.  I obviously don't have a flair for twisting bread like navywife's husband, but in the end I was very pleased with the results.

Final tip: If you bake this on foil, it should be lightly greased. I had a problem with the foil sticking to the bread.  Better yet, use a cookie sheet but I don't have one.  You can also see my suggestion of what to do if you don't have a rolling pin.  


The filling: You can see how different it is with a little BBQ sauce added.



How to cope with the lack of a rolling pin.  It's very important to roll to a 4" width.




Adding the filling...




I am clearly challenged at twisting bread. This should be done on a cookie sheet to avoid having to lift the whole schmear to put in the oven. 




In the end, I think it came out pretty good. Not artistic, but tasty!




Yummy! 

Hi everyone. I'm working my way through all these great JB recipes.  Tonight, I'm cooking Adam's great-looking boneless round roast.  Of course, I had to modify the recipe (I always do)... I used 2 packets of the onion soup mix for a more oniony flavor.  Then I added some chopped veggies -- carrots, red bell pepper (leftover from my bistro twisty bread the other day) and cubed yellow onion.  I'll be serving this over rice, but if I didn't then I would have added potato to the roast.

I'll set cooking time to 2 hours at 300; we'll see how that goes. Before cooking a roast, I always let it sit out about 2 hours first to get it to room temperature.  I find that I get a more even and thorough roasting that way.  Pix & review of the final results to follow.

Hey, let's see more of your recipes here!  I know you've got some great ones.  What are your favorites?



BTW, this was the quickest recipe I've ever prepared, other than toast. It was like 5 minutes from fridge to oven.  I used baby carrots, which helped. Rock on!

And voila!  The final result.  It were delicious! 

The pot roasts look good.

Question: would you prefer oven baked or a slow cooker?

Also, did you have to make a separate gravy out of the juice, or the juice itself was "the" gravy having seasoned with the cream of mushroom and the onion soup mix?

Thanks!

I would prefer a slow cooker and cook it longer at a low temp. The meat would come out more tender. But I don't have a slow cooker.

The gravy created itself, just from the soup mix, mushroom soup & juices from the meat. I didn't add any liquid. A splash of wine might be good in the recipe.

I'm trying the roast right now! I left out the cream of mushroom soup, but I did two packs of the onion dip. Crossing my fingers it turns out!

Here's my "slow cooked" version. Thanks for the recipe.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.phpfbid=10151493763394173&set=a.444523989172.218562.620634172&type=3&theater