Recipes (Keep comments in a separate thread!)

quietpilot87 with that whole risotto-without-rice thing (😍) just reminded me of my absolute favorite side dish to eat alongside mashed potatoes (I know you guys probably pair it with something else, but hey, whatever works for you)

red peas
Just sauté some onions and garlic, toss in a can of peas, let them cook for another minute, pour in some tomato sauce, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the liquid reduces down. Add salt, pepper, and voila!
Of course, if you're into that sort of thing, feel free to throw in extra spices, parsley, basil, whatever... personally, I'm not really into all that extra stuff...

Mexican-style beans

First thing you gotta do is whip up a salsa base—grab some canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley, some chili peppers, dill, and olive oil. Just toss those together. Right before you finish cooking, splash in a little water and throw in some canned corn. Let that simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, dump in your canned red kidney beans and let the whole thing cook for another 5 minutes.

Now, here’s my mom’s special recipe for lentil stew...

Take 500 grams of red lentils (I usually grab the Whole Foods brand) and soak them in water for about 8 to 10 hours. Drain them off, then throw them into a pot with roughly a liter and a half of water. Chop up two carrots and two medium onions and toss those in too. Add a bit of salt and let it boil for maybe 10 minutes. Once that's going, add the drained lentils back in, cook for another 10 minutes, and then pull it off the heat. Give it a quick blend or just mash it up if you want that texture.
In a separate pan, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir in a teaspoon of tomato paste. Pour that blended lentil mixture right into the pan with the tomato. Add a tiny bit more water and let it simmer for another 10 minutes, making sure to stir it constantly so nothing sticks. Finish it off by adding some dill, pepper, salt (to taste), parsley, marjoram, and basil.
Serve it up hot with some lemon wedges on the side.

P.S. And seriously, don't think the lemon is just there to look pretty...😁 I squeeze as much of it as I can into the bowl—it makes everything taste so much better.

Lately, I've been obsessed with this roasted veggie salad. For example, for today's lunch, I'll roast a big tray of mixed veggies—think green and red bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. Then later on (for dinner), I just toss in some sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, some spices, and a bit of fresh parsley. 🙏

Since I get a little bored just searing a plain piece of meat, I've started stuffing the center of the fillet (doesn't matter what kind of meat you use) with things like carrot sticks or green beans, roll it up, and then pan-fry it. I usually slice it into medallions afterward because it looks way more impressive 😬. You can serve it with a sauce if you want, but it's honestly great on its own too. 😁

Also, I stumbled upon this toasted sesame and tomato sauce recently. 🙏 It is seriously amazing with chicken. 🙏

Hold on just a second 😁

Slow down there 😬 What on earth is this toasted sesame and tomato sauce you're talking about? And how are you even rolling that meat? Are you just pinning it together with toothpicks? Or are you using some kind of foil to hold it all in shape? 🙂

wearyotter81 said:Hold on a second, 😁Wait, what?

Slow down there, 😬What kind of toasted sesame and tomato sauce is this? And how are you actually rolling the meat? Are you just pinning it together with toothpicks? Or are you using some kind of foil to hold it all in? 🙂

First, toss the sesame seeds into a dry pan. Let them toast until they get a little dark—just be careful not to burn them.
🤣

Then, mix in some crushed canned tomatoes, tomato puree, or even that tomato paste from a tube... (Personally, I usually make my own sauce from scratch, but if I'm feeling lazy, I'll grab one of those or mix a few things together.) Throw in some seasonings too—salt, a pinch of sugar, pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice, whatever. It’s totally up to your taste. Once you try it once, you'll figure out exactly what's missing or what needs more kick. 😁

For the meat, butterfly it first so it's thinner and has more surface area. Lay the veggies on top and start rolling it up, pretty much like you're making a wrap. Use some toothpicks just to be safe.
You could definitely do the same thing with prosciutto, bacon, or cheese, but I'm not really eating those right now. 😬

Ugh, okay 😁
Today's lunch 🙏 🙂

wearyotter81 said:Ooh, okay 😁
today's lunch 🙏 🙂

That sauce is actually meant for Korean-style chicken; I saw it featured on Ana Ugarković's show recently.😁

