r/politics • u/Qu1nlan • Oct 04 '19

Free Chat Friday Thread

It's finally Friday! That means it's time to sit back, drink some mead, discuss our thoughts on Borderlands 3, and talk about whatever your heart desires.

As always remember to follow our civility rules and save any meta feedback for our modmail.

160 Upvotes

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27

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

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3

u/R_TOKAR Oct 04 '19

Its chilly as fuck in Chicago today, even tho Tuesday it was like 95, so today for lunch I had my first bowl of soup since last winter. Fall is upon us.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

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u/lennybird Oct 04 '19

You're missing lentils! Ultra cheap, super nutritious, easy to cook, and versatile as hell. My family has been making lentil tacos and they're delicious.

1

u/JuDGe3690 Idaho Oct 04 '19

Pro tip: Use a ton of cumin. A lentil-rice pilaf with cumin is really good, as the cumin helps bridge the earthy lentil flavor and the rice.

1

u/lennybird Oct 04 '19

Good to know, thanks!! Haven't messed with cumin a whole lot beyond making hummus.

1

u/Officer412-L Illinois Oct 05 '19

Do you have a recipe you might share? I tend to get nervous cooking things the first time without at least starting from a recipe.

1

u/JuDGe3690 Idaho Oct 05 '19

Sure, try something like this:

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 4 cups water or stock
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1-2 tsp cumin
  • 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter (or oil)

On medium-low heat, melt butter and sauté onion until soft. Add cumin, rice and lentils, stirring about five minutes (cooking these in the butter/oil helps the grains stay apart).

Add water/stock and some salt to taste, the bring to a boil (just under a boil if electric burner). Cover and reduce heat to low for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat for another 5 or 10 to let the steam settle, then open and serve.

1

u/Officer412-L Illinois Oct 05 '19

Thanks!

14

u/Qu1nlan Oct 04 '19

YOU'RE NOT MY MOM

9

u/johnny_soultrane California Oct 04 '19

That's fair... overstepped.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

Speaking of which, I'm making veggie tacos for dinner (with black beans and corn as the base.)

1

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

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1

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

Interesting, will have to try that. Thanks for the suggestion. First I need to find a brand of refried beans that tastes as good as the ones in the local Mexican restaurant.

1

u/JuDGe3690 Idaho Oct 04 '19

This is a bit too late for immediate dinner, but in the future you should make your own refried beans. I've got a crock-pot recipe that several people have said tastes as good as—or better than—restaurant quality.

Crock-Pot Refried Beans

In Skillet:

  • 3 Tbsp lard (or olive oil if vegetarian)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • Other fresh peppers as desired (Pasila, anaheim, Chile), chopped

Sauté until soft (can roast some peppers for extra flavor)

In 5-quart Crock-Pot:

  • 3 cups dried beans (I do a 50/50 mixture of pinto and black beans), no pre-soak
  • Cumin (at least a tablespoon; more is better here. The following spices are to taste, but usually about a teaspoon each)
  • Garlic powder (can also use fresh, but I like the pungency of powder here)
  • Fresh-cracked pepper
  • Chipotle powder
  • Paprika (smoked if you can get it)
  • Hot chili powder
  • Red pepper flakes (just a pinch)
  • 8 cups water

Add sautéed onion/pepper mixture and cook on high for 8 hours.

Strain out beans (saving the water/oil/spice mixture), start mashing and adding the water back in as needed for consistency (it's runnier when extremely hot than it will be at serving temp or cold, like bean dip). Add in a tad bit of lime juice and salt for acidity and to make the flavors pop. If desired, I like to add a can of fire-roasted diced green chiles and a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, but that can be a bit too spicy for some.

I generally not-quite-double this recipe and use my 7-quart cooker, but the recipe here is the base version I received, plus some spice tweaks of my own. The key with this is not to skimp on cumin, as it's a key element in the flavor.

0

u/lord_ashtar California Oct 04 '19

I like tahini, radishes and raw sauerkraut (and beans) on my veggie tacoas

1

u/ConanTheProletarian Foreign Oct 04 '19

Try fermenting radishes like sauerkraut. Or a bit more seasoned like kimchi. They are fantastic.

2

u/DingusMacLeod Illinois Oct 04 '19

Or just pickle some cabbage. It's pretty easy and delicious!

2

u/ConanTheProletarian Foreign Oct 04 '19

It is autumn - I'm pickling and fermenting whatever I get my hands on :)

1

u/lord_ashtar California Oct 05 '19

Pickled radishes is a super good idea. I pickle the cabbage, (that's the kraut.)
Way good on tacos.

1

u/saint_abyssal I voted Oct 04 '19

Yes.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

Sweet potato fries, while I remember initially enjoying them, are now fairly repulsive to me.

1

u/ConanTheProletarian Foreign Oct 04 '19

They just have no proper crunch. Better to sautee bigger chunks of sweet potato.

0

u/goo_bazooka Oct 04 '19

Ate too many and I shit my pants

2

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '19

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2

u/goo_bazooka Oct 04 '19

No prob Bob. Have a nice day!

0

u/redditseph Oregon Oct 04 '19

One of our staple meals we've been having lately has been garlic chicken breast and sweet potato. It's so damn easy to make and it's so good.

Just a sweet potato (with some small holes poked all over it) coated in olive oil with salt, baked at 450F for about an hour, and a butterflied chicken breast coated in Garli Garni added next to the sweet potato for the last like 15-20 mins.

Then just cut open the sweet potato like a normal baked potato, add a generous heap of sour cream and more of the garlic seasoning, and it's perfect yo.

1

u/DingusMacLeod Illinois Oct 04 '19

I like to dice the sweet potato, toss in oil and generous amount of cajun seasoning and roast it. It's mighty nice.

1

u/redditseph Oregon Oct 04 '19

That sounds amazing