What is your favorite home-cooked meal, that you make yourself? (started 3/25/2011)

[greygarious]

Someone asked me, and it took a few minutes to decide, but I think potato latkes with Macintosh applesauce, both homemade, and sausage (storebought) ekes out the win over a few other contenders.

[Kitchen Queen]

Does breakfast count? Coaches Oats... Then I add coconut milk, earth balance, cinnamon and any or all of these items: chopped banana and apple, walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, pecans, dried cranberries and a little S.F. maple syrup~YUM! :)

[Peridot]

I'm pretty famous for my chicken pot pie. It's the dish that makes my kids feel like "they're home". All their friends know about it, too. I started with a basic recipe, which evolved into my family's personal likes. I've never written it down, it's in my head and it's always the same. Using a bread/onion/parmesan stuffing for the base, and slow roasting a balsamic glazed chicken off the bone, makes an interesting blend of tastes.

[c oliver]

You bone a whole chicken before roasting? That's beyond my expectations for myself :) But, seriously, I am curious what you think that adds versus roasting a bone-in chicken.

[souschef]

This is not a meal as such, but one thing I like to do is take all the veggies in my fridge that would normally go to waste, chop them up, throw an onion and chicken stock into the mix, simmer them all together, then stick my immersion blender into the pot. Great soup, always.

[c oliver]

This is very timely for me. We're going to be away for 2-1/2 weeks and there's a LOT of stuff of the vegetable sort in the fridge. I'm definitely going to do this. thanks.

[souschef]

One thing I did not mention is that before I add the stock I saute the onion and all the vegetables in olive oil till the onions go soft. I don't know if it makes a difference.

BTW if you add any sweet peppers get rid of the skins before by grilling/charring them. I find that the blender misses some skin, and I hate the feel of the skin in the mouth.

You could also throw in a potato/garlic, and/or add whipping cream at the end. I sometimes also serve it with some Boursin tossed into it.

[c oliver]

I would definitely saute the vegetables first. I'm going to be curious just how much stuff is hiding in the fridge :) I do have some finglerling potatoes that I'm going to use also.

[lilmomma]

souschef

great idea on the soup! I must do this!

[buttertart]

Excellent idea, souschef!

[Jadore]

Fun thread, greygarious! ;)

The meal I've learned to make best is coq au vin, mashed potatoes, and a green salad with a creamy mustard dressing, and some freshly baked bread on the side. It's a warming, delicious meal that's great from fall to early spring.

I also love to make beautiful entree salads, and I think many of my salads are better than a lot of salads out there. I like to experiment with different greens, oils, vinegars, and whatever produce is in season.

Finally, my husband is wild for pancakes, and his favorite are the Barefoot Contessa banana pancakes I make to perfection. I adore presenting him with a fluffy stack on a lazy Saturday morning, because he really goes crazy! <3

[BombayUpWithaTwist]

My favorite easiest is a Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl. The rice is layered in nori dipped in soy sauce then topped with the chicken. When I make a small portion, I make the chicken in the toaster oven :o) I've been getting lazy with my cooking, so I've been making this at least once a week!

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com...

[isntsheclever]

This may be cheating... But I think the #1 think I make better at home than what you can get at restaurants (or, heavens forbid, premade) is salad. But that's just because I roast split chicken breasts and shred up the meat. I also roast potatoes (fingerlings are my fav), asparagus, beets, green beans, etc. And I make my own dressing. I realize this doesn't take skill. But it does take time, and patience.
Other than that... My husband's garlic-milk-soaked fried chicken is pretty amazing.

[buttertart]

It's not cheating, they both sound lovely.

[isntsheclever]

I suppose cheating isn't the right word. Perhaps just not fancy enough.
But, yes, they are both quite lovely!!

[Jadore]

I agree completely! I think making a beautiful salad DOES take skill, because I've had so many disappointing ones in the past. Some restaurants dump bland dressing all over everything, or the proteins are never seasoned enough, or there's too much cheese, etc.

And OMG, that chicken sounds incredible!

