Share a Favorite Dinner Recipe

Parent Cafe
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<p>I just ran across this thread and I found some recipes I’m anxious to try. On the salmon issue, Timeflew and Sewhappy are absolutely correct. Farmed salmon, often times called Atlantic salmon is much fattier and has a much different texture than wild/Pacific salmon. If you think you dislike salmon, at least try wild caught. You might be surprised. The fish counter guy at my local store told me that farmed salmon are crowded and unable to swim, so they get fat and that affects the taste and texture. Wild salmon are very lean and the texture is firm. The first seafood I ever liked was teriyaki salmon from Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle. </p>

<p>Here’s a crock pot question. Has anyone found that newer versions of slow cookers overcook food? I had an old (avacado color, old) Rival Crock Pot that I used for years. Since it broke, I’ve had two others that just don’t cook the same. I can no longer start something in the morning and come home to a perfectly cooked meal in the evening. Any solutions out there?</p>

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<p>csf…the crockpots are set to higher heats now due to concerns about bacteria growth at lower temps. I have two - my old one which I use for all day cooking and my new one - which can cook chicken or pork in 3-4 hours. I never had any problems with all-day cooking so I guess I’m not worried. But I can see why the crock-pot makers don’t want to be sued!</p>

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<p>mousegray, I’m not a big fan of chicken breasts either, and usually prefer thighs, but here’s a recipe that I love. There’s something about this combination of flavors that’s just intoxicating. We make it at least once every few weeks in our house, usually accompanied by risotto and steamed broccoli. </p>

<p>Chicken Piccata
serves 4</p>

<p>1.5 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2 cups bread crumbs, or more if needed
About 1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Juice of 3 lemons
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 T capers</p>

<p>Spread the flour out on a plate. Make an egg wash by adding about 1/2 cup water to the two beaten eggs in a wide bowl. Put the bread crumbs in another wide bowl and season with a little pepper.</p>

<p>Slice chicken breasts into fillets (2-3 per breast, depending on thickness). Season with salt, coat with the flour, then dip in the egg wash and dredge in the bread crumbs till thoroughly coated. Stack the breaded breast fillets on a plate and set aside.</p>

<p>Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken filets (depending on the number of filets and size of the skillet, this may take 2 or 3 batches). Cook for 3 minutes on each side; watch the heat to make sure the breasts are cooking hard enough to brown, but not burning. As the chicken pieces cook, transfer them to a platter wide enough to hold them all in one layer. </p>

<p>When the chicken is through cooking, add the crushed garlic clove to the remaining oil. As soon as it has sizzled for a few seconds, add the wine. When the wine has reduced by about half, add the capers and lemon juice and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it has reduced somewhat. (You don’t want it to reduce too much, or the dish will be too dry.)</p>

<p>While the sauce is cooking, sprinkle the chopped parsley over the chicken pieces. When the sauce is ready, pour it over the parsley-covered chicken.</p>

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<p>fendergirl, your raspberry chicken recipe looks great. I want to try it, but have a question. Do you think it would be okay to substitute raspberry preserves for the raspberry jam? If not, I’ll wait to put it on the menu till after my next grocery trip.</p>

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<p>Had the best dinner - one of my favorites.
(serves 4 to 6)
Go to the fish counter and get:
1 lb. mussels
1/2 lb. squid
1/3 lb. shrimp
a hunk of firm fish (I like monkfish best, but today it was cod)
1/2 lb. scallops</p>

<p>Get out a large saute pan or wok. Saute</p>

<p>1 onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
the rest of a bag of carrots
maybe some red pepper</p>

<p>look in your freezer (or pantry) and add
ca. 1/2 a large can of crushed tomatoes (fresh ones are dandy too)</p>

<p>Add
a bottle of clam juice, or some stock
a splash of the white wine you are planning to have with dinner</p>

<p>Add the seafood in approximately the order listed.</p>

<p>Season with salt, pepper, oregano and fresh basil (or dried if you don’t have fresh). Cook until the scallops are just barely done.</p>

<p>Serve with a salad (and maybe a baguette) in soup bowls. </p>

<p>Muscadet is a nice wine to have with this.</p>

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<p>We also do lots of fish stews. We change them up by giving them ethnic slants- putting in coconut milk, adding curry or saffron. Great over pasta or rice. Yum! Always starts with fish stock from my fish monger.</p>

