Recipes

Ember01

I know we have one of these threads every couple of days, but I'm too lazy to go back and find one

I'm visitng FI this week and looking for yummy meals to make. What is the fanciest thing you make? I want to cook lots of gourmet dinners this week! (Although today we are having beef stew with the leftover pot roast from this weekend, 100% not gourmet, but 100% comfort food).

LizzyTish88

My favorite is a chicken dinner, with pilaf, corn, and cranberry sauce.

Chicken:
Bread the chicken with bread-crumbs, mixed with a little bit of parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Pilaf:
Brown vermicelli  in a deep pan.
Pour in white rice/minute rice
Add chicken Broth (two cups for every one cup of rice, then just a little more to make sure the rice is covered.)
Add all spice, salt and pepper
Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes

The corn and cranberry sauce usually just come from a can, lol.

SKP82

At first I wanted to recommend Julia Child's Coq au Vin recipe, but you are having pot roast tonight (not that they're the same thing, but similar)

I made this lasagna recipe recently.  It was awesome!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lasagne-Bolognese-with-Spinach-351166

And this scallop recipe is to die for!  BF raved about it.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Scallops-with-Fennel-Compote-in-Curry-Sauce-1017

I served it with Israeli couscous and steamed green beans.

Also delish.  I serve with brown rice:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/slow-cooker-moroccan-turkey-stew-recipe2/index.html

Have fun cooking for your FI!

DanieKA

I haven't tried this yet, but I've been dying to test out this honey orange chicken with Sesame sauce recipe from Redbook. It's gotten great reviews.

http://www.redbookmag.com/recipefinder/honey-orange-chicken-sesame-sauce-rbk

And I'm a big fan of Gina's Skinny Taste website. Not sure if you're into crock potting it, but the Sante Fe chicken is TO DIE FOR! So good. usually it's put over rice, but it would be great as a taco filling as well. 

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html

Also, this beer braised beef recipe is a bit of a man favorite over polenta or mashed potatoes

http://www.myrecipes.com/healthy-diet/calorie-counts/low-calorie-slow-cooker-recipes-00420000001431/page2.html

ETA: I'm not a strict recipe follower, I always tweak along the way, so my impression of these recipes are based on off the cuff preparations . And I always read the reviews to see what worked and what didn't for others who tried to cook the dish. It just helps me. For example, the Sante Fe chicken comes with a lot of liquid or broth. You can try to combat that ahead of time by draining the liquid from the cans of beans and tomatoes, etc. before adding them to the crock pot or you can just use a slotted spoon at the end. Especially if you are gonna put it in tacos, as you don't want a soggy shell. But the liquid might be amazing over a carb, like rice. 

csousa1

For my sister's birthday I made her butternut squash ravioli and swordfish steaks with a butternut cream sauce and everyone RAVED about it. It involves making all the butternut squash raviolis individually which is time consuming. But if you have the time it is delicious!!

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Packet of wonton wrappers (find it in the produce section!)
Packet of frozen butternut squash (I used an organic one) thawed
5-6 wedges Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Swiss
2/3 of a package of goat cheese
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of ground clove
Fresh grated parmesan, to taste (I put about 1/2 a cup)
Salt to taste

After thawing the butternut squash (feel free to microwave it - if it gets warm it will just make it that much easier to mix in the cheeses), mix all cheese and spices in a large bowl. I used a handheld blender, but an electric mixer or food processor will work too. Spoon the mixture in small amounts into the center of the wonton wrappers. Dip your finger in a small cup with water and spread on one inside flap of the wrapper, then press to the other side to fold and close the ravioli. You should either pinch the edges or press them with fork tines to close them tightly, and you can make them into whatever shapes you want. BF, sis and I all worked on them together and each had our own shape that we preferred

ETA: Wow, it has been a long day. You should probably know how to cook these damn things once you have taken the time to make them - doh! I stuck them in the freezer for the time it took to make the sauce and start the swordfish, and then plopped them in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes. Freezing them helps them stick together better than if you just tossed them in water as is. They can also be frozen overnight if you start the prep beforehand

Butternut Cream Sauce

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

Packet of frozen butternut squash, thawed

1 cup cream or half and half

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 cup shredded parmesan

1 large shallot

2 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1 tsp white pepper

salt to taste

　

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. While butter is melting, grate the shallot and the garlic into the pan. As soon as butter is melted, whisk in flour until smooth. Very slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Turn up the heat to medium high. Slowly whisk in chicken stock and butternut squash. Begin adding the cheeses, a small handful at a time, whisking consistently. Add spices and continue to whisk over medium high heat while sauce thickens to your desired consistency.

　

Swordfish Steaks

Two medium sized steaks should be plenty. In a large skillet, melt a tablespoon or two of butter and add some lemon juice. Throw in swordfish steaks, about 5-7 minutes per side. When fish is white, flaky and tender it is done! Plate the fish with a few ravioli and drizzle everything with the sauce. Enjoy with a nice white wine!

NurseyK

Grilled top sirloin that was marinated in red wine and had steak seasoning sprinkled on top... served with steamed asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. Nom.

kellylove22

I'm making this tonight: http://www.theppk.com/2007/11/quinoa-puttanesca/

While quinoa isn't for everyone, this pasta sauce is AMAZING! It's also one of the easiest "from scratch" sauces I make. I don't know if it's fancy enough, but I really really love it with some pasta and nice bread.

lunarsongbird

The fanciest? Hm- I make duck! But not everyone is into that...

So this is really yummy-
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/grilled-salmon-with-herbed-butter-sauce-recipe/index.html

[Deleted User]

we made this last night...  it's not exactly gourmet, but we LOVE it.

Vegetarian Pomodoro (feel free to put in sliced chicken or cooked shrimp...  I just try to make a couple non-meat meals per week)

Ingredients:
1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
~2 TBS fresh herbs, chopped (basil, parsley, oregano)
4 sliced mushrooms
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 medium chopped tomato
crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
16 oz angel hair noodles

Put noodles on to boil while you cook the sauce.

Saute olive oil, garlic, onion, mushrooms until onions are browned.

Add tomatoes (both kinds), broth, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, beans.  Simmer about 8-10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients (plus a little extra olive oil or either of the vinegars to taste).

Combine pasta and sauce, top with fresh parmesan and herbs.


this is one of those meals that I had it fixed in 25 minutes or so, including chopping the onion, mushrooms, and tomato.  it's VERY good.  we serve it with a salad and artisan bread.  I'd like to try adding fresh spinach next time. 

oceana919

This is an all-time favorite of mine:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_filet_mignon_with_herb_butter_texas_toasts.html