What are your favorite foods/recipes/etc.? We need something fun & positive here.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

"Geoff's greatest hits" all tend to be winter dishes made in a Le Creuset cast iron/enamel pot. I'm all about huge flavor. My discovery for making big flavor stews & soups is a cheat from a company called "More Than Gourmet". They make all kinds of different stock reductions. It's like bullion on steroids. Since it's summer, I'll skip those.

I live in coastal New England where I have easy access to swordfish. I grill it on the Weber fairly frequently. I invented a Japanese-inspired sauce I initially made for seared tuna that is my go-to for grilled swordfish. It's equally good on grilled tuna.

4 parts rice vinegar
1 part soy sauce
chopped green onion
minced fresh ginger with the outer part peeled off
sesame oil (just a bit for flavor)
toasted sesame seeds
wasabi powder

The proportions aren't critical as long as it's mostly rice vinegar. In a half cup of sauce, I'd chop up maybe 3 green onions/scallions, a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger, and use 1/4 teaspoon of wasabi. You can use it immediately. It gets a bit better if you let the ginger meld into the liquid.

Since it's summer grilling season, I'll share an example "More Than Gourmet" cheat for a sort of Bordelaise Sauce to accompany your favorite slab of charred cow.

Finely chop a shallot. Saute in a sauce pan in butter for a few minutes until softened but not browned.
Optional: Add in sliced mushrooms and heat in the butter until they're cooked
Dump in a good drinkable red wine. Bring to barely boil and reduce the heat to keep it just below a boil. Heat for 5 minutes to get rid of the alcohol.
Add More Than Gourmet Demi Glace extract (a beef/veal stock reduction). Stir until dissolved. They say it's a 4:1 reduction but that is a bit too much. For 1/2 cup of sauce, start with a tablespoon (8:1) and taste it.
Add as much butter as your cardiologist thinks is prudent. It's French. It wants butter.
Boiling red wine usually makes it bitter. I always screw up and get the wine too hot so it's bitter. Adjust with sugar until it doesn't taste bitter.
Grind in some black pepper at the end. With salted butter, it usually doesn't need salt.

Here's a link on Amazon to More than Gourmet Demi-Glace. This keeps forever in the fridge. I've had it 2 years without killing myself. I use it in any beef stew or pot roast recipe.
Amazon.com : More Than Gourmet Demi-glace Gold French Demi-glace, 16-Ounce Unit : Glazing Sauces : Grocery & Gourmet Food

Well, I think I might love you, Geoff. Swordfish is my favorite thing, however I can never get it here in the south. When I do get it, I never do anything but grill it in butter and lemon, but your method sounds so fabulous, that I might try it next time.

[Mayvenne]

Catching up reading this thread. I was smitten by that french toast casserole recipe ( need a good excuse to invite people over for brunch) which looks great and easy ( but so carb heavy - oh well).

I cant take credit for this one, but we have always liked fish but were never too thrilled with the results preparing it at home...until my dh got some Salmon steaks (thicker cut same price as fillets- really either one works) and seasoning it to your delight--------and baking in the oven for about 25 minutes at 400. It is moist, tasty, well cooked. and so easy.and of course so healthy. I am always more eager to put something in the oven as opposed to sauteing or frying.
easy peasy. and yummy

[NYgal1542]

Originally Posted by Mayvenne

Catching up reading this thread. I was smitten by that french toast casserole recipe ( need a good excuse to invite people over for brunch) which looks great and easy ( but so carb heavy - oh well).

I cant take credit for this one, but we have always liked fish but were never too thrilled with the results preparing it at home...until my dh got some Salmon steaks (thicker cut same price as fillets- really either one works) and seasoning it to your delight--------and baking in the oven for about 25 minutes at 400. It is moist, tasty, well cooked. and so easy.and of course so healthy. I am always more eager to put something in the oven as opposed to sauteing or frying.
easy peasy. and yummy

I have had good success cooking fish in the microwave.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by NYgal2NC

I have had good success cooking fish in the microwave.

Sure you could. I would not choose to do a fatty fish, like tuna, swordfish or salmon this way, but a nice poachable fish would be fine.