[isntsheclever]

It is yummy! There's no real recipe. He usually just adds garlic powder and onion powder in milk. Though I imagine you could add something like cayenne if you're into that. Throw your cut up chicken in the milk and let it swim. We usually only do about a half hour, but I think the next time we try it we'll see what happens if it sits overnight. Then we bread it in Western Star flour. And fry as normal.

[BadRabbitAU]

My favorite (and the rest of my family's favorite as well) meal is Phan's Carmelized Black Pepper Chicken. It is very quick, has nothing that I don't always keep in the house, and is spectacularly delicious.

It's just a gingery sweet and spicy sauce over chicken thighs that I serve on top of Jasmine rice and sprinkle liberally with chopped cilantro. I do leave the water out of his recipe and double the shallots.

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
About 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 fresh Thai chiles, halved, or dried red chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cilantro sprigs

Original recipe below:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ca...

[souschef]

I wonder how it would taste without the sugar and the chile. I don't like sweet mains and can't eat spicy hot stuff.

[BadRabbitAU]

I've done it without the chile because my mother is extremely sensitive to that kind of thing. However, this dish is wholly dependant on the brown sugar. It's one dish where I think the quality of the brown sugar makes a huge difference and so whenever possible I use muscovado. I cannot imagine that the dish would work without the sweet component. It would likely be salty and sour with no balance.

[pamd]

Have you ever tried it with breasts instead of thighs?

[Jay F]

- lasagne Bolognese (or baked cavatappi Bolognese when I don't feel like making my own pasta)
- roasted fish, potatoes and vegetables
- chicken or fish en saor

[RAGHOUND]

Absolutely, positively, oxtail ragu. I could probably eat this, with a bowl of rigatoni, twice a week forever!

[c oliver]

Do you have a special recipe that you're willing to share, raghound?

[RAGHOUND]

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Using a 3 1/2 qt. heavy pot, I brown the oxtails in 3 Tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat and remove them to a bowl. Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the pot, with 1/4 lb. of pancetta in 1/2 dice and cook for a few minutes over med-high heat until the pancetta begins to sizzle and brown. Then add a mirepoix of 1/2" dice 1 large onion, 2 large carrots and 1 large celery stalk (I eliminate the celery and use 1 large red bell pepper). Lower the heat to medium and cook them until wilted then add 3/4 C red wine and simmer until evaporated, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Then I add a 28 oz can of Redpack tomatoes w/puree, 1 C of good low-salt brown chicken stock, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a bay leaf. Season w/S&P to taste and bring to a boil. Cover and place in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hrs. Remove from the oven. Remove the meat from the bones and chop or shred it, and return it to the pot. Return the pot to the oven for 15-30 minutes to meld the flavors

You can either serve it immediately with your favorite pasta or, I like to let it cool, put it in the frig overnight and have it for dinner the next day. You can reheat it on the stove or in the oven, whichever you like. Get some crusty bread to sop up the sauce! Leftovers will keep in the freezer for about 4-6 weeks.

[c oliver]

You are a god or goddess :) Thanks so much.

[RAGHOUND]

That would be a god! ;-D I just noticed that I never returned the oxtails to the pot in the recipe I gave you. I put them back in after I add the tomatoes, stock, etc. Incidentally, I make my own brown chicken stock from a recipe I tore out of Gourmet magazine about 25 years ago. I'm away from home at the moment so I can't look at page and tell you who to credit (I think it's James Beard), but it's very simple and it's absolutely the best stock recipe I've found.
Roast 3-3 1/2 lbs of chicken parts (I save necks, backs & wing tips & giblets from chickens I split) in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Add 2 large onions, peeled and halved, stuck with 2 whole cloves. and 3 carrots washed and halved and cook another 30 minutes, stirring twice during that time.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a stock pot, remove most of the fat from the roasting pan and add 2 C water to the pan and scrap the brown bits from the pan over high heat. Pour that into the stock pot and add 14 C cold water. Bring it to a boil and add 1/2 C cold water to bring it to a slow simmer.

