What are you cooking?

[fishorama]

Jay, if not rolled oats what do you use? Not the kind (steel cut?) that needs to maybe soak & cook a long time I'm thinking...I use rolled oats for breakfast with brown sugar sometimes & much less often, a couple kinds of cookies.

My husband nicely let me have the small amount of leftover meatloaf for lunch. Usually we share if there's enough or I let him have it for a sandwich if not. I used to like meatloaf sandwiches with mustard but not anymore. It's strange how tastes can change.

We're having spaghetti with a few meatballs I made yesterday. Both were frozen separately so I hope thawing & heating for a while works ok. I usually bake the meatballs & cook in sauce but this may taste almost as good

 

[Fishmanic]

How do you people make meatballs? Do you just bake in oven or do you cook on stove in sauce? I would think just baking would dry them out. Asking for a friend

 

[jaylach]

Jay, if not rolled oats what do you use? Not the kind (steel cut?) that needs to maybe soak & cook a long time I'm thinking...I use rolled oats for breakfast with brown sugar sometimes & much less often, a couple kinds of cookies.

But I DO use 'rolled oats', just not instant or quick. I'm talking the 20 minute stuff.

How do you people make meatballs? Do you just bake in oven or do you cook on stove in sauce? I would think just baking would dry them out. Asking for a friend

Actually deep frying works better for me than baking as it sears the outside keeping more moisture inside. Once mostly cooked I cut the balls in half and finish in the sauce for a couple of days under low heat.

 

[fishorama]

I make fairly small meatballs, say 1.25 inches. I bake them (as per my sil) at 350F for ~30 minutes. I make them with parmesan cheese, no milk. They're not dry & there's no need to turn them!! This is so much easier than browning in a skillet & constant turning & attention! I line a cookie sheet w/foil so clean up is easy too, a soapy rinse & done!

If you want bigger meatballs I'd go longer time & test cut 1 to see if it's cooked through or almost. They do cook in the sauce too; slightly pink is ok, raw red is not!

My parm meatballs recipe is:
! lb ground beef (ballpark) 80-85% lean
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (i use wheat, but whatever)
1/2 cup parm cheese (fresh grated or the shaker thing)
1 egg lightly beaten
2 TBSP very finely chopped onion
salt & pepper (say 1/4 teaspoon each?)

optional: 1 very small minced jalapeno pepper (or half if large, the bigger, the hotter!) A nice little zing

I don't add herbs, they're in the sauce, but you could

Wet (ish) hands make shaping balls easier.

 

[Fishmanic]

Once mostly cooked I cut the balls in half and finish in the sauce for a couple of days under low heat.

How’s your electric bill?

 

[fishorama]

Eek! I don't deep fry anything anymore. But if I did, I have solar panels, so no electric bill anxiety. I think Jay has his bill included in his rent, nice!

 

[jaylach]

I make fairly small meatballs, say 1.25 inches. I bake them (as per my sil) at 350F for ~30 minutes. I make them with parmesan cheese, no milk. They're not dry & there's no need to turn them!! This is so much easier than browning in a skillet & constant turning & attention! I line a cookie sheet w/foil so clean up is easy too, a soapy rinse & done!

If you want bigger meatballs I'd go longer time & test cut 1 to see if it's cooked through or almost. They do cook in the sauce too; slightly pink is ok, raw red is not!

My parm meatballs recipe is:
! lb ground beef (ballpark) 80-85% lean
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (i use wheat, but whatever)
1/2 cup parm cheese (fresh grated or the shaker thing)
1 egg lightly beaten
2 TBSP very finely chopped onion
salt & pepper (say 1/4 teaspoon each?)

optional: 1 very small minced jalapeno pepper (or half if large, the bigger, the hotter!) A nice little zing

I don't add herbs, they're in the sauce, but you could

Wet (ish) hands make shaping balls easier.

I like using an ice cream scoop if doing my own. For over a year now, I've been using pre-made balls from Omaha Steaks.

How’s your electric bill?

No electric bill. Included with my apartment. Also, if done in a crock pot, cooking a couple of days isn't that much. Also a sauce does not cook the entire time. It cooks 8-9 hours the first day then cools and goes in the fridge. Then another 8-9 hours cooking the next day.

 

[MattW]

Had some flapjack I forgot I bought yesterday from the bakers I forgot how good it is.

 

[gwand]

What is a flapjack in the UK? In the States they are pancakes.

 

[MattW]

What is a flapjack in the UK? In the States they are pancakes.

Just imagine a tray bake cut into bars made of oats, golden syrup and sugar

 

[jaylach]

What is a flapjack in the UK? In the States they are pancakes.

If I understand right, a flapjack in the UK is more like a granola bar than a pancake. I wondered about that myself so looked it up.

Has to be remembered that people in different countries may eat the same thing but have a different name. It is like most in the USA would call Shepard's pie even though made more often with beef. If made with beef it would, traditionally, be called cottage pie while, if made with lamb, it would be Shepard's pie

Of course this can cause confusion but it is just a matter of different parts of the world calling the same thing a different name.

 

[fishorama]

My frozen sauce & meatballs didn't work quite as well as I hoped last night. Not terrible but would have been better if the meatballs simmered in the sauce much longer.

Tonight it'll be pasta again. Chicken Florentine as I call it on shells or egg noodles. Maybe a salad.

 

[Fishmanic]

On the menu today is stuffed red bell peppers. Stuffed with 1.5 lbs ground beef, diced onions, diced bell peppers, rice, diced tomatoes and lots of spices. So good.

 

[jaylach]

On then menu today is stuffed red bell peppers. Stuffed with 1.5 lbs ground beef, diced onions, diced bell peppers, rice, dicedtomatoes and lots of spices. So good.View attachment 377371

I love stuffed peppers even though I cheat. I use Rice-a-Roni Spanish rice mix as a base for the filling and add meat and stuff. Do you always use red bell peppers? I tend to, if making several, to use different colors. Each color of bell pepper has a bit of a different flavor with the green being the strongest. Hmmm, never have done but it just came to mind. I wonder how it would work to do stuffed peppers with Poblano chilies instead of bells like a Chilies Rellenos. Could be interesting.

I also use Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice mix as a base when I make a batch of burritos but add black beans and a good amount of chicken. Also, instead of the plain diced tomatoes Rice-a-Roni calls for I use Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilies. I don't use many boxed meals but the Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice stuff is actually quite good as a base to be doctored.

I also love stuffed cabbage but it a bit of a pain to make.

Oh, tonight will be a t-bone cut pork chop and Brussels sprouts. Will be trying a new Omaha Steaks' spice mix on the pork. It is a sweet smoky apple wood mix as they describe it. Since apple sauce will be involved on the plate it could be a good mix. This will be the third spice mix I've tries and the first two are quite good. Since I got the spice mix free with points it is well worth trying.

 

[Fishmanic]

I make stuffed cabbage as well.
I used red bell peppers this time but usually use green bell peppers. I found out after making it with red peppers, that red peppers are thicker and take longer in the oven to soften up. I parboil the peppers for about 5 minutes before stuffing them with stove top browned meat and the additions. I use a bag of success rice which I boil in the bag for about 5 minutes before adding to the ground beef. Then I bake them in my convection oven for about 30 minutes. Next time, I will probably go back to using green bell peppers as they soften up better.