The Bachelor Chef.

[Cpt. MelonBuster]

AK magazine in the backround?

[Dave_M]

AK magazine in the backround?

Loaded with Hornady's new x39 round, no less

[Cpt. MelonBuster]

AK magazine in the backround?

Loaded with Hornady's new x39 round, no less

I'm assuming the rest of the rifle is nearby. BTW, if you have any insight on the Hornady load, you mind posting it in the AK caliber thread or a new thread?

[azstinger]

Hey would anyone have any interest in this being posted as a kind of forum cookbook. I was thinking about making this into a word document with links so people could just click and be there. I was thinking by organizing by main ingredient? Pictures of course would be included. Anyways just curious if there was any interest in this being posted?

[Folly]

Great thread, and yes, love the idea of the cookbook. Here's my contribution:

Quick chicken fried rice.

2 boxes of hormel natural chicken
1 cup rice(white works best but brown is fine too)
3 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
Chopped green onions

Cook rice.
Heat oil on medium heat in large pan or wok.
Beat eggs in separate bowl.
Dump eggs into oil and stir for about a minute or until eggs look somewhat cooked.
Dump in rice, onions, and chicken and mix together over heat, stirring constantly.
Mix in seasonings of choice, I like garlic salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and enjoy!

[azstinger]

I just got back from a deployment and there is nothing in the fridge but beer recipe..


Ok so the title pretty much states it all.

Ingredients:
Idahoan Instant Potatoes (i used four cheese)
Canned Green Beans
Spices

Heat up green beans
Follow directions for potatoes
Drain green beans add to potatoes
Spice to taste... I used pepper flakes and Cayenne pepper

IMAG0189 http://www.flickr.com/people/55318277@N04/, on Flickr

Sorry for no guns in the pic hope the sexy new knife counts =)

[Bard]

Hey would anyone have any interest in this being posted as a kind of forum cookbook. I was thinking about making this into a word document with links so people could just click and be there. I was thinking by organizing by main ingredient? Pictures of course would be included. Anyways just curious if there was any interest in this being posted?

GREATEST IDEA. GO FORTH AND BOOK!

[azstinger]

Ok ill start working on making the cookbook, no promises on how long it will take. Since im hoping people keep adding to this great thread. BTW just did the sausage/pepper/shallot/pasta sauce recipe and it was great, previous night had the velveeta/chili mac which was also great!

[FanaticalModerate]

A lot of this bachelor cooking in this thread is really good - it's just either very honest/straightforward or balls-to-the-wall-bad-for-you-but-incredibly-tasty.

The "just got back home and the fridge is empty" recipe reminded me of what bachelor cooking really was at one point - so, to revisit that:

Picture an almost-empty fridge. What's in there?
A half-pack of hot dogs ...no label, no expiration date.


A half-full jar of kimchi.


What the heck to do with this? Wait - in the back - salvation - a box of (past shelf date) pie crusts!


I'll make hotdog-kimchi pie (or empanadas, for the sticklers).

Very simple. No fancy or time-consuming procedures.
Dice the hotdogs.

Fry them. That green tint? I didn't put it there ...the hot dogs created it. I don't want to know...

Chop the kimchi.

Cut the crust.

Assembled.

Baked.

Frying the hotdogs was maybe 10 minutes. Assembly was 2 minutes.
Baking time at 400 degrees Fahrenheit was 16 minutes.

At the moment, hotdog-kimchi pie is the most bachelor-esque dish I can think of.
Maybe some hard-boiled eggs would be a good addition?

[Dave_M]

Artichoke and Portabella Chicken

A little background on this: I was basically doing my own ‘cabinet challenge’ with a few main ingredients: artichoke hearts (in a jar), roasted red pepper, and portabella mushrooms. I decided to use the other chicken breast that was in the package I bought for the last recipe. Anywho, this one will have more notes littered throughout as there are really two versions that you can do (the ‘I want something that tastes awesome but don’t care how it looks’ or the ‘I want something that tastes awesome but looks more impressive to current or possible sexual partner(s)’)

I suppose I’ll go through the ‘I want something that tastes awesome but don’t care how it looks’ first, since that’s actually what I did and then detail how to make it slightly more impressive looking.

