(mis)Adventures in Cooking

[StevOz]

For exanples-- most of you feckers live near the coast

Just up the road from me...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Ah yess... good old Topper.

 

[StevOz]

Ah yess... good old Topper.

Ah hungry for more then...

 

[StevOz]

I am maybe eating linguine bolognese for the next week or so... is a good is a very good.

 

[StevOz]

Jaffles tonight...

 

[StevOz]

mmm... Paneng Chicken Curry...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Jaffles tonight...

I used to think it was kinda silly, putting carbs inside carbs like that, but having experimented with Viet Spring roll wrappers for a couple years now, I've learned the errors of my ways.

With Viet spring rolls (these are fresh-style, not fried), I've found that you want contents that aren't too mushy, like a heavy stew, but aren't too heavy, like meats or thick, uncooked veggies.

So pasta-based stuff works great, such as looks to be in that "jaffle." Maybe roasted or sauteed veggies, too, if I get around to that experiment.

Traditional-style is below, and you dip the pieces, typically in a spicy peanut sauce.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

This article was a nice reminder that I still haven't tried making stuff like air-fried tofu and Buffalo cauliflower 'wings' yet.

Of course these recipes don't always turn out as perfectly as one might hope, but I really like the idea of skipping the usual oil-frying/sauteeing process. I'll update with progress.

Btw, for the first time recently, I tried roasting some whole bell peppers (red & orange) in the air fryer, and they turned out spectacularly. Sprinkled with a little salty Jamaican curry powder, and they were downright heavenly, Highly recommended.

 

[StevOz]

MMM...meat!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

You know, I used to hate preparing raw meat in my little kitchen, but the way food prices are these days, I'm comin' round the mountain, here I come!

I do love vegetables, but, man... I gotta admit... every couple weeks, for whatever reason, I absolutely crave cooked animal flesh! XD

Part of which explains why I've come to enjoy making steak / kidney-bean chili stew, cooked with loads of cilantro, served over a bed of spinach/arugala, topped with lots of greek yogurt, parm, and a tomato/green chili/avocado mix, further topped with a nice sprinkling of fritos / doritos.


Talk about a bit of Heaven on Earth, Belinda's pretty face, optional!

​

Ah, but in other news, I used to love sashimi, sushi & ceviche, but tapeworms / parasitic worms have totally put me off.

live parasite in sushi OR sashimi - Google Search

The thing is-- 'restaurant grade sushi' (which doesn't have a precise definition in the States) is supposed to go through a freezing process, killing off any & all parasitic material.

In theory, matey... IN THEORY.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Today I tried sauteed Madras lentils with Chinese peppercorns and roast bell pepper as a filling inside a big omelet. String cheese and roast garlic in there, too.

I served it on a bed of American-style salad mix (iceburg & romaine, carrots, red cabbage & radishes), sprinkled with some extra parm & a squirt of ghost pepper-infused caesar dressing.

I'm sure that sounds like a mad mashup to some, but it was quite tasty, healthy and filling.

I'm especially glad to leave out the white rice & naan bread, as it's just empty calories I don't need at my age.

 

[xenonph]

Today I tried sauteed Madras lentils with Chinese peppercorns and roast bell pepper as a filling inside a big omelet. String cheese and roast garlic in there, too.

I served it on a bed of American-style salad mix (iceburg & romaine, carrots, red cabbage & radishes), sprinkled with some extra parm & a squirt of ghost pepper-infused caesar dressing.

I'm sure that sounds like a mad mashup to some, but it was quite tasty, healthy and filling.

I'm especially glad to leave out the white rice & naan bread, as it's just empty calories I don't need at my age.

It looks good! But am afaid of the massive heartburn that would ensue!! Peppercorns, and bell peppers would kill my stomach!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

It looks good! But am afaid of the massive heartburn that would ensue!! Peppercorns, and bell peppers would kill my stomach!

Wow, allergic to bell peppers? That's a pity.

Chinese peppercorns are actually a completely different item than black peppercorns or chili peppers. They're related to citrus fruit.

The peppercorns are used in Szechuan dishes to produce a cooling, tingling effect. Every once in a while I throw them in some dish to see what happens. I should probably try some actual Szechuan recipes one day, but for some reason I'm... I don't know, a bit reluctant to try making Chinese food. But part of that is because there's a lot of essential sauces and ingredients I'm missing.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Just a quick note to add that I tried air frying artichokes & broccoli today, but it was a big disappointment. Even brushing with oil first, they came out as sort of a combination of underdone & overdone. I've never had broccoli that chewy before, either.

