What are your most impressive, delicious recipes?

winterorchids

What dishes do you make for dinner when you have the time and really want to hit it out of the park with guests?

 (Bonus points if you include a recipe that is vegetarian or with seafood)

 

hannikan

Mm most of my stuff isn't vegetarian nor does it involve sea food since DH won't eat the latter. My apple crisp is (not vegan though). That's if you want any dessert ideas. That's always a home run. It's my mom's recipe and I think it was her grandma's. I included my mom's notes, too. It's great a la mode (with ice cream).

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1/2 c sugar (if use green apples use ?-1/4 cup more sugar)

1 t cinnamon

1 c flour

1/2 c butter

6 c sliced apples (Golden Delicious or Gala)

1.  Cut, core, peel and thinly slice the apples. (If use green apples poach them before hand. Put in pan with a teaspoon of butter with ?- ? of a cup of sugar simmer on low 3-5 mins)

2.  Mix the dry ingredients well.

3.  Slice the butter in thin slices and add piece by piece to the flour mixture while cutting after each piece with two knives going in opposite directions from the center of the bowl to the side or use a pastry blender.

4.  After you've cut up the butter slices into smaller pieces, blend with your fingers until there are no big clumps of butter that isn't mixed with the flour, sugar mixture.

5.  Arrange the apples in layers and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Put another layer of apples on top and repeat the cinnamon until you have about 3 layers.

6.  Sprinkle 1/4-1/2 c of sugar on top if the apples aren't a sweet variety.  If they're sweet, omit the extra sugar.

7.  Top with the crumb topping.

8.  Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

This recipe uses more flour, less sugar and it's white sugar not brown or light brown.  If you use more sugar, it caramelizes more and if it's light or dark brown, it caramelizes a lot. 

Also, I used gala apples because the stores don't often have golden delicious apples anymore.  The golden delicious apples that grow in warmer climates like the valley aren't always very sweet, sometimes they're kind of tasteless.  The advantage is that their flesh isn't as dense and it doesn't take as long for the juices to be released in cooking as with using the green apple varieties.  That can make the crisp burn.  You can tell it's done baking if the crisp is dark golden brown, not pale golden brown and if you're using a glass dish, the apples underneath will not be white, but getting clear in color.  The juices will be bubbling through to the top making it move, wavelike, with the steam from the bubbles releasing.

If you use the crisp topping on top of a pie instead of a top crust, you'll probably have to cover the crisp part with tin foil during the first 15 minutes of baking at 425 degrees, remove it and then watch that it doesn't burn.  Cover it again if it looks like it might burn. 

 

pkw

Completely Veggie Friendly if you put the bacon on the side!!!!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-and-Blue-Cheese-Salad-103688?mbid=ipapp

This is my favorite "potato salad replacement" and everyone LOVES it.  It is so good chilled!!!! I have never added the egg so ignore that step.

I make it with the mixed mini potato bag from Trade Joes (there are 3 different colors of potatoes, including the purple ones which taste SO good with this but make it so pretty!!!)

I originally made this since I have friend who is allergic to eggs so normal mayo based potato salads are out.  I tried this on a whim and it was amazing.  My dad is vegetarian so I make this for ALL of our family BBQ dinners.  If they are vegan, put the cheese on the side too and ask if they eat honey or not since some vegans I know do and some dont....if they dont then this wont be a good recipe since it needs the honey. 

sm23

Love these seared scallops with spicy honey-citrus glaze (I skip the celery salad but I have served these on a celery root puree and that was yummy.)

Not vegetarian, but my husband absolutely loves this lasagna recipe. I don't reduce the sauce nearly as much as they call for. I found it made the lasagna kind of dry.

I know it's not the sexiest thing out there, but a lot of people love the chili I make. I made it with ground chicken and turkey before I became a vegetarian; now I make it with soyrizo from Trader Joe's and it's excellent. I serve it with cornbread. Let me know if you want the recipe.

Passanie

Not in season, but I always get compliments on my plum cake.

And I know they're kind of ordinary, but friends have liked nestie favorites creamy one-pot pasta and hot crash potatoes. Oh, and risotto is always a hit around here.

