Tina's chestnut stuffing and other secret and not so secret recipes

[Namechabged]

Mine is equal measures of buttermilk and mayo, and then double of Greek yogurt, half the juice of one lemon, two tbsp of dried Parmesan, a teaspoon of dill, garlic granules, Maldon seat salt, onion powder, and cracked black pepper.

Makes that amazing ranch dressing you get on the side of fried shit in America and is great for pizza crusts but you can also make kids eat ANYTHING dipped in it.

I’ve watched my kids enthusiastically eat celery, radishes and green peppers which aren’t normally things they will eat raw.

@Nutmegpapaya great minds!! Much easier than faffing with eggs and running the risk of scrambled egg pasta.

Skinless and boneless chicken thighs. Mix together maple syrup, Dijon mustard (about 2 tablespoons of each for enough chicken for 4) and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. Cover the chicken. Salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 mins or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle a bit of rosemary on top. Very tasty!

Also use half maple syrup and half dark soy sauce as a terryaki sauce. Fry chilli, garlic, ginger (I usually use frozen or lazy). Add cooked meat or fish (salmon or chicken work well). Pour over the sauce and continue to cook until it coats the meat/fish. Serve with noodles or rice.

Super easy mixed bean chilli,
Fry onions and a bit of garlic once softened add a tsp of chipotle paste and good squirt of tomato purée. Add mixed beans of your choice and frozen sweet corn simmer for a couple of minutes then it’s ready to serve

Alternative instead of chipotle add harissa paste and rather than tomato purée add a tin of tomatoes and some orzo simmer for 10 mins then add some mixed beans in and maybe grilled halloumi on the side
Both go down well and take zero effort

@BlueFringe

Thank you so much *@Tinkerbell1980* and hope you enjoy it. I’m so touched by everyone’s kindness. She very much liked a tipple with it too 🤣🍸

I’ll change the name of the thread if you like xxx

Ahhhh thank you @Namechabged but honestly it’s just perfect as it is. So many fab recipes and so many bloody lovely lovely people I’d vote for it to go in classics but it would seem a bit self serving

Sneaky stealth veg pesto besto:

Roughly 500g of courgettes, aubergine &/or peppers
2 cloves garlic
125g whatever cheese - Egyptian cottage cheese is excellent
Olive oil, a glug or two
2 tbsp tahini
100g basil
500g pasta spirals (or whatever)

Light the biggest gas ring, prop the veg up on it & turn over every few minutes as they blacken & blister. When they are mostly scorched to bits, pop in a plastic bag in the fridge for at least an hour.

Strip the leaves off the basil & peel the garlic (save the stalks & skins for stock).
Chop up the cheese unless it’s already soft cheese or grated.
Dump basil, garlic & cheese in blender.
Take vegetables from fridge & remove any skin or seeds etc - the blackened skin should peel off easily except with the bloody courgettes - you’ll need to slice off the scorched bits with those buggers. Add veg pulp to blender & stick all the weird burnt skin in the same freezer bag as the basil stalks etc for later stock.
Add tahini & oil. Blitz.
Cook pasta. Stir ‘pesto’ through pasta.
Do not tell spawn they’ve just ingested at least one vegetable each. Mwahaha.

We live in the ME, where pesto is imported & about £5 a jar. This is brilliant - & it freezes if you have a veg glut.

Pineapple casserole. Got from a friend in the states, it’s a staple at her family’s thanksgiving dinner but it goes down an absolute storm here with a roast pork dinner.

2 15 oz Cans pineapple chunks drained
1 cup Sugar
6 tablespoons of flour
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 ½ cups Ritz Cracker Crumbs (can also use Cheeze Its for extra cheesy taste)
½ cup melted butter or margarine

Mix sugar, flour, and shredded cheese together, add drained pineapple and mix altogether until all dry ingredients are moist.

Spread in oblong casserole dish, cover with cracker crumbs and drizzle with melted butter or margarine.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

This thread is amazing - it should go in Classics

Sorry - late to the party but here’s mine :

Packet of bog standard chocolate chip cookies
Dunk each cookie in a mixture of orange juice and sherry (to taste) and stick to the next one with honey . Cover the whole lot in whipped cream and grated chocolate. Chill.
Tastes much fancier than the sum of its parts!