Ingredients:
-Chicken breast (one is okay)
-Pasta (I wish I had some angel hair left, I used penne instead and regretted it, more on that in a min)
-Artichoke hearts (in a jar)
-Portabella mushroom cap
-Roasted red pepper
-Red pasta sauce
-Garlic (3-4 cloves, minced)
-Black pepper
-Olive oil

The basic setup (sans spices):


1) Do a bit of prep work, mince the red pepper and garlic (4 cloves or so), chop up a half dozen or so artichoke hearts (retain some of the liquid), cube the and mushroom. Start water for boiling pasta.



2) Heat sauce pan to cook chicken. Use a bit of olive oil and black pepper. Toss in chicken pieces.


3) Transfer cooked chicken from the pan into a bowl. Add garlic to pan and sauté until it’s aromatic (20-30 seconds). Add red pasta sauce, use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the chicken pieces.

4) When water is at a rolling boil, add pasta

5) Add artichoke hearts (including retained liquid) and roasted red pepper to the sauce. Let it simmer a bit. If it gets too thick you might want to think about adding a small amount of water.



6) When noodles are cooked to al dente, drain. Keep the noodles in the pot and rinse. Set aside

7) Add mushrooms and cooked chicken into the pan. Adding the mushrooms this late in the game means that they remain crisp and add a pleasant texture.



8 ) Mix cooked pasta into pan and heat until everything is at a uniform desired temperature.

9) Enjoy!



Okay, like it said, it looks bad but tastes great. A more impressive way to present this dish would be to do the following:
-Use lighter pasta (nothing thick like penne) and don’t mix it in—instead use it as the base layer of the plate
-Cooked the entire chicken breast separately (either sear and bake or better yet, grill it)
-Cook sauce as outlined above
-When plating, put a bit of pasta down, a layer of sauce, chicken breast on top, with more sauce on top of that.
-Maybe garnish the plate with something colorful (preferably green and tasty)

[koolaidND]

I made a batch of baked beans today. I had all of the ingredients in my food storage. This recipe was a make it up as you go kind of thing. It turned out good.

Ingredients:
1 pound great northern beans.
1/2 pound bacon
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup mollasses.

1. cook beans according to package. I used the quick cook method then I simmered them for 1.5 hours.
2. cut bacon into small pieces and fry. Drain when done cooking.
3. Put beans in an oven safe pot. I used a Lodge enameled dutch oven
4. mix remaining ingredients with beans.
5. cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

and a pic for you all,

[Confucius]

So, I just made a batch of chili, and I figured I'd post the results of such here.

Firstly, take a few Guajillo chili pods and a few cayenne chili pods, chop them up and put them in a pan with some whole cumin seeds. Let them toast on the stove until they smell really good and you start coughing and crying.



I either use pre-ground beef, or if I can find Chuck for sale, I'll toss that in the food processor. I found chuck for $7 for just under three pounds, and took it for a whirl in the food processor.


Then brown the meat


While that's happening, amuse yourself by chopping an onion, a few bell peppers, a few Jalepenos, and five or six cloves of garlic. Drinking coffee from a chicken cup and listening to the B-52s is HIGHLY recommended.


Once that's done, scoop the beef into a pot, and brown the veggies in the tasty beef fat.


Once they're nice and cooked, take them for a whirl in the food processor (you don't have to do this, you could just chop them smaller in the first place, but I needed a way to get all the beef fat out of the food processor, and this works nicely)




Toss that, a jar of salsa and a can of ortega chilis in the pot with the beef.



Grind the previously mentioned toasted spices along with some paprika, oregano, and pepper


Toss that in the pot along with a spoon or two of chocolate powder and enough water to bring it up to a gallon.


I added some beans I'd cooked earlier and a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up too. Super tasty and pretty cheap.

Enjoy

[Dave_M]

Some kind of chowder potato-mushroom-spam good stuff

Tastes awesome. You can play around with ingredient ratios much too.

Ingredients:
-Spam
-Instant Mashed potatoes
-Cream of mushroom soup
-Green onions (could also use leeks or scallions)
-Bit of beef stock
-Milk
-Garlic powder
-Black pepper
-Butter
-bit of salt

The basic setup:


1) Cook 2/3 cup of instant mashed potatoes according to the box directions, omitting salt and butter. (I used a microwave)



2) Slice and mince green onions (I used 3)

3) Cut Spam into cubes (I used about 1/3-1/2 a can, you can certainly use the whole can if you want) and cook on saucepan



4) When the Spam is browned, remove from heat and add the mashed potatoes and the cream of mushroom soup.



5) Add a bit of beef stock and mix it all up (it will be thick) and add green onions, black pepper, and garlic powder



6) Return to medium heat, add 2 pads of butter and some milk. Stir. If you find it to be too thick, add some more milk. When fully heated and at the consistency you would like—it’s done. Salt to taste



7) Enjoy!

