That recipe you just can't quit!

[Ghostweaver 116]

This is something I'm always curious about and love to ask any new people in my life. Is there a recipe that you love and want to perfect so badly that you've probably made it too often for too many friends and family but still can't help falling back on? If you do, please share!

 

For me, it's cream sauce. I love to cook but I wouldn't say I have a talent for it at all. I just enjoy feeding people (and eating, the eating part is good too) and playing around in the kitchen. For this recipe, I'll typically make a chicken+spinach+mushroom linguine with garlic and drown it in a cream-sauce I've made lovingly from scratch. It's a therapeutic obsession for me, something I'll cook pretty frequently and shell out too much money for in order to have the best ingredients. I gather all my stuff together, throw on my favourite playlist, and go into some kind of King's Speech zen state, and start cooking.

 

My sauce has seen many drastically different forms. When I started out I put bacon the sauce itself, used red onions and dry herbs, and stupidly used salted butter. And worse - I used to use olive oil! It changed an ingredient at a time, firstly switching to fresh herbs, then to shallots, then from oil to salted butter and from salted to unsalted. The fennel was eventually added, then apple as well to bring out a little more sweetness, then I introduced the smoked cheddar to give it that smoky goodness. I really think the smoky notes are the true je ne sais quois of the sauce!

Right now my process is this:

-Melt butter (unsalted) in sauce pan. Add garlic&shallots and cook down/infuse.
-For a touch of sweetness, add some diced sweet apple and fennel.
-Add a splash of dry white wine (I've tried with sweeter wines, the sauce just becomes sickly sweet and it's rather unfortunate) and let it reduce, then add heavy cream.

-Add salt, pepper. This step is also why I avoid salted butter - if I use unsalted then I have direct control over how much salt I want tasted in the sauce. Too much salt ruins it!

-Add grated smoked white cheddar (applewood smoked is my go-to), stir in. Between the cream, the reduced wine, and the cheese I get a nice, thick sauce. I hate thickening with flour, I've learned.

-Once the sauce is ready, keep on low heat and add your fresh herbs. I use Italian parsley and fennel fronds lately.

-My last last step is always to add a cold cube of butter at the end to stir in, from the advice of a fellow pasta lover. It really just adds that extra bit of richness and rounds things out at the end (don't ask me about the science behind it or any technical terms, that's too out of my depth!). Gives it that extra bit of body-ody-ody, as they say!

 

Of course I'll have already cooked my linguine, plus I'll have fried up some chicken, baby bella mushrooms, spinach, and garlic in butter. I'm pretty particular about my chicken, too. It has to be browned a little, just because that's how I love it most! 

 

It all ends off with piling my chicken&veg on the linguine and pouring over just the right amount of sauce, garnished with fennel fronds&maple bacon bits! Occasionally, I like to quick-pickle red onions for certain chicken dishes and keep some on hand for other recipes. If I have any already made I sometimes throw a few on my pasta for garnish as well, but I'm slowly growing away from that now, too. I just don't think that bright, acidic kick of vinegar is very welcome in my rich, smoky, sweet sauce any more. But sometimes I crave it? It's also very pretty as a garnish. I'm so torn!

In any case, what you typically get is a super rich chicken linguine with a sauce that has sweetness, salt, smokiness, and traces of herby goodness. 

If you've made it this far, I'm sorry! I tend to ramble. But I'd love to hear everyone's favourite recipes that you can't stop trying to perfect, the ones that have grown and changed alongside you over the years.

 

♥

[Vulcan 3,254]

*Puts on Apron*

 

Something I always fall back on...

 

Something I show my friends and attempt to perfect...hmmm...

 

Steak O_O 

 

I love marinating and grilling steaks....there's just something about the scent of the grill that makes me feel at home. ^ ^

[Ghostweaver 116]

Steak is a challenging one! Seems so simple but grilling a perfect steak calls for so much love and attention! It's a beast I've yet to conquer. Grilling is not my forté, but my partner it's one thing my partner can cook perfectly. So I leave the work to him. o: And then I get to eat it...it's a very advantageous arrangement for me.

 

How do you like your steak? I'm a rare kinda gal myself.

[powerpuff-tsubasa 447]

i always baked chocolate chip cookies the most. so chocolate chip cookies for the win

[Vulcan 3,254]

 

 

How do you like your steak? I'm a rare kinda gal myself.

