What's Your "Go-To" Dish to Cook?

[NoHuddleKelly12]

What's your simple but good "go-to" dish that you can make with intuitive ease, without having a recipe book propped open in front of you, and that you get compliments on every time you make it? Recipes appreciated. 

 

Here's mine--

 

Chicken Madeira Pasta

 

--Dice a pack of fresh chicken breasts into cube size, pan fry (you will need a large cooking pan for this as all of your sauce components need to fit with room to be evenly cooked) in vegetable or olive oil over medium heat to a nice golden crisp outer edge, with minced garlic, onion, mushrooms (eyeball the amounts). Add season salt, paprika and maybe some chipotle type seasoning for an added flavor boost, all to taste.  

 

--After all of the above has nicely browned, then add your cooking wine/sherry like Madeira (or Marsala), with heavy whipping cream directly--do not drain any of the pan you've cooked so far. I use approximately up to a 3/4 pint to a pint of whipping cream, with a cup or so of the Madeira, and it should take on a very light brown to tan color when combined in the pan with all of the other ingredients. Hike up the heat until the very liquidy sauce begins a slow rolling boil, stirring constantly, then drop the heat to a simmer, and cover for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. For the final phase, remove the lid, stir often for a final 10 minutes, and note when the sauce reduces to a consistency that is less runny, but it won't ever get super thick at this stage--the pasta will take care of that itself. Keep checking your flavor, you may need to add additional seasoning to your own personal taste preference.    

 

--In the meantime, you should have already boiled your pasta of choice ("bowtie" type pasta my personal fav for this one, a wide egg noodle is also good) al dente and once your sauce is ready, either pour it over your pasta or vice versa into the pan, stir and let sit for another 10 minutes while pasta soaks up all of the goodness before serving with a side of cheesy garlic bread.

 

(Note: this is by no means a "scientific" recipe, it started out that way, but now I make it without precise measurements, more by feel and tasting tasting tasting along the way. The magic with this dish imho, is the interaction of the cooking wine with the whipping cream and then reducing it down from boil to thickening simmer--the flavors are just crazy good) 

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Oven roasted chicken.

 

Ingredients:

 

Chicken

half a stick of butter

one large lemon.

 

Roll lemon on counter until softened, puncture repeatedly with knife. Stuff in chicken cavity. Insert in oven. Roast at 375 until delicious and golden brown. Serve with brown rice and broccoli or some other green veg. Butter's for melting, I melt it and put on skin before roasting. Can be done without it, but...ya know, butter.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Joe in Winslow

[NoHuddleKelly12]

8 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Oven roasted chicken.

 

Ingredients:

 

Chicken

half a stick of butter

one large lemon.

 

Roll lemon on counter until softened, puncture repeatedly with knife. Stuff in chicken cavity. Insert in oven. Roast at 375 until delicious and golden brown. Serve with brown rice and broccoli or some other green veg. Butter's for melting, I melt it and put on skin before roasting. Can be done without it, but...ya know, butter.

 

 

Thanks, definitely sounds very easy classic to make, which is always nice.

 

Butter shouldn't be optional though! I refer you to the school of Paula Deen...

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Chicken “button it”

 

That’s when I take a few chicken breast out of the freezer, cut them up into cubes, and sauté with whatever veggie are in the fridge.  My kids like kalamata olives and banana pepper rings tossed in there too.  Deglaze the pan with some white wine and add some stock to make a broth.  Serve it over rice or with noodles.

 

Name started one night when my kids were being annoying, I was busy with a bunch of stuff, and my son told me he was starving and asked what I was cooking for dinner.  I replied “chicken...button it!”  We all laughed.

 

They love the name and the dish.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Thanks, definitely sounds very easy classic to make, which is always nice.

 

Butter shouldn't be optional though! I refer you to the school of Paula Deen...

 

I find the skin is crisper without it, but the bird's more flavorful with it.

 

The butter does help if you decide to put stuff like sage, or thyme on the skin.

 

[sherpa]

Low Country Boil.

Easy, good outdoor fun, or indoor in the winter.

Simple ingredients:

Potatoes/sausage/ corn on cob/shrimp/onion/lemon in Old Bay seasoning.

 

There are others I do that are more complicated, but I've never lost on this one.

[unbillievable]

Brisket.

Salt and Pepper.

Put in a 250F oven. Cook until meat is 200F. Cut and serve.

 

Ribeye.

Stick in oven until 120F. Sear in pan with butter.

 

Pizza.

