|
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Due to unanticipated and thus unplanned for circumstances, some of us wind up living by ourselves, with a lot of empty sign-off lines on our INDEPENDENT LIVING QUAL CARD....Stuff, your bride took care of and your mother prior to that. Cooking has presented a particular problem for me. Sure I can do camping cooking...stuff like scramble eggs, fry SPAM...whomp up pancakes using Aunt Jamima out of a box and some milk...or Bisquick using the box directions...I can do everything required to get from Tenderfoot to Second Class in Scouts. But anything in the JOY OF COOKING is too damn complicated so I'm inventing my own set of primitive cooking skills...Stuff like taking a can of DINTY MOORE and tossing a can of baby peas some cut-up Colonel Fingerlicken's Chicken McNuggets and stiring it up, tossing it in a one quart covered sauce pan (in creative hobo jungle cooking, that's called a one quart pot with a lid...You can get one for somewhere around ten bucks at most chain grocery stores....For hobo cooking those contraptions are indespensible...a bums best friend.) You can heat up canned soup, damn near anything Chef Boyardee, The Jolly Giant, Dr, Dinty, La Choy, the Chinese in a Can, King....Old El Paso refries (saw a can of Old El Paso FAT FREE refried beans....What in the hell is that all about....they're still 8oz of artery clogging calorie packed heart stoppers....Great for curing low chloresterol syndrome.).....If you're a life's roulette wheel enforced batchelor, the first thing you should do after taking care of the funeral arrangements is go out and get a 1 quart pot and don't listen to any of your well intentioned friends and waste time watching Rachel Ray or Emerill....Watching them is like taking a pre-schooler to an advanced Calculus class. What the hell is a damn blanched almond? a seperated egg? a par boiled pork slab?....Cooking shows and the JOY OF COOKING were written for folks with advanced degrees in food preperation and a mastery of chef jargon. Moon Pies make a great dessert for company....if you can't pick up one of Mrs. Smith's frozen pecan pies. Reheated Chinese carry-out with Campbell's chicken noodle soup, reinforced with a pack of Ramen noodles and served with Ritz Crackers and peanut butter and a glass of ice cold 2%...Is about as gourmet cooking as hobo cooking gets. Here are some things every Heat Em Up Cook needs...Contact the Allegheny Treenware Company, Route #1 Box 62, Thornton, West, Virginia 26440 Phone (Toll Free) 1-866-279-7526 (fax) (304) 892-5009.....Web Site: www.spooners.com E-Mail: wvspooners @ aol.com...Ask for either Stan or Sue Jennings and order two Bob Armstrong Special Order short handled stirring paddles....and follow the "how to care for" instructions that come with them. Get Stan and Sue to include a catalog....Next contact the Vermont Country Store, P.O. Box 6998 Rutland, Vermont 05702-6998... Phone: 1-(802)-362-8470...and order a Three Tined Granny Fork....great for turning stuff you're cooking in a No.8 iron skillet. Back in the 1940's every Southern kid's mother had one or two of these in her cooking utensils drawer. Be sure to get yourself on the Vermont Country Stores mailing list......If you guys have any recipes your average chimpanzee can cook or canned foods that you can mix together and heat up, that won't choke a mule or gag a vulture. Please post a follow on....I have to get Jonny Krup the Great Hobo Cooking Grourmet....Be sure to watch his cable TV show, COOKING FOR COMPLETE IDIOTS and get him to mail me his Wonder Chili Recipe. Ladies, if it requires a masters degree in precice measurement or more than a minute to figure out, you lose me. Thanks DEX PS..If you find anything political or unacceptable in this...tough. |
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 566
Location: Inyokern, Ca. | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
I've been cooking steadily since I was 12, catering since I was 22, and do all the cooking at our house. So here's an easy recipe for you Dex. If you don't like something in it, leave it out. If you think something will taste good in it, add it. Normally I would make the gravy and do things a bit fancier (fresh garlic etc.), but I'll make this easy.
Shepherds Pie.
Make 4 servings of instant mashed potatoes or buy them at your grocery deli. Set aside.
Chop up 1/2 of an onion and start cooking it in a big skillet with a little oil.
When they start to get clear add spoonful of crushed garlic (from a jar is fine.)
Cook for another 2 minutes.
Add 2 lbs. of lean ground beef, chop it up with your spatula - cook till brown.
Add one can of drained corn, one can of drained green beans, and one jar of beef gravy.
Season with salt and pepper so it tastes good to you. Careful on the salt, canned stuff has lots.
Mix and pour into something oven safe and big enough so you have an inch or so of freeboard around the edge.