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<p>Oh, I wish I had known that about the newer crock pots, I just tossed my 30 year old one when the inner dish broke, I could have kept the heating portion and just subbed in my new inner cooker!</p>

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<p>I would like to post on of my family’s favorites here on the “SALMON CHANNEL” :smiley: (With apologies in advance to redroses)</p>

<p>Bowtie Pasta with Sausage and Sweet Peppers</p>

<p>1 lb. of sausage (I use Emeril’s asiago & spinach chicken sausages from Sam’s Club)
2 bell peppers (I like red the best)
12 oz bowtie pasta
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
14 oz beef broth (can also add some red or white wine)
one large shallot
sliced mushrooms (opt.)
grated parmesan </p>

<p>Start pasta water. Meanwhile, slice sausage into 1/2" pieces and chunk up peppers. Cook over medium heat until sausage is browned and peppers are softened. Drain off any excess grease, leaving just enough to saute the mushroooms and shallots (usually with the chix sausage there is very litte excess). Once mushrooms are done, add liquids and boil to reduce. Season with pepper to taste. In a large pasta bowl, top hot pasta with sausage mixture, and sprinkle with grated parmesan.</p>

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<p>Looking for quick, yummy dinner.
Foodie friend suggested I buy one of those boxed Macaroni Grill Chicken Piccata Dinners.</p>

<p>Yuck, I thought, especially when I saw the packet of wine enclosed in box. </p>

<p>Made this with boneless chicken thighs. I’m converted.
Anyone have experience with Macaroni Grill items.
Great to make during the Phillies post season!</p>

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<p>I have purchased the frozen Macaroni Grill Basil Paremesan Chicken from Sam’s Club…quick, easy and very tasty. My kids also like the Chicken Alredo with Linguini boxed mix…I usually add some roasted red pepper and spinach, or other fresh veggies.</p>

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<p>mathmom, I like your recipe, especially “the rest of a bag of carrots”! That’s the kind of recipe I can follow. I make something very similar, except with leeks and a green or red pepper. Also, to make it extra special, add a splash of anise liqueur at the end and set it on fire! It is really, really delicious.</p>

<p>Here is a salmon teriyaki recipe that is easy and delicious and even fish haters like it:</p>

<p>Marinate two salmon steaks in a little soy sauce and sake or dry sherry, and some grated fresh ginger if you have it (about 1/2 inch worth) for about 15 minutes. Take out of marinade, blot a little and dredge lightly in flour. Heat oil in skillet (iron is best) on medium high, cook salmon turning once. How long depends on the thickness of steaks but you want them about 85% done. Turn down heat a little and add teriyaki sauce, letting it bubble and glaze the fish (I turn it once more so both sides are glazed). Top with a little chopped scallion. </p>

<p>Teriyaki sauce:
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. mirin (sweet rice wine)
3 T. sake (I use a cheap dry sherry that I have on hand for cooking)</p>

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<p>I can imagine anise liqueur might be good with fish stew. On Friday we went to a Greek restaurant and I had a raw salmon that had been cured in ouzo that faint licorice flavor was good with fish.</p>

<p>Also had a great dessert at the restaurant which I recreated last night for a 10-10-10 party. It was basically a cross between baklava and apple pie.</p>

<p>Here’s what I did.
Take 1/2# of filo and using one stick of melted butter put buttered layers in a pie plate, rotating around.</p>

<p>Then fill it with:
4-5 chopped apples
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup brown sugar</p>

<p>Cover with the rest of of the filo slices, buttering as you go. Cut it into 10-12 slices.</p>

<p>Put it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. (It was just a little too runny so, I think I might start with a 400 degree oven like apple pie next time or I could cook it longer.) </p>

<p>While it’s cooking prepare syrup from
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
a bit of lemon rind
a cinnamon stick
boil about 10 minutes</p>

<p>When the pie is nicely browned remove it from the oven and pour the syrup over it.</p>

<p>Serve with cinnamon ice cream (added a couple of tsp of cinnamon to a vanilla ice cream using the food processor and let refreeze.)</p>

<p>Try not to think about the calorie count when you eat it.</p>

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<p>mathmom, you’re right, it was ouzo that my fish soup recipe called for – I just couldn’t remember the name. But other anise liqueur works too.</p>