Anyone got a recipe for...

[CaliLily]

Originally Posted by ArchieComic Fan

I just got an enameled dutch oven - from Emeril's line. Anyone have any good recipes for using a dutch oven?

One of my favorites is pork chops with tomato sauce and zuchini. Brown the pork chops on both sides before pouring in some italian seasoned tomato sauce (or regular with whatever herbs you like) and 1 zuchini per 4 pork chops. I usually do 8 small pork chops, 16-24 ozs of tomato sauce, and 1 green zuchini and one yellow. It is really simple and when you are done the left over sauce can be used to spoon over a side of spaghetti or angel hair noodles.

[Google]

 

[Ellen]

Originally Posted by luvsginger

This recipe sounds like something I bought at the Farmer's Market called "Quark". It is a sweetened cream cheese that is flavored with things like lemon or vanilla. Anyone had Quark before?

Yes -- when I was in Germany. It's similar to cream cheese, but thinner and with a little bit of tanginess like buttermilk. Though people add flavors or sweeteners to it, by definition (at least in Germany or eastern Europe), Quark itself isn't sweet. But it is delicious!

[Cootie]

Originally Posted by Ellen

Get some TJ's puff pastry sheets, roll the chile verde pork in them (even add Montery Jack cheese and those roasted peppers to the mix), stick 'em in the freezer to set, slice to make those roll-y pinwheel-y thingies, put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 350ºF for 20 - 30 minutes.

For the endive filling, I'd recommend TJ's chèvre mixed with your fresh basil and fresh thyme, and a bit of lemon or lime zest.

Fresh figs, cut in half, dollop of chèvre, put under broiler for a few minutes until cheese gets "melty," drizzle with a little honey or fig balsamic vinegar, top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Really easy quickie: TJ's portobello and truffle flatbread -- bake according to package directions and cut into little finger-food sized pieces.

Thanks for these ideas and for reminding me on how to spell "chile" in this recipe. I am usually a pretty good speller, but this school year has taken it's toll on my brain... I plan to figure out my grocery list soon for the party and will give you all feedback on how it goes. This is a very interesting thread that I think I should visit more often. I am trying to become a better cook and entertainer and you all have some great ideas!

[ArchieComic Fan]

Thanks for the dutch oven recipes and I'll be trying them out. I've done some googling but many of the recipes call for the camp fire version of dutch oven cooking. I'm going to see if the bookstore has some cookbooks. I had great success finding simple crockpot cookbooks at Books-A-Million so I'm hoping to find at least one good book for the dutch oven.

[myrosiedog]

Lot's of crockpot recipes do well in the Dutch Oven. My mom used her dutch oven like a crock pot before she got a crock pot.

You may have to adjist the cooking times. I wouldn't cook something for 6 hours in the dutch oven like a crock pot recipe says, but I would probably cook it 2 to 3 hours.

[luvsginger]

Originally Posted by ArchieComic Fan

Thanks for the dutch oven recipes and I'll be trying them out. I've done some googling but many of the recipes call for the camp fire version of dutch oven cooking. I'm going to see if the bookstore has some cookbooks. I had great success finding simple crockpot cookbooks at Books-A-Million so I'm hoping to find at least one good book for the dutch oven.

Most dutch oven recipes are for winter recipes such as stews, beef bourguignon and pot roasts which require hours of having your oven or stove on. This can significantly raise the temperature in your home. I live in SF so it really doesn't matter for me when I cook those recipes since our summers and winters are almost the same. Anyway, here are a couple of my favorites:

Beef Bourguignon Recipe : Ina Garten : Food Network

Parker's Beef Stew Recipe : Ina Garten : Food Network

[myrosiedog]

I'd rather cook on the stove top than the oven. The oven makes the house even hotter than having one burner on simmer for a couple hours, which is why I do a lot of stove top cooking in the summer and less oven cooking.

[Bunny555]

Originally Posted by luvsginger

Really Bunny? You use ricotta instead of the potatoes? Do you have a recipe? I would love to try it!

To me, they have a lighter taste but it's all a matter of preference.

Ricotta Gnocchi:

1 ½ pounds fresh ricotta cheese or 3 cups packaged whole-milk ricotta
cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed, plus more for forming the gnocchi
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Place the ricotta in a fine sieve over a bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Discard liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
In a medium-size bowl, pour in the drained ricotta.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and 1 teaspoon salt until foamy.
Stir the eggs, cheese, pepper and nutmeg into the ricotta with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended.
Gradually add as much of the flour as necessary to form a soft and sticky dough. Ricotta-gnocchi dough is soft and sticky – work it as little as possible.
Divide the dough into six equal pieces.
Roll one of the dough pieces out with a back-and-forth movement till you form a rope about 1-inch wide.
Flour your hands, the work surface, and the dough lightly, as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking.
Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces.
Use a fork to gently roll the pieces of gnocchi.
Place on a baking sheet dusted with flour or with a floured kitchen towel and continue forming gnocchi from the remaining dough.
At this point, the gnocchi must be cooked immediately or frozen.

[Cootie]

Originally Posted by Ellen

Get some TJ's puff pastry sheets, roll the chile verde pork in them (even add Montery Jack cheese and those roasted peppers to the mix), stick 'em in the freezer to set, slice to make those roll-y pinwheel-y thingies, put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 350ºF for 20 - 30 minutes.

For the endive filling, I'd recommend TJ's chèvre mixed with your fresh basil and fresh thyme, and a bit of lemon or lime zest.

Fresh figs, cut in half, dollop of chèvre, put under broiler for a few minutes until cheese gets "melty," drizzle with a little honey or fig balsamic vinegar, top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Really easy quickie: TJ's portobello and truffle flatbread -- bake according to package directions and cut into little finger-food sized pieces.

Okay, followup time on the graduation party - it was great thanks to the advice from lucy, myrosiedog and Ellen. I kindof used a bit of everything you suggested. I did get some tomatoes and serve with pearly mozzarella balls from Costco and the basil from my garden. I had balsamic dressing on the side. I used puff pastry from Trader Joe's with the roasted peppers and the chile verde topped with Pepperjack cheese. The puff pastry was amazing and I would say that dish was the hit of the party (rosie, I think the little tacos would have been good too, but I couldn't get a hold of those but will try for those another time). I got those turkey pineapple meatballs from Costco and baked them with Yoshida's sauce. Also very popular. We got a tray of sushi from Costco which worked pretty well - I thought it was a bit much, but our guests liked them so? We didn't do anything to the fresh strawberries that I picked at a local farm that morning because that variety are so delicate and sweet and small that we just served them straight up as finger food. Delicious, but I want to try mrd's recipe as soon as possible when I have a bit more time - looks delicious! And the endive was filled with chicken mixed up with Trader Joe's tzatziki - a yogurt dressing with mint and cucumber that worked perfectly. I admit that I ran out of steam in making things from scratch and when I saw the ingredients in this sauce I thought it would work. I did get some flatbread from TJ's that I embellished with my own pesto - I didn't get the one you suggested but will save that one for another shopping trip!

The party was small but fun and the college aged kids wanted to know about the ingredients and how they were made so that they could have them at their own parties - they helped fix more or watched me make them. Nobody drank too much alcohol as we had other good things to drink like sparkling pear (from Ikea) - yum! I enjoyed myself. Thanks again for your tips, you really helped me with this party and I intend to try all the suggestions at some point. Cheers to you all! That is not quite a toast, but it will have to do

[myrosiedog]

Sounds like a great success and fun was had by all. The food sounds wonderful and here I am at nearly 4 am starving now. So thanks. Seriously sounds as it it was all great.