RATMM Recipes

Rick's Ethiopian Potatoes and Other Good Stuff

Note: Hi RATMMer units, This is a special recipe of my own. I love to serve it to friends whenever I can. Make it for yourselves a few times before serving it to guests. Oh - and just stain your counter top yellow. The tumeric will eventually do that, but a pre-stain job will give the counter the illusion of uniformity. -- Rick Thorne 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, skin on, cubed (1 inch cubes) 
1 small head of cabbage, chopped into 3 inch pieces 
1/2 lb carrots, cut into 2 inch sticks 
2 cups of coarsely-chopped onions
3 T minced garlic 
1/2 t finely minced ginger 
1/4 cup chopped chilis 
1 1/2 t tumeric 
1 t cumin seed, roasted 
4 T clarified butter 
Oil for deep frying 
2 cups chicken stock or water 
salt 

Instructions:
Deep fry the potato cubes; drain them and set them aside when they're finished. Parboil the carrot sticks for 2 minutes; drain them and set them aside. In the butter, saute the onion until golden brown; saute the garlic, chilis, and ginger. Toss the spices in the onions; fry for another minute. Add the fried potatoes and parboiled carrots and stir, covering all the potaoes and carrots with spices and onions. Add the stock and allow it to come to a simmer, then add the salt and stir. Add the cabbage pieces; cover the pan and allow the cabbage to wilt for 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, stir in the wilted cabbage, and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring often (every 5 minutes or so). Serve it stove-hot with bread (injera if you can find it). 

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
½ gal. chicken broth 
½ t. white pepper 
1 c. melted butter or margarine 
1 ½ c. flour 
1 c. grated jack and cheddar cheese 
1 pt. half and half 
1 t. diced jalepeños (May substitute green chiles or delete) 
1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild) 
2 c. cooked chicken, diced 
Tortillas 
Olive oil 

Instructions:
Bring broth and pepper to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium. In another pan, melt butter and add flour, stirring until smooth. Add flour mix to stock. Stir until blended well. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add half and half, jalepeños, Rotel and chicken. Turn heat to low. In a skillet heat a small amount of olive oil to medium. Cut tortillas into strips and fry in oil until just crisp. Garnish soup with tortilla strips and grated cheddar cheese, if desired. 

Prime Rib

1. Season roast as you would for regular roasting. 
2. Put on a rack in a preheated oven (375º) for 1 hour. Don't peek or open oven door! 
3. Turn oven off. Leave oven closed for 2 hours. 
4. Now turn the oven back on at 300º.

• Rare: 45 min.
• Med rare: 50 min.
• Med well: 55 min.

Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
½ c. flour 
2 eggs slightly beaten 
1 c. Bisquick 
onion 
salt 
seasoning salt 
garlic powder 
½ c. olive oil 

Instructions:
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Dredge in flour. Coat pieces with egg mixture. Roll in Bisquick. Heat oil to medium (or a little hotter) and place chicken in preheated pan. Sprinkle with onion salt, seasoning salt, and garlic powder to taste. When nuggets are brown on first side, turn over and repeat seasoning. Turn heat to lowest setting and cover with lid. Cook about 20 minutes or until done, checking periodically to be sure heat is low enough. Serve with favorite dipping sauce or plain. 

Irish Cream Brownies 

Brownies Ingredients: 
1 bar (4 oz.) Baker's German Sweet Chocolate 
1/3 c. semi-sweet choc. chips 
6 T. shortening 
¾ c. flour 
¼ t. baking soda 
¼ t. salt 
2 eggs 
1/3 c. sugar 
1 t. vanilla 
5 T. Irish Cream liqueur 

Brownies Instructions:
In small microwave safe dish, melt chocolate and shortening. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Butter a 9” x 9” pan. Preheat oven to 325º. Combine flour, soda, and salt. In bowl of electric mixer, beat eggs until light in color. Add sugar, vanilla and 2 T. of liqueur. Beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture and stir until just blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake in center of oven 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted ¼ of the way from edge of pan comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 30 minutes. Loosen egde of brownies from pan and invert onto serving dish. Prick at 1 ½ " intervals with toothpick. Pour remaining liqueur over the surface. Let stand 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. 

Frosting Ingredients: 
2 T. butter, room temp. 
1 egg yolk 
5 t. Irish Cream liqueur 
2/3 c. confectioner's sugar 

Frosting Instructions:
Combine butter, egg yolk and liqueur. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Remove brownies from refrigerator and frost before serving. 

