Expanding my recipe book

[Jesster]

Jester, what sort of food do you and your family like to eat when you go out to a restaurant? People here may have experience in reproducing meals at restaurants, or sometimes they might even have superior recipes.

Well I don't really have family anymore, but my boyfriend and I love going out for all sorts of things if we have the money for it. I like Italian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Hawaiian, Irish, German, or (mostly) whatever else I can get my hands on. We just can't go out to eat much, so I'm trying to expand what I can do at home more. So far I'm enjoying the ideas here, too. I like picking people's brains for what their favorite dishes are. It gives me something to play with.

 

[crossfire]

What the heck is "leftover salmon"?

If you catch one of these, you will probably have some leftovers:

 

[crossfire]

If you catch one of these, you will probably have some leftovers:

Leftover salmon is also excellent on crackers with tzatziki sauce. (I cheat and use sour cream instead of strained yogurt when I make mine.)

 

[crossfire]

West Coast Chicken Salad

Pound boneless chicken breasts with a mallot until they are of even thickness, season with salt and peper. (It's less messy if you put the chicken inside a zip lock bag with the salt and pepper and pound away.) Grill the chicken for about 7-9 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°. Set aside to let cool, then shread.

Chop and put into a large serving bowl:
Red Onion
Celery
1 cored tart green apple (dip into lemon water briefly after chopping to keep from turning brown)
1 cored red pear (Dip into lemon water briefly after chopping to keep from turning brown.)
Walnuts

Add:
Whole red grapes
Whole sweetened dried cranberries
sliced almonds
optional golden raisins
optional unsweetened coconut
optional mandarian orange sections


Toss with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add shredded chicken and more salt and pepper.

Add dressing--you can go for something sweet, like a vanilla yogurt based dressing, to a mayonaise/sour cream based dressing, to a vinegrette. Even good old buttermilk ranch will work. I like a mayonaise/sour cream mixture with some dill seed and pepper.

Mix together and chill.

 

[crossfire]

Korean flavored spinach and eggs for breakfast:

Saute fresh spinach and flavor with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, a splash of vinegar, a few drops of dark sesame oil, and a generous amount of black pepper. Make nests of spinach and crack some eggs into the nests, and cook until whites are cooked and yolks are runny. Serve with either buttered toast and salsa, or with hot rice with a bit a sesame oil in it and kimchee. <3

 

[4consideration]

This is a simple, all in one dish that can be combined ahead of time, and put in the oven when ready to cook. I love it.

I'm not going to list quantities, because I combine it in a large, rectangular Pyrex roasting dish -- and just eyeball it for symmetry of placement. It can be done for two in a smaller pan.

You may wish to reduce cooking time a little if using a metal pan and/or boneless chicken. I prefer the taste when I use chicken still on the bone, but will use boneless sometimes. It's easier to eat with boneless chicken.

Cut up chicken pieces
Red new potatoes (or cut regular red potatoes)
Plum tomatoes, halved (or large chunks of other tomato variety)
Large chunks of bell pepper. (I usually use green. Any kind works.)
A LOT of chopped garlic.
Generous amount of olive oil.
A lot of Rosemary. (Fresh or dried, both work.)
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of lemon.

I season the underside of the chicken before placing in the dish. Add chicken first. Fill in largest gaps with potatoes. Add bell pepper. Add tomato chunks. Pour a generous amount of olive oil over everything.

Over the entire dish -- add lots of chopped garlic, lots of Rosemary, salt, pepper (to taste) and squeeze a chunk of lemon on top.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake covered for first 30 min's. Remove cover for second 30 minutes -- basting a few times, after enough juice accumulates to baste with. Usually an hour of cooking time is about perfect.

(Sometimes I add 10 minutes, or so, if I've really packed the dished densely.)

We like bread with it, for dipping.

 

[crossfire]

Three of my favorite salads:
Fresh cherry salad with gorganzola, hazelnuts, and balsamic vinegar.
Strawberry spinach salad with pepper and balsamic vinegar
Watermelon-bacon salad with feta cheese and spinach

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I want to try new meal recipes out, but I don't know enough people in my personal life who enjoy cooking anything more than the basics. I have a few recipes I love, but I feel like I'm repeating them too often. Does anyone have any suggestions from their own favorite dishes they like to prepare? I'm looking mostly for main courses and possibly some good sides, and cuisine does not matter. I like being on the healthier side, but I'm not too extreme on that focus. "Standard" healthiness is fine, as well as super duper all-out vegan as long as it's tasty and fun. Simple recipes are also preferred because of the cost, but I don't mind putting more effort into something crazier. I do a lot of oven baking, stove-top cooking, and slow cooker sitting and waiting already.

My friends, boyfriend, and I will all thank you for sharing.

A shot glass and two fingers...neat.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

This stuff is excellent, and I don't even like desserts that much. It's really rich and chocolaty, without being as sweet as most such things are.
Tom

The recipe my mom uses includes real cocoa and none of the fake so-called "chocolate," and the taste is just fantastic. No boxed cake compare, and not even many bakeries (around here, anyways) can come close to making a cake as awesome as a mayonnaise cake, with them all very far behind in the moistness of the cake, the texture, and especially the taste.

 

[ChristineM]

What always goes down well in our house is oven baked veg.

courgettes (zucchini), potatoes, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, capsicum

Not necessary to use all, or add whatever else is in season

I know the last few are not veg but heyhum...

Dice about 1/2 inch square, part boil the harder vegies

Toss in a couple of table spoons of Olive oil (or equivalent)

Sprinkle with herbs de provence

Spread on a baking tray and pop in a oven at 200c/400f until tender

Add whatever meat/fish/meat free meat substitute you fancy.

Easy and tasty

 

[Buddha Dharma]

If you want a vegetarian meal. Here's one basic recipe I use quite a bit:

Black bean patties

Drain two cans of black beans or cook fresh if preferred. Mash up the beans with a potato masher. Add 3 eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Add simmered onions and garlic, finely minced. Add chili powder and about 1-2 tablespoons of hot sauce. (Soy sauce to taste is optional. I usually add a few splashes...)

Then add bread crumbs until the bean mix is able to be crafted into a patty as you desire. You're going to set the oven to 375. About 12 minutes on each side. Enjoy

 

[Jesster]

Oh my. All of you are fantastic! This is one of my favorite things about the internet, especially on sites like this. I get to find advice and ideas from people all over the world from different cultures. What better way to do that than with food? My recipe book is going to need more pages soon.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Another easy and popular choice when I make it is cheesy bean dip

You'll need a can of refried beans. I prefer black beans, but pinto will do. You'll also want to use some nice cheddar cheese for ideal taste. No pre-packaged slices. 1-2 can of Rotel tomatoes. Depending on your preference for tomatoes.

First melt the cheese with a little milk or water- low simmer as you add the rotel tomatoes. Once blended as you like, stir the beans in. I recommend just a small amount of water unless you want the dip really thick.

That's really it once you simmer it a few minutes more. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

[ChristineM]

How about a goats cheese on bruschetta and warm fig salad

Moroccan lamb stew

Baked fish on olives and capers

 

[ChristineM]

Today im making broccoli and stilton soup followed by smoked salmon and tagliatelle with a cream sauce.

If you can't get stilton any strong blue veined cheese will do.

In place of smoked salmon, a lower cost alternative is smoked trout.

 

[Estro Felino]

My Roman friends me taught me some new vegetarian recipes...like (click on CC 4 subtitles)