(You take some chicken thighs, debone them, coat them in a mix of egg whites, starch, and flour, then fry them up.😁 It turns out super crispy on the outside while the meat stays really juicy. Honestly, it's a killer combo.🙏 )

Here’s a brand new recipe I cooked up—and somehow, it actually worked 😁

The "Lazy Day" Pancakes

Throw one egg, a few spoonfuls of oats, and some milk into a blender. Add a pinch of salt and blast it on high until it’s totally smooth. If the batter looks too thin, just toss in more oats or milk until it hits that slightly thicker consistency. Cook small batches in a non-stick pan—no oil needed. They’re killer with unsweetened jam in the morning (I usually go with my homemade fig jam 🙂 ) or piled high with syrup after a big Sunday brunch.

Almond, Sesame, or Peanut Crusted Chicken with Cauliflower & Broccoli Mash

Slice up some chicken breast into thin cutlets and season them (just salt, pepper, paprika, and maybe a drizzle of olive oil if you're feeling fancy). Beat an egg or just use the white. Dip each cutlet in the egg, then coat it in crushed almonds. Give them a quick sear in a non-stick pan with just a tiny bit of oil—you just want them golden. (You can switch it up by using crushed peanuts for one batch or sesame seeds for another).

Once they're coated, line them up on an oven rack sitting over a baking sheet. Cover the meat with some aluminum foil and pop everything into the oven at around 350-390°F for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them, though; depending on how thick the cutlets are, they can go from perfect to overcooked pretty fast.

For the side, boil some broccoli and cauliflower, then blitz them with an immersion blender until they're smooth. Season with salt, pepper, a little garlic, and olive oil. If you want some extra crunch, toss in some chopped peanuts, or if you're okay with dairy, add a splash of cream or milk to make it extra velvety.😁

Those pancakes look incredible 👍
Do you actually use a blender for this, or would a standard hand mixer work? I don't have a blender on hand right now 🤔

Hmm, I’m guessing quietpilot87 is blending them just to get those oats finely ground. That’s pretty much how I handle it too, though I just use an immersion blender since mine packs a decent punch.
I honestly don't know if you could even get the oats fine enough using a standard hand mixer.🤔

Ashley Perez50 said:those pancakes look killer👍
do you actually need a blender for this, or can I just use a regular hand mixer? don't have a blender on hand right now🤔

Use a blender—hands down. If you try using a basic mixer, you’ll end up with oat flakes stuck to the ceiling😁

Stuffed Chicken, Rice, and Carrot Puree

First, take your chicken breast and butterfly it out so you have one big, thin cutlet. Season it well and just let it sit for a minute while you prep.
Grab some green onions and a little garlic and sauté them in olive oil. Then, toss in some sliced carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini—basically whatever veggies you’re feeling that day.
Lay all those veggies right on top of the chicken and roll it up tight like a little log. If it feels a bit loose, just grab some toothpicks to hold it together or tie it off with some kitchen twine. Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes until it's cooked through.

While that’s baking, boil 3 or 4 carrots and half a small red onion. Once they're soft, throw them in a blender or use an immersion blender to whip them into a smooth puree. Sauté the puree for a second with some spices and, if you're feeling fancy, a splash of heavy cream and white wine.

Cook up some rice with some herbs, and if you happen to have any leftover veggie filling, mix it right in. If you aren't really a rice person, just skip it—the chicken works great just with the carrot puree, though you might want to make the puree a little thicker then.

Slice those roasted rolls into rounds and serve them up with the rice and that carrot sauce. Enjoy!

That carrot sauce looks amazing—what else would you pair it with? I’m trying to think of some good sides to go along with it.
And regarding the oats, what kind of immersion blender works best? I was thinking about using my stick blender instead of digging my old Vitamix out of the pantry, 😵

Ashley Perez50 said:That carrot sauce looks amazing! What else would you serve it with? I'm thinking about what kind of pairings would work best.
And regarding the oats—will an immersion blender actually do the trick? I'm debating whether to just use my stick blender or finally dig my old blender out of the pantry. 😵

You could easily turn that into a creamy carrot soup. If I remember right, I posted a recipe for it somewhere on this thread.😳 😬

My immersion blender is pretty heavy-duty, so it can definitely handle the oats. (It even crushes almonds and stuff like that.😁 😍)

