Alright Chefs/Cooks - Let's Step Up

Training Bodybuilding
101

CEDAR PLANK SALMON BBQ

Alright, one from the great NW, with a little Asian marinade thrown in.

BBQ does not have to be about ribs and chicken, burgers and dogs. These are very good things, yes, the Gods doth favour us. But, there are some crazy good things one can make on a grill using a CEDAR PLANK, purchased at most cooking stores, and even department stores/groceries. It is, well, a plank of cedar wood sanded for cooking/bbq’ing on.

So, what you want to do is SOAK that cedar plan in water for 2-4 hours before cooking, and it makes an incredible base for foods that usually fall apart on a grill - specifically fish fillets. Not only does the plank infuse the tremendous flavor of cedar (there are also apple and alder planks), but it also protects the fish from burning.

WHAT YOU NEED

1 lb salmon fillet, skin on
sea salt (or kosher salt)
olive oil

MARINADE (special thanks to : Lena Takahashi for the marinade inspiration)

2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp thinly sliced scallions
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or finely minced)
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix marinade ingredients together. Put salmon fillets in marinade (they should be coated and covered), and refridgerate for 4-6 hours (or overnight).

Soak cedar plank for 2-4 hours before grilling - once soaked, brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle sea salt on the side you will be using to cook with. Put plank directly over the heat source on the bbq rack, and put fish filets on top (skin side down). Close the grill and leave the air vents 1/2 open. You might want to keep a spray bottle of water on hand, in case the grill starts to flare up and burn the fish (as long as the plank was soaked through, it won’t catch fire)

Grill for 10 minutes, and then brush some of the excess marinade over fish. Replace cover, grill for another 10 minutes, and marinade again. Salmon should grill for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. When cooked as desired, separate salmon from skin and plank with a spatula, and serve. Discard cedar plank after use.

The marinade recipe above is only one idea (there are also the other marinades recommended earlier in this thread) - cedar plank grilling is temendous just by itself, with a salmon fillet that has been treated only with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Or you might try STUFFING the salmon fillet with good stuff - such as crap meat and brie, or roasted garlic and parsley.

Cedar, apple, and alder plank grilling is also good for shrimp, halibut, catfish, or any other type of sea critter. I also like to use cedar planks for bbq’ing pork loins (half of grilling done on plank, half off)

So, expand your grilling vocab. Try soaking corn cobs (with the husks fully intact) in the water with the plank, and throwing them on the grill too - they will steam along side the salmon, and when they are finished, peel back the husks to reveal beautiful corn on the cob.

102

great thread,
I’m getting hungry

Although I don’t really use recipes I’ve learned that the secret to a great BBQ is the rub, not the sauce. So a tip to other wannabe cooks would be to spend time is to work on a dry rub for the meat. With a good rub you won’t need any sauce. I also like a rub because marinades can overpower the flavor of the steak, while the rub enhances the flavor

103

Rumbach, did I see that you’re hiding “dry spice rubs that marinate overnight”? That’s sounds like something us low-carb people would like.

You’d be proud - I bought some REAL garlic. I want to use this with chicken. I guess I could chop it up and put it in the brine. Any other way I could use it?

Thanks!

104

4 MARINADES

These are four marinade recipes I have picked up over the past few years, slightly modified through my experiences.

Julie Collins gets credit for the first two, not sure where the other two came from.

These are all great marinades for beef, chicken, and especially LAMB (for SHISH KEBOBS, recipe forthcoming)

GARLIC AND CILANTRO MARINADE
WITH GARAM MASALA

1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup dark raisins
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

PARSLEY AND GINGER MARINADE

1/2 cup (packed) fresh parsley leaves
1 jalape?o chile, seeded and chopped coarse
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped coarse
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

CURRY MARINADE

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients.

ROSEMAY-MINT MARINADE
WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

10 large fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons juice and 1/2 tablespoon zest from 1 lemon
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined.

105

Jeff Rage - congratulations on your purchase of real garlic - I actually can’t imagine life without it, you’re in a new world now.

