Cooking Help

My favorite bang for buck meal is a lemon chicken. You can prepare this in 5 minutes and cook it in 25 with minimal intervention.

Get the juice of two lemons, two table spoons of honey, a pinch of garlic powder and put it all in a medium sized roasting pan.

Add three chicken breasts.

Sprinkle with a teaspoon of Oregano. Salt and pepper to taste.

Then bung that in the oven at about 175C for about 25minutes. Turn the fillets over at the half way mark.

Add whatever vegetables you like…given 25 minutes for the chook you should be easily able to knock up some steamed brocolli, cauliflower, carrots etc.

To serve is simple: pour it all out onto a plate.

Enjoy.

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]ukrainian wrote:

[quote]DarkNinjaa wrote:
Chicken breast fillets
Olive oil
Crushed Garlic
Crushed Black Pepper
Crushed chilli pepper
Lemon Zest
3 drops of honey
A dash of cinamon
A dash of Turmeric
A dash of cumin
A dash of salt

Marinate overnight.
Grill/bake/stir fry/simmer the next day.

Savour with sauteed onions and spinach/broccoli, and/or brown rice/ wholemeal pasta.
[/quote]

I’ll definitely need to buy more spices (read: at least more than zero). Thank you for the recipe. [/quote]

You own neither salt nor pepper?

Well, you life can be improved dramatically by just 3 $!

Good news, all around. [/quote]

I do, but I just enjoy hyperbole.

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Lots of words[/quote]

Damn, thanks for that. I actually enjoyed it and will use that.

And don’t worry about simplicity. Basically, my diet plan is eat a lot and keep eating. I am an “athlete” as well. (Club sports and the like).

By the way, thanks everybody for contributing. All help is greatly appreciated.

http://www.vigo-alessi.com/products/itemView.php?id=394

Throw in some fresh Broccoli, Asparagus or Green beans and Chicken sausage.

Easy and really tasty

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:

[/quote]

That is a really nice thread. You seem to be doing just fine with an electric stovetop, but I guarantee you’d love a gas range.

OP - I’ve been pulling one or two new recipes a week off of Pinterest. A crock pot and a grill would expand your meat cooking abilities considerably. If your parents have been sending you off with leftovers every week, maybe you can get them to help you buy some basics.

Orion @ knives. That’s the truth. We invested in a nice set of Wusthof knives many years ago. They are perfect. We recently added a Santoku blade from the same set that I use all the time. There’s nothing like having the right tool. Never put them in the dishwasher. Keep them sharp.

What’s a good yet cheap sharpener? My blades need to be sharpened and I’d also like to sharpen my machete for the zombies. I had one of those cheap “As seen on TV” ones that did not thing but nick up my knives.

[quote]DBCooper wrote:

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:

[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Go to Costco and buy a whole boneless top sirloin. It should be shaped kinda like a rugby ball, just a big, huge hunk of untrimmed beef. They go for about 50 bucks.

Then go on YouTube and watch a couple of tutorials on how to butcher this particular cut of meat. Follow the steps (you might have to go and get a nice knife to trim with, but trust me, it’s an investment well worth making) and butcher down the top sirloin into individual steaks. The last whole top sirloin I bought netted me about 18 individual steaks along with at least a pound of trimmings.

Save the trimmings as well and throw them into a crock pot or a big dutch oven and use them to make beef stew, adding in some sweet potatoes, red onions or shallots, garlic, carrots, and any other vegetable that floats your boat. If you end up with roughly one pound of trimmings, use about two cups of water or maybe one cup of water and one cup of red wine and toss in a few cubes of beef stock or vegetable stock, or a couple of each. You might have to adjust the liquid level to bring the stew to the preferred consistency. But this should get you at least a couple days’ worth of stew right off the bat.

Take the individual steaks and wrap them in butcher paper and then put each one into a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. Each morning before school, take one of the steaks out of the freezer and set it on a plate on your kitchen counter. A couple hours before dinner time the steak will be thawed out, so unwrap the thing and sprinkle some freshly cracked pepper on each side, add some salt, rub it in and then coat with a very thin layer of olive oil. I like to use garlic-infused olive oil, which you can find at Costco as well. Let the steak sit like this until you are ready to start the grill. Heat the grill up nice and hot and then throw the steak on and let it cook on either side for no more than 5 or 6 minutes per side, depending on how thick you’ve cut them and how well-done/rare you like it. If you have a meat thermometer, aim for a temp of about 125 for rare and up to 150 for medium. If you like it well-done, go fuck yourself.

