Your favourite recipe.

Shamus

Shamus

macrumors 6502a
Greetings all.
I am planning to cook a dinner for my girlfriend in a few days time, but I don't know how to cook!

I do have limited cooking skills, yet no actual recipe repertoire. I was wondering what everyone here likes to cook, and wether anyone could suggest any easy recipes for a three course dinner?

:):)
 
For the main course how about some duck. you'll need a duck (surprise there) rhubarb, ginger, fresh sage and garlic.

Slice the Rhubarb, ginger, sage and garlic and stuff inside the duck. bung the duck in the oven at around 180c (350f) for around 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. when cooked, remove the rhubarb etc from the duck and use to make the gravy. leave the duck to stand for 25-30 minutes, carve and eat.

there you go, simple but stunning. I'll let somebody else do the starter and pudding and of course what to server with the duck.
 
Being a lazy tyke I'll not post any of my own stuff I'll just link to a couple of places that I use.

Epicurious

and the even better, almost god like (showing my age now)

Delia.

If your skills are limited try the "How to Cheat" section on her site. Usually works a charm ;)
 
Assuming you are not veggie:

Roasted chicken breast with spinach and camembert/brie cheese.

Marinated chicken boob with salt, pepper, garlic, paprika for 30minute mininmum

place in baking dish

cover with fresh or frozen spinach leaves - bake 15-20 mins at 350.

last 5 minutes cover with thick slices of brie cheese.

absolutely stunning taste

Serve with truffled mashed potatoes and coarse salt and pepper asparagus.
if you have time make baby carrots in butter.

For dessert
Chai creme brulee
 
Greek Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
1 small red pepper, julienned
1 small green pepper, julienned
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

Dressing:
2/3 cup olive or vegatable oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tables grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspon dried oregano

Cook the pasta according to package directions, rinse in cold water and drain. Place in a large serving bowl; add the tomato, peppers, feta cheese and olives.
In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Toss before serving. Yield: 10-12 servings

I normally double the feta cheeze to 8oz, I also use dry basil like a table spoon or something like that. I am a little heavy on the Parmesan cheese.

After you cook the post run cold water over it to bring down it temp before you added it everything else. Normally what I do while i am trying to get the water to boil and cooking the post is cut up and prepare everything else for it and end up waiting on the pasta to finish. I also do tend not to use a green paper and replace it with either another red pepper or a yellow pepper.
 
Desert:

need 1 box brownie mix. The cheap Pillsbury one works best. It will require one or two eggs and some vegetable oil.

get one bag of white chocolate morsels. If it's a small bag, get two. I think it's 10 or 12 oz. per bag.

Bake the brownies per instructions. Remove from oven, let sit for one minute, then scoop out everything ecept the crust into a bowl. Let sit for a few minutes but not too long! Prepare a few plates covered in tin foil. Using your hands, mush the brownies into balls. You want to do this as soon as you can physically handle the brownies, you do NOT want them cold! Let the balls cool, though. This way, they stay together well. If you let them cool before making balls, they don't, and if you don't let them cool after balling them, they don't. As they cool, melt the chocolate morsels in a bowl in the microwave. You can ad just the tiniest bit of veggie oil to the liquid, but not much at all, a few large drops will do it. Now, pick up a ball, drop in liquid. Use spoon to roll the ball around until coated. Pick up with spoon, put on plate. Repeat. Chill. Eat. (the tin foil keeps them from sticking to the plate)

I have not had any body not compliment me on those. I have had several people tell me I should and could sell them in stores. :)
 
Asparagus and lamb stir-fry: This is my absolute favorite dish; it comes from the Oregonian. It's always a hit with the people I'm feeding. Stir-fry is by far the most fun dish to make in my opinion. As with all of my cooking, most of the seasonings, sauces, and other flavor ingredients are not measured exactly in the slightest.

This particular stir-fry is quite versatile, as it holds up well even if you are missing a thing or two or need to substitute an ingredient. I substituted beef for lamb once and it was GREAT. Given asparagus' short growing season, I have used this recipe with mushrooms in place of the asparagus, and I think that zucchini would go well also.

• 1 pound boneless lamb (from leg or loin)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (divided)
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch (divided)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon bottled Chinese chile-garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
• 4 green onions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Hot cooked rice or rice noodles

Cut lamb into long, 2-inch-wide strips along the grain of the meat, then cut crosswise (across the grain) into thin slices. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch; set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the broth, the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch, the chile-garlic sauce and sugar; set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into the hot wok, swirling to coat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring and tossing, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-high. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into the hot wok, swirling to coat. Add the green onions, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring and tossing, until bright green, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir the sauce to blend and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute; cover and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Return lamb to the pan and just heat through.
 
This is the easiest pasta alfredo I have ever seen and it is absoultely delicious.

1 package cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
3 oz parmasan cheese
pepper to taste

mix it all together and heat over med low heat until melted.

Serve it with pasta of your choice and add brocolli, chicken, whatever...
 
Currently the recipe i use everyday is

510g Lactose
90g Starch
150g 15%HPC with water by mass.

But then again that is not very appetising.

