Ask the A2K cooks!

msolga, here's that tomato sauce recipe I'm thinking of trying, the one made with tomato paste - (it is from a Carol Field recipe)

http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3089880#3089880


Tomato Sauce
2 medium-size yellow onions (about 1 pound, 450 grams), chopped
4 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 anchovy, chopped

Simmer the onions in the water in a covered heavy saucepan at least 30 minutes but preferably 1 hour. Stir in the tomato paste, oil, and anchovy and simmer covered at least 1 more hour; the longer you cook the sauce, the lighter and sweeter in taste it will be. Cool to room temperature.


Well, this is for a form of pizza called sfinciuni, but it could work as a soup base. Maybe. Anyway, I may ignore my distaste for tomato paste and try it sometime.

Okay, I have a question. How do you cook butternut squash? I bought it already chopped up into bite-size squares, but I've never cooked it before. Can anyone give me some SIMPLE ideas on how to prepare it? The key word here is SIMPLE.

thanks

BUTTERNUT SQUASH
------------------------

mrs h boils eqal portions of butternut (or any other) squash , sweet potatoes and potatoes - SEPARATELY !
i get to put them through potato masher , add plenty of sweet butter , sourcreme , salt , pepper and nutmeg to taste , reheat in microwave and EAT !
i don't easily get tired of it .
for second/third day : reheat in microwave or put in casserole dish with MORE ( :wink: ) butter and some breadcrumbs - bake in the oven .
even i can do it - the reheating - in a pinch .
hbg

That sounds pretty good, but the butternut squash I have is already cut up into bite-size cubes. Is that still okay to boil? I don't know why it would matter, but I'm an idiot when it comes to cooking.

thanks

kicky :
sure , that saves you the work of cutting and peeling the squash - it's a tough job and i usually do it - needs a big and sharp knife .
(now you won't forget to peel the pototoes first , will you ? :wink: - unless you enjoy eating the skin .
if there any "gritty/stringy" pieces when you are mashing the squash and sweet potatoes = THROW THOSE PIECES OUT - theyll just get stuck between your teeth - or take your choppers out and place them next to the plate before you start eating - i'm known for making unwarranted comments , sorry ) .
hope you've got plenty of butter !
hbg

Kicky, Toss the cubes in oilve oil and then spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Salt and peper them and roast at 350 for about 1/2 hour or more until they are tender and nicely brown. Yum.

i endorse swimpy's recipe :wink:

if you have any "leftover" mash , it makes nice "mash patties" .
make some patties out of the leftovers , put some oil in the pan and heat , ADD SOME BUTTER to enhance flavour :wink: and make a fry-up .

just had some fried patties with some leftover soup and chicken - it made a nice and quick meal .
(green salad and V 8 juice on the side)
hbg

I just asked my mother about this, and she said almost exactly the same thing as Swimpy.

Sounds yummy! I'll let you know how it turns out. And hamburger, don't you worry, butter will definitely be in there somewhere. :wink:

Thanks, jespah.

I'd entirely overlooked the salt factor.

Thanks for alerting me.
I will adjust my ingredients accordingly.

Thank you, osso.

You know, I can't recall the last time I made a long-cooking sauce!

Interesting.

I made a slightly modified version of this (less fennel/more ginger). It was quite good. Next time - a little more fennel.

Anyone have recipes using pearl barley as the main ingredient? I've made barley pilaf.

I'm thinking about cooking up a batch and mixing it with some mashed kidney beans to make some veggie burgers.

Any other ideas? I have 6 bags of it to use up. I use it in soups and pastas in place of meat too. Now I'm looking for ideas that use it as a main ingredient.

I wonder how it would work pre-cooked in a salad as a substitute for bulgar wheat berries...

I bet you could mash it and mix with the appropriate spices (er, garlic, lemon juice, mint, I forget what else) and make a passable falafel.

And, of course, sing --

Won't you come home pearl barley?
Won't you come home?
I know I done you wrong ...

Just curious, Butrflynet: how did you manage to find yourself with 6 bags of pearl barley on your hands?




Soup is about the only thing I do with it (sorry), so I'll be interested to see what other suggestions come up here, too.

I stocked up on staples last month and bought a 25 pound bag of rice and 10 bags each of several kinds of beans and the pearl barley.

It was all on sale so I bought it then repackaged it in air-tight containers to keep it bug-free.

Now I'm trying to find different ways of using the stuff so I don't get bored with it.

That makes perfect sense to me, Butrflynet.

What varities of beans? (I might have a few suggestions if you need them.)

Heres hoping for more inspirational uses for pearl barley!

Kidney beans, red beans, pinto beans, great northern white beans and lentils.

I have long grain white rice and brown rice that I've mixed together.

I also have an abundance of onions, carrots and celery and lots of frozen veggies such as corn, brocolli, brussel sprouts, green beans, peas and cauliflower.

Don't have much meat other than ground turkey, but have beef, ham and chicken soup base for flavorings.

I have most of the usual condiments, herbs and spices.

A lot of beans you've got there, Butrflynet!

I will fish around in my cookbooks for a few recipes over the next couple of days, if you'd like. (Just got in from a night class.) Do you like Indian food?

About mixing the white & brown rice. The brown rice takes considerably longer to cook (unless it's some new fang-dangled variety) than the white, so ....

I love tandoori and other mild curries. I don't go for the more spicy hot versions.

Yep, I know about the difference in cooking times for the white and brown rice. I like my white rice cooked on the mushy side and the brown rice gives it a bit of texture and flavor.

I'm posting a couple of old favourites, Butrflynet. Let me know if you like them & I'll post more. If you don't like them you may reserve the right to remain silent. I promise not to take offense!

These are some of my earliest efforts at "cooking Indian" courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey, to whom I shall remain forever grateful for making it so simple!


MOONG DAL

Ingredients:

10 oz moong dal (hulled & split)

2 cloves garlic, peeled.

2 slices peeled fresh ginger, 1 inch square & 1/2 inch thick

1 tsp chopped fresh green coriander

1 tbs ground turmeric

1/4 - 1/2 cayenne pepper (optional)

1 1/2 tasp salt (adjust to own taste) 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs vegetable oil or ghee

a pinch ground asafeida or tiny lump asafedita (optional)

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

lemon or lime wedges

* Clean & wash dal thoroughly. Put dal in heavy-bottomed 3 quart pot, add 2 pints water, & bring to boil.Remove any froth & scum that collects at the top.

* Now add the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric & cayenne pepper. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, lower heat & simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.

* When dal is cooked, add salt & lemon juice. (It should be thicker than pea soup, but thinner than porridge).

* In a 4 - 6 inch fry pan or small pot, heat vegetable oil or ghee over medium-hot flame. When hot add asafetida & cumin seeds. As soon as the asafetida sizzle & expands & the cumin seeds turn dark (this will take only a few seconds) pour the oil & spices over over the dal & serve. (Some people put the dal in a serving dish Then pour the oil & spices over it.)

To serve: Serve with plain rice & a vegetable for a simple meal Most meat dishes go well with it, too. Some people like to squeeze extra lemon/lime juice on their dal, or seve some wedges separately.
Note: Finely sliced onion rings, fried till brown & crisp, are often spread over the dal as a garnish before it is served.


Now what could be simpler than that?
I confess to being a dal addict & this is just about the simplest (& also quite delicious!) that I've cooked ... often!

Oh, if no coriander is available, chopped flat leave parsley works pretty well with this, I've found.

~