Cooking from the Pantry (merged)

[Carrot Top]

I think I'll look up gratin recipes so I get an idea of how much liquid to use, etc.  So I can use, maybe, pureed canned tomatoes instead of or in addition to milk/cream?

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Yes...when I used the word 'gratin' it was very loosely worded. What I first wrote but then erased was 'lasagne'. Sort of think of the thing as a lasagne recipe but with the potatoes being used instead of pasta layers...

I would just layer up an additional layer of...very well chopped and drained Italian tomatoes...or...if you are like me, there is likely to be half a jar of salsa hanging around the fridge...that would work, too.

It will not 'hold together' when you cut and remove it from the baking dish, but the flavors should have melded nicely. Just taste in your mind as you go along...if one of the types of peppers seems wrong to you in your mind, it probably will be wrong also in the recipe.

Here is another addition you could add that, if you like a firmer dish that will hold together better...this will do that. It is really the topping for a Pastisio...(a Greek meat and pasta casserole).

3 T butter

3 T flour

3 C milk

3/4 C heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter, add flour, whisk for several minutes on low heat but do not allow to brown. Whisk in milk and cook till thickened and smooth (low to medium heat...depending how comfortable you are with the stove and the pot). Meanwhile whisk heavy cream with egg yolks to blend. Stir into sauce and heat till thick but do not boil. Stir in Parmesan. Pour over casserole and bake at 375 F for 35 to 45 minutes.

Note: If you don't have heavy cream handy just use milk and add 2 more egg yolks.

This is yummy.

[Carrot Top]

Soba mentioned this thread in another thread--thanks!  I was just looking for it because I desperately need to use up some "stuff" in my fridge and I'm suffering from a failure of imagination.

7 oz. chorizo (ground, not precooked) already has been frozen/thawed, must use soon!

1 1/2 cups already-cooked plain basmati rice

1/2 cup paneer

curry leaves

1 cup coconut milk

one poblano pepper

a couple jalapenos

a couple serranos

TONS of green bell peppers (given to us...and I don't like them raw at all)

three leeks that need using

a couple scallions

shallots

garlic

OUT OF ONIONS!

russet potatoes

shredded Parmesan

2 yellow summer squash and a zucchini getting old

I have tons of dried beans, 9 eggs, and also have meats such as stew beef, pork tenderloin, various ground chuck/round/sirloin/turkey, LOTS of chicken thigh/leg combos, four chicken breast halves, 20 oz. cooked ham.  ALso have canned tomatoes, different pastas, and tons of rice, basic pantry stuff, and I'm a compulsive spice shopper so I have most anything herb/spicewise that I might need.

I am imagining some kind of chili might be a good way to use up the chorizo/peppers...not too sure on amounts.  There's a good Indian meal in there somewhere too.  But these veggies were all purchased a week and a half ago, and I HATE throwing away food, so that's my main concern!

Thanks for helping!

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And thank you for posting...it is giving me a good excuse to avoid going outside to mow the lawn.

The 'second' meal I see in your batch of stuff is another simple one...Arroz con Pollo. You could use the chicken thigh/leg combos, the ham, the tomatoes, and some peppers and scallions. Rice and beans on the side.

Coconut milk? Pina colada for the cook, of course!

[RSincere]

Wow. Some awesome ideas! I knew it was a good idea to post...

I like the Thai idea, and I do have fish sauce AND limes, and red curry paste. I'm not really confident enough to just make something up without a recipe as guideline giving me a basic outline, but I can easily Google and find something similar to what you're describing.

I was desperate to use the chorizo, leeks, and two of the summer squash TODAY because the chorizo wouldn't last much longer and frankly, the leeks and squash were getting to the point where I could have been forgiven for tossing them. But instead I sauteed the chorizo in the bottom of my pressure cooker, tossed in the leeks and squash sliced thin, and 2 lb potatoes cut in 1/2 inch cubes, with some chicken broth, water, and a bay leaf, cooked under pressure 5 minutes, then added 1/2 cup heavy cream at the end. It was a weird hybrid idea I had between the classic potato/leek soup, and the Portugese chorizo/kale/potato soup. And the result wouldn't win any prizes, but it tasted fine for just us and I felt virtuous for not wasting all that food.

Reese, yes, I'm still cooking! I've been plugging away at it, and some things have turned out great, and others have...well, taught me something about what doesn't work. I like the Indian curry idea you mentioned. I'm learning a lot about Indian food because I bought Monica's book, and even though a few of my efforts haven't worked (probably my fault) I have fallen in love with the flavors of the cuisine, and some curries have been amazing. The only Indian cooking I have ever eaten, though, is my own, so if I'm doing it wrong, I wouldn't know!

