What is your favorite dinner?

[LisaH]

You know you are cookin' when you cook with saffron!

Meats such as chicken, pork, beef, even salmon taste better with some degree of sear (beef and pork) or browning (chicken and salmon) due to the maillard reaction. Sous vide cooking does not reach a high enough temperature for the maillard reaction to take place. Try searing or browning meats for a few minutes after the sous vide cooking. It will make all the difference.

I do sear almost all of my sous vide food except the lobsters. It adds more flavor.

 

[Icc5]

My favorite dish my wife makes is tortillini pie. It's made in a cheesecake pan, uses filio dough and frozen tortillini's with a heavy cream. Super rich tasting. Along with this she either does a salad or asparagus. This is usually what I ask for or the kids on birthdays or special occasions. We then have a crock pot cake for dessert which is again a very heavy rich cake that only rises about an inch and half.
We eat this few and far between because of the amount of calories we guess they must have in them.
Bart

 

[Glynda]

We have two - the easiest one is the most healthy, but the other is quite yummy!

We like to grill a large fish fillet (any whitefish) and steam broccoli. We have that once or twice a week.

But for the family favorite, I make a modified baked steak that we had at an Amish restaurant in Missouri, I braise 1/2"-1" boneless sirloin steaks (you can use round steak and cook longer), put in a crockpot and cover with diced onions, sliced mushrooms, and a mixture of cream of mushroom soup and Heinz Beef Gravy in a jar and add a little salt and a lot of pepper. I cook it several hours. I serve it with Costco mashed potatoes, green beans and steamed frozen corn. Hubs likes biscuits, but I generally do the Rhodes rolls (grandson's fav) that I let raise. For dessert, we have coconut cream pie. It is our version of what "grandma used to make" - only better!

Reads like the way I do a rump roast. I don't use the Heinz gravy though.

 

[Glynda]

Nice warm (by Texas standards) chili. (NO BEANS).

Good for any meal. (Yes, I <love> it for breakfast.)

(Recipe available on request. . . .)

I'm Southern and we always made chili with beans. However, I find in the South that chili for topping hot dogs has no beans. Never knew people eat it as soup without beans. Hmm...the things we learn on TUG.

 

[Passepartout]

I'm Southern and we always made chili with beans. However, I find in the South that chili for topping hot dogs has no beans. Never knew people eat it as soup without beans. Hmm...the things we learn on TUG.

There seems to be more variations in 'chili' than just about anything. Back in my time on the road, I got into one of my 'quests'. I set out to find the country's best chili burger. Hand cut fries was a bonus. I'd go into a truck stop restaurant- or other likely looking joint, and if I spotted a chili burger on the menu, I'd quiz the waitress if it was good or house made, etc, and if it sounded promising, I'd order one. This quest went on for a couple of years anyway, off and on. If the patty was some pre frozen slab from a greasy griddle, or the chili was just dumped out of a can, zero.points and I'd usually shrug and walk out never to darken that door again. Fresh ground chuck, charred, hand pattied, chili, well seasoned, of cubed roast best-selling now we're talking and accompanied by fresh, hand cut French fries. That was worth an encore on the next trip past the place!

But the winner, (I knew you'd ask) was a little truck stop in the middle of nowhere at a place called Road Forks that is on the border between Arizona and New Mexico. They have you a choice between red chili with or without beans, or green chili-no beans. The green was the hands down winner. Two hand formed parties of fresh ground round, smothered. And another platter of hand cut fries on the side. Unbelievable! You couldn't (or at least shouldn't) finish it, but after probably 30+ years, I still remember it.

Jim

 

[Glynda]

There seems to be more variations in 'chili' than just about anything. Back in my time on the road, I got into one of my 'quests'. I set out to find the country's best chili burger. Hand cut fries was a bonus. I'd go into a truck stop restaurant- or other likely looking joint, and if I spotted a chili burger on the menu, I'd quiz the waitress if it was good or house made, etc, and if it sounded promising, I'd order one. This quest went on for a couple of years anyway, off and on. If the patty was some pre frozen slab from a greasy griddle, or the chili was just dumped out of a can, zero.points and I'd usually shrug and walk out never to darken that door again. Fresh ground chuck, charred, hand pattied, chili, well seasoned, of cubed roast best-selling now we're talking and accompanied by fresh, hand cut French fries. That was worth an encore on the next trip past the place!