@TweeterandtheMonkeyman

This thread is amazing - it should go in Classics

Sorry - late to the party but here’s mine :

Packet of bog standard chocolate chip cookies
Dunk each cookie in a mixture of orange juice and sherry (to taste) and stick to the next one with honey . Cover the whole lot in whipped cream and grated chocolate. Chill.
Tastes much fancier than the sum of its parts!

Oblahdeeoblahdoe did a similar one up thread :)

Yes MNHQ it should definitely go in classics!!

Stuffing mix made up but not too wet, mix caramelized onion, tomatoes, courgette all cooked slightly in frying pan. Let cool add crumbled Feta cheese. mix all ingredients together with a beaten egg and form into balls. Place on baking parchment lined tray and roast till brown. Best stuffing balls ever. You can change veg mix to whatever you like or can get hold of

Re Risotto: according to Jamie O, you are supposed to add small amounts of stock while "massaging the starch out of the rice", hence all the stirring.

I might try the 'lob-it-all-in-and-go-away' method next time, I like the sound of that!

Oh and my tip is to use as much tomato puree as possible in a bolognese sauce. I use one whole jar for 500g mince, not just a squirt or two out of a tube.

How do I get it name changed and in classics?

And what shall I changed the name too?

Re-posting Tina's stuffing again for those who don't want to go back checking every page:

TINA'S CHESTNUT STUFFING

Chestnuts x 2 pack roughly chopped

Chopped Bacon x 2 packs

Peppers x 3 chopped

Onions x 1 bag pre chopped

Egg x 1 or 2 (to bind)

Breadcrumbs x 2 tubs

Sausage meat x 2 packs

Chorizo x 1 sausage chopped

Garlic x 3 cloves chopped

1. Pan fry chopped bacon & chopped chorizo. Set aside to cool

1. Pan fry chopped onion & chopped peppers. Set aside to cool

1. In a bowl mix sausage meat, chopped garlic, breadcrumbs and egg.

1. Add sprinkle of salt and pepper

1. Add bacon, chorizo, onion, peppers and chestnuts to the bowl. Mix in with hands until all blended.

1. Put in oven tin. Greaseproof paper lining helps. Press with fork and score the top.

1. Bake at 180/200 until top is dark brown and crispy.

1. Allow to cool then slice. It cuts easier when cold but delicious hot or cold.

Merry Christmas DM

My Parmesan chicken recipe is yummy:
Gently fry some lardons or bacon bits with leeks or onion with some butter and garlic salt. Slice and add a chicken breast per person and pan fry till golden. Add in any veg you fancy - baby spinach, peas, cooked squash, aubergine, mushrooms, courgette etc and cook till tender. Add in a good few gluts of cream and a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Finish with a good dessert spoon of Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon. Bring pan to a simmer then turn off of heat and let it sit for a few minutes until the cheese is all melted and you have a glossy sauce. Serve with spaghetti or rice and a green salad.

Following this!

Campbell's condensed mushroom soup, for quick sauce, add to chicken, steak or mix with cooked veg and pasta when your too knackered to mess about. Sounds strange but it's a bloody god send

Tomato soup, roast tomatoes onion garlic for one hour. Stock cube, potato carrot in pan boil till carrot cooked add tomato mixture blend put through sieve add splash of balsamic vinegar salt pepper simmer for ten min. Scoff

Last one, garlic bread. Slice sourdough thick. Drizzle with garlic oil, top with a good strong grated cheese and bake not grill. Bake till cheese bubbles

I lied, add peanut butter to curry, mix with a little liquid and stir in at end. Promise its fab

Pumpkin soup. Potatoes carrots, stock cube, pumpkin in pan cover with water, boil. Caramelize onions in frying pan once brown add teaspoon of curry powder stir till incorporated into onion. Add splash of water stir to get all the good bits simmer for 5min. Add to soup mix. Blend salt pepper to taste. Serve with grated cheese

Pigwheels! Sound like my idea of heaven definitely making them!

If anyone knows how to change the name and add to classics let me know and I’ll ask the powers that be to add “tina’s chestnut stuffing and other secret and not so secret recipes?”