I'm still going to try that layered dish, love the Pastitsio (sp) idea. That will be tomorrow. I'll use the zucchini, some canned tomatoes, some of the green peppers, some potatoes, I'm soaking some dried beans tonight. I have about 1/2 lb of bacon I need to use up, would that work in there? Don't laugh! I also have a half-package of cream cheese starting to get hard...hmmmmm...

Arroz con Pollo the next day!

Thanks for the rice pudding idea. I cooked the leftover rice with the coconut milk, a cinnamon stick, vanilla, a handful of dates and wayyyyyyyy too much sugar and had it for dinner tonight. I couldn't eat it all because I really oversugared it. Once again, I learned something, though.

I was thinking of perhaps blanching/freezing some green pepper strips, or even roasting/freezing them. I don't use them often anyway because I just don't like them much. Think that would work?

[Carrot Top]

Personally I'm not sure about the bacon in the layered-up dish...I might instead use it when (I mean 'if'... I sort of feel like I am going to cook this myself...I love using what is 'available' and in the house!) making the beans to go with the rice for the arroz con pollo...dice it and cook it slowly to brown, with onions and seasonings (no salt, it will toughen the beans...add that at the end if you need to) before adding the beans and liquids...and I also worry about the cream cheese in the recipe. How about making some sort of little 'canape' thingie with the cream cheese on some sort of bread with a topping?

The green peppers I would roast under the broiler in the oven (if your summer grill is not available), rub off skins, cut into strips, toss generously with garlic and oregano...pack into a jar, cover with olive oil and put in fridge. They will keep at least two weeks if you use lots of olive oil. I should say, they will keep two weeks if you don't nibble them up before them. Even people who are not green pepper likers often like them this way. Great on a toasted bagette as a snack...nice as part of a 'salad bar' sort of dinner (oh let me instead say 'tapas' to sound sophisticate) or as a side with a sandwich. Freezing changes the texture...they can become watery and soft...

The meal you made with the veggies sounds delicious and easy. Weeknight meals are always a challenge for busy people, aren't they..

[reesek]

i've been gifted with some hand picked chanterelles and matsutakes. i'm terrible with quanity - but maybe 6 smallish matsutake (3 inches long and 1 1/2 wide) and about 1/2 pound of massive chanterelles. the chanterelles are filthy - should i clean them (as i do all mushrooms) with a damp paper towel, or can i sneak them into a quick bath?

i've only had matsutake once - any ideas? how long will they keep?

i'd love to use one or both tonight - was thinking of sauteeing the chanterelles in butter/oil with shallot and tossing them in pasta with carmelized onions, toasted pine nuts and thyme. bread crumbs on top.

i think i recall matsutake being earthier/wet spongier which i think would be better in a simple asian-style soup - any ideas?

other ideas to bring out the mushroomy best? i'd love to make ravioli but don't have a pasta machine and find the pre-rolled too thick and semolina-y. does using wonton skins work well?

[SobaAddict70]

Matsutake isn't called "the king of mushrooms" for nothing.

Best pan-grilled or sauteed, with maybe some butter or sesame oil, and served with gohan (Japanese rice). Maybe some gomasio (sesame salt) or a squeeze of lemon.

Soba

[reesek]

Matsutake isn't called "the king of mushrooms" for nothing. 

Best pan-grilled or sauteed, with maybe some butter or sesame oil, and served with gohan (Japanese rice).  Maybe some gomasio (sesame salt) or a squeeze of lemon.

Soba

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sliced, halved or whole? any idea how long they'll keep? thanks!

[little ms foodie]

I'm using my chantrelles tonight for a penne dish. I think I'll do onions, shallots, thyme and the mushrooms and make it into a cream sauce with parm. I'm a sucker for creamy, cheesy, penne!

[SobaAddict70]

Slice off the stems and pan-grill them that way.

Do not dry, as it will lose all its flavor. Keeps firm about 8-10 days in paper bag or wax paper in the crisper drawer of your fridge or cook with butter or oil and freeze.

As with truffles, be careful not to cook too long as the aromatic intensity decreases with cooking time.

Soba

[tanabutler]

I'd also LOVE to hear your take on how I could make risotto.  I have the arborio rice but have been afraid to attempt it.  Seems so many things I try to make just don't turn out like I'd hoped, and I get discouraged!

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Let this be the least of your worries! The two rules I follow for risotto are from Patricia Wells.

