I love to cook, and I love to find new recipes for tasty things. So why not have a thread on Kafuka for all recipes, both original and ones you've discovered elsewhere. Share your favorite recipes here!

Let's start with one I prepared earlier today. This is actually based off an Ina Garten recipe, but I altered it a bit to make it my own. I hope you enjoy:

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ROBBIE'S FAVORITE MEATBALLS

1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 ground veal
1 3/4 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino & Romano cheese (plus extra for serving)
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons oregano
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dry red wine (I prefer Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 jars marinara sauce (I like Rao's best, but any will do)
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

2) Place beef, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with your fingertips and a fork.

3) Add the eggs, garlic, oregano, pecorino & romano cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.

4) Add the wine and 3/4 cup water and mix gently but thoroughly.

5) Scoop out the mixture into balls (about 2 oz each) and place them on the pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.

6) Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer.

7) Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with the rest of the grated pecorino romano cheese to taste or your favorite pasta.

Makes approximately 26-30 meatballs.

Here's another staple dish I like to make on the weekends. It's a bit simple, but tasty and customizable to your own specific taste. For instance, you can also add a dash of chili powder and paprika for a spicier kick.

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LEMON HERB CHICKEN

Chicken thighs and legs, skin on (enough to fill out your dish of choice)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 lemons
3-4 cloves minced garlic
Oregano
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Trim chicken if desired.

2) In a large glass baking dish, arrange the chicken. Cover the chicken in the olive oil and leave a little excess at the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic.

3) Cut the lemons into quarters, then squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. The juice will drip to the bottom of the dish, making a sort of marinade.

4) Thoroughly and gently coat the chicken in the resulting marinade, and replace them in the dish, skin side up. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper, and oregano.

5) Place in the oven, and let cook for 1 hour or until chicken is fully cooked and skin is brown and crisp on top. Serve with rice or your favorite vegetable.

Since it will be Independence Day here in the states in a few days, that means fireworks and grilling burgers. However, if you don't own a grill, here's a great recipe for oven baked mini burgers. As much as I love a good grilled burger, these things hit the spot nicely. Great for parties, too!

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OVEN BAKED CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS

2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean or above)
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 slider buns (Kings Hawaiian work great)
6 slices cheddar or American cheese
Dill pickle chips (optional)
Ketchup (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, and salt.

2) Gently press mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan so that it makes one large patty of even thickness. Use the tines of a fork to poke holes throughout the meat. Bake for 30 minutes. As it bakes, the meat will shrink away from the sides and liquid will accumulate around the edges of pan.

3) When fully cooked, remove the pan from oven (keep oven turned on) and carefully drain off the liquid.

4) Top the meat with an even layer of sliced cheese; return pan to oven for about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes.

5) Cut into 2-inch squares (or the size of the buns used), making 12 mini- hamburgers. Serve with dill pickle slices and ketchup to taste.

Posted by Needle

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This is the reason I hate my lazyness. You mind sending some over the ocean?

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Something tells me you're not going to want a bunch of tepid, days old mini burgers made by some random American on the internet...

...OR DO YOU?

In the mood for tacos but want something a little different? Give these a try. This one is far better than it may sound, and is arguably even better as leftovers the next day. Besides, I don't get the chance to cook with chorizo very often, anyway.

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CHORIZO AND SWEET POTATO ENCHILADAS

1 lb ground chorizo (or 1 pkg chorizo sausage, removed from casing)
1 sweet potato (about 1 lb)
1 poblano pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
8 flour tortillas (7-inch)
15 oz enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
3 sliced green onions
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Sour cream (optional)

1) Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small 1/4 inch cubes. Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano pepper and also dice into 1/4 inch pieces.

2) In a large skillet, sauté the sweet potato, poblano, and garlic in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until they begin to soften (about 5-7 minutes).

3) Add the ground chorizo. If you're using chorizo sausages, squeeze the chorizo out of it’s casing into the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat, breaking up the chorizo into pieces as you stir, until the chorizo is cooked through (5-7 minutes more).

4) Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the chorizo sweet potato filling into each tortilla, then roll into a burrito shape.

5) Place the filled and rolled tortillas in the baking dish, seam side down. They should fill the dish and fit tightly against each other to prevent unrolling.

6) Pour the enchilada sauce over the the rolled tortillas and top with shredded cheese. Bake in the oven until the edges begin to bubble (about 20-25 minutes). Top with sliced green onions after baking. Serve hot with sour cream to taste.

