Dragon

From Channel Baldur

Baldur's Hot cocoa

In a suitable sized pot combine
3 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
1/3 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
Stir the dry ingredients together using the sugar granules to break up any lumps in the cocoa powder.
While constantly whisking the mixture slowly add:
4 cups milk.
Place the pot on the stove over medium heat and continue whisking until it is quite hot, but do not allow it to boil.
Be especially careful to not allow sediment to form in the bottom of the pot.
Stir well to prevent that, as all the good flavor will try to sink.
When it is ready taste and adjust the sweetness if necessary.
Baldur really doesn't like it very sweet.
Remove it from the heat and add:
1 teaspoon of vanilla

If you must, serve with whipped cream or marshmallows
(or a very slight sprinkle of cinnamon on top like I do it here at Chez Baldur)

Dragon

Here’s another couple of posts from Baldur with different Hot Cocoa recipes
It's snowing in Primrose!
Oh how exciting, I should make a mug of hot chocolate
You all do know that making it from scratch is not all that difficult.

A simple version can be prepared with just milk, cocoa powder, sugar and perhaps vanilla.
Since I prefer mine not to be very sweet this is the way to go.
One can embellish it in many ways, I even sometimes ever so slightly thicken it with a bit of cornstarch. The idea is not to arrive at a pudding stage but with a slightly thick liquid; it seems so much richer then.
A shot of rum or Kahlua doesn't hurt either

And...

An easier and much more decadent version is to just heat one quart of milk until hot, turn off the stove and the break an entire bar of semisweet (baking) chocolate into the pot.
Allow the chocolate to sit in the bottom of the pot of milk for about a minute and then whisk it until the chocolate completely dissolves.
This is so good it should be illegal.
Again you may add vanilla

polenta

so you pay between 5 and 7 dollars for each person for a TV dinner and you can buy trays that have 4 servings although maybe a good eater could eat 2 servings. That would make it 10 to 14 dollars per huge serving. If a person ate a frozen TV dinner every day that would be something like 210 or up to 420 a month only for dinner. Is this too much in USA? I don't have the least clue of how much a typical family spends weekly at the supermarket in USA.
Here even 7 dollars a portion would be a lot if it's every day. It's OK if it's once a week or so.

Baldur

polenta, that would seem like more than I spend per meal here (remembering I do not use convenience foods).
My meal planning is a little more complex because I am a vegetarian, while Robert is not.
I buy cuts of meat, chicken or fish in larger family-sized packages and then divide them into smaller packages and put them in the freezer.
By doing this I keep the cost down and can remove 1 pork chop or a single chicken breast cutlet when I need it.
The cost for the meat portion of Robert's dinner rarely exceeds $1. Adding a carbohydrate, a vegetable and a sauce to this will still result in a meal cost below $3, sometimes below $2.
So assuming it costs $2.50 on average I'd be spending $75 per month on his dinner. But he rarely finishes everything I prepare, so the leftovers get recycled into another meal. I can always create one meal a week from these leftovers so the actual cost will be less.
Leftover cooked chicken and gravy from Monday, plus leftover pasta from Tuesday plus leftover peas from Wednesday makes a free meal.

Baldur

I eat more than he does, but my meals are heavier on the carbohydrates and the protein is usually inexpensive beans.
The cost ends up being very similar.

maddyjean08

I have a high matobolism so I eat heavily, however watching my weight. My grandma will have me pose for this Appaloosa Magazine now and again. Gotta look good. Cameras love me! (;

polenta

yes, Baldur. That would be $75 a month per person for dinner but it's homemade, as far as I understand. That's not expensive at all. Of course you don't change for your work. LOL
Vegetarian but including dairy (milk, cheese etc)and eggs??? I don't understand what those people who avoid these things eat? You need eggs to make anything. I've also heard that vegetarian, sooner or later have anemia (I don't know if this word is correct). My son is also vegetarian. He doesn't accept anything that would mean killing animals.

polenta

sorry, I should've said CHARGE FOR YOUR WORK and not "change"

Dragon

Actually polenta there are lots of veggies that are high in iron, so a vegetarian who pays attention to their diet can easily avoid anemia. I recently had a bout of anemia and learned a lot of things I wouldn't have realized were high in iron. Of course most dark leafy green veggies are rich in iron but other things like Almonds, figs, and dates are also very rich in it too. I think the hard thing is finding protiens that your body can metabolise readily, as I understand it vegetable protein (like is found in beans or soy) is not as digestible as meat protein, though I may be wrong about that. I would imagine those who eat eggs and fish wouldn't have much trouble with that.
If there are any vegetarians out there who know what I've said is wrong please correct me, I'm only going off things that I kinda remember from something way back when.