Add 1 stalk celery halved, 1 bay leaf, 12 whole black peppercorns, 1 tsp thyme (crumbled) and 6 large flat-leaf parsley springs.and 1/2 tsp salt, bring it back to a slow simmer and let it cook for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pot, strain the stock into a container, let it cool and put it in the frig overnight. Next day remove the congealed fat from the top of the stock. I put mine in ice cube trays and freeze them and then put the cubes into a ziplock bag. They're easy to use that way since each cube is 1 oz.

[chowser]

I've never started the stock with the roasted chicken (though I do use roast chicken carcass) but this makes me wonder if I could do it but use the roasting pan to make a stock, instead of scraping it into a stock pot. There wouldn't be any loss of the brown bits then.

[souschef]

But don't you use the brown bits to make a sauce ?

I think you would get too much evaporation if you used the roasting pan, unless you covered it with foil.

[chowser]

Sometimes when I've made gravy, I've used the roasting pan to make sure I get all the drippings. I do use the brown bits but some of it sticks--I guess I'm being greedy that I want it all!

Jacques Torres had the best tip for controlling evaporation--using parchment cut almost to size but then adding a hole in the center. I think that would work here, too. I'm really trying to get out of washing another pan. ;-)

[RAGHOUND]

I had never roasted the chicken parts before I found that recipe. About the only time I don't is when I'm in the mood to make won-ton soup. It is such a rich and flavorful stock when it's roasted. I can't tell you how many people have asked for the recipe after they've eaten something I made with it. Try it and let us know what you think of it.

[souschef]

Shouldn't that be "raguhound" ? :)

[RAGHOUND]

Funny!

[c oliver]

Like it!

[iL Divo]

Pretty much I make everything myself.
Not one to buy premade dinners or "pop in the oven things" after taking them out of their plastic packaging.

Chili con carne
Beef stew
Beef Stroganoff
Chicken Parma
Spaghetti Bolognese
Bacon wrapped roasted pork tenderloin
Any fruit pie

[pasuga]

Ismail Merchant's recipe for chicken livers marinated and then baked in yogurt with garlic and chopped jalapeno, served with rice.

And definitely spaghetti bolognese with cheese!

Chicken and dumplings.

[RLTRLDY]

PLEASE share the chicken liver recipe! I tried to find it online, but can't.

[Floridagirl]

Years ago I fixed up a recipe from Frugal Gourmet cooks with Wine called Pork in Wine and Vinegar sauce. The problem with the recipe in the book is that it looked bland so I just seasoned it. I serve it with spaetzle and normally a cabbage dish. Plus, it's cubed pork butt so I can get it ready early and put in the oven for a few hours. When I cut the pork off the bones I leave some meat on them and freeze the bones and put in Sunday gravy type spaghetti sauce.

[buttertart]

Could you share the pork with wine as you make it, possibly?

[Floridagirl]

Of course.
1 pork butt bone in, about 6 lbs. Cut up the pork into 1 1/2"-2"cubes, trimming outer fat. Save the bone for another use. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown the pork in 3 tbsp. bacon fat or a combination of olive oil and butter, in batches. Transfer meat to a roasting pan and in the same frying pan sweat 2 large diced onions, 3 minced shallots and 6 cloves of minced garlic. Transfer to roasting pan with the pork. Delaze the frying pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine and add to the pork. To the pork in the roasting pan add 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs, 1 can Campbells beef consomme, and dried herbs of choice. I like sage but thyme is good also. cover loosely with foil and bake at 325 for about 21/2 hours until the meat is tender. Stir once in awhile and toward the end, maybe 15 minutes before, remove the foil. Remove from oven and add some chopped flat leaf parsley, fresh herbs(the same as the dried one you used) and 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonong.

People just eat this stuff up. The last time I was going to a covered dish and I said I wanted to bring something different, I was told no, everyone is looking forward to the pork.

[buttertart]

This sounds completely fabulous, thank you very much indeed. Must try. Pork is by far my favorite meat.

