Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups all purpose flour (for whole wheat biscuits, use 1 1/2 cups all purpose and 1/2 cup wheat; I prefer this variation)
  1 tablespoon baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/3 cup oil (the original recipe calls for shortening but I use vegetable oil)
  3/4 cup buttermilk (to make buttermilk from dairy milk, pour a splash of white vinegar, add milk to reach 3/4 cup, and let the vinegar/milk combo sit for a few minutes to curdle)

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Pour oil into buttermilk and stir. Make a well in the dry mixture; add liquids to dry ingredients and mix until it forms a dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat down until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter; the one I use is about 2 inches in diameter, or a 1/3 cup measure is a good size, or I've used a plastic drinking cup in a pinch. Bake on an ungreased sheet in an oven at 450 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden brown.

This recipe doubles easily, and in fact I always make a double recipe because the biscuits go fast!

Molasses Cookies

• 3/4 cup shortening
  1 cup brown sugar, packed
  1 egg
  1/3 cup molasses
  2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  2 teaspoons baking soda
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  3/4 teaspoon cloves
  1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  1 teaspoon nutmeg
  1 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, diced (optional)

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses, ideally with either a stand mixer or hand mixer. Mix dry ingredients (everything else except the crystallized ginger) and blend into the wet ingredients. Add the crystallized ginger and mix everything to form a dough.

Roll dough into approximately 1 inch balls (the original recipe says 1 1/4 inch balls; I've made these in various sizes with different cookie scoops and they size up or down well). Bake on an ungreased sheet at 365 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, until just set but not hard. I lean toward 8 minutes because I prefer softer cookies. I also double this recipe frequently!

Crossposted from my CoLP thread at Menolly's invitation :smiley8:

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I shared this recipe in the discord, but thought I'd put it here too, along with some pictures! I'm a semi-professional baker I suppose- I've had my own home bakery for a couple of years now and while it's by no means lucrative, it allowed me to sell a bit of something I love to do, and indulge my baking habit without having to eat all the results :smiley8: My family have always been sourdough people, but most of my life it was typically waffles and pancakes. I started branching out to other things 5-6 years ago, split my started into "bread" and "everything else" a couple years ago, so I've been nurturing two starter children, and have only been tinkering with this particular recipe for a few months. It's given by far the best results of everything else I've tried, so here it is for you to try! The tone is pretty informal and direct as I was originally writing it out for my mom

Notes on starter:
I feed my starter for bread with roughly 25% dark rye flour and 75% AP flour. For this recipe, you want your starter to be frothy on top with a weblike but fairly liquid texture underneath. It’s probably significantly stiffer than you’re used to doing for pancakes etc, but still liquid. For optimal flavor development for a starter coming from the fridge, I recommend feeding it twice a day for at least two days before baking.

Note on timings:
This go around the fermentation time on the levain and the rise time on the loaves after shaping was significantly shorter, primarily I believe to the greater liquidity of my starter and the decrease in amount of salt. I let things rise under the hood lights on my oven where it gets nice and warm. The recipe I based this off of calls for a ferment of 8 hours on the levain, which is how long it took the first time I made it. Pay attention to what the dough is doing more than your timer.

Note on flour:
The first time I made this, I only used a bit under 5 cups of flour. This time I used all of it, but the loaves were still lighter and less dense. Use your judgement but definitely don’t put all the dough flour in at once! I put in some guidance on this.

INGREDIENTS
Levain
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Warm water
1/3-1/2 cup starter

Dough
2 cups strong bread flour
~4 ¾ cup AP flour
2 ¾ cup warm water
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon fine salt

1.
For the levain, combine flours, starter, and water in medium bowl using a spoon or spatula. Start with ¾ cup water and add more as needed to achieve a thick pastelike consistency. Cover and let sit until bubbly and increased at least 20% (approx. 2hrs under the hood lights on top of my oven)

2.
For the dough: add whole wheat flour, water, 7oz (approx. 1 cup) levain, 2 cups bread flour, and 2 ¾ cups AP flour to a large bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, adding more flour as needed to bring it together. Reserve any remaining flour. Cover and let sit for 30 mins. NB: you’ll probably want to start the mixing on this step with a large spatula or wooden spoon as it may be fairly liquid. If you have a stand mixer, use it and a dough hook.