 

I'm a medium rare kinda guy. Nothing better than a US angus steak marinated overnight in spices from around the world and chargrilled to medium rare with mashed potatoes and gravy.

[Thuja 3,658]

This one teriyaki sauce recipe and fried rice are recipes I depend on.  Though fried rice is more of an "eyeballing it" type of recipe for me.  I also use this one bread recipe to make meat buns, I've been considering making something but I haven't made anything with this oven yet ... 

[tangra 15]

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas gathering I like to make a batch of coffee cake muffins. I've been making them for years, and really perfect the balance between white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

 

If we're talking entrees I also use a quick chicken marinade I found on instructables. One part oil, 2 parts soy sauce, and 4 parts Sprite Zero. The carbonation does wonders for tenderizing, and the lemon-lime mixes with the soy sauce for a kind of asian tropical fusion taste. I'll be using this marinade a lot now that barbeque season is upon us.

[Ghostweaver 116]

i always baked chocolate chip cookies the most. so chocolate chip cookies for the win

 

That was my mom's recipe, too. (: She did all the work and put together a very tasty recipe, so she passed it down to me. Chocolate chip cookies are so tasty! ♥ You should share a picture the next time you make yours. Because cookies are also perfectly photogenic.

 

I'm a medium rare kinda guy. Nothing better than a US angus steak marinated overnight in spices from around the world and chargrilled to medium rare with mashed potatoes and gravy.

 

Reading that made my mouth water...I need to pick up a steak! The summer weather really needs to settle in where I'm living. It's still chilly out most days. ):

 

This one teriyaki sauce recipe and fried rice are recipes I depend on.  Though fried rice is more of an "eyeballing it" type of recipe for me.  I also use this one bread recipe to make meat buns, I've been considering making something but I haven't made anything with this oven yet ... 

 

Sounds like it's time to break in the oven! And eyeballing it is the most exciting way to cook, I don't think I actually measure any recipes I use...I don't have the patience. o:

 

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas gathering I like to make a batch of coffee cake muffins. I've been making them for years, and really perfect the balance between white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

 

If we're talking entrees I also use a quick chicken marinade I found on instructables. One part oil, 2 parts soy sauce, and 4 parts Sprite Zero. The carbonation does wonders for tenderizing, and the lemon-lime mixes with the soy sauce for a kind of asian tropical fusion taste. I'll be using this marinade a lot now that barbeque season is upon us.

 

Ooo I might just have to ask for that muffin recipe. That sounds divine... And I want to try that marinade, too! My partner always keeps soy sauce on hand because he likes to marinade his steak in it, so it'd be no trouble to use some for that marinade and try it on my chicken next time. I'll let you know how it goes. (:

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

There is a recipe I found in an otherwise uninteresting cookbook that is quick, easy and flexible.

 

The base ingredients are (for one person) - 50g S.R. flour, 1 egg and 3 tbsp of milk. This forms a batter that you can put practically anything savoury in and then fry (or freeze and save to fry later) into easily portable cakes that you can eat hot or cold (mileage may vary according to the other ingredients.)

 

The recommended additional ingredients are 50g fried bacon and 25g of Cheddar, but I tend to replace them with a selection of the following:

Sweetcorn (~60g), diced sausages (pre-cooked, 25g), Red Leicester (25g), rocket (to taste), diced peppers (50g), diced chorizo (25g), chilli powder (to taste)... or any leftovers that I have (pasta actually works quite well, even though it doesn't add much to the taste.) Just don't increase the liquid content too much or it won't fry properly.

 

 

Another recipe I use regularly is to take a mixture of food I think I should eat (usually heavy on vegetables, which I'm not too fond of, and with quite a strong flavouring such as chilli powder or a small amount of chorizo) mix in an egg followed by enough flour to make the mixture malleable but not too dry and then just bake it. Sometimes I'll make some shortcrust pastry to wrap it in, or do something else to add an appropriate flavour, but the principle is to make a meal with plenty greenery in it to help me get my 5-a-day (or average 10 over two days.) If you bake a quiche base and top it with cheese (Cheddar with a sprinkling of Red Leicester for colour) it actually looks quite appealing, and I might serve it to a guest. The reason I like it is because I hate the texture of most boiled vegetables - the flour and egg mix bakes it all into a texture that I like with a favouring that I like.