[Dave_M]

Stuffed Pork Chops



Ingredients:
-Thick cut (over 1” at least) bone-in pork chop(s)
-Stuffing mix (and associated stuffing prep items)
-Dried cranberries
-Rosemary (crushed)
-Black pepper

The basic setup:


1) Prepare stuffing per the directions on the package. Since I was only doing one chop, I did a half-recipe of stuffing. Toss in a handful of dried cranberries in with the boiling water. You’ll be working with this later so doing it beforehand means less burning of your fingers.

2) Place a pyrex dish into the oven and pre-heat to 450F

3) Use a knife to cut a channel through the loin portion of the chop. Keep the entrance hole small and ensure that you do not pierce the outside of the chop from the inside.



4) Pack it full of stuffing. You’ll be surprised by how much it can take. It can bulge up pretty impressively.



5) Clean excess stuffing of the exterior. Tie up the chop using butchers twine so the stuffing doesn’t leak out. Alternatively you can use toothpicks to close the hole.



6) Rub crushed rosemary and black pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a skillet at high-heat. Sear chops about 3 minutes a side (mine seared too long, as evidenced by the photo)



7) After searing, place chop into the pre-heated pyrex dish in the oven. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of chop and wuss level of the eater.

8 ) Right before the chop is done, remove from the oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes (this allows the juices to re-circulate through the meat and also raises the temperature a few more degrees)




9) Remove string and enjoy! (I had mine with applesauce)

[gravediggerfour]

Belt fed???

[TheFishinMagician]

Dang! Some of these recipes are pretty "fancy", IMO. As a bachelor, I like bachelor chow that's cheap, easy to make and tastes good. It also needs to be simple, since I only have three appliances...a toaster oven, a microwave and a "hotplate". Here's my offering...


PITA PIZZAS
prep & cook time: about 10 min.

Appliances needed:
-microwave (optional)
-toaster oven


Ingredients:

--Jar of spaghetti sauce
--pita bread
--dried oregano
--granulated garlic powder
--pepperonis
--shredded mozzerella cheese




Directions:

Step 1.) Take a pita bread and spoon some of the jarred spaghetti sauce on it.



Step 2.) Add the oregano and granulated garlic to taste.



Step 3.) (optional) Put pepperoni on a paper towel and microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Pat off grease when done.



Step 4.) Top pizza with pepperonis and shredded mozzerella cheese. (I like to put some pepperonis under the cheese and some on top)



Step 5.) Cook in toaster oven for about 10 minutes, or until crust is hot and cheese is melted and slightly browned.



Step 6.) Eat the hell out of it!





Versatile recipe that's stupid simple! Clean-up is practically non-existant...just wash the spoon and throw the paper towel and paper plate away. You can add other toppings if you like...drained canned mushrooms, diced bell pepper, bacon, etc. You can also get fancy and use more exotic ingredients like pesto, alfredo sauce, artichoke hearts, leftover shredded chicken and buffalo sauce...whatever you like.

I eat these almost everyday. I also have a "breakfast version" I do using sausage gravy as the sauce and scrambled eggs, bacon crumbles and cheddar cheese as the toppings. I'll see if I can do another post on that later. Dessert pizzas are possible, too...Nutella and marshmallow fluff, anyone? Howzabout a "Peanut Butter Cup Pizza"? Pita bread, peanut butter and pieces of chocolate bar on top. Fruit pie filling out of the can and crushed cookie crumbs? Possibilities are endless.


EDIT:spellcheck and add some other info.

[Greg Focker]

Am I the only who formulates large parts of his shopping list around what he sees posted in this thread?

[Vicarious_Lee]

Am I the only who formulates large parts of his shopping list around what he sees posted in this thread?

Naw this thread really kicks ass. I've been wanting to do some more advanced recipes lately. Since Bachelor Chef is on a chili kick lately (oh, molawns, that looks sweet BTW), I thought I'd throw in another chili recipe from the opposite end of the spectrum:

LEE'S TASTY CHEAP-ASS CHILI:

Ingredients:

1. 2 pounds of cheap ground beef
2. Half a cheap onion
3. 15 ounce can of cheap black beans
4. 8 ounces of cheap tomato sauce
5. 8 ounces of cheap water. Preferably from a puddle that was filtered and treated, but dipping from the top of your toilet tank or the dog bowl will work.
6. THIS SHIT. Yes, using individual ingredients would be cheaper, but we are also being lazy, so this counts.