Layer the mashed spuds on top to cover.
Put it in the oven on broil till the peaks on the spuds just start to brown.
Take it out and let it sit for about 15 minutes so it stiffens up, serve and enjoy.
BB
Edited by BlackBeard 2008-12-06 10:46 AM
|
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Dex,
If you ask real nice..mebbe I can get the Duchess of Durban to do a couple of simple recipes for ya...  |
|
| |
|
Old Salt
Posts: 403
Location: Sacramento/Twain Harte | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Blackbeard,
Sounds like Shepperds Pie to me |
|
| |
|
Old Salt
Posts: 403
Location: Sacramento/Twain Harte | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
A good and easy meal!!!!!!
Fry 1/2 lb. ground beef, break it up fry well.
Cook one package of Roman( simen)Soap per directions. when noodles are tender dump the liquid off
and add noodles to ground beef Stir and enjoy.  |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Dex, there's a new mashed potato product out there now rather than instant potato. You find it near the meat display. It's called Bob Evans mashed potatoes and comes in a container.You microwave the container, no peelling spuds involved. So simple a caveman can do it. 
Works great in building one of them thar pies BB was telling you about. Goes great with one of them roasted seagulls you can buy at the grocery store deli section. Pop the top on a can of whatever vegtable or frozen vegetable, toss some of that rabbit food in a bowl with some bacon bits, croutons and a little onion to ward off the overly agressive women and you'll be in tall cotton.
Edited by Ralph Luther 2008-12-06 12:43 PM
|
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3673
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
One of my favorites, brings back fond childhood memories. Cow Udder Eclairs IngredientsDirectionsSoak the cow udders in Nair to remove the hair. Repeat several times if necessary until all hair is removed. Rinse in warm water. Place a stick of butter into a warm frying pan. Wait until all of the butter has melted, then add the cow udders. Fry them for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Chop the artichoke hearts and smelt on a cutting board into fine pieces. In a large bowl, add the whipping cream, brown sugar and the chopped artichokes, and smelt. With a mixer on low, whip until creamy with a consistency like vanilla pudding. Remove the udders from the pan and make a long slice down the side of each udder. Spread the pudding mixture into each slit. Serve warm or cold and have an "Udderly Wonderful" snack.
|
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Damn Gary, I can tell already that this will turn out to be one of Dex's favorite recipes. Yum-Yum Knowing Dex, he might want to leave the hair on those udders. |
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 566
Location: Inyokern, Ca. | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
John396 - 2008-12-06 12:28 PM
Blackbeard,
Sounds like Shepperds Pie to me
You spell it how you want. I'll stick to the dictionary.
BB |
|
| |
|
Old Salt
Posts: 402
| Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Gary, that dish does seem udderly delicious.
Steve |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2540
Location: Wappingers Falls, NY | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Dex, there are a million and one new items on the market that make it very easy for someone like yourself to "eat properly"...as for the mashed potatoes, I personally like the Ore-Ida brand. They even have a few lumps in them, so they taste like "home-made". There are many "already prepared" meat meals...I don't know "where" in your grocery store they may keep them, but I have found them near the end of the meat counters and some where they store bacon, et al. And it's nothing to preparing vegetables...they now have "steamed" in a bag and they aren't half bad. But if you are looking for a very easy recipe, there is nothing to making a wonderful pot of Bolonese sauce...brown down some ground beef, preferably "lean", garlic, onion, drain off the excess, throw in a can of Italian tomatoes and some good Asiago cheese (shredded) and let it all cook down...shouldn't take more than 1/2 hr. to 45 min. Boil up your favorite pasta...AND VOILA! |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
El yuck-o!
(Didn't know I spoke Spanish, did you?) 
Cora |
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 566
Location: Inyokern, Ca. | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
Here's another Dex.
Kielbasa casserole.
Wash and remove the eyes/bad spots from about 6 medium golden spuds (Yukon, Pacific, whatever.)
Quarter them. (Don't peel unless you have to, the skin's good for you.)
Grab a bag of those baby carrots. Use half the bag or so, as much as you want.
Slice half an onion into half-rings. Leave out if you don't want it.
Slice a kielbasa into bite-size chunks.
Melt a stick of butter and mix it all together in a big bowl. (if you wanna be healthy use a bit of olive oil instead.)
Put it all in a layer in a roasting pan, season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Roast it in the oven at 375 deg. for about 35 minutes (till spuds are fork tender.)
Broil for another 5 minutes or so till edges start to brown.
It's ready. You can also cook the entire dish wrapped in foil, in the oven or on the grill. Saves clean-up.