How about some veggies this time?

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SESAME SNOW PEAS

1 lb snow peas (trimmed)
3 tbsp sesame oil
10 thin scallions, (white part and 2 inches of green part, chopped)
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Salt & pepper to taste

1) Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok.

2) Add the snow peas and scallions and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes, tossing frequently.

3) Add the remaining ingredients and cook another 3 minutes.

Posted by Next Jen

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Might share here. Might not.

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I hope you do, because my last D&D group did the same thing!

One of our characters, a dragonborn cleric, was well known for munching on beets all the time. So we found this recipe...

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VARKON'S BEET SALAD

2 bunches medium beets, (about 1 1/2 pounds) tops trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup walnuts
1 bunch arugula
4 oz crumbled goat cheese

1) Put the beets in a saucepan with water to cover and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them--the skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure from your fingers. If they don't, use a paring knife to scrape off any bits that stick. Cut each beet into bite-sized wedges.

2) Whisk the vinegar with salt and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow steady stream to make a dressing. Toss the cut beets in the dressing; set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.

3)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and oven-toast, stirring once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cool.

4) Toss the arugula with the beets and divide among 4 plates. Scatter the walnuts and goat cheese on top. Serve. Add even more fresh beets to taste (if you’re a dragonborn).

Posted by Swingball

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Just a question. Can you grill rice?

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I'm not sure why you would ask that. Rice typically needs to be boiled first.

In any case, here's another recipe from my D&D group's cookbook. I do enjoy this one very much:

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MOXLEY'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cups mixed vegetables (diced carrots, corn, peas)
1 ½ lbs ground lamb (or beef)
½ cup beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in medium sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).

2) While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes. If you are including vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions, because they take as long to cook as the onions do. If you are including peas or corn, add them toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking time.

3) Add ground meat to the pan with the onions and vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add the worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out.

4) When the potatoes are done cooking (a fork can easily pierce), remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 4 Tbsp of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

5) Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the meat, onions, and vegetables (if using) in an even layer in a large baking dish (8x13 casserole). Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned. You can even use a fork to make creative designs in the mashed potatoes.

6) Place in a 400°F oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown.

I've been in the mood to grill burgers lately, so here's my personal recipe for my perfect ideal cheeseburger. You may have different tastes to me, but this is my burger, so whatever. Adjust it to your taste, use whatever parts are helpful to you, and enjoy.

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ROBBIE'S FAVORITE CHEESEBURGERS

2 lbs ground beef (85% to 90% lean)
4 fresh Portuguese Rolls, sliced
1 ripe avacado, sliced
2 tsp finely minced onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Blue cheese crumbles
Crispy bacon slices (about 8-12 slices)
Iceberg lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced
Dill pickle slices (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Mayonnaise (to taste)
Horseradish sauce (to taste)

1) Preheat your gas grill to it's highest setting. Mix up the ground beef, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 4 burger patties.

2) When your grill is white hot, place your burgers into the hottest part of the grill, lid up. This allows the heat to directly into the meat. Toast Portuguese rolls as desired, and apply salt and pepper to taste.

3) Pay attention to your burgers. When the meat appears to browned on the bottom and sides but brown color is creeping up the sides to the very top, flip the burgers with a wide spatula. Do not press down on the burgers, and only flip once! This keeps your burgers juicy while keeping them cooked through. If you're concerned that your burgers are not cooked through, feel free to close the lid to your grill to circulate the heat.

4) Let cook about 2-3 minutes, then add cheese, and close the grill lid until cheese is melted.

5) When done, place burgers on the toasted buns. Add bacon, avacado, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, mayonnaise, horseradish, and other condiments to taste.

6) Enjoy. Makes 4 burgers.

It's been a while since I posted a new recipe, and this one was pretty darn good! It's easy to make too. Give it a shot if you're in the mood for something different.

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SPICY-SWEET SALMON WITH PINEAPPLE

4 skinless salmon filets (about 4oz each)
Pineapple rings
1/4 maple syrup
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Canola oil
Salt & pepper

1) Saute the pineapple rings in canola oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

2) Sprinkle the salmon filets with the salt and pepper, then brush the filets with the mix of maple syrup & cayenne pepper.

3) Cook the salmon filets in the pan on high heat until light brown and flakes easily with a fork (about 3 to 4 minutes per side).

4) Serve immediately with the pineapple. Can also be served with your favorite Asian salad.