Chocolate Waffle Cookies 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened 
1 cup sugar
2 eggs 
1 tsp. Vanilla 
2 squares (1 oz. each), unsweetened chocolate, melted 
1 cup flour 
Powdered sugar

Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla with a hand mixer till smooth. Blend in the melted chocolate. Add the flour, and stir till blended. Drop spoonfuls (not big ones) onto your waffle iron, and bake for just about a minute. Pick up carefully with a fork and cool on a wire rack. (Easier to pick up if they are small in size, bigger ones tend to break). Sprinkling them with powdered sugar makes them pretty. Makes about 2 dozen.

Aunt Jenny's Cucumber Relish

Ingredients:
16 cups peeled, grated cucumbers 
4 peeled, grated onions
4 grated green peppers 
2 tbsp. salt 4 cups white vinegar 
1 tsp. turmeric 
1 tsp celery seed 
2 tsp. mustard seed 

Instructions:
Bring the whole mess to a boil, cook 20 minutes. Spoon into jelly jars. If you are processing them, use the boiling water method for 10 minutes. If not, just put into tight containers or jars and keep in the fridge. I make tartar sauce using this, with mayonnaise as a base, then I add 
relish, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, and snipped parsley in no  particular measurements - I just wing it each time. I like it on french fries as well as fish.

Velveeta Fudge

Note: (Hey, a cheezy recipe for cheezy movie lovers) I haven't the guts to try this one. 

Ingredients: 
3/4 pound Velveeta
1 cup margarine
6 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla. 

Instructions:
Heat Velveeta, chocolate and corn syrup in 3 quart saucepan over medium heat till melted. Gradually add the sugar, beat with electric mixer on medium till smooth. Add pecans and vanilla. Pour into greased 13x9 baking pan. Smooth surface, cover. Refrigerate several hours. Cut into squares. 

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1-2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each - cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs

Mix the whole mess in a bowl, put batter in muffin tins (with papers or greased), and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. When cool - glaze with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2-1/2 tsp water, all boiled till sugar is dissolved. Paint on with pastry brush. 

Boston Cream Pie

This recipe is not for the fainthearted. 

Pie Ingredients:
2 eggs (separated)
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup salad oil
1 cup milk (divided)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 

Pie Instructions:
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until very stiff peaks form. Sift together remaining dry ingredients into another bowl. Add oil, 1/2 cup of milk, and vanilla. Beat 1 minute at medium. Add remaining milk and egg yolks. Beat 1 minute and scrape bowl. Gently fold egg white mixture in. Bake in greased and lightly floured 9-inch cake pans in moderate oven (350F) for about 20 minutes or till done. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool completely. Fill with cream filling and frost with chocolate glaze. 

Cream Filling Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla 

Cream Filling Instructions:
In saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually add milk and mix well. Cook over medium heat til mixture thickens and boils, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 2 more minutes. Very gradually add the hot mixture into the egg and then return to saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture just boils again. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with waxed paper and cool. 

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:
1 1/2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. boiling water
2-3 tsp. water 

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until crumbly. Blend in 3 Tbsp. boiling water. Add additional water 1 tsp. at a time to form medium glaze of pouring consistency. Pour quickly over top of cake and spread evenly over top and sides. Now, collapse. 

Flag on the Moon Oven Pancake

Ingredients:

1 c. flour
2 c. milk 
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 t. salt pinch nutmeg 
1 c. fruit (a nice crisp baking apple is perfect, although various combinations of fruits and nuts work well too) 

Instructions:
Place 1/2 stick of butter in a large oven-proof frying pan (cast iron or calphalon work great), then place in 450-degree oven. Combine ingredients in large bowl, beat lightly until smooth. Add mixture all at once to really hot pre-heated frying pan, return to oven. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown and deeply textured. I suppose this recipe is similar to Yorkshire Pudding, since it looks like a moon surface or just about any Coleman Francis movie setting when you take it out of the oven. This is the best breakfast on the face of the planet if you add real maple syrup, a huge glass of milk, and some nice barely-crispy bacon.

Crab Cakes 

Ingredients:
3 cans of crabmeat or 1 lb. of fresh crab if you can get it, you lucky dog you
1/2 of each a red and yellow bell-type pepper, finely chopped 
1 jalapeno, finely chopped 
4-5 green onions, finely chopped 
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, finely chopped 
1/2 c. bread crumbs 
1/3 c. mayonnaise (heh, go figure) 
1 egg Peanut oil (other kinds work too, I just like peanut oil) for frying, really hot, with enough oil to come up about halfway on cakes. 