Personally, I think that carrot sauce goes great with chicken or other meats, especially if you mix it up with some veggies and rice.
It also works really well as a side for potatoes since the sweetness of the carrots makes for a killer combo. 😍

I've heard people talk about carrot soup (along with a few other things), but I haven't actually given it a shot yet—I'll have to hunt down a recipe once I decide to whip something up.
My mom makes this amazing sauce where she adds meat in there too—not huge chunks, but sort of bite-sized pieces, you know? Not like giant steaks, just small enough to be manageable. The way she does it is by simmering a bunch of different veggies together, including carrots, and then just blending everything right into the sauce. It turns out great—a nice little change of pace from your standard tomato-based sauces.
I was thinking maybe a carrot version could even work as a pasta sauce or something similar.🤔

Ashley Perez50 said:I've heard about carrot soup (and other stuff too), but I've never actually tried making it myself. I'll have to hunt down a recipe once I finally decide to give it a shot.
My mom makes this sauce that includes meat—not huge chunks, just little bite-sized pieces about the size of a grain of rice, nothing crazy like a giant steak. Basically, she boils a bunch of different veggies together, including carrots, and then just blends everything right into the mix. It’s delicious, and a nice little break from the usual tomato-based sauces.
Maybe even a carrot one would work as a pasta sauce or something similar. 🤔

Yeah, some people do use it with pasta, but personally, I think it goes way better with rice (whenever I'm having some😁).

For me, veggies are basically the foundation for tons of my sauces. Thank God for my immersion blender.
You can sauté pretty much any vegetable, blend it up, and turn it into a sauce. 🙏 😁

I do that quite often when I'm roasting veal shank—that kind of thing. 😁

@Lisa Wells65/">@@Lisa Wells65, I’m actually digging this chicken and veggie combo—honestly, I’m so over that greasy pan-seared stuff, and I’m way too lazy to go hunting for a different 🙂. Thinking about giving it a shot this weekend.
Same goes for the one with crushed nuts, though it looks like a bit of a headache to make 😕

quietpilot87 said:Lisa Wells65, I am seriously loving this chicken and veggie dish. Honestly, I’m so over cooking everything in a non-stick pan—it's getting old fast—and I'm way too lazy to try coming up with something else. 🙂 I think I’m actually gonna give this a shot over the weekend.
The same goes for this one with the ground nutmeg, though it feels like a bit of a hassle to pull off. 😕

Honestly, I don't know. It’s basically just like regular breading, isn't it?🤷
So, here’s how you do it: dip your cutlets in egg, then coat them in ground almonds or sesame seeds—whatever you're feeling—and fry them up in a pan. Honestly, if you don't feel like using the oven, just finish them off right on the stovetop. It works perfectly fine.😉

I usually just give things a quick sear in a pan without any oil, then pop them on a wire rack in the oven. It keeps me from having to deep-fry everything in grease, plus I don't end up with that heavy smell lingering all over my kitchen.😁

Baked Fish

Slice up some potatoes into thin rounds. While you're doing that, boil a few spoons of rice—just get it about 60% cooked.
Lay the potato slices at the bottom of a baking sheet along with that parboiled rice. Drizzle it all with olive oil and season however you want (Lawry's, salt, pepper, whatever green herbs you're feeling that pair well with fish). Pour warm water over it until it hits the top of the potatoes, cover it tight with Aluminum foil, and shove it into a 300°F oven.

After about 15 minutes, peel back the foil and layer on whatever large cleaned fish you can find—or even just one kind. 😁 Think whole or fillets of sea bass, snapper, or seabream—whatever’s on sale. Don't bother with small stuff like sardines; they aren't worth the effort here. Cover it back up with the foil and put it back in for another 10-15 minutes. Finally, ditch the foil, crank up the heat, and let it bake for 10 minutes to get a bit of a crust. It's done when the water from the potatoes has evaporated and nothing's sticking to the bottom. 😁

For the sauce, just mix a few spoons of homemade olive tapenade with a mountain of chopped parsley and garlic.

Honestly, this is the only way I can actually stomach potatoes and enjoy them—unless we're talking old-school country style. 🙏
No need to talk about the fish. 😵
Besides, it's a killer meal if you have guests over and want to act like you've actually tried. 🤣 Super simple and cheap, too. 😁