Mega Cookbook
This is a cookbook created by me and a group of friends when we moved out, and were too lazy to cook proper meals. Every meal is for ~30 people, so that we only had to cook about once a month. It assumes you have a 15 L pot and a food processor. The text was originally written in danish, but has been translated using chatgpt.
Table of Contents
- Spinach with Cream Sauce
- Baked Pasta with Tomato Sauce
- Chili Sin Carne
- Vegetarian Stew with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
- Tomato Sauce with Vegetables
- Chicken Soup
- Hummus
- Units
Spinach with Cream Sauce
First Iteration
- 0.5 L cream
- 0.5 L oil
- 5 kg frozen spinach
- 2 kg bell peppers
- 2 whole garlic bulbs or 8-10 garlic cloves
- 30 g grated nutmeg
- 60 g salt
- 1 kg onions (about 5 large onions)
- 2 cans pea mix
- 2 cans kidney beans
- 3 packs chickpeas
Mix in other ingredients to taste. Suggestions: soybeans (for extra protein), bean sprouts, various types of bean/vegetable mixes.
Suggestion: add soybeans and include them in the recipe if you’re feeling luxurious.
Chop the onions and garlic, then sauté in oil for 15 minutes. Add the spinach to the pot and let it thaw. It may be helpful to use a plastic spoon to ‘mash’ the spinach once it has thawed. Drain excess water if necessary. Chop the bell peppers and add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Let it cook for 30 minutes.
Second Iteration
Day 1: Soak 450g soybeans in plenty of water (preferably in the largest plastic bowl). Afterward, place them in the fridge for about an hour. Then sort out any loose shells and discolored beans. Return the bowl to the fridge until the next day.
Day 2: Boil the softened soybeans in 3.5 liters of water in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil (at heat level 9) with the lid on (watch closely!), then add the beans and let it boil again without the lid. Once boiling, reduce the heat to 3 and put the lid back on.
Heat oil in a pot at heat level 7. Chop the onions and garlic, add them to the pot with salt and nutmeg, and sauté for 15 minutes. Add the spinach and thaw it over heat level 3. It takes about 2-2.5 hours for the spinach to thaw. You can mash the spinach down as it thaws. Drain excess water if necessary. Roughly chop the bell peppers and add the remaining ingredients, letting it cook for 30 minutes.
Notes:
- Use dried chickpeas next time. It’s ideal as they can be soaked overnight alongside the soybeans. Assume 125g dried chickpeas per pack of canned chickpeas. Resource for cooking dried chickpeas: link.
- Compare the price difference between frozen peas and canned peas/carrots.
- Chopped mushrooms are cheaper than whole mushrooms (as of 2020-04-28).
- This recipe makes 13.5 liters of food, with room for an additional 0.5 liters.
Baked Pasta with Tomato Sauce
- 0.5 L oil
- 1 kg red onions
- 2-3 whole garlic bulbs
- 6 eggplants
- 12 bell peppers
- 12 cans of tomatoes
- 12 cans of tomato paste
- 1.5 kg red lentils
- 3 kg pasta
- 12 packs of grated mozzarella
- 9 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 30 g basil
Chop the onions and garlic, then fry in 250 ml of oil on high heat for 10 minutes. Add chopped eggplant and fry on high heat for another 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to oven dishes.
Chop the bell peppers and sauté them in 250 ml of oil, basil, and vegetable bouillon on high heat for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the oven dishes.
Rinse the lentils, cook them for 10 minutes, and add them to the oven dishes.
Boil the pasta and add it to the oven dishes along with the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and red lentils. Mix everything and top with grated mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C.
Chili Sin Carne
Spices:
- 18.5 g cumin
- 15.5 g ground cinnamon
- 18.5 g coriander
- 12.5 g paprika
- 7.5 g chili flakes
- 10.0 g pepper
- 40 g salt
- 4 x 10 g vegetable bouillon cubes
Other Ingredients:
- 500 ml oil
- 12 red onions (1 kg), finely chopped
- 12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6 zucchini, finely chopped
- 6 eggplants, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 6 cans of diced tomatoes
- 12 cartons of kidney beans
Prepare all the vegetables and spices in advance. Heat cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, and chili in a 15-liter pot. Stir for a few minutes until fragrant.