3.
Sprinkle salt over the dough and knead until it feels a bit sticky and wet but looks smooth and stretchy, adding from the remaining flour as needed. This process should only take a few minutes. Do not over knead! Cover and let sit until puffy, about 45 mins. If using a stand mixer, let it run on medium for about 2 minutes, adding the flour as needed as you go. Resist the urge to add too much flour, you can always incorporate a little more during the next steps.

4.
Grab the dough from both sides at the center of the lump, as if you were trying to pick up a cat. Allow the ends of the dough to stretch down, shaking it slightly to assist if necessary. Flop the ends of the dough back down into the bowl and fold the center over like a book. Google ‘coil fold’ for videos of what we’re trying to do here. Repeat this process (stretch & fold) 3-4 times. Cover and let sit until puffy, about 45 mins.

5.
Repeat step 4. After the third 45 minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy and start to spring back when poked.

6.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Divide in half. Gently tuck the ends of each piece under to shape into a loose ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

7.
At this point you have to decide what shape you want your bread to be. For rounds: lightly dust the top of the dough balls and your work surface. Form the balls into tighter rounds by folding the edges of the dough over the top all the way around (3-4 pulls), and pinch them together to seal on the last fold. Gently flip the ball over so that the folds are down and, cupping the dough ball gently, pull it toward you, using the tension between the dough and the board the tighten the ball. Turn the dough ¼ and repeat 2-3 times. Place each dough ball, seam side up, into a prepared bowl/basket for its final rise. To prepare a bowl: take a medium (~8”) bowl and line it with a kitchen towel. Linen is best, but the less fluffy the better. GENEROUSLY flour the towel to prevent the dough from sticking. Eliminate as many folds/wrinkles from the towel as possible. They make special rattan baskets for this purpose that can be used with or without a linen lining, they’re super useful and much easier to deal with. To make any other shape, use the same basic principles but do whatever shape you want! Make a log for sandwich loaves baked in a pan, and let them prove in their pan.

7.5 FOR BEST FLAVOR: Cover loaves with cling film and let them prove in the fridge overnight. If you want to bake same day, cover and let rise until 1.5 times original size, ~2-2.5hrs. If you do a cold prove, take your loaves out of the fridge and allow them to warm up before baking. Don’t have to come all the way to room temperature, but shouldn’t be COLD.

8.
Dutch oven method: about 20 mins before baking, preheat oven to 500ºF with Dutch oven and lid inside. When preheated, flip one round of dough out onto a square of parchment paper. Score top in desired pattern. Using the parchment paper to lift the dough, set it carefully inside the hot Dutch oven and cover. Bake for 20 mins covered, then uncover and bake until dark brown (~10-15mins) at 425ºF. Remove first loaf, return oven temp to 500ºF and allow to reheat for at least 10 mins with Dutch oven inside before repeating with second loaf. Use a new piece of parchment paper. Tricks for not scorching the bottom of your loaf: put rack with Dutch oven as high as you can in the oven. When you uncover, the crust should be firm enough that you can lift the loaf out and put a ring of tinfoil underneath it to hold it up off the bottom of the DO.

Tray method: same temperatures and timings as above, but you don’t have to worry about the lid. If using a stone or stoneware tray, preheat it. I haven’t tried this with a metal sheet, so I’m not sure what difference preheating or not will make. It’s helpful to still use parchment paper to transfer the loaf to your sheet, so you can flip it over and score it without having to open the oven for too long. For this method, I recommend throwing a few ice cubes in the bottom of the oven just as you shut the door, the steam helps with the crust.

Loaf pan: Scoring is not necessary, but you can if you want! Steam based on whether you want a crunchier (steam) or softer (no steam) crust.

I like a nice crusty loaf usually, so the Dutch oven is my favorite method so far.


And now what you're really here for... pictures!!


Beginning with the most attractive bread I have ever baked










Slightly less attractive but tastier breads (I figured out the salt ratio on this batch)



This guy came out of a tea towel/flour bowl and had some sticking issues hence his especially rustic appearance






Vs nice neat banneton






Some crumb shots








Bubbles are good










Scoring. I don't do fancy scores... yet

Here's a favourite recipe of mine for Artichoke Pasta. It can be eaten hot or cold.