I’m not sure it will do anything chopping it up and putting it in brine - garlic flavor is really only developed when it is cooked slowly and with much care, or roasted (sometimes the bite of raw garlic can work with a dish, but it is far more often cooked)

So, the next article I will work on is a Garlic 101, just for you.

Andy

106

More than a week with no new posts!?!

107

I just re-read the bit about brining chicken breasts (which I do now, thanks to this thread), and all that stuff about denatured, “gelly” proteins got me thinking… is that really such a good thing?

I mean, denaturing a protein is a bad thing is it not? Seems to me sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t (ie cooking eggs is good, cooking whey is not).

Is there any data on this? I like my brined chicken breasts (alot), but if it’s making all that protein in there useless, that’s a pretty bad trade-off.

P.S. try throwing garlic powder in your brine as well as the salt. Don’t worry about the amount, go nuts - the chicken won’t be overly ‘garlicey’, but I think it brings out a really nice flavour.

108

Another nice addition to brine is citrus and herbs/spices. When I make turkey for Thanksgiving I use equal parts salt and brown sugar, cut up lemons, limes, and oranges, and cloves and black pepper. Really tasty. One thing I’ve noticed is that my brine comes out better if I boil the water before I add the ingredients (allow it to cool afterwards, obviously). The flavors come out a little better. I reckon you could sub beer, wine or fruit juice for some of the water, too.

109

Haha, sorry Jeff, thought interest had completely died in this thread.

I am working on a ‘Garlic Guide’ just for you, so stay tuned…

110

CARB REFEED PASTA

Been interested in refeeds lately, and the tastiest way to hit a high level of carbs in a day. My solution? A really kick ass pasta that can be made in about 1/2 hour, and will provide several meals across the day.

It is simple, direct, but tastes a lot better than straight sauce out of the can poured on over-done noodles.

What you need:

1 medium onion (preferably Walawala Sweet onion)

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp butter

8 oz. sliced mushrooms (white, crimini, brown, whateva)

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (ragu, trader joe’s, etc.)

1 package of lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 small lemon

1 cup red wine (optional)

1/2 cup skim milk

10 leaves fresh basil, chopped.

1 box of pasta (shape doesn’t really matter, you may want to try whole grain pasta for a change)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

First, dice the onion.

HOW TO DICE AN ONION

For those cooking challenged, onions can be diced really easily.

First, take the paper layer off, and cut the root ends off (each side)

Next, cut the onion in half.

Working one half at a time, slice the onion at 1/2 inch intervals, BUT KEEP THE ONION TOGETHER ON YOUR CUTTING SURFACE. Once you have made all of your cuts, turn the onion 1/4 turn, and slice the other way at 1/2 inch intervals. When you let go of the onion (you’ve been holding it together, I assume), the two cuts you made + the natural layers make for diced pieces.

BACK TO THE RECIPE

Next, peel the garlic and mince (chop up really really fine)

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil on medium high heat in a thick bottomed sauce pan. Once the oil is hot, add the butter, and let melt until foam disappears.

Next, add the onion dice. Cook until the onion has begun to get translucent and release it’s moisture (you’ll see water in the bottom of the pan), about 4 minutes. Stir to avoid the onion sticking or burning (the onion should NOT get brown or have any color except from the olive oil, the onion should be turning clear)

Add the garlic and stir constantly. The garlic should not be getting hot enough to turn brown - if it starts to, take the pan off the heat, turn down the heat to medium, and place the pan back on. Stir until the garlic is just getting golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring ocassionaly.

Add the wine, turn the heat down to low.

In a separate pan, brown the beef or turkey (cook on medium high heat until cooked through and browned)
Make sure to salt (Kosher salt, remember?) and pepper the meat throughout the cooking process.

Once the beef is browned (or turkey), set aside.

Put a large pot of water on high heat.

Turn the heat on the mushroom/onion/garlic mixture back to medium high, and add the browned meat and juices (since you’re using lean meat, there won’t be much fat to worry about). Mix to combine. Once the wine has been completely absorbed or evaporated, add the juice of 1/2 of the lemon. Save the other half for another use. Once this has been absorbed, add the milk, and turn the heat down to medium/low. Stir, and then add the pasta sauce. Set to a slow simmer. Taste this sauce - does it need salt (probably), or pepper (probably) - season to taste.