Lower the heat and add the oil, chopped onions, and all the spices, including salt and pepper. Stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Add zucchini, eggplant, celery, diced tomatoes, and vegetable bouillon. Cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Keep the heat at level 5.
Add the beans and let the dish heat through for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chocolate.
Notes:
- Re-measure the spices with a more accurate scale.
Vegetarian Stew with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Spices:
- 16 g curry powder
- 13 g cumin
- 15 g garam masala
- 6 g ground coriander
- 8 g black pepper
- 30 g salt
Or:
- 22.5 g curry powder
- 22.5 g cumin
- 16.5 g garam masala
- 10.0 g ground coriander
- 15.0 g black pepper
- 30.0 g salt
Other Ingredients:
- 6 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 0.3 liters of oil
- 2 whole garlic bulbs, finely chopped
- 12 onions, roughly chopped
- 6 zucchinis, roughly chopped
- 1.5 kg or 18 potatoes with skin, roughly chopped
- 3 cauliflowers, divided into florets
- 1 kg red lentils
- 6 cans of chickpeas or 750 g dried chickpeas*
- 6 cans of diced tomatoes
- 6 cans of coconut milk
Measure out the spices and wash and chop all the vegetables.
Sauté onions, garlic, and spices in oil in a pot on heat level 7 for 15 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, coconut milk, vegetable bouillon, lentils, and potatoes, and let it simmer on heat level 5 for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add zucchini, cauliflower, and chickpeas, and let the dish simmer on heat level 5 for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Dried chickpeas should be soaked in plenty of water for 12-24 hours.
Notes:
- The original recipe also calls for 6 tsp of ground cardamom, but it was unavailable, possibly because Lidl didn’t stock it.
Tomato Sauce with Vegetables
- 16 cans of peeled tomatoes
- 8 eggplants
- 1 kg red lentils
- 1 kg mushrooms
- 1 kg carrots
- 1 kg onions
- 2 whole garlic bulbs
- 1 jar of oregano
- 1 jar of thyme
- 75 g salt
- 50 g pepper
- 0.5 L oil
Chop onions and garlic, and fry in a pot on high heat with 250 ml oil for 10 minutes. Chop carrots and mushrooms, and fry them with the onions and garlic for another 10 minutes with 250 ml oil. Add the peeled tomatoes, lentils, and spices to the pot, and cook for 30 minutes. Chop the eggplant and add it to the pot, cooking for another 15 minutes.
Chicken Soup
- 2 whole chickens
- 0.5 L oil
- 8 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 kg meat and dumplings
- 3 kg soup vegetables
Fill a pot with 8 liters of water and add the whole chickens. Let it cook for at least 2 hours. Remove the chicken, shred the meat, and add the shredded chicken and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Let it cook for 2 more minutes.
Hummus
Spices:
- 12 g ground cumin
- 1.5 g ground chili flakes
- 7 g flake salt
- 5 g freshly ground black pepper
Other Ingredients:
- 85 g tahini
- 200 ml lemon juice
- 6 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 12 garlic cloves
- 275 ml olive oil or sunflower oil
Start by blending the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in a blender or food processor for one minute.
Then add all the other ingredients and blend for another minute. Add a little extra cold water if a creamier texture is desired. The hummus should not be too dry.
Adjust the seasoning with lemon, salt, and more oil or water until the desired consistency is achieved.
Notes:
- The hummus is too watery. It’s better to use dried chickpeas. Assume 125g dried chickpeas per can of chickpeas. Resource for cooking dried chickpeas: link.
- More salt (20g?) and more pepper (12g?).
- Try with 250 ml oil for convenience.
- Makes over 2 kg of hummus.
Units
- 1 can of peeled/diced tomatoes = 400 g
- 1 can of tomato paste = 70 g
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube = 10 g
- 1 bell pepper = 500/3 g
- 1 carton of kidney beans = 230 g drained
- 1 can of chickpeas = 240 g drained
- 1 can of pea/carrot mix = 275 g drained
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