What's your signature or favorite dish to make?

[grace0418]

I mean, what dish can you make so good every time, with no recipe, you could probably do it blindfolded?

Mine is risotto. A friend taught me how to make it about 15 years ago and I can make it with a bunch of different ingredients. I always keep the basic ingredients on hand for it because it's so yummy and versatile and seems a lot more decadent than it actually is.

*Edited to clarify: Whether or not you regularly use recipes, what is the dish that you really do well?

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. Pretty much anything.

I very rarely use recipes.

[grimble_grumble]

2. I don't really use recipes for anything

But my favorite dish to make is probably etouffee.

[eyesroll]

3. Recently, I have made (without a recipe):

• Mushroom risotto (I taught my SO how to make it, actually, and he's wanting to do it again ASAP.)
• Scarily-like-Qdoba's roasted-veggie burrito
• Veggie (bean) burgers and sweet-potato oven fries
• Sloppy joes (I paired those with carrot coins, tater tots and fruited jello :D)
• Sweet and sour chicken
• Soba noodle soup
• Chapchae
• Pineapple meatballs
• Masaman curry (I had a recipe for that, but I can do it from memory now)
• Pad See Ew (ditto)
• Kitchen-sink fried rice (leftover whatever was in the kitchen, frozen veggies, etc.)

I don't use recipes very often, except when baking.

[miss_american_pie]

4. pie crust, pierogies, halupki

Pretty much anything I learned from my grandmothers. They never used recipes.

[Dora]

27. Another Diva of the Pie Crust!

Salutations, sister.

[Squatch]

5. Planked salmon with

maple/soy reduction.

[kwassa]

6. mexican veggies with black beans

used every vegetable possible by now.

[Saphire]

7. Gumbo is mine :)

[seemunkee]

8. Mine too, and chili

[scarlet_owl]

9. Vegetable beef soup and French silk pie.

[Rowdyboy]

10. Shrimp and sausage gumbo, and white chocolate cheesecake....

[BlueIris]

11. I make excellent cups of coffee, and cherry pie.

That's about it, though. But my coffee and pie is SUPERB.

[ghostsofgiants]

18. Cooper?

[BlueIris]

31. The good Dale is in the White Lodge and he can't get out.

So, no, I'm not not Coope. Sorry.

[Dora]

28. Pie crust tip....

(Fancy running into you here.)

I've discovered that substituting 1/4 C of rice flour in my pie crust promotes a crisper texture. Seriously.

[BlueIris]

32. Thanks!

I can't remember the last time I used rice flour for anything.

[skygazer]

12. Chili

With beans and it's never the same twice but it's always yummy. I've used everything in it from ground beef to pork to venison to Italian sausage to ground turkey... I love chili.

[grace0418]

20. Me too!

My husband and I developed a chili recipe that uses either ground turkey or ground veggie "meat" plus chopped extra firm tofu, black beans, chipotle seasoning, and fire-roasted tomatoes. It is so delicious and satisfying. Believe me, I'm not a person who usually enjoys the weird "lo-fat" versions of recipes. But this chili is really low fat and the tofu adds texture, nutrition and heartiness but you can't taste it at all. I've made it for my total meat-and-potatoes-eating brother and he LOVED it. He couldn't believe there was tofu in it. He asked if he could take the leftovers home, so I know he wasn't just humoring me.

Mmmmm. Maybe I'll make some tonight.

[Texasgal]

13. Grilled portabello mushroom

Fajitas! YUMMMMM!!!

I make it all of the time, atleast once every couple of weeks! I actually cooked it for my Dad a few weeks ago! ( we are talking about a MAJOR meat and potato man! ) and he LOVED it!!!

[Initech]

14. I know how to make a perfect pizza using a cell phone and a credit card

Really, my cooking skills are way less than sub par!

[Ron Green]

15. Real Texas chili con carne -

No beans.

[ghostsofgiants]

16. Chicken quesadillas.

Not overly fancy, but I'm pretty much addicted to them.

[JitterbugPerfume]

17. spanish rice

:bounce: :bounce:

[Broken_Hero]

19. hmm, a lot of thigns...

My main dishes, are

Chili, Spaghetti, fettucini alfredo, lasagna, ranch chicken, bbq chicken, chicken adobe, chicken terriyaki...steak, a few things...but the ones i mentioned, are ones i cook at least two of them per week...

[hatredisnotavalue]

21. Souper Bowl Soup

This is a very eye-pleasing, nose-pleasing and tasty soup. Also works well for an informal dinner party served with crusty French bread and Caesar salad. Plus it only uses one cooking pot!