1) Heat/melt your butter/oil and stir in the risotto. Stir, pleasantly, until each grain is coated and translucent. The more you enjoy stirring, which you can certainly do whilst talking to your guests, the better your risotto will be.

2) Use a cup of decent white wine instead of a cup of stock. And use it first. Have your stock simmering, and be prepared to stir it in, one ladleful at a time. But use the cup of wine first.

It should go without saying that both wine and stock should be the best you can afford, either with time or money. The quality of both will be reflected in your final product.

Do you like lemon? I have a recipe for lemon risotto that is so easy, and so knock-socks.

I also have a recipe for (gads) baked risotto that is just so easy, so delicious, and good even when it's left over.

Risotto is not a big deal. It's a lot of stirring, but the gist of it is: add liquids and stir. When the liquids are gone, it's ready. NOW. I love stirring. I love that kind of diffuse attention.

[RSincere]

3 lb roasted butternut squash (not seasoned)

10 oz. ham steak

10 oz. fresh spinach

Please assume that I have or am willing to purchase additional ingredients, within reason. I'm wondering, some kind of creamy soup? If possible, since this would probably make a large amount of food for us, I would like to make something that is freezeable.

Thank you!

[reesek]

<bump>

i have a dreamy problem -

about a pound of salty cured salmon (whole - ie - not yet sliced)

about a cup or a cup & a half of onion confit

a 1/3 pound of triple cream cheese (can't recall which one, but it's got a thin white rind and a very fresh, buttery paste - not elastic like brie, more like whipped fresh cream cheese - but lighter)

a garden of herbs - tarragon, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary & sage

i don't have any demi-glace or beef/chicken stock hanging around - thought i should mention that too...

here's the thing - it was a sinful weekend...and i'm ready to detox. all i can think of to make with these ingredients are creamy things...quiches, creamy pastas etc. what can i make that takes max of about 90 minutes to use some/any of these ingredients that won't be too heavy?

[winesonoma]

<bump>

i have a dreamy problem -

about a pound of salty cured salmon (whole - ie - not yet sliced)

about a cup or a cup & a half of onion confit

a 1/3 pound of triple cream cheese (can't recall which one, but it's got a thin white rind and a very fresh, buttery paste - not elastic like brie, more like whipped fresh cream cheese - but lighter)

a garden of herbs - tarragon, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary & sage

i don't have any demi-glace or beef/chicken stock hanging around - thought i should mention that too...

here's the thing - it was a sinful weekend...and i'm ready to detox. all i can think of to make with these ingredients are creamy things...quiches, creamy pastas etc. what can i make that takes max of about 90 minutes to use some/any of these ingredients that won't be too heavy?

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Omelets come to mind. The Salmon and the cheese inside sprinkled with fresh herbs. Confit on toast or fresh biscuits?

[lovebenton0]

Our big meal is traditionally at lunchtime, because my husband works 2nd shift.  So...

He loved the lasagne!  He said it was "really, really good," which is high praise indeed from Mr. "Watch me eat this meatball sub in less than 30 seconds."  In fact, he ate 1/3 of the pan.  And how he stays under 130 lbs is beyond me. 

I did like the lasagne, although I thought it was very rich.  I had put two pieces on my plate, and I could only eat the first one.  I think I put on a bit too much shredded Parmesan cheese, it seems that that was a bit too much of a good thing.  I learned that I can't use Parmesan the same way I would use shredded mozzarella.  But I'm being picky--it was good! 

The dots of fresh mozzarella on the top did melt and brown, but I wasn't able to discern any flavor that they added.  However, they made the finished lasagne look really cute.  And it's cool to have my food look cute...especially after years of vegetarian casseroles where everything I made was brown. 

And his parents never did call us.

In other pantry cooking news, I figured out what the mystery slab of meat is--it's a pork shoulder steak.  I don't know what I thought I'd do with it, but it was on sale.  Also, has anyone heard of "American cut" pork chops?  I bought two--they are at least 1-1/2 inches thick and almost perfectly round, no bone.  I Googled that phrase but didn't come up with anything helpful.  Our butcher is kind of weird.

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Check out my entry on the Dinner thread from last night. The pork steaks are heavenly braised. Ingredient list was almost complete -- forgot to add garlic to the list. You can alter that, of course, to suit taste. It's not the prettiest pic -- looked better on the plate than I could do with camera (kitchen lights are awful and my mr was looking at me like "Again?" so I took shots before I tabled mine ). Great way to do the pork steaks, they are meltingly tender and flavorful when braised.

[little ms foodie]

ok, my turn to ask for a little creative help.