If you want to spice the meat up a little more, I recommend adding in a little bit of rosemary, or maybe a touch of coriander and cumin. But unless you’re buying really shitty cuts of meat, salt and pepper with a thin coat of olive oil is enough. You don’t want to distract from the beef’s natural flavor.

You can also buy whole pork tenderloins at Costco for anywhere from 10-20 bucks a pop. It’s a long cut, almost shaped like a huge, two foot long burrito. YouTube has some tutorials for butchering this cut of meat as well and it’s really, really simple. You’ll simply cut about the last six inches off of each end and end up with two different types of roasts. You can then cut the middle section into thick pork loin chops (about 1" thick) or you can cut them close to 2" thick and then butterfly each of them by almost cutting them in half again and then spreading open, like a butterfly’s wings.

Again, I recommend bagging and preparing the pork loin chops the same way you would the steaks above. Keep in mind that pork wants to cook to a bit higher of an internal temperature than steak does. 145 for medium-rare should be perfect. For the pork roasts, there are plenty of easy recipes on the Internet. I prefer to cook them in the oven rather than on a grill with some sort of sauce over the top and lots of rosemary, thyme, garlic and pepper.

By getting your meat at Costco and butchering it yourself, you’re going to save about 50% of the cost and still get some pretty nice cuts of meat. You can also try a beef tenderloin and get really nice tenderloin roasts and some filet mignons, but even counting the savings you’ll get you’re still looking at about 100 dollars per tenderloin, maybe more. But butchering on your own is THE way to go.[/quote]
Honestly if you check the sales at your local grocer you can find meat cheaper than at costco.

I know this because I work in a butcher shop. Also, go there in the mornings and you can find discounted meat that is going out of code a lot of times. We sell ground beef for $1.49 lb on the morning of the following day it was ground when it doesn’t sell the night before. You can also find good deals on things like ribeyes, new yorks, t-bone/porterhouse for around 3-$4 lb when they are marked down.

Go to your local store and get to know your morning butcher. If you are cool they can hook you up.[/quote]

Yeah, but that’s all the non-fresh meat you’re talking about. The stuff I mentioned is always fresh and always available at that price at Costco. You don’t have to wait around for a sale or take the time to buddy up with the local butcher to get these deals.

Besides, how cool can someone who doesn’t know how to cook meat really be?[/quote]
There is nothing wrong with the meat. There isn’t much difference than getting steaks right when they are cut to four days later.

Maybe the guy doesn’t have a costco near him and doesn’t want to pay the membership fees. I’m just letting him know different options.

We just had Tri-tip roasts and top sirloin steaks or roasts on sale for $2.99lb, all angus cut. Pretty good deal to me.

[quote]coolnatedawg wrote:
What’s a good yet cheap sharpener? My blades need to be sharpened and I’d also like to sharpen my machete for the zombies. I had one of those cheap “As seen on TV” ones that did not thing but nick up my knives.[/quote]

I have to admit, “Keep them sharp.” for me means complain to my husband that they are getting dull, and he will sharpen them for me. :slight_smile: He has a sharpening steel and whetstone. That’s about all I know about the process. Also, I never lay them in the sink to get the edges dinged up. Used them, wash them, and back in the block they go.

OP - Not recommending you spring for some quality knives on a college budget, just something that’s worth buying when you can.

Here’s a very simple idea. Chicken Kabobs. Cut everything up in kabob sized cubes. I like chicken breast, red or green bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and or pineapple. Put raw ingredients in a large bowl and coat in EVOO and a bit of garlic salt. Skewer them up. We’ve been doing these kabobs in the grill, but you could try them in the oven. I’ve seen recipes that recommend 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn for 10 more, and another one at 350 degrees for 15-20, or till cooked through, turn them midway. Serve with a salad, rice, and or Asian noodles. We made a really simple teriyaki sauce last time. There are lots of marinade variations, but you don’t have to marinate.

[quote]coolnatedawg wrote:
What’s a good yet cheap sharpener? My blades need to be sharpened and I’d also like to sharpen my machete for the zombies. I had one of those cheap “As seen on TV” ones that did not thing but nick up my knives.[/quote]

I use a sharpening stone that has 2 sides to it, coarse and fine. I use vegetable oil when I sharpen kitchem knives. It takes some practice and it sharpens them fast.