6-8oz uncooked pasta (I use penne, but rigatoni also works well)
1 TB chopped fresh parsley
1TB olive oil
2 cloves - finely chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth (you can also use vegetable broth)
2TB oil-packaged sun dried tomatoes - finely chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes (fresh or canned diced)
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts
1TB grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions

Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until golden. Shake broth, tomatoes, cornstarch, salt, red pepper, and pepper in a tightly covered container until mixed. Gradually stir into garlic. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in artichokes. Toss with pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

@Dimcairien Luiniel I think my stomach just growled. That looks delicious!

@Moriel I'm still a little intimidated by all the steps, but your loaves look so good, I will definitely have to try it at some point.

These have been my two go-to sourdough recipes as a proud new sourdough parent. My starter's name is Goldie, and I've somehow managed to not kill her in a month or so of ownership. :smiley8:

Basic sourdough bread (a less intimidating recipe for a sourdough newbie like me): https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes ... ead-recipe

Sourdough crackers (these are AMAZING and a great use for discard; so far I've tried plain, rosemary, and smoked paprika): https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes ... ers-recipe

@Menolly Absolutely, totally understand that it seems intimidating at first, but all it really costs you is flour and time! And you have my years of sourdough experimentation behind the method so at least we know it works The hardest thing about it is that the character of the dough and the how much flour it takes and the rising times etc all vary depending on the day, how warm your kitchen is, humidity, etc. You have to be willing to trust yourself about when it's right- or to just make a call and turn your bread into croutons if you were wrong It takes a few tries to get a feel for judging the dough!

I haven't made crackers yet but that's definitely on my list!!

@Nessila they're tasty and super easy! I pulled out the book to double check everything was right as I typed it up (you know how when you make something often you don't think about the measurements, your hands just do it) and my mom had handwritten a half portion recipe next to the regular one. I asked her why and she said it was because she used to have me make my own mini biscuit recipe beside her when I was little, complete with a mini biscuit cutter. So easy even a tiny hobbit could make them!

I confess I'm not a big fan of sausage but the rest of that soup looks delicious!

I have actually been doing a fair amount of cooking recently as well, so here's a family classic!

Nanaimo Bars

Layer #1
Melt in saucepan over low heat:
1/2 cup butter

Add, and continue to cook over low heat:
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Remove from heat and add:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup grated coconut

Mix together and spread into 9"x9" pan. Chill in the fridge (at least twenty minutes).

Layer #2
Mix (whisk together thoroughly to remove any lumps):
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
3 tbsp milk

Cover the base with this mixture. Chill again (at least twenty minutes).

Layer #3
Melt over heat (double-boiler if possible): 4 squares (or one block) of semi-sweet baking chocolate (or dark chocolate) plus 1 tbsp butter.

Cover chilled base layers with the melted chocolate. Chill until completely set.

I see Dimcairien Luiniel's artichoke pasta, and raise you zucchini-and-ricotta fresh pasta. :smiley10:

I make fresh pasta a lot. I make a batch of pasta dough, separate it into 90-gram portions, and freeze individually, wrapped in plastic wrap so they don't lose moisture. When I'm feeling lazy, or tired, and really don't feel like cooking, I defrost one portion (well in advance - a few hours in the fridge), roll it out, make pasta. Here's how I make it:

400 gram flour (preferably 00 durum flour, but any will do)
4 eggs

Make a well in the middle of your flour. Pour in eggs. Gradually mix all the flour into the eggs. Knead until fully incorporated. Dough should be dry, annoying, a workout for your arms, and it shouldn't stick to your hands at all. If it's sticking to your fingers, add some more flour. If it just won't take any more flour, leave it be. (It's not just the size of the eggs affecting it, it's also air moisture, so there's really no way to tell precise quantities except by feel.)
Let the dough rest for a couple of hours.
Use pasta machine to roll out the dough and cut it into fettuccine (that's the long flat strips). If you don't have a fancy pasta hanger (I don't), keep it on a lightly floured kitchen towel until you're ready to cook it (Italian restaurants do it this way, really no need for a rack).
Cook in salted boiling water until al-dente (about 2 minutes), strain, throw into sauce at once. Important rule: sauce waits for pasta. Pasta never waits for sauce. (Its own heat keeps cooking it, so if it waits, it becomes soft and mushy and yuck.)

With fresh pasta, you don't want a sauce that's too dominant. There are a few lazy ones I've been using over the years, but here's the one I keep coming back to. Quantities for one portion:

1 garlic clove
1 spring of thyme
2 small sage leaves
olive oil
1 zucchini
1-2 spoons pine nuts
2-3 spoons ricotta cheese
salt, pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic and herbs for as long as it takes to cube the zucchini, add the zucchini. For an extra pop of colour, don't bother peeling the zucchini (but make sure it's cleaned thoroughly - they tend to be waxed). Salt and pepper to taste, cook over medium heat, stir occasionally.
When the zucchini are about two minutes from ready, get your pasta into boiling water.
Add the pine nuts to the zucchinis right before straining the pasta. Add the pasta into the zucchini, add ricotta cheese, toss everything together. (You're still doing this over heat - otherwise the ricotta cools everything down. You're not cooking anything at this point, just keeping it warm while adding cold ingredients.)
Serve with a generous amount of Parmigiano.

!!! I did not know there was a recipe thread. Somehow I missed this in my cross-kingdom-boundaries browsing. Cannot wait to really look at what you all have shared so far! I'm always looking for new recipes.

I posted about making chicken soup from scratch on my blog several years ago, and I'll just link it here because it's a full tutorial from 'how to roast a chicken to make bone broth' to 'when to add veggies to the soup' and is quite image-heavy.

@Moriel Wow Moriel, fantastic! <3

My s/o's favourite Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use breast), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound smoked sausage (such as Conecuh sausage), cut into 1-inch pieces - I use 500g english sausage and 1 choritzo sausage (about 300-500g)
1 large white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning - google it, there are recipes on how to make this yourself, though I found Cajun seasoning and that works too
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups uncooked converted rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Sliced scallions (optional)
I also add a few dried chili flakes to spice it up a lil bit more

How to Make It

Step 1
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add chicken and sausage, and cook, stirring constantly, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels; blot with paper towels.

Step 2
Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, thyme, and oregano to hot drippings; cook over medium-high until vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in rice, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken, and sausage. Bring to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

I use brown rice and a lil more than the recipe requires, so I leave it to cook for longer, around an hour to make sure the rice isnt crunchy.

Ha! Who thought I was going to post a hoppit cookie recipe? :P

I was really close to setting up a recipes thread in oome; why on earth I didn't think to check here first is beyond me! Great idea and love the look of some of these recipes and baked goods!

My flatmate does this food delivery thing where he gets a box of ingredients and recipes delivered each week. He gave me a free trial a few weeks back, so I got a free box with some recipes in. The below recipe was one from it, and it was delicious (although not really a hot weather kinda dish, to be perfectly honest!). It's a great veggie curry!

Coconut Dal with Roasted Butternut Squash (serves 2/3)


Ingredients:
- 1 diced butternut squash (this is probably more than you need, but I don't use butternut squash very often so just did it all)
- curry powder
- 1 onion
- 1 red chilli
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander
- vegetable stock powder/cube
- 200ml coconut milk
- 200g red lentils
- flour
- 2 plain naan bread
- pumpkin seeds (if wanted)

Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 200C, roast the diced butternut squash in a little olive oil and a sprinkle of curry powder, seasoned with salt & pepper, for c. 25-30 mins (until soft and golden)

2. thinly slice the onion, finely chop the chilli, chop tomatoes into chunks and roughly chop coriander

3. heat splash of oil in large saucepan on medium heat, add several pinches of curry powder, the tomato, and as much chilli as desired. Cook for 1 minute then add 400ml water, vegetable stock powder, coconut milk, and red lentils. Simmer until lentils are soft, 20-25 mins (stir every few mins).

4. toss onion slices in some flour, season with salt and pepper, heat on a splash of oil in a frying pan on a high heat until coloured and crispy. Transfer onto some kitchen paper to soak up excess oil

5. warm naans in oven for a few mins

6. Once the Dal has thickened and lentils are cooked, taste for seasoning, stir in half the coriander and serve in big bowls with the roasted butternut squash, crispy onions and pumpkin seeds stacked on top, sprinkle over remaining coriader and serve with the naans.

And the final product :smiley8:

Ooh I'm pinching that one, @Nia! I'm always on the look out for new veggie recipes.

I've just made some hollandaise sauce for tonight's tea, which I did with some smoked haddock and hash browns left over from a previous meal (I have a terrible weakness for hash browns). Also goes nice mixed in with mashed potato. Nice and easy but tasty!

Hollandaise sauce - 10 - 15 mins

2 egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
110g butter
Squeeze of lemon juice

1. Whisk the egg yolks and water together in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of water on the hob, set at a medium heat (to speed things up you can cheat and boil the kettle and put the hot water straight into the pan rather than heating the water from cold).
2. Whisk in the butter a little at a time - wait until the previous lump has melted in before adding the next - until it is all combined.
3. Whisk for a minute or two. It should be quite thick now.
4. Mix in a splash of lemon juice, season, serve.

If, after step 3, it starts to split, take it off the heat and whisk in a dribble of cold water until it comes back together.

@Elarith yay! And you've inspired me. I have never attempted to make my own hollandaise sauce, but I absolutely LOVE eggs royale, and next time I have them I'm definitely going to try making my own sauce using that recipe! (I'm actually half thinking maybe I'm going to try this Sunday; if I do, I'll let you know how it goes!). Side note: I share your weakness for hash browns!!

@Nia Eggs benedict is one of my favourites! But I’ve never tried to make it at home, funnily enough. I’m going to put it on my list for next week, see if I can make some proper muffins for it. Mmmmm!

Another s/o fav, also easy to make and makes the house smell awesome all day

Slow cooker chicken korma curry

Ingredients

1kg (2.2 lb) chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
2 Tbsp ground almonds
400ml (13.5 oz) coconut cream
½ cup chicken stock

Spice Mix

1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp ginger, crushed
2 tsp garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp chili paste
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric, ground
2 tsp cumin, ground
2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

In a fry-pan over high heat, add 1 Tbsp oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili, cayenne pepper, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander seeds, and the tomato paste. Cook until fragrant. (2-3 Minutes)
In a slow cooker, add the cubed chicken, the spice mix, ground almonds, coconut cream, and the chicken stock.
Cook for 6-8 hours on low.
Serve & Enjoy

@Winddancer that looks amazing and I bet my hubby will LOVE it. His Grandma grew up in Sri Lanka, and he's been spoiled most of his life with authentic Indian & Sri Lankan food. Also I really like the slow cooker aspect of it. Do you serve it over rice?

@Taethowen I dont like curry, but he does and he LOVES this one. I have to say, it smells awesome and I love how it makes the whole flat smell good while cooking for 8 hours :D And yes, i serve it over brown rice, though any rice will do. Can do naan bread too, though I always forget to buy that :P

Best ever Banana Muffins! I altered a recipe I found online and this is my preferred version:

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
2 cups of self raising flour
½ cup of caster sugar
1 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
salt
100g butter
1 egg
2tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground nutmeg
Chocolate chips or walnuts (or anything else you think goes in it)

Instructions:

Melt the butter and then mix all the wet ingredients and the mashed bananas together. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add wet and dry together. It is quite liquidy, and is supposed to be. Pour the mixture into muffin trays (I dont use the paper cups as they cook better without.
Cook at 200 degrees celcius for 12-16 mins. Check them with a knife at 12 mins and keep going til knife comes out dry.

You will need:

Flour
eggs
butter
salt
sugar
vanilla extract
peanut butter
honey
a large spoon

Step One: Place your large spoon, peanut butter, and honey on the counter

Step Two: Leave the remaining ingredients in the cupboard for the time being

Step Three: Put the large spoon into the honey, then the peanut butter

Step Four: Put the large spoon into your mouth, and repeat indefinitely. Owning your own designated peanut butter and honey containers is recommended for this recipe

Time to cook: 30 seconds

Serving Size: Variable

I love anything that can be done in a slow cooker! They’re brilliant.

Lamb ragu

Diced lamb, enough for 4 so say 600g?
2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
50ml soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp thyme
400g tin chopped tomatoes

1. Brown off the lamb in a pan then add to the slow cooker pot.
2. In the same pan, fry the onions and garlic for 10 mins or so on a medium heat so they go soft and pick up some of the meat flavour. Add them to the slow cooker pot.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together then add to the pot.
4. Leave to tick away for 6-8 hours on low. Serve with some pasta.

Beef also works well instead of lamb, and sometimes I hoy in some carrot and mushrooms too.

I wanted to make @Almarëa Mordollwen’s Nanaimo bars but didn’t have coconut. Or chocolate. Or icing sugar. So that’s gone on the list for next weekend instead!

@Thalionwen Not sure about the serving size being variable, but my waistline is only increasing...

Step one is to visit a restaurant that sells frozen uncooked croissants. You then take them home and place in the freezer. Then around 9pm having decided you want to have a croissant for breakfast you take one (or two) out of the freezer, and place it on the cooking tray to defrost and rise. 8/9 hours later you preheat the over to 375 Fahrenheit. Then you brush a little egg wash on top of the croissants, before placing them in the oven for 20 minutes. I know this is a LOT of steps, and much work but nothing worthwhile ever came easy!

(This last step takes a lot of time too, but it really is paramount to complete this one too for optimal enjoyment)
Then you put a coffee pod in the machine, and press the button to have it 'delivered' to a large glass. Then you open the fridge and find your iced espresso Starbucks vanilla latte that you bough the other day, and add about a cup before adding ice. Voila! Breakfast is served and it only took lots of hard work and time.

I like your culinary style, @Idesinholde *fist bumps*

@Idesinholde, I appreciate this too. I am terrible in the kitchen yet your recipe makes me feel confident and competent. Thank you for that, I feel like I can easily follow your instructions (minus Starbucks, as I don't know where the heck I'd find one of those around these parts). 8-)

Thalionwen wrote: ↑Sat Jun 13, 2020 1:51 pm I like your culinary style, @Idesinholde *fist bumps*

Dwim wrote: ↑Sat Jun 13, 2020 2:17 pm @Idesinholde, I appreciate this too. I am terrible in the kitchen yet your recipe makes me feel confident and competent. Thank you for that, I feel like I can easily follow your instructions (minus Starbucks, as I don't know where the heck I'd find one of those around these parts). 8-)

@Dwim @Thalionwen It's a very labor intensive way to cook; but somehow the best one.
PS - It's too bad about the lack Starbucks Dwim; you'll just have to make regular latte I suppose ,and miss out on my very amazing iced vanilla latte

@Almarëa Mordollwen Oh that looks yummy! & I think I see lots of shortcuts to make this; like buying the crust, and pureed pumpkin!Because that's the kind of chef I am. :smiley8: So yes I'm definitely going to try to make this pie! (but with shortcuts because lazy )

I started making this peach and blueberry cobbler last year and it's one of our favorite summertime desserts now! It's wonderful served warm with vanilla ice cream, but you can also just eat it as is. This makes a 9x13 pan and would serve 10-12 people pretty generously. It lasts a couple of days in the fridge at least (it never sticks around for long in our house).

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler:

Fruit Mixture
6-8 peaches, peeled and sliced (if you use a carbon peeler you don't have to blanch them first, which makes peeling about a thousand times easier)
2 pints blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup (you could sub in part or in whole with brown sugar - it affects texture a little bit but it's still delicious and cheaper)
1 tsp allspice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla

Topping
1/2 lb butter, softened
1 and 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp coarse salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Combine fruit mixture ingredients in medium bowl and set aside.
3. Use 1-2 tbsp of butter to coat baking dish then dust with a little bit of flour. Pour fruit mixture into prepared baking dish.
4. In separate bowl, combine the rest of the butter and topping ingredients. Consistency should be a dry crumble. Add additional flour if necessary.
5. Spoon topping consistently (don't go for perfection with this) over fruit mixture. Don't pat it down; it will look rough and uneven and that is as it should be!
6. Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake until top is golden brown (10-15 minutes more)
7. Remove and cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