By this time, your water should be near a boil. Once it has little bubbles coming up, add 1/2 cup kosher salt.

Put lid back on and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, and recover. Once the water is back to a boil, take the lid off and stir the pasta, so it doesn’t stick together.

Cook the pasta for aprox. 8-10 minutes, or until it is firm but not hard, but also not soft (this is called al-dente, meaning it has a good bite to it)

Keep stirring the sauce throughout the cooking of the pasta. The flavors are all lingering, mixing, mellowing, which is what you want.

Once the pasta is al-dente (the only real way to test pasta is to take it out and eat it, throwing it against a wall to see if it sticks doesn’t really work well), drain into a collander. DON’T rinse the pasta with water, and don’t disturb it - just give a couple shakes to the collander and put the pasta in your serving bowl.

Take the pasta sauce off the heat, add the fresh chopped basil, and serve!

111

Garlic, Bluecheese, and Sea Salt Bread

The perfect compliment to a nice simple pasta.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice a loaf of good bread (I like a real thick crusted ciabatta) into 1 inch thick slices, then cut in half. Arrange on a baking tray.

Brush the bread on the “up side” with the best olive oil you have in the house. Sprinkle sea salt over the top of the bread.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add 6 cloves of minced garlic.

Saute over medium heat until the garlic is turning golden and smells good, but not turning brown, about 3 minutes.

Spread the toasted garlic over bread pieces.

Next, get a good stinky blue cheese, like a gorgonzola or a stilton, and spread a small amount on each piece of bread.

Place in the oven until warm and the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.

The bread is actually really good with or without the cheese - you might want to try it with a little sweet balsalmic vinegar.

112

I’ve got some time on my hands, going to have to try this stuff out. (again)

113

Woo hoo, a new Rumbach recipe!

114

Oooh, I had forgotten about this thread.

Here’s a good marinade…

Tandoori Chicken

You want to Marinade the whole leg without the skin, Some people put slashes in it but I prefer not to.

This should be anough for 4-5 Chicken Legs

For the marinade, whisk together:
1 Tbsp Canola oil
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander Seeds
1 TBSP Garlic Paste
1 TBSP Ginger Paste
2 TBSp Tandoori Powder
Cayenne or East Indian Hot Chili Powder to taste

Mix it all together and marinade the chicken atleast overnight. Don’t marinade for more than 24 hours or it will disintegrate when you grill it.

Grill on your Gas/Charcoal grill as you would any chicken leg. Remember to grease the grill well to prevent sticking.

Your local East Indian or mega-store should have all the ingredients.

Serve ona bed of Basmati Rice or beside your favourite salad.

115

i have already post this in the recipes thread by here goes again.

dessert:

Chocolate Pudding Pie

crust( i have give credit to John K. Williams Ph.d for this awesome crust)

1 Cup graham cracker crumbs(break up and put into blender)
1/4 Cup ground flax seeds
1/4 raw oat bran
1 oz. fat free cream cheese
1/3 cup water

filling:
1 package chocolate fat free,sugar free pudding
1 1/2 cup sold fat free milk
2-3 scoops van. or chocolate protein powder
2 cups of fat free cottage cheese(smooth out in blender if you dont like white clumps)

after spreading crust in a 8-9" pie pan dump in pudding mixture amd freeze.NOTE:after about an hour in the freezer slice the pie up so you dont have to take a hack saw to it later.

this is a great P+C snack,great for post workout after your shake.this pie is put together super quick so there are no excuses not to try it!!

please post some feedback so i know if i should post more of my recipes.
Enjoy
Dave

116

opps * cold fat free milk

117

Hey Dave,

Been searching for an answer to your question about nutrient value and brining (whether brining affects protein content), and can’t find an answer.

Anyone out there who might know?

118

MAYO

I took this straight from Cooks Illustrated, but the recipe works really really well.

For healthier mayo that tastes pretty much just as good, I replaced corn oil with extra virgin olive oil in the recipe.