Rob

[quote]Powerpuff wrote:

[quote]coolnatedawg wrote:
What’s a good yet cheap sharpener? My blades need to be sharpened and I’d also like to sharpen my machete for the zombies. I had one of those cheap “As seen on TV” ones that did not thing but nick up my knives.[/quote]

I have to admit, “Keep them sharp.” for me means complain to my husband that they are getting dull, and he will sharpen them for me. :slight_smile: He has a sharpening steel and whetstone. That’s about all I know about the process. Also, I never lay them in the sink to get the edges dinged up. Used them, wash them, and back in the block they go.

OP - Not recommending you spring for some quality knives on a college budget, just something that’s worth buying when you can.

Here’s a very simple idea. Chicken Kabobs. Cut everything up in kabob sized cubes. I like chicken breast, red or green bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and or pineapple. Put raw ingredients in a large bowl and coat in EVOO and a bit of garlic salt. Skewer them up. We’ve been doing these kabobs in the grill, but you could try them in the oven. I’ve seen recipes that recommend 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn for 10 more, and another one at 350 degrees for 15-20, or till cooked through, turn them midway. Serve with a salad, rice, and or Asian noodles. We made a really simple teriyaki sauce last time. There are lots of marinade variations, but you don’t have to marinate.
[/quote]

When buying knives stay away from stainless steel. Look for high carbon stainfree, it will be easier to sharpen and hold an edge better.

I have a ten inch chefs knife and 12 inch butcher from here McMaster-Carr and they are fantastic restaurant quality. Just be careful, they get so sharp you won’t even realize you are cut at first.

For sharpening, the easiest and most effective tool is a sharpening steel like this http://www.target.com/p/hampton-forge-10-honing-spear-black/-/A-14042173#prodSlot=medium_1_2

Just don’t go to cheap.

The sharpening spear, is that to be used dry blade or like beach guy said, to use a little oil?

[quote]coolnatedawg wrote:
The sharpening spear, is that to be used dry blade or like beach guy said, to use a little oil?[/quote]

Dry. Just pull it out of the drawer, take a couple swipes per side and your done.

I need a new one so I have been using something like this http://www.toolsource.com/super-microv-ceramic-pocket-sharpener-p-104958.html?gclid=CPW3p_mRibcCFSdgMgodvV0AuQ&sourceid=googleps

Works pretty decent but not as good as a steel.

I apologize in advance for getting all pedantic, but a steel isn’t used for sharpening. With use, the edge of a knife starts to fold over on itself and the steel rights it up once again.

I take my knives to be professionally sharpened once a year, it might cost $4 for a 8" chefs knife plus another dollar or two if they have to repair the tip. Well worth it to me, but I could definitely see how others would prefer to do it themselves.

OP: As others have said, you can do just about anything with a knife and a crockpot.

[quote]Dr. Pangloss wrote:
I apologize in advance for getting all pedantic, but a steel isn’t used for sharpening. With use, the edge of a knife starts to fold over on itself and the steel rights it up once again.

I take my knives to be professionally sharpened once a year, it might cost $4 for a 8" chefs knife plus another dollar or two if they have to repair the tip. Well worth it to me, but I could definitely see how others would prefer to do it themselves.

OP: As others have said, you can do just about anything with a knife and a crockpot.
[/quote]

Some high end knife companies will sharpen your knives for free.

I have a couple of Shun Knives and as long as you pay for shipping they’ll sharpen them for you.

[quote]Dr. Pangloss wrote:
I apologize in advance for getting all pedantic, but a steel isn’t used for sharpening. With use, the edge of a knife starts to fold over on itself and the steel rights it up once again.

I take my knives to be professionally sharpened once a year, it might cost $4 for a 8" chefs knife plus another dollar or two if they have to repair the tip. Well worth it to me, but I could definitely see how others would prefer to do it themselves.

OP: As others have said, you can do just about anything with a knife and a crockpot.
[/quote]

Technically correct, however with a series of course to fine steels you may never need to have a knife sharpened. If I do need to redo the edge, a fine whetstone works well. If you keep at it with the steel it shouldn’t be a problem though.

A word of caution, avoid glass cutting boards.

Dang. This was way more than I was expecting, especially the conversation about knives. Thank you all.

[quote]ukrainian wrote:
Dang. This was way more than I was expecting, especially the conversation about knives. Thank you all. [/quote]

An 8 or 10 inch chefs knife will cover most of your needs.

I have the 12" butcher knife and it is actually a little scary. My wife won’t even use it. So sharp that the weight of it will cut a tomato without a slicing motion.

Go to tj Max homegoods to buy inexpensive cookware