But the winner, (I knew you'd ask) was a little truck stop in the middle of nowhere at a place called Road Forks that is on the border between Arizona and New Mexico. They have you a choice between red chili with or without beans, or green chili-no beans. The green was the hands down winner. Two hand formed parties of fresh ground round, smothered. And another platter of hand cut fries on the side. Unbelievable! You couldn't (or at least shouldn't) finish it, but after probably 30+ years, I still remember it.

Jim

Whoa! That's a lot of chili burgers! I am a bit of a purist. I like my burgers with just mayo, mustard & lettuce. Ketchup & mustard on a hot dog. I'm happy eating hot dogs plain too if it's a good dog. I have tried chili dogs...IMO ruins them... but can't imagine trying on a burger. Should I, I'd prefer the green/no beans as I know I prefer enchiladas verde.

I had a somewhat similar quest back in the day when I loved open-faced roast beef with gravy on soft, plain white bread. Ordered it at lots of truck stops, diners, and mom & pop's.

 

[dayooper]

Smoked pulled pork or jambalaya. Either is great! I’ve been told my spaghetti sauce is pretty good too.

 

[wjappraise]

Pan seared sea scallops - fresh and the “dry” variety. Use high smoke point oil. Leave at least an inch between each scallop in the pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sear for about 60 seconds on each side. Then add a bit of melted butter on top and a light amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately. Perfect light brown “crust”. Delicious.

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

There seems to be more variations in 'chili' than just about anything. Back in my time on the road, I got into one of my 'quests'. I set out to find the country's best chili burger. Hand cut fries was a bonus. I'd go into a truck stop restaurant- or other likely looking joint, and if I spotted a chili burger on the menu, I'd quiz the waitress if it was good or house made, etc, and if it sounded promising, I'd order one. This quest went on for a couple of years anyway, off and on. If the patty was some pre frozen slab from a greasy griddle, or the chili was just dumped out of a can, zero.points and I'd usually shrug and walk out never to darken that door again. Fresh ground chuck, charred, hand pattied, chili, well seasoned, of cubed roast best-selling now we're talking and accompanied by fresh, hand cut French fries. That was worth an encore on the next trip past the place!

But the winner, (I knew you'd ask) was a little truck stop in the middle of nowhere at a place called Road Forks that is on the border between Arizona and New Mexico. They have you a choice between red chili with or without beans, or green chili-no beans. The green was the hands down winner. Two hand formed parties of fresh ground round, smothered. And another platter of hand cut fries on the side. Unbelievable! You couldn't (or at least shouldn't) finish it, but after probably 30+ years, I still remember it.

Jim

Try Islands in Phoenix. Great chiliburger and hand cut fries. They use to have one in Plano, years ago. . . .

 

[Passepartout]

Try Islands in Phoenix. Great chiliburger and hand cut fries. They use to have one in Plano, years ago. . . .

Thanks, but I kind of got over that quest 20 years and 40 lbs ago. Still, a bowl of good chili is welcome most any time.

Jim

 

[clifffaith]

Whoa! That's a lot of chili burgers! I am a bit of a purist. I like my burgers with just mayo, mustard & lettuce. Ketchup & mustard on a hot dog. I'm happy eating hot dogs plain too if it's a good dog.

You made me think of my late brother's hot dog request when he was a kid -- "mustard on the hot dog, ketchup on the bun". We were always amused at this and have no idea where he came up with something so specific. Cliff cringes when he sees me put ketchup on a hotdog (which also has shredded cheese, onions, dill pickle, tomatoes and mustard when I make them at home).

 

[chellej]

Pan seared sea scallops - fresh and the “dry” variety. Use high smoke point oil. Leave at least an inch between each scallop in the pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sear for about 60 seconds on each side. Then add a bit of melted butter on top and a light amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately. Perfect light brown “crust”. Delicious.

This is my DH's favorite and is so easy...I usually add a little wine when finished or sometimes beer and green CHilis...DH says green chilis make everything better..hatch of course

 

[MULTIZ321]

Pan seared sea scallops - fresh and the “dry” variety. Use high smoke point oil. Leave at least an inch between each scallop in the pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sear for about 60 seconds on each side. Then add a bit of melted butter on top and a light amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately. Perfect light brown “crust”. Delicious.