I've got a head of savoy cabbage in the fridge

pork, chicken, snapper fillets, lamb and steaks in the freezer

risotto, won ton wrappers, pasta, and lentils in the pantry

I have no problem picking up stuff from the store. I don't usually use cabbage so looking for ideas!

[Jason Perlow]

You have wonton wrappers. Make mini eggrolls or fried wontons. Shred and saute the cabbage, perhaps with some shredded carrot, season it with some soy sauce. squeeze out all the moisture with a cloth after cooking and then return to bowl. mix in some chopped pork and chicken and scallion. Stuff and Crimp into Wonton shapes with the skins and fry in about 2 inches of oil on a wok.

See this thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=54007&st=0

[little ms foodie]

You have wonton wrappers. Make mini eggrolls or fried wontons. Shred and saute the cabbage,  perhaps with some shredded carrot, season it with some soy sauce. squeeze out all the moisture with a cloth after cooking and then return to bowl. mix in some chopped pork and chicken and scallion.  Stuff and Crimp into Wonton shapes with the skins and fry in about 2 inches of oil on a wok.

See this thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=54007&st=0

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You ROCK!!!!!

[LindaK]

I don't cook with cabbage often but once found myself with a head of cabbage and little else. Made a simpler version of Marcella Hazan's Risotto with Cabbage and Parmesan (Marcella's Italian Kitchen) and was stunned by how delicious it was. Her recipe calls for sauteeing onions and pancetta with oil and butter, then adding shredded savoy cabbage, cooking it down completely--then using this as a base for a standard risotto. I didn't have pancetta and it was still delectable. Having made it many times since, the trick is to (1) cook the onions until golden and (2) cook the cabbage until it is a rich brown--basically, making sure you caramelize both. The version with pancetta is wonderful but by all means try it without.

You can streamline things by making the cabbage and risotto separately, as I almost always do, and either stir them together at the end, or top the risotto with the cabbage (makes a nice presentation). This makes a great veggie entree (sans pancetta) but is heavenly as a base for pork--roast, sausages, etc. Big flavor payoff in very little time. I once tried it with an old Alsacian riesling, which turned out to be a match made in heaven, oddly enough.

[little ms foodie]

That sounds really good too Linda! thank you, I have a whole head so I should be able to try both!

[little ms foodie]

Thank you!!

fried wontons and scallion cakes

pork fried rice

Edited January 30, 2005 by little ms foodie (log)

[The Old Foodie]

Sally on her blog <a href="http://dart1121.blogspot.com/2006/06/ingredients.html">Tip of the Iceberg</a> has a great idea. She has decided not to shop for a week (apart from things such as milk) as her fridge, freezer, and pantry are stuffed full, and she feels she wastes a lot of food every week. The challenge is on to help her cook with what she has - mind you, she has a better stash than most of us I think.

It seemed like a good idea for a thread for this forum.

After you go on over and help her out with ideas, how about posting here a list of your current stores, and get some ideas as to how to use them. Especially those things lurking in the back of cupboards and the depths of freezers that you keep moving to one side.

[Grub]

That's an interesting project -- a well stocked pantry is a joy. And Sally's pantry is certainly more joyous than most... Although I didn't realize asparagus came canned, or that flour could, or should be stored in the freezer. Of course, anyone who keeps parsnips and radishes on hand, HAS to be a good person... When I can write a shopping list that consists of a single protein, I feel happy about my pantry.

[The Old Foodie]

or that flour could, or should be stored in the freezer.

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Hello Grub; I know I am a long way from where Sally lives, but I sometimes store extra flour in the freezer because our climate here is hot and humid, so it keeps better. If you ever have a pantry problem with those weevils/moths that love flour and other grains, it helps control it by putting any purchases in the freezer for a couple of days first - kills off any potential ones in the mix, so they dont take over your pantry.

[Chufi]

Great idea. I often do that on weekends & mondays: On saturday, I only shop for 1 dinner. I find that after that I can usually cook 2 more dinners from leftovers, bits and pieces from fridge, freezer and larder. In our house these are called 'something out of nothing' dinners.

Still, I have a lot of stuff lying around that I know I should be using.. staples like beans, grains, pasta etc. Doing a project like this for a week would really be a challenge!

[sparrowgrass]

I must admit I find the idea curious. I live in a rural area, grocery shopping is 25 miles away, so going to the grocery store is a once a week (or even twice a month) event for me.

Her pantry sounds like mine--except for the parnips and radishes. (I would have to sub the half bushel of leaf lettuce and the two humoungous heads of broccoli I picked last night.)

How often does everyone else shop?