Sod starters
Get some really nice sausages from the butchers cook them in the oven with a chopped onion and mushroom at 200 for about 40 minutes. Use and fat to make some gravy, add some marmite to make the gravy especially nice (even if you don't like marmite it really makes the difference). Make some mash potato and have some leek as well.
Desert - chocolate ice cream
 
the best roast chicken in the world from the best chef in the world, thomas keller. i make this weekly and its almost no effort at all:

1 3-5lb chicken
-rinse thoroughly, remove the giblets
-set your oven to 450F
-dry the inside and outside of the chicken completely - the idea is totally dry, i usually let it sit uncovered on paper towels in my fridge for an hour before cooking.
-salt and pepper the inside
-truss the chicken
-heavily salt and pepper the outside
-let it cook for 1 hour to 1:15
-let it sit for 15 minutes on the cutting board
-carve and eat
 
make a potato gratin, french and really easy and looks impressive. boil some peeled potatoes about 20 minutes. slice. slice some zucchini and tomatoes and arrange them on a baking dish, that's lightly greased with olive oil. throw some seasonings on it (not just salt and pepper. add basil, a little oregano, nutmeg's great on potatoes, sweet red pepper, etc). cover with shredded cheese, preferably emmentaler. use a white cheese, but not cheddar. throw it in the oven and wait for it to brown.

make a salad for an appetizer and crepes for dessert. crepes are also easy. 4 eggs, 80g butter, 500ml milk, 250g flour, pinch of salt, vanilla sugar or vanilla extract. just mix and then make them in a nice flat teflon pan. Slice some apples and add brown sugar and cinnamon. or nutella and banana.
 

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xUKHCx said:
Get some really nice sausages from the butchers cook them in the oven with a chopped onion and mushroom at 200 for about 40 minutes. Use and fat to make some gravy, add some marmite to make the gravy especially nice (even if you don't like marmite it really makes the difference). Make some mash potato and have some leek as well.
Desert - chocolate ice cream
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, nothing like some bangers and mash.

I don't have any recipes per se, I usually just make stuff up as I'm going along. If you do make mashed potatoes trying using half-and-half in place of milk. Makes them taste better. Oh, and while the potatoes are still hot cut some sharp cheddar cheese (preferrably white cheddar) and mix it in.
 
xUKHCx said:
Currently the recipe i use everyday is

510g Lactose
90g Starch
150g 15%HPC with water by mass.

But then again that is not very appetising.

Sod starters
Get some really nice sausages from the butchers cook them in the oven with a chopped onion and mushroom at 200 for about 40 minutes. Use and fat to make some gravy, add some marmite to make the gravy especially nice (even if you don't like marmite it really makes the difference). Make some mash potato and have some leek as well.
Desert - chocolate ice cream
Click to expand...


Bangers and mash, proper student food :D
 
Stampyhead said:
Oh yeah, nothing like some bangers and mash.

I don't have any recipes per se, I usually just make stuff up as I'm going along. If you do make mashed potatoes trying using half-and-half in place of milk. Makes them taste better. Oh, and while the potatoes are still hot cut some sharp cheddar cheese (preferrably white cheddar) and mix it in.
Click to expand...

Or a bit of fresh horseradish grated into the mash, really nice with steak pie
 
Quick Pasta Sauce

You need:

1 can of peeled tomatoes (chopped makes this easier)
1/4 medium-sized carrot
1/2 onion
garlic
1/2 red pepper
olive oil
ground beef
mushrooms

Chop 1/2 carrot, 1/2 onion, garlic and 1/2 red pepper.

Set sauce-pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pan is warm, throw in the carrot and onion, cook until the onion is slightly transparent, add in garlic and red pepper. Let cook for a few minutes and then pour in a can of peeled tomatoes. Add oregano, basil, pepper, and salt to taste.

Cover the pan and set it to simmer.

Take a frying pan (cast iron works best) and cook ground beef, adding in mushrooms once the ground beef is nearly cooked. Once everything is looking good, pour out excess oil and fat, put ground beef to the side.

Once the sauce has cooked for a bit, take out your common household blender and pour the sauce into it. Be careful of spillage, because hot tomato sauce hurts.
Blend the sauce until the texture seems right. Then, add sauce to the ground beef and let it cook for just a few minutes on medium-heat.

Don't forget the pasta and garlic bread.
 
Appetizer: Baked Brie en croute

One sheet puff pastry
One 8oz wheel firm unripe Brie
One egg
Hot pepper jelly or Apricot preserves

Defrost pastry sheet for 24 hours in refrigerator, or 30 minutes on counter. Roll out sheet on lightly floured surface until approximately 1/2 original thickness. Cut sheet to 9" diameter using a pie plate or other suitably sized round item as a template. Brush lightly beaten egg around edge of circular pastry. Place brie wheel in center of pastry. Fold edges of pastry up, working your way around the brie until you have encased the brie in pastry, leaving a 2" circle of exposed brie on the top. Shape pastry at the top to hold as much preserves as possible once baked.

Place brie/pastry on parchment paper. Brush entire exterior of pastry with the rest of the beaten egg. Freeze for 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Fill opening at top of brie with preserves. Let stand on wire rack for 30 minutes (remove parchment from underneath first).

Serve with crackers and/or some good bread cut into cubes or slices.
 
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