Baldur

I also think that the micro-organisms in one's digestive tract do change over time to those more necessary to assimilate what you eat.
I haven't eaten meat in any noticeable quantity in 14 years, most likely the critters in my system that would aid in digestion of animal proteins are not any longer flourishing in great numbers.
When Baldur increased his intake of bean protein back then there was a flatulence issue. Through the years that has seriously diminished, and I eat bean products at least once a day.
I suspect that the micro-organism demographics shifted to accomodate what I am eating

Baldur

I get enough iron from my vegetables.
Anyone with an issue with a deficiency can always choose their menu a bit more carefully, take a supplement or even oddly enough, start cooking meals in cast iron pans.
It does leach into the food in the cooking process.

polenta

And how can you cook without eggs? I lie to my son. He says eggs are like small living beings. ... but how can you make anything without them?

Dragon

That I'm not sure about, all the vegetarians I've known still ate eggs so they had no problem. I would geuss that Vegans don't do a lot of baking.

Baldur

Eggs that you buy for cooking are not fertilized, they aren't living things

Baldur

Eggs are used for different purposes, if a recipe needs them for binding rather than leavening it's easy to substitute another item instead.

1 tablespoon of ground flax seed mixed with 2 tablespoons of water when left to soak turns into a goopy mixture that has the same binding property as an egg

Dragon

Here's another fabulous recipe from Baldur

Filet Mignon en Croute

(easiest elegant recipe in the world actually)

Take a filet mignon and brown it very briefly on each side in a bit of butter.
It should still be quite raw inside, you are only trying to color it up a bit.
Season it with salt and pepper.
Remove the filet to a plate to cool
Roll out a piece of pie dough (Baldur shamelessly uses ready made 'Poppin Fresh' Croissant dough) into an approximately 7 or 8" square
Place the cold filet on the square of dough, top it with a small pat of butter and drizzle any drippings from the browning skillet on it also.
Fold up the corners of the dough to meet on top of the filet and pinch the seems together.
Place the pastry bundle on a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Serve with a brown gravy or hollandaise sauce if you are into that.

indigo

With Holiday entertaining upon us I thought I would share a vegetarian recipe
that is a favorite with my family and friends, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike.
SPICY BEAN AND LENTIL LOAF

2 tsp Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
14-ounce can red kidney beans
14-ounce can lentils
1 egg
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 cup finely grated aged Cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander and hot chili powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
salad to serve

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch (8 cup) loaf pan.

Heat oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic and celery and cook gently
for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and
cool slightly.

Rinse and drain the beans and lentils. Place in a blender or food processor
with the onion mixture and egg and process until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix
well. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and level the surface.
Bake for about 1 hour, then remove from the pan and serve hot or cold
in slices accompanied by a salad. Enjoy also with crackers or toast.

indigo

SWEET AND SOUR MIXED BEAN HOT POT
Serves 6
1 pound unpeeled potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups passata or tomato sauce
2/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup EACH light brown sugar, ketchup, dry sherry, cider vinegar and
light soy sauce
14 ounce can lima beans
14 ounce can flageolet beans
14 ounce can chickpeas
6 ounces green beans, chopped and blanched
8 ounces shallots, sliced and blanched
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon EACH chopped fresh thyme and marjoram
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh herbs to garnish

Preheat oven to 400F.
Thinly slice the potatoes and parboil them for 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes
thoroughly, toss them in the oil so they are lightly coated all over and set aside.
Place the butter, flour, passata, apple juice, sugar, ketchup, sherry, vinegar and soy sauce in a saucepan. Heat gently, whisking constantly, until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring.

Rinse and drain the beans and chickpeas and add to the sauce with all the remaining ingredients except the herb garnish. Mix well.

Spoon the bean mixture into a casserole.

Arrange the potato slices over the top, overlapping them slightly and
completely covering the bean mixture.

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until the potatoes
are cooked and tender. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes of the cooking time, to lightlty brown the potatoes. Serve garnished with the
fresh herb sprigs. DELICIOUS AND PLEASING TO THE EYE

polenta

I'll try the lentil loaf. Of course, as usual, I will adapt it but the idea is great. It surprises me it doesn't have any eggs but of course it has ketchup and tomato paste to join things together.
I also assume the lentils and beans are cooked, aren't they?

polenta

sorry, it has only one egg