[AriaTheLovely 578]

My favorite recipe to make is fat free cheddar chicken corn chowder. Even though I lost my gallbladder I still didnt lose my love of creamy soups.It has not gone through many variations since my family really loves it.I know it may seem like alot but it's great for leftovers.

Here is my recipe.

2lbs pounds of chicken with skin (I usually chop it up into bite size pieces,skin and debone the chicken breasts then crisp up the skins. Then I  crumble them up and put as a garnish for the finished chowder)
2 cups of chopped onion
2 cups chopped bell pepper

2 cups chopped mushrooms

4 garlic cloves minced

8 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I use  chicken bouillon powder and mix it with water)
3 1/2 cups chopped and peeled red potatoes
4 1/2 cups of frozen veggies (using the ones that have corn and carrots are the best for this recipe)
1 cup all purpose flour
4 cups fat free half and half
1 1/2 cups of fat free shredded cheddar
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp pepper
(optional ingredients)
few tablespoons of fat free cream cheese it does make the chowder a bit creamier
a tablespoon or two of fat free sour cream adds creaminess but a nice bite to it as well
a few pinches of nutmeg it compliments the flavor of the chowder

Now for the directions

1. Add the chicken, onion, bell pepper ,garlic and mushrooms to the pan; saute for 5 minutes. Add broth and potato and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Before adding the frozen vegetables be sure to cook it in the microwave since it does add unneeded moisture to the soup making the flour not thicken as well as it should then add it in: stir well.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add fat free half and half, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to the soup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Top with crumbled chicken skins. ( I know it sounds weird but its actually pretty darn tasty)

Edited May 30, 2016 by demonwolfspirit

[Ghostweaver 116]

There is a recipe I found in an otherwise uninteresting cookbook that is quick, easy and flexible.

 

The base ingredients are (for one person) - 50g S.R. flour, 1 egg and 3 tbsp of milk. This forms a batter that you can put practically anything savoury in and then fry (or freeze and save to fry later) into easily portable cakes that you can eat hot or cold (mileage may vary according to the other ingredients.)

 

The recommended additional ingredients are 50g fried bacon and 25g of Cheddar, but I tend to replace them with a selection of the following:

Sweetcorn (~60g), diced sausages (pre-cooked, 25g), Red Leicester (25g), rocket (to taste), diced peppers (50g), diced chorizo (25g), chilli powder (to taste)... or any leftovers that I have (pasta actually works quite well, even though it doesn't add much to the taste.) Just don't increase the liquid content too much or it won't fry properly.

 

 

Another recipe I use regularly is to take a mixture of food I think I should eat (usually heavy on vegetables, which I'm not too fond of, and with quite a strong flavouring such as chilli powder or a small amount of chorizo) mix in an egg followed by enough flour to make the mixture malleable but not too dry and then just bake it. Sometimes I'll make some shortcrust pastry to wrap it in, or do something else to add an appropriate flavour, but the principle is to make a meal with plenty greenery in it to help me get my 5-a-day (or average 10 over two days.) If you bake a quiche base and top it with cheese (Cheddar with a sprinkling of Red Leicester for colour) it actually looks quite appealing, and I might serve it to a guest. The reason I like it is because I hate the texture of most boiled vegetables - the flour and egg mix bakes it all into a texture that I like with a favouring that I like.

 

Even though I get plenty of veg, that second recipe sounds like an easy way to just get a pile of delicious veggies together in a quick, tasty dinner. I need to try both of these. The first one you mentioned with sausage and chorizo and sweetcorn...oh boy. That sounds heavenly. I need to try so many new dishes now. (:

 

 

My favorite recipe to make is fat free cheddar chicken corn chowder. Even though I lost my gallbladder I still didnt lose my love of creamy soups.It has not gone through many variations since my family really loves it.I know it may seem like alot but it's great for leftovers.

 

Here is my recipe.

