CHEAP & DELICIOUS RECIPES

[Peregrine]

I'm making a little concoction this eve. Roasted garlic, pepper & squash soup. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[Peregrine]

.... and it was delish. I roasted a whole head of garlic, 3 red peppers & baked a large acorn squash.

So, sauteed 2 small onions, threw in a little spice mixture of allspice, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, curry, bay leaves & some other herbs. Threw the roasted peppers, roasted garlic & squash, then poured in the chicken stock. Simmered for a bit, then blended it with the hand held blender & voila! Yummers. Top with fresh cilantro & a squeeze of lemon & good to go

And of course, salt to taste.

[annie aronburg]

I found a green papaya!

LBO looks like you like your som tam Lao-style, while I prefer the wimpier Thai-style.

[nathan28]

~1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on tolerance, in tea infuser
1-2 tsp chocolate powder
lard
water

Coat inside of mug with lard. Add water. microwave water until it's hot. Add the red pepper and stir in the chocolate. Also works great to make cheap, unpalatable coffee drinkable.

The lard isn't for real, but I don't post recipes that don't involve pork.

[annie aronburg]

If that's what you're drinking, no wonder you're on fire today.

[lightningBugout]

a tip: green papaya is often sold as "chinese papaya" in korean markets.

[lightningBugout]

ps.

wherever you live, take note. two items become fresh in april-may that are worth seeking out at any cost: fresh lychees and fresh green almonds. long ways off but thinking of it tonight. turkish and armenian markets in your given metropolis should carry both. most "asian" markets should carry the former.

luv ya al, lbo

[Perelandra]

Make your own bubbly with this elderflower champagne recipe from River Cottage Spring

Please note we've amended the amount of sugar in this recipe from the original plus we've talked to Hugh about the various results it produces – he says this is down to the differences in elderflower crop and suggests using glass bottles with swing tops plus keep an eye on the brew.

Makes about 6 litres

Ingredients
4 litres hot water
700g sugar
Juice and zest of four lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
About 15 elderflower heads, in full bloom
A pinch of dried yeast (you may not need this)

Method: How to make elderflower champagne
1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total.

2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently.

3. Cover with clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast.

4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised strong glass bottles with champagne stoppers (available from home-brewing suppliers) or Grolsch-style stoppers, or sterilized screw-top plastic bottles (a good deal of pressure can build up inside as the fermenting brew produces carbon dioxide, so strong bottles and seals are essential).

5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a week before serving, chilled. The champagne should keep in the bottles for several months. Store in a cool, dry place.

[annie aronburg]

Perelandra, that sounds delicious.

I've been making citrus simple syrup this winter to mix with soda water.

3 cups sugar
2 cups water
2-3 cup chopped citrus

For thin-skinned citrus like tangerines, kumquats or key limes just chop in half and remove the seeds.
For blood oranges, tangelos, grapefruits or other thick-skinned citrus peel the fruit and slice the zest away from the pith. The peels are what give depth of flavor but using the thicker pith results in a bitter syrup.

Put the sugar and water in a non-reactive sauce pan, preferably glass, on medium high heat.
Add citrus, mixing and pressing to release the oils in the peels. When the sugar has dissolved, the fruit has broken down, and the mixture starts to bubble and rise, lower the temperature and let simmer for half an hour. Remove from heat and strain into a clean glass bottle.

I would use organic citrus, since all the 'cides are in the peel.

[Perelandra]

Here's another elderflower one that sounds similar, and a link to more elderflower recipes:Link

Sallys Simple Elderflower Cordial (submitted by Sally in Wales)

I used to faff around with complicated recipes, these days I do it this way:

Boil sugar, water and a bit of lemon juice to get a medium sugar syrup. Cool
Go and pick elderflowers. Soak them in the syrup overnight.
Strain.
Bottle (keep in fridge! this recipe is not sterile!)
Add to water for quick elderflower cordial.

Thanks for the recipe for the syrups, A. I will try it out. Here's a recipe to deal with all the juice from your zested lemons and limes. It sounds too simple to be good, but it is.

No-Fuss Lemon Pie

3 lg eggs
1/2 c lemon juice
1 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1 unbaked pie crust

Combine first 3 in blender, blend 1-2 minutes. Add butter, blend 30 seconds. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes.

[chiggerbit]

Yum, these all sound so good, especially this winter.

[annie aronburg]

Make certain you are using no-spray citrus fruits and keep the syrup in the fridge.

[annie aronburg]

Cheap and Easy Lentil & Chard Soup a.k.a.
Adas Bis Silq
1 1/2 cups of lentils
10 -12 chard leaves, I usually use more
6 cups cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
salt & pepper
1/4 lemon juice or wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, parsley and/or mint

Wash lentils and put them in a heavy pot with the cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming if necessary, then cover and simmer gently for an hour, until lentils are tender.
Wash chard leaves and remove ribs. Shred leaves coarsely and finely chop the ribs.
Heat oil in a separate pan, add onion and fry until translucent. Stir in garlic and fry a few moments more. Add chard, stirring often, until wilted.
Pour fried vegetables into the lentils, add chopped herbs, the juice or vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
Makes a hearty meal with bread. I like mine with a dollop of yoghurt.

[nathan28]

The Atlantic breaks from its relentless neocon neoliberal agenda to serve up "13 Ways to Impress a Vegan."

http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/02/13-ways-to-impress-a-vegan/36636/#slideshow

For those of you on a budget, they'd all go well with a side of salt pork.

[AlicetheKurious]

I don't know how cheap this is to make -- it depends on how much your local Middle Eastern grocer charges for a package of konafa pastry. But it's almost fool-proof, very delicious if you have a sweet tooth, and excellent for serving to guests.

Serves 8-10 people.

Konafa, which is a string-like pastry dough, looks like this when it comes out of the package:



Besides Arab grocers, it can also be found in Greek or Turkish or Armenian grocers under the name "kataifi"

Ingredients:

1/2 kg konafa (around 1lb)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup + another 2 tablespoons of melted butter
4 tablespoons corn flour
4 tablespoons sugar + another 1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 lime or 1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional: pistachio nuts, crushed

Cooking Instructions:

Before you start, take the konafa out of the package and separate the strings so it has a chance to air.

I don't know what temperature to pre-heat the oven, I just make it medium-high

Step 1 - Make the syrup:

In a saucepan, mix 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar and boil over high heat for a few minutes, until the syrup thickens and begins to turn a pale golden color.

Add the juice of 1/2 lime and when the bubbles become frothy, take the saucepan off the heat and put it aside to cool.

Step 2 - Make the cream:

In a saucepan whisk together milk, sugar, vanilla and corn flour

Cook over medium heat (I use high heat to get it done quickly) while whisking constantly

When it thickens, take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the sour cream, mixing well, then set aside

Step 3 - Assemble the konafa:

Put the konafa in a bowl and tear it into pieces with your hands, adding one cup of melted butter until all the strands are well-coated with butter

Brush a cake pan with the two tablespoons of melted butter (it's best if you use a teflon-coated pan, but not essential)

Put half the quantity of konafa in the bottom and press well to make an even layer

Spread the cream over the konafa layer then cover it with the other half of the konafa and press on it, especially around the edges

Cook it in the oven until the surface becomes golden brown (around 45 minutes)

Immediately after you take it out of the oven, drizzle the cool syrup over the hot konafa

Put a serving platter over the cake pan and invert it so that the konafa is on the platter

If you want, you can sprinkle the crushed pistachio nuts on top and serve hot or at room temperature

Don't store it in the fridge.

Mine looks neater than this one, because I press the konafa well into the pan: