TNL Cook Book II

[M]

I'm a big fan of pasta. I dont cook much. or well.

Mac and cheese, and add a can of tuna with the butter, milk, and sauce packet.

Mac and cheese and a can of chili, no milk, some butter if you wish. This is like a brick in your gut.

Also the good ole sauteed shrimp and pasta (angel hair and the like) with some garlic salt, basil, pepper, and a bit of butter. thats yummy in the morning.

[Dyne]

Olive oil is great on everything.

garlic and olive oil

[burgundy]

For great pasta sauce with minimal effort, brown about a pound of some ground meat of your choice and then throw in a jar of tomato sauce, half a jar of alfredo sauce, a decent pour of vodka and some italian seasoning.

I've made this with at least four different animals (and vegetarian fake meat) and it's never been bad.

[Tones]

Really simple:

Awesome grilled cheese

2 slices provolone cheese
1/2 small-medium tomato, sliced (not roma)
Sourdough bread, extra thick if possible
4-5 slices salami, depending on thickness
Basil, oregano, and garlic powder
real butter

First, PREHEAT YOUR PAN. For the heat setting, I use the fourth notch out of ten; any higher will burn the bread or the cheese won't melt.
This is sandwich that is great for dinner or when you're just really hungry, as it is really filling. Just pile the cheese, tomato, and salami inside, putting some basil and oregano in between the cheese and tomato. I like to cut off a slab of butter and throw it into the pan, forming the shape of the bread with the spatula, and then seasoning the butter with the garlic powder and herbs. Cook the second side, and enjoy.

Bruschetta

1 loaf italian bread
2 Fresh small-medium tomatoes per half loaf of bread (I like the ones on a vine, but ones that people sell off the street will always be fresher) diced, drained; or you can use a large can of diced tomatoes
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
pinch sugar
2 Cloves of garlic; one minced, one reserved
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (approx.; I just eyeball)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Preheat the oven to 400

Slice the bread 3/4 - 1" thick, and then cut them in half, so that you have 2 capitol "D's" (for lack of better description)
Place them all on a large rectangular baking sheet
Toast for 5-6 minutes; the tops should be hard to the touch, but not more than a light brown.
While toasting, combine the olive oil, the minced garlic, the tomatoes (make sure most of the liquid is drained out), basil, oregano, salt, sugar, and pepper
Cut the other clove of garlic in half, and rub it across the tops of the bread. Spoon the mixture evenly across all of the toast, and then top with grated cheese. Sprinkle some more basil or oregano on top of the cheese.
Return to the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Pan-seared pork chops

2-4 pork chops, bone-in
Salt
pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Pan with cover, glass baking dish, and tin foil

Preheat a large (12-14") pan to high heat on a large burner. Make sure that you have a lid, as this can get messy otherwise.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Trim away excess fat, if desired
Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides of every pork chop. Give them more than you think you'll need, as a lot of it will come off in the oil.
When the pan is hot, add the oil, and then add the pork chops, browning each side.
When both sides are browned, put in the baking dish, pour the juices over them, cover with foil, and place in the oven for 13-15 minutes.

Breakfast sausage gravy
Grease from sausage patties (I try to get the fattier meat; it tastes better)
1 cooked sausage patty, crumbled
1 1/2 cup of milk
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons of flour

Note: This is best cooked in the same pan as the sausage. Depending on the fat content, you'll have anywhere from very little to about 2 tablespoons of grease left over. If it doesn't look like there's a lot of grease, you can use a few tablespoons of butter to fill it out.

Scrape up the little crispies on the bottom of the pan. Keep these, they're like condensed flavor.
Reduce the heat to low, add the butter if necessary, and slowly sprinkle the flour into the grease. If you just plop it in, you'll have lumps. You don't want lumps. When adding, stir continually.
You can increase the heat a few notches. Add the milk, and continue stirring.
It can take 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or any amount in between to thicken up, but be patient, and don't worry if it feels like it's taking a while.
If the mixture becomes too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, increase the heat or cook longer. NEVER add more flour; it'll just create lumps.
Add the salt and pepper, and clog your arteries to your heart's desire.

You could probably also use this gravy recipe with the pork chops. Make some mashed potatoes, some biscuits, and some green beans, and you'll have an excellent southern meal.

Please note that all of my measurements are approximate, as I never measure with stuff I've already cooked. Cooking is nice in that it's very approximate.

[Port]

I don't have anything to add except this makes anything taste better. I put it on burgers, chicken, tacos, chili, hot dogs... essential stuff this garlic tabasco sauce.

And that potato bread is infinitely better than white bread, and lasts a hell of a lot longer.

[Scourge]

Pasta Salad

Spiral Pasta:


You can get bags of spiral pasta in different colorful varieties, so don't just get the white stuff. Make it pretty. Boil it and drain it, then toss it with the following to taste (experiment with how much of what you want in there).

This is all non-brand specific:

capers:


artichoke hearts:


sundried tomatoes (chopped small and possibly soaked in water for a few minutes):


sliced black olives:


2 or three tablespoons of real mayo:



Dice up a couple of boneless/skinless chicken breasts and brown it in a pan with some olive oil and this stuff:

anchovy paste:


Yes, it comes in a tube that looks like toothpaste. Don't be afraid to use a bunch of that when cooking the chicken btw. You can add some spice in there as well if you want (basil, oregano...)

Once the chicken's browned, throw it in with the rest of that stuff.

You can eat this pasta salad warm or cold, but the flavors will all mingle better after some time chilling in the fridge, say a day, but it'll be good right away and you'll probably have made enough to last a couple days or more anyway, which you should plan to.

[Hot Like Wasabi]

I just made the "Sin City Breakfast Tacos"

Verdict? Don't bother with the home made tortillas. To time consuming if you ask me. Otherwise the meal is great.

[Scourge]

I just made the "Sin City Breakfast Tacos"

Verdict? Don't bother with the home made tortillas. To time consuming if you ask me. Otherwise the meal is great.

The Once Upon A Time In Mexico pork is really good if you can find the anchiote seeds.

[animegirl]

I just made the "Sin City Breakfast Tacos"

Verdict? Don't bother with the home made tortillas. To time consuming if you ask me. Otherwise the meal is great.

Breakfast tacos are awesome. I make those all the time; my favorite kind is chorizo sausage.

[Hot Like Wasabi]

Yeah, breakfast tacos/burritos is just awesome. I love making it, simple and delicous.

tones, I might have to try that breakfast sausage gravy.