I'm enjoying reading the rest of the posted recipes and will respond to some of them when I get a chance. :)

This is not originally my recipe. I found it online, and looks to be from a middle earth based cook book. I will keep their recipe in quotations, and then tell you the slight changes I make after

Elven Lemas Bread II
2 1/2 cups of flour(I use bread flour but you can use all purpose too)
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of butter
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon honey
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425F. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and mix well until fine granules form. Then add sugar and cinnamon, mix thoroughly. Finally add the cream, honey, and vanilla and stir until nice thick dough forms.

Roll the dough out about 1/2in thickness. Cut our 3-inch squares and transfer to a cookie sheet. Crisscross each square from corner to corner, lightly with a knfe (careful not to cut all the way through the dough). Bake for about 12 minutes, more if you left it thicker, until set and lightly golden.

Let cool completely before eating, this bread is better room temperature and dry. Also, for more flavor you can add more cinnamon, or other spices.
-modelnut

ok, now the changes I like, is exchanging honey for maple syrup, or add both. I use half all purpose flour, half bread. I add more cinnamon, and I like to lightly sprinkle the surface I roll it on with a little powdered sugar.

I have two other lembas recipes I found, but this was my favorite. I will also add other yummy things later, if I can ever think of the amounts... I don't always pay attention to the amounts I use unless I am looking at someone else's recipe

We were discussing lazy cooking on discord and I mentioned my relatively new one-pot pasta recipe I love. I was skeptical if it would work the first time I tried and very pleasantly delighted to find out that it did! Its not something I came up with but sort of combined two other recipes and modified a bit to get to where it is.

I am not a precise person so I don't measure much when cooking, but I did put the most important ones under the Basic Essential Ingredients. Its a very customizable recipe so you can add/subtract whatever vegetables and spices you prefer.

One-Pot Pasta

Basic Essential Ingredients:
1 lb pasta - shorter noodles like macaroni or penne or spirals are good
4 cups water - or substitute 3 1/2 cups water with 1/2 cup white wine, or sub any amount of veggie broth in place of water for extra flavor
1 12-oz can of evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Other Ingredients a.k.a. what else I add so its not just noodles and sauce:
some chopped broccoli
some chopped carrots
sliced mushrooms
sliced onion
peas
add or subtract any other veggies you like (spinach could be good or even bell peppers or olives)

Seasonings:
garlic
oregano
basil
thyme
rosemary
a few spoons or a splash of lemon juice
add or subtract anything else you might like on your pasta - black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.
And - don't forget the cheese. Grated. Whatever kind you want/have.

1. In a big pot on the stove, combine water, evaporated milk (and the white wine and/or veggie broth if you so desire), olive oil and all the Other Ingredients. If using raw garlic, add it now.  Make sure your noodles are fully submerged.
2. Bring to a boil and stir regularly.
3. Let simmer until noodles are the right edible consistency and the sauce has cooked/thickened up and the veggies are cooked. All of this usually takes the same amount of time. (approximately 12-15 minutes)
4. Add lemon juice, garlic and other seasonings and stir. Now's the time to add cheese and stir or save it to top it off.
5. Let sit to cool for a few minutes prior to dishing up to eat.

I like serving mine with garlic bread on the side. Gotta have more carbs with your carbs!

If you eat meat, you could probably cook meat on the side and add it to the pasta. I'm not sure how that works because I am vegetarian but I am confident you are all smart enough to figure it out on your own! Bon appetit!

*dropkicks thread up* I have a garden full of tomatoes right now, and I love this very easy no-cooking fresh pasta sauce recipe! Very flexible, I've never actually measured anything for it but I'll do my best to estimate quantities below. I like it best with basil but I have a lot of parsley in the garden right now and it's good with parsley too. I suspect it would be good with any fresh herb that features in Italian cooking.