[rjbh20]

Not exactly a meal, but I'm partial to seafood sausage with beurre blanc.

[buttertart]

Panfried pork chops, fried potatoes (preferably from previously-boiled potatoes), homemade applesauce or fried apples if they're new, coleslaw.
(Minus the slaw and plus some frozen peas it was the last dinner I cooked for my dad.)
This may be dinner tonight!

[walker]

Thomas Keller in Ad Hoc at Home talks about the last meal he cooked for his Dad. (I just went to look this up and am not completely sure it was the last meal.) Anyway, it was Barbequed Chicken with mashed potatoes and collard greens and strawberry shortcake. Sounds great.

[buttertart]

I read an article about that somewhere and was touched.
We had wild Ontario blueberries over vanilla ice cream for dessert (he had had his niece send him some because he loved thm and knew I did too.)

[madtheswine]

Anything braised, but especially short ribs and duck confit. Oxtails are also up there.

[mamachef]

Any braised, meaty, winey thing: bourgonionne; braised oxtails with frybread;port-braised lamb shanks or lamb shanks in white wine with gremolata and polenta; Moroccan short ribs with fruit and nut couscous; chicken pot pie.....country captain...cacciatore bianco.......as long as it simmers for a long long time, I'm a pretty happy camper.
Minus the luxury of time, though, and sometimes with the luxury of all the time I need, Roasted Chicken with lemons and garlic; parsley-buttered noodles; something green; and applesauce mixed with cranberry sauce. Brownies and ice cream for afters.

[eclecticsynergy]

I never tire of roast chicken. Or pasta: either spaghetti with red sauce & Parmesan, or noodles Hungarian style with cottage cheese, pepper, smoked paprika and sometimes mushrooms & a little sour cream, or simple alphabets/pastina just with butter & salt and/or garlic.

But I'd have to say my personal fave is this rice and cheese casserole. I often say the resulting culinary paradise lies somewhere between a souffle and a risotto. Easy and so tasty & satisfying, to me it's the ultimate comfort food. With apologies to those who've seen me post it before...

Brown Rice & Cheese Casserole
A classic, courtesy of Oma (Elisabeth Wiley). I still need to have this at least a couple of times a year, and honestly would be happy eating it a couple of times a week.

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup water
1½ cup cooked brown rice (3/4 cup uncooked) [Oma says she uses a bit more than this]
1¼ cup freshly grated Cheddar (10oz bar = 2½ c)
salt to taste (preferably Herbamare seasoned salt...)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (½ med. pepper)
2 Tb grated onion {Oma uses a little more here too}

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat eggs together with cream and water. Stir into cooked
rice. Add cheese, salt, green pepper & onion. Mix well. Turn into an oiled casserole
dish and bake 45 minutes or until set.

serves 2 - recipe times 9 is enough for 20 people

tender variant uses 1/2 cup water and steamed, skinned peppers

[artychokeasana]

this may very well be tonight's dinner :-)

[sherriberry]

Pistachio crusted pork loin, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus w/ balsamic vinegar.

[walker]

Twice I've made Hazan's lasagna (fresh pasta!) Bolognese. A lot of work but soooo delicious. (I wish someone would make it for ME!!)

[c oliver]

It is sooooo good, isn't it? I even have some Bolognese in the freezer but still haven't made it in too long.

[ipsedixit]

Recently, because of all the inclement weather in SoCal, it's been oxtail soup with a big plate of fish dumplings.

[EM23]

Chicken Milanese with a chopped salad in a lemon vinaigrette or filet mignon w/ boiled potatoes, Bernaise and asparagus are my favorite quick meals.
But when I have a whole day free to cook it would be Bolognese over spinach tagliatelle (Hazan's recipe) or beef stew over egg noodles or sauteed spinach. I double or triple the recipes for both and freeze in individual portions in a muffin tin so I can have these as home-cooked meals any day of the week.