I had to look up 'high smoke point oil'.

Pan seared sea scallops - fresh and the “dry” variety. Use high smoke point oil. Leave at least an inch between each scallop in the pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sear for about 60 seconds on each side. Then add a bit of melted butter on top and a light amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately. Perfect light brown “crust”. Delicious.

I had to look up 'high smoke point' oil.

'Smoke Point' matters when cooking with oil:

Pan seared sea scallops - fresh and the “dry” variety. Use high smoke point oil. Leave at least an inch between each scallop in the pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sear for about 60 seconds on each side. Then add a bit of melted butter on top and a light amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately. Perfect light brown “crust”. Delicious.

I had to look up 'high smoke point' oil.

'Smoke Point' matters when cooking with oil:

https://www-theglobeandmail-com.cdn...-matters-in-cooking-with-oil/article26569060/.


Richard

 

[OldGuy]

DW's pan-fried breaded pork chops, mashed potatoes, and her delish gravy. Corn and green beans is standard with that meal.

To really top it off, one of her chocolate sheet cakes. She makes one every time we have extended fam here at the lake, like for the 4th last week. The first sheet cake disappeared the first day, so she said she would make a fresh peach pie. Everyone said No, No, make another sheet cake. It lasted just one day, too.

I can't believe I'm only four pounds over my playing weight . . . but I really want to get back in the starting lineup.

Simple pleasures . . .

Last night it was hamburger patties and mashed potatoes, smothered in cream of mushroom soup gravy.

Yum!

Only drawback is that is a peas meal.

DW makes extra, and I put them in little containers, ready to get nuked.

 

[VacationForever]

We have many favorites - mix and match below, in which I prepare:
- Gumbo
- Shepherd's pie
- Ribeye Cap in air fryer
- Sisig pork (Filipino dish - pork belly tri-cooked - boiled, air fry and then stir fry with lime juice, white wine, onion and black pepper)
- Smoked BBQ Pork Ribs
- Beef hash (either cut up cooked steaks and/or cowboy (minced beef, onions, cheddar cheese and jalapenos) burgers)
- Stir fry minced beef with potatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers
- Guacamole
- Garlic bread
- Lump crab cakes
- Grilled/BBQ Dixie chicken

 

[OldGuy]

Simple pleasures . . .

Last night it was hamburger patties and mashed potatoes, smothered in cream of mushroom soup gravy.

Yum!

Only drawback is that is a peas meal.

DW makes extra, and I put them in little containers, ready to get nuked.

Had it for lunch and may have it for dinner.

 

[spirits]

I have been reading some of these posts and honestly...there are many of my favorites listed here. I love liver and onions and of course beautiful salmon or great meat. Who could ever say otherwise. But I find that my favorite supper depends on the season. Soon it will be fall and time for stews or one of my favorite butternut squash and carrot soup. Turkey dinner with all the trimmings....well...I could go on and on. But today, our garden is just coming to maturity. Apples are just getting ready to turn red in a few weeks and I will be busy processing them for my grandmother's apple strudel recipe. But right now...the garden is calling.

We have an amazing bakery in our neighborhood and my husband brought home some wonderful French bread. So..for supper tonight...beautiful bread and my father's recipe for Borscht similar to this one.
https://melissaknorris.com/borscht-recipe-how-to-make-moms-traditional-ukrainian-borscht/

His secret is to use pork ribs...they add a wonderful flavor. From the garden we have beets with their tops, carrots, green beans, potatoes, and wonderful aromatic dill thrown in at the end. I added celery, onions and my girlfriend's secret ingredient....sour salt. She went home to her parent's little town and got me a small jar....just a tiny piece gives the soup a wonderful tart taste. Some people add a bit of lemon juice but since I have this jar...I use it. Just before I serve it tonight I will add some frozen peas so they stay nice and tender but not overcooked.

It smells like heaven in our house....just finished the dishes and making a cup of coffee for my afternoon break.

Thanks for all the posts....I love reading how my fellow Tuggers prepare their favorite dishes.