Cooking:
1. Chop onion very fine. Add to ground beef. Brown that in the pot you're going to use for chili. Less dishes!
2. Drain your cheap-ass beef and onions in the sink a little.
3. Add all that shit from the above list and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Options:

1. Don't put the "Garlic/onion" powder package in it, just use a real (cheap) onion and some garlic powder. Or not. Whatever.
2. You can add corn or or something if you want to be weird. Or chopped jalapenos if you find some.
3. Add a can of PBR, Natty Light, Milwaukee's Beast, Bud Light, Schlitz, or Colt .45 (those last two might actually taste really good in there).
4. Add whatever favorite hot sauce to desired level of sadomasochism.


Serve hot. Eat with saltines and government cheese that you've shredded. Looks like I've got at nearly 4 pounds of chili out of this.

[Dave_M]

Am I the only who formulates large parts of his shopping list around what he sees posted in this thread?

Naw this thread really kicks ass. I've been wanting to do some more advanced recipes lately. Since Bachelor Chef is on a chili kick lately (oh, molawns, that looks sweet BTW), I thought I'd throw in another chili recipe from the opposite end of the spectrum:

LEE'S TASTY CHEAP-ASS CHILI:

pics man! we need pics!

(but seriously, pics make me want to try a recipe. When I just see text it's not as, uh, 'inspirational' )

[Greg Focker]

Am I the only who formulates large parts of his shopping list around what he sees posted in this thread?

Naw this thread really kicks ass. I've been wanting to do some more advanced recipes lately. Since Bachelor Chef is on a chili kick lately (oh, molawns, that looks sweet BTW), I thought I'd throw in another chili recipe from the opposite end of the spectrum:

LEE'S TASTY CHEAP-ASS CHILI:

pics man! we need pics!

(but seriously, pics make me want to try a recipe. When I just see text it's not as, uh, 'inspirational' )

... and in keeping with the spirit of this thread, make sure your Beretta 92FS is in those pictures to help "inspire" Dave

[WhoShotJR]

VL I've never used that seasoning mix, the only one I use is Carol Shelby's. Seasonings come in four packs with chili mix, masa flour, salt, and cayenne so you can season it exactly how you want it. Great, easy way to make up a pot. All the stores around here sell it.

http://www.amazon.com/Carroll-Shelbys-Original-Texas-4-Ounce/dp/B000H23Z1C

[Vicarious_Lee]

Am I the only who formulates large parts of his shopping list around what he sees posted in this thread?

Naw this thread really kicks ass. I've been wanting to do some more advanced recipes lately. Since Bachelor Chef is on a chili kick lately (oh, molawns, that looks sweet BTW), I thought I'd throw in another chili recipe from the opposite end of the spectrum:

LEE'S TASTY CHEAP-ASS CHILI:

pics man! we need pics!

(but seriously, pics make me want to try a recipe. When I just see text it's not as, uh, 'inspirational' )

Yeah I know. Guess I'd better get one of those PhotoBucket accounts already.

EDIT: The Carroll Shelby mix you linked is only $2.94 per batch of chili, as opposed to $3.19 per.

[Dave_M]

Dang! Some of these recipes are pretty "fancy", IMO. As a bachelor, I like bachelor chow that's cheap, easy to make and tastes good. It also needs to be simple, since I only have three appliances...a toaster oven, a microwave and a "hotplate". Here's my offering...

There's a very good book that'd be perfect for your situation
A Man, a Can, a Microwave

[Dave_M]

Sorta Goulash Thing

Yes, this is technically not a goulash but hey—it’s a bunch of stuff thrown together kinda like one so, it’s the best description I have.

Inspired by molawns's post, the only appliance used in this recipe is the good old microwave.

Ingredients:
-Spam (half a can). Alternatively you can used summer sausage
-Microwave single serving mac and cheese (2)
-‘Steam in bag’ frozen vegetables
-Red pasta sauce
-Black pepper


The basic setup:


1) Chop the spam up



2) Microwave the microwave stuff (mac and cheese and vegetables) and put into bowl. Mix it all up



3) Mix it some red sauce (and black pepper, if desired) and microwave for 2 additional minutes



4) Plate and enjoy! (I topped with a bit of habanero cheese)




The neat thing about this recipe is that you know exactly what it will look like five hours later, after you get kicked out of the bar and throw up all over the sidewalk!