Instructions:
Combine ingredients and mix well. Roll up your sleeves and form the mixture into patties of desired size. Add to heated oil. Turn when crispy  and brown on the bottom. When both sides are browned and crispy-looking, remove from oil and drain on paper towels. These are the best crabcakes I've ever had. I blame the jalapeno and cilantro. I interpreted the recipe from Martha Stewart (sue me :) so it's not surprising there's lots of time-consuming chopping involved, but sometimes I enjoy that. More importantly - their amazing yumminess makes them worth it

The "I Know I'll be Mocked for This" Casserole

Ingredients:
1 or so lb ground beef 
1 small onion, diced 
1 can cream of mushroom soup 
1/2 c. milk 
bag of frozen tater tots 

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef with onion. If you can do this in an oven-proof frying pan, that makes it really easy. At this point I usually add a lot of salt. Add can of soup and milk, stir well. I've never measured how many tater tots I use since I basically wing it on the amounts, but add some tater tots and stir them around until there are enough. Place the entire thing in the oven for half an hour, 45 minues or so, go hang out on #ratmm for a while, then remove from the oven, serve yourself, mention what you're eating on the channel, and be shamelessly ridiculed by everyone there. 

Additional Mellie instructions: crunch up some potato chips on top before you bake it. Mmmm, crispy! 

Julia's Chili

Ingredients:
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef (or any other meat you like)
chili seasoning packet
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans

Instructions:
Combine beef and veggies in hot oiled pan, sauté until brown. Add contents of seasoning packet, stir in. Add tomatoes, stir, sauce, stir, beans, stir. Cook for a really long time, stirring occasionally.

Bryan Lambert's Dinner Orgy for Two

Ingredients:
Two steaks of your choice (I prefer top round) 
Three medium Yukon Gold potatoes 
Ten white mushroom caps (small/medium) 
Half a stick of butter 
Olive oil 
Balsamic vinegar 
1-2 cloves minced garlic 
Salt 
Pepper 

Instructions:
The following can be done as simultaneously as you can handle. Halve and slice the potatoes (about 1/8" thick). Boil in lightly salted water until tender, then drain. Take half of the butter and melt it in a small saucepan. Over low to medium heat, warm the garlic in the butter. If using unsalted butter, add salt and pepper, otherwise, add just pepper. Bring the heat up to medium or a smidge higher (you don't want to burn either the butter or the garlic), and add the mushroom caps. Cook for about ten minutes, until they change color at least most of the way up the cap. Remove and set aside. Pour about 1/4" worth of balsamic vinegar in the saucepan to deglaze it. Scrape up all the nice brown garlic bits and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour into small bowl. Prepare the steak as you prefer. I like grilling it in a cast iron grill pan with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Take half of the vinegar sauce and drizzle over two plates. Place the steak in the center of the plates, surrounded by five mushroom caps each. Take the remaining butter, the remaining vinegar sauce, and a splash of olive oil and stir into the potatoes. Lightly salt and pepper the potatoes. Place the potatoes around the steak, between the mushrooms. Serve with the salad of your choice.

EJ's "Snickerdoodle Butt" Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:
1 c. softened shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 c. flour
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions:
Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs in one bowl. Sift together flour, Cream of Tartar, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Stir this into shortening/sugar/egg bowl. Chill dough. Roll into walnut size balls. Then, roll around in a mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown, but still soft at 350. Then flatten the cookies until they have crinkled tops.

Chicken Fried Steak

Instructions:
Mix together 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. Dip cube steak into egg and milk, then dip into a medium bowl of flour. Fry steak in skillet filled with oil 1/2 to 1 inch deep until golden brown. Watch EJ come running. Serve with white gravy and mashed potatoes.

Cracker Fish Batter

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 beer - preferably Pabst Blue Ribbon

Instructions:
Coat fish (bass or catfish) and fry in skillet filled with Crisco until crispy and golden brown. Don't drink all the beer. Invite Mitchell over.

Evil Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
3 tbsp. cocoa
3/4 c. hot water
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 small can of PET Evaporated Milk
1 c. peacn halves
1 deep dish pie crust

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. In medium saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and stir until dissolved. Add hot water and stir again. With wire whip, blend in sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and evaporated milk. Stir until batter is smooth. Mix in pecans and pour into pie shell. Bake on preheated cookie sheets for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Very, very rich and guaranteed to make you unbuckle your pants in front of the TV at Christmas.

Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb of chicken breast.
1 thing of spaghetti
1 can of Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
1 cup of grateed chedder cheese.
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 diced onion
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup

Instructions:
Preheat over to 325. Boil chicken then cube. Boil spaghetti. Add chicken, Rotel, both cans of soup, and onions into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. In casserole dish, layer spaghetti, chicken mixture, and cheese. Top with left over cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.