BB |
|
| |
|
Master and Commander
Posts: 2357
| Subject: Blue's Cooking Tips....
.......if it comes in a jar, it can be added to either rice or pasta meals.
I generally cook for myself and the kids either;
Spaghetti Bolognaise ( add in ANY vegetables you like, the more the merrier ) with garlic, mixed herbs etc.
Thai Chicken Green Curry with Rice and heaps of vegies,
Thai Chicken Red Curry with Rice and heaps of vegies,
Thai Chicken Jungle Curry ( very hot ) with Rice and heaps of vegies
Vindaloo Curry
Korman Curry
Satay
Sweet 'n Sour
Chili Con Carne
My kids love my cooking and say I am much better than their Mum's cooking. Gotta love that one
Blue *_* |
|
| |
|
Plankowner
Posts: 9165
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Blue's Cooking Tips....
Thai Chicken Green Curry with Rice and heaps of vegies,
Thai Chicken Red Curry with Rice and heaps of vegies,
Thai Chicken Jungle Curry ( very hot ) with Rice and heaps of vegies
Vindaloo Curry
Korman Curry
Satay
Sweet 'n Sour
Chili Con Carne
You're really David Lister in disguise aren't you!
|
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 602
Location: Visalia, Ca. | Subject: RE: Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
I do a lot of variations on a theme by Rice-a-Roni and Knorr (Used to be Lipton's) rice and pasta Side Dishes.
Hamburger helper works, too.
Brown 1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, bulk sausage, etc.), usually with a little diced onion and bell pepper from my garden.
Add Rice-a-Roni or pasta/rice & sauce.
Sometimes I add a small can of stewed tomatoes, whole-kernel corn, diced olives, whatever.
Cook per the package directions.
I typically get 1 or 2 meals and/or 1-3 light lunches out of a batch.
For a change of pace, Mac & Cheese with grilled Spam or sausage, and a dollop of Spagetti sauce or salsa.
I also patronize my local Schwann's (www.schwans.com) home delivery service.
They have some good stuff for 1-2 people that cooks in the microwave or the oven in 10-15 minutes.
|
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 606
Location: Citrus County FL | Subject: RE: Blue's Cooking Tips....
The menu says Lister, the avatar says Rimmer.... |
|
| |
|
Master and Commander
Posts: 2357
| Subject: Ric....
...you will have to explain this one to me.
Blue *_* |
|
| |
|
Plankowner
Posts: 9165
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Ric....
Dave Lister is a character on a BBC TV show called Red Dwarf and he lives on curry and vindaloos
A clip from the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Blue's Cooking Tips....
Now y'all know why Blue eats like a ravenous refugee when someone else cooks and why his kids are skinny as rails. Sorry Mate, I couldn't resist that one |
|
| |
|
Master and Commander
Posts: 2254
Location: Foothills of the Ozarks | Subject: Shepherd's Pie; one of my favorites
Great meal on those cold, snowy Michigan days. My mum used to make a variation of it by using cubed roast beef that was leftover from the Sunday meal. It is sometimes also referred to as "Cottage Pie".
Here's a recipe for "Bubble and Squeak"; a good bachelor meal.
Bubble 'n' Squeak
"Cabbage, bacon, ham, onion and leftover potatoes make up this tasty, easy dish. This is a great way to get the kids to eat cabbage. Using leftovers makes this main dish especially quick to make. I recommend using a good nonstick pan. Serve with ketchup, if desired."
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, sliced
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups potatoes - baked, cooled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, cook cabbage in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside.
2. In a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, cook bacon and onion until onion is soft and bacon is cooked. Add ham, and cook until heated through. Add butter, then mix in the cooked cabbage and potatoes. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned on bottom, turn, and brown again
Edited by Doc Gardner 2008-12-07 4:25 AM
|
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2540
Location: Wappingers Falls, NY | Subject: RE: Blue's Cooking Tips....
Hey Blue...I think you meant "Primavera" with the veggies...oh, yeah, we do that too...all summer long...all brand new garden veggies...
fresh roma tomatoes, summer squash, all sorts of peppers...including "hot" ones...black and green olives, all the fresh basil and oregano
you can stand...even shred up a carrot for a little bit more sweetness, thrown in an eggplant (the little ones are the best)...and last but
not least, as much garlic as you can cut up...HMMMMM. As a matter of fact I am in the middle of preparing some bolonese as I
write this...with fresh spinach penne...OOOPS, forgot the cheese...be back in a flash!!!
|
|
| |
Batchelor Cooking Experimentation