 

2lbs pounds of chicken with skin (I usually chop it up into bite size pieces,skin and debone the chicken breasts then crisp up the skins. Then I  crumble them up and put as a garnish for the finished chowder)

2 cups of chopped onion

2 cups chopped bell pepper

2 cups chopped mushrooms

4 garlic cloves minced

8 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I use  chicken bouillon powder and mix it with water)

3 1/2 cups chopped and peeled red potatoes

4 1/2 cups of frozen veggies (using the ones that have corn and carrots are the best for this recipe)

1 cup all purpose flour

4 cups fat free half and half

1 1/2 cups of fat free shredded cheddar

1 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp pepper

(optional ingredients)

few tablespoons of fat free cream cheese it does make the chowder a bit creamier

a tablespoon or two of fat free sour cream adds creaminess but a nice bite to it as well

a few pinches of nutmeg it compliments the flavor of the chowder

 

Now for the directions

1. Add the chicken, onion, bell pepper ,garlic and mushrooms to the pan; saute for 5 minutes. Add broth and potato and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Before adding the frozen vegetables be sure to cook it in the microwave since it does add unneeded moisture to the soup making the flour not thicken as well as it should then add it in: stir well.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add fat free half and half, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to the soup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Top with crumbled chicken skins. ( I know it sounds weird but its actually pretty darn tasty)

 

 

I definitely want to give this recipe a go, but I'll likely keep the fat in. Because I'm way too indulgent with my foods. That's a very clever idea, though, keeping the skin to crisp up and use as a garnish. I was thinking I'd just use boneless chicken breasts if I were to make it until you added that tidbit. Bone-in tends to have more flavour, too, so...hmmm.

 

 

 

If people keep posting we might just have a cookbook going in this thread!

[Once In A Blue Moon 894]

 

 

Even though I get plenty of veg, that second recipe sounds like an easy way to just get a pile of delicious veggies together in a quick, tasty dinner.

 

It's funny, the recipe was actually inspired by a delightful invention called 'nutraloaf' where prisoners have their food (all of it) blended and compressed into a single block of sustenance as a form of discipline. It's a questionable practice at best, and quite possibly illegal when used in prisons but with a bit of refining is actually quite a reasonable way of ensuring that you eat the stuff you don't like but know you should. Or, now that I think about it, if you replace the egg with sugar and syrup and other ingredients with oats and raisins / currents then you get flapjacks - same principle. 

 

 

 

If people keep posting we might just have a cookbook going in this thread!

 

Sounds good to me.

 

Another recipe that I use on occasion is a pizza base similar to a scone mix. The base is made from around 225g of SR flour and 50g of butter (or similar. I experimented with low-fat and olive-oil spread variants and it still worked, so the fat content can be adjusted or reduced if needed) rubbed together until it forms breadcrumb-esque granules. Then add a small (very small) amount of milk (or water, which also works) and mix it in. Add more and keep mixing until it forms a soft but not sticky dough (this is the bit that I found tricky when I first used it - far too easy to add too much liquid, but add more flour if you do.) Roll it out, spread tomato puree (or anything that takes your fancy) on it and top with cheese and whatever you like best on pizza. I will arbitrarily state it takes about 15 minutes on 180 degrees, but I usually do it by sight (the dough, when broken, should look roughly like the inside of a scone) as it varies a lot with thickness and toppings. 

[Ghostweaver 116]

It's funny, the recipe was actually inspired by a delightful invention called 'nutraloaf' where prisoners have their food (all of it) blended and compressed into a single block of sustenance as a form of discipline. It's a questionable practice at best, and quite possibly illegal when used in prisons but with a bit of refining is actually quite a reasonable way of ensuring that you eat the stuff you don't like but know you should. Or, now that I think about it, if you replace the egg with sugar and syrup and other ingredients with oats and raisins / currents then you get flapjacks - same principle. 

 

 

 

 

Sounds good to me.

 

Another recipe that I use on occasion is a pizza base similar to a scone mix. The base is made from around 225g of SR flour and 50g of butter (or similar. I experimented with low-fat and olive-oil spread variants and it still worked, so the fat content can be adjusted or reduced if needed) rubbed together until it forms breadcrumb-esque granules. Then add a small (very small) amount of milk (or water, which also works) and mix it in. Add more and keep mixing until it forms a soft but not sticky dough (this is the bit that I found tricky when I first used it - far too easy to add too much liquid, but add more flour if you do.) Roll it out, spread tomato puree (or anything that takes your fancy) on it and top with cheese and whatever you like best on pizza. I will arbitrarily state it takes about 15 minutes on 180 degrees, but I usually do it by sight (the dough, when broken, should look roughly like the inside of a scone) as it varies a lot with thickness and toppings. 