In terms of veggies, I'm thinking that stuff with a lot of surface area, particularly with different-sized parts like the two above, turn out far better by steaming. OTOH, veggies of a more uniform thickness, such as asparagus, potatoes, whole peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic and even brussels sprouts (same species as broccoli actually) turn out rather splendidly in the ol' AF.

Gotta love the learning curve!

 

[StevOz]

Well it's curry week, really hit it out of the park, with the garden fresh chilli...

 

[StevOz]

Had an episode of gastro over the weekend, no fun at all, as we all know. So I decided it's time to get regular about actually eating breakfast, thus I have perfected the art of microwave oats for breakfast!

1 cup of oats, 2 cups of water, stir together in bowl, add to microwave cook at high for 90 seconds, then stir. Cook for another 60 seconds on high, remove and stir again, perfect creamy oats man!

Now for flavour and goodness, I add cinnamon + honey and stir through...yum!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

@StevOz,
Just curious-- if you mean gastric reflux, what made you connect the dots between breakfast & oats?

 

[StevOz]

Just curious-- if you mean gastric reflux, what made you connect the dots between breakfast & oats?

I think it was more the realisation... That a man cannot live on curry and beer alone.

So yeah, a serious lack of dietary fibre mainly, it was not so much reflux, but lower bowel discomfort, which is now a lot better.

Just back from work at the Trotting Club and running the numbers' room making sure those saddle clothes and head bridle numbers come back from the stalls means I'm on my feet for about six hours and no time to really be elsewhere for the most part.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Oh, you're working at a sulky track now? Interesting.

Oof, yeah. I can barely handle beer at all anymore unless I shake it around to get the bubbles out.
Which of course is kinda of a nasty way to enjoy it.

I remember some chronic beer drinker (maybe in his 40's) on a UK forums who wouldn't take his doc's advise, and one day his stomach suddenly ballooned up after having yet another beer. He was actually at risk of killing himself if he kept imbibing, and IIRC that was finally the wakeup call he needed.

Good to hear about you getting more dietary fiber. Even as a 'mainly vegetarian' I need to get off my arse and start taking more psyllium husk powder for my bowel health. That stuff's kind of a miracle worker for many folks with gut issues, plus good for lowering cholesterol.

...

On the cooking front, I think maybe I'll do up some fries in a little while. I found that slicing them in to thin wedges works great with the AF set to 350F if I keep checking them every ~8 minutes or so and re-brushing with oil. I find they're almost impossible to burn, too.

They really shouldn't be tasting better than deep-fried restaurant fries, yet somehow they do!

 

[StevOz]

Oh, you're working at a sulky track now? Interesting.

Much better to be getting paid to run the trots, rather than having the trots!

Do about 1 day a week, when the races are on.

 

[xenonph]

No pain.
No strain.
Just let it drain.

Pepto-Bismol advertising company has nothing on me! lol

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

No pain.
No strain.
Just let it drain.

Pepto-Bismol advertising company has nothing on me! lol

Oh great... now look what you did, Steve.

 

[xenonph]

Had an episode of gastro over the weekend, no fun at all, as we all know. So I decided it's time to get regular about actually eating breakfast, thus I have perfected the art of microwave oats for breakfast!

1 cup of oats, 2 cups of water, stir together in bowl, add to microwave cook at high for 90 seconds, then stir. Cook for another 60 seconds on high, remove and stir again, perfect creamy oats man!

Now for flavour and goodness, I add cinnamon + honey and stir through...yum!

You could add Apples, or Bananas to add flavor and more fiber to your oatmeal.
Raspberrys have the highest fiber out of all the fruits.

 

[StevOz]

You could add Apples, or Bananas to add flavor and more fiber to your oatmeal.

Okay seems a good suggestion and bananas are at a bargain price here.

Browse our products to order your next shop | Coles

Shop our range online or in-store. Enjoy our everyday low prices and fast delivery to your door.

www.coles.com.au

Mind you if I start swinging from trees, it's on your head Charles....

 

[xenonph]

Okay seems a good suggestion and bananas are at a bargain price here.

Browse our products to order your next shop | Coles

Shop our range online or in-store. Enjoy our everyday low prices and fast delivery to your door.

www.coles.com.au

Mind you if I start swinging from trees, it's on your head Charles....

Hey this just gave me a great idea!

Cut into slices Banana Bread.
Dip slices in bowl of whipped eggs.
Cook in frying pan.

You have Banana French Toast!!
Damn that sounds good!
I might just be hungry though. lol