Tag Archives: salt

Saucepot Tips – Eggplant Texture

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Submitted by Ana


 In order to improve the texture of eggplant & keep it from becoming spungey, cut it up, salt it on both sides, let it sit on a paper towel. Once it’s been about an hour, rinse it off, squeezing it out while doing so, then cook it according to the recipe you were using.

Taco Soup

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Submitted by Joe
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef ½ c. onions, diced
15-16 oz. black beans (1 can) 15-16 oz. pinto beans (1 can)
14.5 oz. DelMonte Diced Tomatoes with Zesty Mild Green Chiles (1 can) 14.5 oz. DelMonte Diced Tomatoes with Zesty Jalapeños (1 can)
11 oz. Green Giant Mexicorn (1 can) 14 oz. beef broth (1 can)
1 pkg. Old El Paso Taco Seasoning 1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper ½ tbsp garlic powder
½ tbsp chili powder 16 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. Kraft Mexican 4 Cheese Blend, shredded

Directions

  1. Dice the onions. Rinse & drain all cans of beans.
  2. Crumble & brown beef in a large pot over medium high heat.
  3. Once the meat starts to brown, add salt, pepper, garlic powder & chili powder, stir.
  4. Add onions & mexicorn, stir. When the meat is fully cooked, add beans & cans of diced tomatoes.
  5. Reduce heat to low, add beef broth, taco seasoning & stir to mix.
  6. Cover pot & let soup simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  7. Serve in a bowl, top with spoon full of sour cream & shredded cheese.

Chef’s Note: For red-meat free soup, substitute ground turkey in place of beef & chicken broth in place of beef broth. For vegetarian soup, double the beans called for in place of the meat & use vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken broth.

Turkey Jack Chili

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Turkey Chili by Theryn Fleming on Flickr Submitted by randilicious
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced 3 roma tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp butter
¼ c. all-purpose flour 1 tbsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp basil 1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp crushed red pepper ½ c. chili powder
14.5 oz. whole peeled tomatoes w/ liquid, chopped 1 lb. ground turkey
15.25 oz. kidney beans 1 jalapeño pepper
2 tbsp Jack Daniels whiskey salt & ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Brown the ground turkey w/ ½ large onion, ½ bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, & 1 tbsp chili powder. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter until melted. Stir in flour until thickened.
  3. Combine remainder of onion, green pepper, garlic, & tomato paste. Cover & cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper, chili powder, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, turkey, & Jack Daniels. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Stir in the beans & cook for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt, pepper, & other spices to taste. Simmer covered over low heat until serving time.
  6. Goes great over baked potatoes & some cheddar cheese on top.

Deviled Eggs

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Submitted by Trish
Servings 6-8

Ingredients

6 eggs 1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp mayonnaise ¼ tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp paprika salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. deviled eggs by freakgirl on FlickrPlace eggs in a pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil, & let eggs cook in boiling water until they are hard boiled, approximately 10-15 minutes. Drain eggs & let cool.
  2. Once cool, remove the shell, cut the eggs in half lengthwise & scoop out the yolks.
  3. Place the yolks in a medium-size bowl & mash them. Blend in vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, salt & pepper. You may need to add more mayonnaise to hold the mixture together, but it should be slightly dry.
  4. Carefully put the egg yolk mixture back into the egg whites, but do not pack them. There will be enough mixture so the whites are overfilled. 
  5. Sprinkle with paprika.

Garlic Crostini with Caramelized Onions & Gruyere

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Submitted by Shane

Ingredients

Fresh baguette, cut into ¼” slices 3 sweet onions, cut in ½ lengthwise & cut
2 tbsp butter into small strips
2 tbsp olive oil ¼ c. white wine
¼ lb Gruyere cheese, grated 1 clove fresh garlic, peeled
salt to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place baguette slices in 250°F oven & bake until crisp & golden brown. Remove from oven & allow to cool.
  2. In a sauté pan, heat the butter & olive oil & then add the onions & cook slowly over low to medium heat.
  3. Add salt & pepper to the onions & stir occasionally while keeping the onions evenly distributed on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the wine & allow the onions to continue to caramelize. Make sure that the onions do not burn or you will taste some bitterness instead of the sweetness that you are trying to achieve.
  5. Once the onions are golden brown & the liquid has been cooked off, remove from heat & allow to cool.
  6. Rub the fresh garlic clove on each slice of toasted bread (crostini).
  7. On each crostini, place a heaping tsp of caramelized onions & a tsp of grated Gruyere & place on a baking sheet.
  8. Place crostinis in 300°F oven & bake until the cheese is melted & just starting to bubble. Remove from oven.
  9. Serve these warm & watch the reaction of your guests. Bon Apetit!!

Chef’s Note: These appetizers are addictive & delicious. You can experiment with other types of cheese but I highly recommend using Gruyere. It’s a form of Swiss cheese that is so much more complex in flavor than the traditional Swiss that you may be used to. At first it’s a little fruity & then becomes earthy & a little nutty. It goes perfectly with the caramelized onions. This takes a little bit of time to prepare but you & your guests will not regret it. The number of servings will vary.