Put pizza stone in oven at 150F. Call for Delivery. Put pizza on warm pizza stone.

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

Sous vide steak seared in a carbon steel pan and seared on the edges with a blowtorch.

Mushroom Risotto with gruyere cheese.

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus.

[WhoTom]

Stir fry:

 

- whatever kind of meat we have on hand

- whatever kind of veggies we have on hand
- whatever seasonings go with the meat and veggies

- rice on the side if I have time, couscous if not

 

Alternative: substitute tortillas for the rice or couscous and make fajitas.

 

(I'm an improv kind of cook.)

 

 

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

We also make lamb chops a lot.  Simply coat with a thin layer of olive oil.  Salt and pepper.  Then sear in a hot pan.

[Gugny]

This week's menu at home:

 

Philly cheesesteaks

Spag and balls

Meatloaf

Burritos/soft tacos

Burgs and dogs

[T&C]

14 minutes ago, sherpa said:

Low Country Boil.

Easy, good outdoor fun, or indoor in the winter.

Simple ingredients:

Potatoes/sausage/ corn on cob/shrimp/onion/lemon in Old Bay seasoning.

 

There are others I do that are more complicated, but I've never lost on this one.

I was going to post something like this:

 

With a 12" round oven baking dish I take one package of Uncle Johns Pride sausage and line the outside with it. In the middle I fill it with small red potato's, corn on the cob and sometimes use parsnips instead of potato's, really can put anything in there. Usually just use garlic powder and cracked black pepper though, trying to cut down on salt. If I'm going to use shrimp I put them in 15 minutes before it is done and do dash those with some Old Bay. 350 for one hour with the lid on. Can make this in 5 minutes.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

21 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

Brisket.

Salt and Pepper.

Put in a 250F oven. Cook until meat is 200F. Cut and serve.

 

Ribeye.

Stick in oven until 120F. Sear in pan with butter.

 

Pizza.

Put pizza stone in oven at 150F. Call for Delivery. Put pizza on warm pizza stone.

Life hack right there!

14 minutes ago, chknwing334 said:

We also make lamb chops a lot.  Simply coat with a thin layer of olive oil.  Salt and pepper.  Then sear in a hot pan.

I haven’t made lamb personally yet, what color does the meat need to be inside to get best flavor/texture?

[Buffalo_Gal]

Ok, because no one was being an ass, I'll get it out of the way:

1-800-grubhub

?

And now to take notes on all your fine recipes. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

19 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Philly cheesesteaks

 

Unless you're making them wiz-wit, I'm going to have to declare you anathema.

 

[Gugny]

Just now, Joe in Winslow said:

 

Unless you're making them wiz-wit, I'm going to have to declare you anathema.

 

 

Always wiz-wit!!!

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

9 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

 

I haven’t made lamb personally yet, what color does the meat need to be inside to get best flavor/texture?

Lamb should be cooked to medium rare.  Pink in the middle similar to a steak.  I do like to make sure I sear the edges in order to render the fat.  If you prefer a slightly firmer texture, I have had some good chops that were probably closer to medium than medium rare.  Just don't overcook them.  And be sure to season them with salt and pepper prior to cooking.

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, Gugny said:

 

Always wiz-wit!!!

 

Fantastic. Try some cherry peppers on the side.

 

 

 

 

[Augie]

Tonight is blackened salmon with a crispy skin and mango salsa (cubed mango, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice). Salmon goes into a cool pan skin down so it doesn’t seize up and you don’t have to score it. Get skin crispy and cook about 80% thru before flipping for best crispiest. 

 

The wife’s favorite is simply bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs over high indirect heat on top rack (to avoid flare-ups) on the grill with ample salt and pepper. Let it sit there about an hour - it’s hard to ruin with the dark meat and bone-in. Gets a super crispy skin and for some reason people go on and on about it. I don’t get it.....steam some veggies and you have a super easy  meal.

 

Crispy is a theme in our house. 

 

 

.

Edited June 4, 2019 by Augie

[NoHuddleKelly12]

1 minute ago, Augie said:

Tonight is blackened salmon with a crispy skin and mango salsa (cubed mango, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice).

 

The wife’s favorite is simply bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs over high indirect heat on top rack (to avoid flare-ups) on the grill with ample salt and pepper. Let it sit there about an hour - it’s hard to ruin with the dark meat and bone-in. Gets a super crispy skin and for some reason people go on and on about it. I don’t get it.....steam some veggies and you have a super easy  meal.

 

Crispy is a theme in our house. 

Knew you’d pull through Augie—gracias