 

I've been looking for a good pizza dough recipe! I'll have to give that a go soon, but I had pizza just last night so it might be too soon to make more. Or is it...hmmm. And I agree, eyeballing is how I always handle baking. I grew up at an extremely high elevation and every time I followed a recipe for baking time the food would burn! So now I just regularly check whatever I'm baking out of habit, I just don't trust recipe times any more (unless it's a local cookbook).

[Jennabun 1,578]

These vegan chocolate cupcakes are amazing! I'm not a vegan (I'm a vegetarian), but I like to bake vegan when I can. Both vegans and non-vegans adore these cupcakes! I've made them several times For frosting, I usually just make a vanilla buttercream with vegan butter (like Earth Balance brand). You basically just mix softened vegan butter, soy milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until it tastes right and has the right texture (I never really follow a recipe for frosting, just throw stuff in until it works lol). You can make the frosting chocolate simply by adding some cocoa powder or melted vegan baking chocolate. Yummmm.

 

Here's a picture of one time where I made them for a co-workers bday!

 

[Ghostweaver 116]

These vegan chocolate cupcakes are amazing! I'm not a vegan (I'm a vegetarian), but I like to bake vegan when I can. Both vegans and non-vegans adore these cupcakes! I've made them several times For frosting, I usually just make a vanilla buttercream with vegan butter (like Earth Balance brand). You basically just mix softened vegan butter, soy milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until it tastes right and has the right texture (I never really follow a recipe for frosting, just throw stuff in until it works lol). You can make the frosting chocolate simply by adding some cocoa powder or melted vegan baking chocolate. Yummmm.

 

Here's a picture of one time where I made them for a co-workers bday!

11045412_888997457856615_229544384202222845_n.jpg

 

Vegan...means dairy free! o: I have a severely lactose intolerant friend I would love to bake these for! ♥ They look adorable and delicious, and I'm fairly certain said friend hasn't had a chocolatey baked good in a very long time. I'm definitely surprising him with vegan goodness soon. 

[AriaTheLovely 578]

Even though I get plenty of veg, that second recipe sounds like an easy way to just get a pile of delicious veggies together in a quick, tasty dinner. I need to try both of these. The first one you mentioned with sausage and chorizo and sweetcorn...oh boy. That sounds heavenly. I need to try so many new dishes now. (:

 

 

I definitely want to give this recipe a go, but I'll likely keep the fat in. Because I'm way too indulgent with my foods. That's a very clever idea, though, keeping the skin to crisp up and use as a garnish. I was thinking I'd just use boneless chicken breasts if I were to make it until you added that tidbit. Bone-in tends to have more flavour, too, so...hmmm.

 

 

 

If people keep posting we might just have a cookbook going in this thread!

It's fine you keep the  fat in I as well have indulgent tastes. And bacon is a good substitute for the chicken skins its the closest in flavor and crispiness. Anyway its made its pretty darn delicious and it always goes very fast in my home. I'm just glad someone liked the sound of it.

Edited May 31, 2016 by demonwolfspirit

[EpicEnergy 22,074]

I don't cook, I just heat things up in a microwave. 

[Thuja 3,658]

These days, I like to bake a lot of bread.  Meat buns, bread loaves, whatever.  I don't like that my new oven, after the old one broke, is so much smaller than my old one.  I can't fit one of my baking sheets in it so I'm just down to one baking sheet now.  

One of these days, I'd like to try making my own pasta and pierogis but maybe after the current pandemic has passed and people stop buying all the flour and those pasta makers.  I'd also like to try making some English muffins so I can have breakfast sandwiches.

[Splashee 28,537]

Swedish Pancakes. No matter how much I adjust and change the recipe, it never gets as good as the ones my grandma used to make before she passed away

[PinkieSpy 67]

I have a spaghetti recipe that I've been perfecting since I was 11 years old, admittedly it's not for everyone because it's extra cheesy and extremely spicy, very thick and I always make enough for an army. For those that can eat it always beg me for the recipe but I'll never tell.

[Evil Pink One 12,972]

Does recipe for disaster works?

[Splashee 28,537]

The perfect pain doughnut. The secret is how legal you can be with the palm oil I cannot even get palm oil here.