Cook six Italian sausages until done in a large soup pot. Remove sausage, pour off grease and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the following in the pot:

two teaspoons of minced garlic, a medium onion, a small green pepper, two chopped carrots, a handful of broccoli flowerets, a can of chopped tomatoes (not the big can) and some sprigs of herbs. I have basil and chives growing in my kitchen garden. When the onions are transparent, add the sausage cut into bite size pieces. Add seven cups of water and seven beef bullion cubes. To this mix add a can of tomato soup and a can of water. (If you like the taste of tomato more than beef stock, add another can of soup and another can of water).Simmer for about half an hour.

And if you have left over spaghetti sauce or whatever, throw it in. About ten minutes before serving, add a couple of handfuls of uncooked bowties or ziti or whatever, a cut up zucchini and a cut up yellow winter squash, and a handful of sliced fresh mushrooms. If you are using cooked pasta, throw it in about a minute before serving. When the pasta is done, the soup is done.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese or leftover shredded cheddar cheese.

Sorry the measurements are not exact, I made the recipe up using leftovers one day and it truly is a crowd pleaser.

[seaglass]

23. Yum, that sounds really good. n/t

[bif]

22. Shrimp risotto & Chicken Paprikash with

Hugarian nokadle(not sure of the spelling).

[grace0418]

24. You all are making me very hungry!

I can't decide what to make for dinner.

[tjwash]

25. Well, I have several...

...Etufe, Manhattan style clam chowder, ratatouille, are some my faves, but if I absolutely had to choose one that I love to make and eat, it would be ahi-tuna filets, baked with a tomato-garlic sauce, and served with a sprinkling of rosemary.

[Left Is Write]

26. I don't really have a signature dish.

But I can make lots of things without a recipe...

Spaghetti sauce
Hamburger hotdish
Hamburger gravy (or any gravy, really)
Pie crust
My mom's basic oatmeal/chocolate chip muffins
Macaroni and cheese
Meatballs
Soup
Deviled eggs & egg salad

Except for baking, I usually consider recipes pretty loose guidelines anyway.

I believe I do really well with soups, spaghetti sauce, and meatballs.

[Dora]

29. Mac and cheese, casseroles, roast chicken,

And pie.

[hippywife]

30. I don't use recipes except

when baking. But my signature dish is probably spaghetti or lasagna with the sauce my Italian gran taught me to make. Everything I make is very tasty and recipes are useless after watching TV cooking shows for years and absorbing which flavors work well together.

[samplegirl]

33. Homemade Manicotti

and stuffed pork chops. Skillet Spaghetti.

[LeftyMom]

34. entree-wise, I make an amazingly good shepherd's pie and great pizza

but the thing I'm best at is baking. I don't know if that counts, but I make some of the best cookies, cakes, pies and dessert breads you'll ever have.

[KitchenWitch]

35. A thai inspired cabbage and chicken salad

with peanut dressing, peapods, and water chestnuts.

[Katherine Brengle]

36. Mmm... vegan chili is my best, but I also make some mean...

vegan potato bread--it's to die.

I like baking breads more than any other kind of cooking--it's like there is a special variety of that feeling of accomplishment when it comes out well...

[LeftyMom]

37. Making bread is great, it's so tactile and relaxing

Would you mind sending me the potato bread recipe? That sounds so good. :9

[Katherine Brengle]

44. I'll PM it to you tomorrow--I am so not getting out of bed right now, lol.

I just got a new foam matress topper thing and I am sooooooo comfy and warm!

It's really good though, you'll love it!

[speedoo]

38. Salsa di Olio di Olive, Aglio e Acciughe per Spaghettini.

(olive oil, garlic, mushroom and anchovy sauce for spaghettini)

A very unusual pasta dish. Delicious. (and cheap!!)

[auntAgonist]

39. Scalloped potatoes, ...beef stew...

homemade soup of many kinds, my favourite though is yellow split pea with ham.

learned everything I know about soups and stews from my mother and grandmother. My former MIL taught me so many other things to make .. scalloped potatoes being one of them. They get rave reviews , no recipe . it's all in my noggin'


aA

[amitten]

40. Charbroiled Republican with a side of rice and chipotle salsa.

Mmmmmmmmmm...that's good eatin'!

[KitchenWitch]

41. I prefer them poached with mango chutney!

but that is just me...

[amitten]

42. Well, I only cook them when I'm all out of chicken.

That's when I settle for chickenhawk.

[Hissyspit]

43. Spaghetti Frittata