[chef chicklet]

Wow. What to choose from. ok this is my love, the dinner for myself..... that's got to be...wait...ummmm. oh yeah for sure chile rellenos I love love love them, my dh likes them but doesn't go crazy like me. I eat them for breakfast, dream about the cheeses to use, plan like a maniac around them, and love every single tender flavorful mix of poblano roasted chile, cheeses, light sauce made with a bit if chicken broth, and with that ranchero sauce every bite I take little bit of lettuce and avocado to the side to bring into the sauce for crunch and more creaminess factor.... Tomorrow - hah, guess what I'm making?

[chowser]

Do you deep fry them? I'd love to make them but don't want to fry. Could you share your recipe? Thanks!

[chef chicklet]

wow, sorry I never saw this chowser! I did give my recipe to PhurstLuv not too long ago, let me find it for you.

No I don't deep fry but i do a shallow fry. Flip gently to get the color nice, but so important to use paper to drain them on. I know what you mean about not wanting to fry. I usually don't eat much if any, just these once in awhile, and now those Japanese shrimp fritters. If you get the temperature hot enough it won'd be absorbed. What's important is to not let it drop,that's when the food gets soggy.

[mariacarmen]

Pork pernil, with anything.

[pine time]

Simple, but filling and delicious: arroz con pollo, from an old magazine recipe about 25 years ago!

[susancinsf]

pine time; I often crave arroz con pollo, but have yet to find a recipe I really like. Would you care to share yours?

[c oliver]

Omigosh, I was definitely having a senior moment yesterday. Will Owen's Pork Shoulder Roast. I've probably made it a dozen times in two years.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5826...

[chef chicklet]

What not jfood's ribs? I'm shocked and amazed!

[c oliver]

Ooh, that too, that too. It's like I can't choose between my two (now grown) daughters :)

[bayoucook]

Seafood or chicken and sausage gumbo. Shrimp Creole with a dark roux. Roasted chicken with garlic-buttermilk mashed potatoes. Southern vegetable plate: collards, fried okra, stewed squash, lima beans or field peas, cornbread, sliced tomatoes and onions.

[c oliver]

Change that to a squash casserole with plenty of onions and Cheddar and I'm all over that plate. Oh and maybe some cornsticks?

[bayoucook]

Yes! I do my squash the way my depression-era grandmother did them. Cook until just tender and drain. Saute some onion in butter until soft, then add chunks of squash in and mix well. Add some cheddar cheese and 2 or 3 well-beaten eggs to the mixture until eggs are cooked and all mixed in. Salt and pepper and serve. I do have a squash casserole recipe that is so bad: full of eggs and mayo and cheese and so so good; we have it every Easter and Thanksgiving.

[c oliver]

A little bacon crumbled in and on doesn't hurt either.

[fourunder]

Something roasted...Prime Rib, Turkey, Chicken or Boston Butt. For Seafood....Maine Lobster.....but nothing beats soft scrambled eggs for a quick easy meal.. In the summer time...anything on the grill.

[sunflwrsdh]

Meat loaf, baked (or roasted garlic mashed) potatoes, french cut green beans and home made chocolate pudding
my mom always served that combination, and I think her mom did as well.

[pinehurst]

spaghetti with olive oil and garlic. For me, the simpler the better.

[c oliver]

I've been on a pho bo (beef) kick lately. Just made a gallon and a half of the broth yesterday so we have LOTS of meals coming up.

[pikawicca]

I would love to have your recipe! The one time I tried to make pho, it was disgusting. Lots of work,lots of good stuff went into the broth, but it was just bad.

[c oliver]

YOU are asking ME for a recipe??? Oh lord, you can take me know; life is good indeed :) Okay, just kidding. It's Nguyen's recipe. Here's the link:

http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/...

I doubled the recipe so started with 12 quarts of water and wound up with 6 plus quarts of broth so you can imagine how flavorful it is.

[pikawicca]

Thank you!

[magiesmom]

Skillet roasted chicken and some kind of potatoes and whatever green veg is beautiful.

[agoodbite]

Baked spareribs with baked sweet potatoes and greens. Skillet cornbread (no sugar!) and cabbage cooked with salt pork or butter are just as good.