(And who are you trying to impress??? )

sm23

Passanie:

Not in season, but I always get compliments on my plum cake.

And I know they're kind of ordinary, but friends have liked nestie favorites creamy one-pot pasta and hot crash potatoes. Oh, and risotto is always a hit around here.

(And who are you trying to impress??? )

The plum cake IS impressive. It's so easy to make but ends up tasting great and looking so pretty. I just made it with pears for Thanksgiving and that was nice. I think it'd be good with peaches or apples too.

And yes, crash hot potatoes are awesome. Very easy but everytime I make them, people devour them and want the recipe.

ErikandAfton

Passanie:

Not in season, but I always get compliments on my plum cake.

And I know they're kind of ordinary, but friends have liked nestie favorites creamy one-pot pasta and hot crash potatoes. Oh, and risotto is always a hit around here.

(And who are you trying to impress??? )

Yep two of my favorite recipes.

My Mac and Cheese- you could make it veggie by not adding the egg.  Its a huge hit among family and friends.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls- Super yummy! However it has egg as well. 

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup- AMAZING!  E loves it and I make it all the time. 

Corn Chowder- It has bacon fat and you crumble bacon over the top but I've done it with olive oil instead of bacon fat and omitted the  crumbled bacon and it was just as good.

pink.dutch.tulips

i can do the seafood part ... bear w/ me and i'm trying to remember it off the top of my head

bring about 2 quarts of seafood stock OR veggie stock to a boil (add garlic, old bay seasoning, s/p to taste)

add the following - about 1-1 1/2 pounds of monkfish cut into 2"-3" pieces, 1/2 - 3/4 pound of sea scallops, 1-1 1/2 pounds of large/jumbo shrimp (devined ONLY) and in that order into a dutch oven or LARGE stockpot and simmer for about 5-6 minutes until shrimp turn pink (what i do is add the fish, then prep the scallops, add them in, then prep shrimp and add them)

in a separate pan heat about 1-2" of water until boiling and add 1 pound of litteneck clams, cover, turn down heat and let simmer for about 5-10 mins or until clams are open (discard any that ARE NOT open) - remove clams, cover and set aside- rinse pan out, add 1-2" of white wine and garlic bring to a boil, add mussels, cover and simmer about 5-10 mins until they open, discard any that aren't open, set aside and cover.

w/ a slotted spoon remove fish, scallops and shrimp when shrimp turn pink, cover and keep warm

reduce the stock mixture down to 2 - 2 1/2 cups, reduce to simmer and add 8 ozs of creme fraiche, 2 tbsp of apple brandy and 2 tbsp of fresh marjoram (if using dried use 1/2 that amt) - gently add seafood and heat through.

add fresh parsley and s/p to taste and ENJOY !

i usually serve this w/ risotto or over rice or orzo pasta

sm23

ErikandAfton:

Passanie:

My Mac and Cheese- you could make it veggie by not adding the egg.  Its a huge hit among family and friends.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls- Super yummy! However it has egg as well. 

Eggs are not an issue for vegetarians, only for vegans.

angelabbf

Grilled portabello mushrooms. Marinate in balsamic, olive oil, fresh rosemary, sea salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes.

OH SO YUMMY. My favorite is to serve them with garlic mashed potatoes and a bit of homemade marinara sauce. 

The same marinade is delish w/ faux chicken breasts (or real chicken breasts - that I cook for my DH).

Homemade mac & cheese is always a hit... Especially if kids are involved in the meal.

Individual apple crisps w/ homemade vanilla ice cream.

angelabbf

If I know they are adventurous, I've also done Japanese... Sushi, homemade miso soup, cucumber sunomono, teriyaki tofu w/ rice. Or okonomiyaki.

ZoeMay06

angelabbf:

If I know they are adventurous, I've also done Japanese... Sushi, homemade miso soup, cucumber sunomono, teriyaki tofu w/ rice. Or okonomiyaki.

Mmm...okonomiyaki. I've seriously been craving it lately. I need to figure out how to make it.

This is a fabulous recipe that was posted on here a few years back:

Salmon, spinach and pesto in puff pastry