Written: 7/1/1997 (edited)
Author(s): Dawn Yanagihara?-?Mark Zanger

Making Sense of Mayonnaise

Use a mild-flavored oil, fresh lemon juice, and a bit of patience, and this incredible emulsion sauce will work every time.

The challenge: The homemade mayonnaise we were looking for was to be fresh-tasting, with a delicate egg flavor, a slight lemony tang, and a thick yet not stiff texture. We also wanted a quick and easy method so that home cooks would actually make it.

The solution: The key technique in making a successful mayonnaise is whisking the oil into the egg mixture. If you add too much too quickly, it won?t be incorporated into the emulsion of eggs and oil that you are trying to create by whisking or mixing. If the oil gets ahead of the eggs? ability to absorb it, you?ll end up with a pool of oil and a curdly mass of eggs.

Crucial to flavor is the use of freshly squeezed lemon juice; mayonnaise made from reconstituted lemon juice didn?t have the bright flavor of the real thing. (Fresh lime juice works pretty well as a substitute for fresh lemon juice.)

Also crucial to texture is the ratio of oil to liquid. Contrary to what would seem like common sense, more oil makes a stiffer mayonnaise. (If a mayonnaise has become too stiff you can simple whisk in a bit of water to soften it.) We had seen recipes calling for as little as one-half cup of oil per egg yolk and as much as one cup. Three-quarters cup was just right, producing a mayonnaise with a smooth but not stiff consistency and allowing for a distinct yet not overwhelming flavor of egg and lemon.

MASTER RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

Makes 3/4 cup

Each time you add oil, make sure to whisk until it?s thoroughly incorporated, but it is fine to stop for a rest or to measure the next addition of oil. Mayonnaise should have a smooth, uniform consistency. If it appears grainy or beaded after the last oil addition, as if it has broken, continue to whisk and it should emulsify. To keep the bowl stable while whisking, set it on a wet dishcloth.

1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons juice from 1 small lemon
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk egg yolk vigorously in medium bowl for 15 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients except oil and whisk until yolk thickens and color brightens, about 30 seconds. Adding 1/4 cup oil in slow, steady stream, continue to whisk vigorously until oil is incorporated completely and mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Add another 1/4 cup oil in same manner, whisking until incorporated completely, about 30 seconds more. Add last 1/4 cup oil all at once and whisk until incorporated completely, about 30 seconds more. Serve. (Can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 7 to 10 days.)

LEMON MAYONNAISE

Follow Master Recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise, adding 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest along with the lemon juice.

Tartar Sauce

Follow Master Recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise, mixing 1 1/2 tablespoons minced cornichons (about 3 large), 1 teaspoon cornichon juice, and 1 tablespoon each minced scallion, minced red onion, and drained minced capers into completed mayonnaise.

TARRAGON MAYONNAISE

Follow Master Recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise, mixing 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves into completed mayonnaise.

ROASTED GARLIC MAYONNAISE

Follow Master Recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise, adding puree from 1 medium head (about 3 tablespoons) roasted garlic to initial ingredients and substituting 1/4 cup pure corn oil for 1/4 cup olive oil.

FOOD PROCESSOR MAYONNAISE

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Follow Master Recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise, adding 1 whole large egg and doubling quantities of other ingredients. Pulse all ingredients except oil in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade three or four times to combine. With machine running, add oil in thin steady stream through open feed tube until incorporated completely.

119

Dude, you so totally rock! When I make salmon on the george foreman, I usually make a sauce to go with it that uses store bought mayo, and I always feel guilty about it. No longer! I’m totally going to make my own mayo from now on.

If anyone wants to try my sauce, it’s really easy, I just use mayo and dijon mustard, 2 parts to 1, and add a little fresh dill if I have some handy. It’s really good on chicken too. If you haven’t tried maille dijon mustard, you’re really missing out, it’s the king of all dijon mustards. It’s made in dijon, france, and it kicks the crap out of grey poupon. Happy eating…

Nick

120

One of my favorite additions to fresh mayo is avacado.

Just pit one, cube it, add 1 teaspoon black pepper, and crush it into the mayo.

For a chunkier result, just stir in, for a smoother one, put it in a food processor.