For a fancy meal, ham and spoonbread are terrific.

[chowser]

I'm on a chicken and biscuits kick right now--it takes all day, from making the stock but is well worth it.

[chefathome]

Many but some favourites include:

Roasted duck breast with quince and pink peppercorn jelly or pigeon breast with orange pepper butter or braised rabbit with de puy lentils
Roasted root soup with sizzled ginger and black peppercorn creme fraiche
Wild mushroom and fresh herb risotto with arugula pesto
Seared foie gras with cucumber gelee or chicken liver pate with pancetta and mangetout or membrillo and pepper glazed pork belly
Maple syrup glazed baby carrots with black garlic and fresh mint
Croquembouche or dacquoise

Or whenever I cook from "French Laundry" or "The Fat Duck Cookbook".

In fact, we are having some of the above for dinner tonight. Duck. It's one of the favourites in our house.

[lollya]

Your roasted root soup sounds divine! Would you share?

[souschef]

Wow! croquembouche as part of a favourite meal (I am assuming you make it often) ! I have only ever made it a couple of times, both times for special parties.

[chowser]

Not just crocquembouche--I'm thinking the most of the list would be special occasion dinners, not just every day ones. I hope chefathome's family appreciates what they get! And, I thought plain old boring home made bread was a good thing.

[souschef]

Home-made bread at least takes some effort (rising, etc). A couple of days ago I made sausage and potato stew - brown sausages, throw in potatoes, onions, and a bit of water. Found the recipe in Jacques Pépin's "Everyday Cooking". Simple and tasty. Most of the stuff I make for everyday meals is simple.

[chowser]

That sounds really good. I'll have to look it up. Perfect w/ home made bread, too!

[RAGHOUND]

I've made that souschef. It's very easy and very good. Jacques "fast food" is usually not just fast, but good. I love his leeks & tomatoes. Clean & boil (at a med/low boil) 3 med. leeks for 10 mins. When the leeks cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out and slice them in 1-2 inch lengths. Put them in a bowl or on a small platter

Peel & seed a med/lrg roma tomato. Chop the tomato in a sm/med dice. Mix 3 Tbsp EVOO, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp dijon mustard (I like a seedy one), 1 tsp worcestershire sauce and S&P to taste, toss in the tomato and stir to blend. Pour the mixture over the leeks and serve at room temp.

[souschef]

I also use JP's recipe for crepes and for chicken livers, from the same book.

[chefathome]

This truly is the type of stuff we cook about 5 times a week at our house. I am THAT obsessed! Since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in February I haven't made croquembouche but am working on a gluten free version of it.

Homemade bread is NOT boring! It's one of the best things in the world I think. Nothing beats the smell of it, either. Especially now since I can no longer have it. :-(

Even though I usually cook this way part of it is experimenting and challenging myself. When I see difficult recipes I am all over them - I almost want to tackle the techniques. Using uncommon ingredients also appeals to me. As I teach cooking classes it's also my business to continue to learn these things so I can pass them on to students.

Having said all that, there is definitely a time and place for honest, simple rustic food. I love that, too! In fact, there are times I prefer it.

[biondanonima]

Kielbasa served over warm lentils and roast butternut squash, fennel and red onion with vinaigrette, no-knead bread with Anchor butter. We are low-carb so I don't have it frequently, but when I want a carby meal this is the first thing I think of to make. Bolognese with fresh pasta is probably a close second. For low-carb stuff, probably my stuffed meatloaf with homemade ricotta cheese.

[ttoommyy]

Sunday gravy with meatballs, brasciole, sausage and pork.

[artychokeasana]

oh my, that sounds good.

[pikawicca]

Roast chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and peas.

[LindaWhit]

^^^ That. :-)

[noodlepoodle]

Oven roasted turkey with the fixings. There's just the two of us, and I don't wait until Thanksgiving. I buy a whole turkey and cut it in half, freeze half for later and roast half. It cooks up quicker and more moist that way, and we have a reasonable amount of leftovers to deal with.