3 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
Salt

Stir everything together and salt generously (like two or three good sized pinches) to bring the juice out of the tomatoes. Let sit for at least an hour and ideally several hours, stirring periodically, for the juices to come out and provide liquid for the sauce. I like it served room temp for better flavor, but if you must eat it hot, you can heat it up in the microwave before serving. It's fine with store bought tomatoes, but if you're looking for something to do with tomatoes from the garden, it really highlights their flavor. Rotini pasta is a good vessel for it.

I have been excited for American Thanksgiving since about October. With four days to go I wanted to share my favorite vegetarian recipe which has become my traditional dish. I originally got this recipe when I lived in New Zealand so I have maintained the Maori name for sweet potato (kūmara) because that's what I still call it.

Sometimes I make it a multi-day thing and pre-cook the quinoa and kūmara one day, pop it in the fridge and throw it all together and bake the next day. Feel free to double if you have more mouths to feed.

Quinoa-kūmara (aka sweet potato) balls

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1 cooked kūmara/sweet potato (orange not the purple ones. I do not remove the skin but you can if you want)
1 cup cooked quinoa (equiv to about 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa)
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (store bought, homemade, whatever)
minced garlic - judge how much you like garlic
spices of your choice - I use lots of paprika and thyme with a dash of chili and rosemary (choose other spices to your taste)

Choose a dipping sauce if you like - ketchup, chipotle mayo (my fav), garlic aioli, sweet chili sauce come to mind but get creative and pick what you like!
----
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F / 180 C.
2. Chop up kūmara/sweet potato and boil til cooked.
3. Some folk rinse their quinoa prior to cooking to get rid of the bitter flavor. I don't, I'm lazy. Bring water to a boil and add 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa. The quinoa is done boiling when it looks like it has popped open. Strain when done.

Now that your kūmara and quinoa are all cooked comes the fun part!
3. Mash up kūmara.
4. Add the cooked quinoa, egg, breadcrumbs, olive oil, spices/garlic and mix it all up.
5. Roll beautiful orange mixture into balls (a little bigger than a ping-pong ball but up to you) and place them on a pan.
6. Bake approximately 25 minutes. When done they get a little golden brown and feel a bit crunchy on the outside. They can be a bit crumbly so don't count on it being good finger food for all those festive rocking parties everyone is having right now.

(Edited to modify recipe - boil don't bake the kumara in step 2)

Nice! I hope you enjoy. I remembered when making this on Thanksgiving it works better to boil the sweet potato not bake it, so I have edited the recipe accordingly.

Yummm! Hadn't noticed this thread with delicious stuff; will have to try something...

I just experimented with a new recipe and made this dinner:

Warm autumn salad (2 portions)

- forest mushrooms: 250 g
- cherry tomatoes: 200 g
- pumpkin: 150 g
- spinach: 50 g
- garlic: 2 cloves
- butter: 1/2 tbsp
- olive oil: 1 tbsp
- thyme, pepper, salt to taste

1. Clean and cut mushrooms in smaller bits (I ended up with some pine needles in my food...).
2. Cut the pumpkin in small pieces.
3. Cut tomatoes in half.
4. Melt butter in the skillet and add olive oil.
5. Add pumpkin in the skillet and sautee for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add mushrooms and sautee for 5 more minutes.
7. Add thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper.
8. Add tomatoes and spinach.
9. Mix until tomatoes and spinach are warm.
10. Serve the salad.

So was asked about my weird cake recipes and felt that this was one that was appropriate to share in the shire. Never too many uses for potatoes after all. I have no photos of this recently as sadly Grandma Bethe died this February (precovid) so there was no Potato Cake this year.

Potato Cake - Grandma Bethe Peloski's Birthday cake

2/3 C butter
1C mashed potatoes (well mashed no extra milk or butter though in them)
2C Flour
1/4 tsp cloves
2C sugar
1/2C milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2C cocoa
1tsp nutmeg
3 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and sugar, ad egg yokes and mashed potatoes beat well. Sift dry ingredients and add alternating with milk and cocoa that have been well mixed.

Fold in stiffened egg whites and pour into 3 greased layer pans. Bake at 350 Deg F for 25 minutes.

Spread strawberry jam between layers and ice with chocolate icing.

(Does not give size of pans however I only own 6's and 9's and have only ever used the 9's for it)