good cooks/chefs, what's your signature dish?

Question

What's your specialty, and can I borrow it or use it as an inspiration?

Answer 1

One of my signature dishes is my stuffed French toast, but I haven't written it down yet.

Another one is my Red Lentil Coconut Curry soup. It's a very popular recipe!

Red Lentil and Coconut Soup

2 TBS coconut oil (do not use refined as it is flavorless)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
¼ tsp chili powder (spice mix, not ground chilies)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cayenne
4 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 28 oz can chopped tomatoes)
1 cup red lentils, sorted
2 tsp limejuice
2 ½ cups vegetable stock (or water with veggie bullion cube)
1 can coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
cilantro for garnish (optional)


1. Heat the oil in a stockpot and sauté the onions and garlic along with
salt for a few minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the spices and
cook for 30 more seconds.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, red lentils, limejuice, stock (or water and
bullion) and coconut milk. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until lentils are
tender and cooked through.

4. Season to taste and garnish with cilantro if desired

NOTE: This is just a base recipe. I’ve found this to be delicious with pretty much any vegetable. It also comes out pretty thick and served over rice makes a great meal.

Other vegetable suggestions: Fresh spinach (add tender greens during the last 10 minutes of cooking), kale, red peppers, diced potatoes, broccoli, squash, beets, carrots, you name it! 

Answer 2

Here's my salmon recipe:

1. Get salmon and wash thoroughly in sink
2. Marinate in salt, pepper, and squeezed lemon juice. Spread it all over.
- The reason for doing this is for the salt,pepper, and lemon juice to mix and go deep into the salmon so you can get it in every bite.
3. Fry in granola oil for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like it. I prefer it to be cooked enough to eat so about 5 minutes or so.
4. Let one side fry for a minute, then flip and let it fry for another minute. After that flip every 30 seconds so it doesn't fry.
5. Sprinkle more salt/pepper and lemon juice if you'd like while it frys. Do this only after both sides have sat for 1 minute.
6. After you are satisfied with how it is cooked, put it on a plate with brown rice and corn. This goes really well with the salmon.

Goodluck!

Answer 3

Mine would have to be this crab bisque/chowder thing I make. It's fabulous with crusty French bread and a green salad. I can't give you the recipe since it changes a bit every time, but the key is to make your own crab stock. So if you have crab (or lobster) one night, save the shells or ask for a to-go box for them. (Ignore the server's odd looks.) Then make stock the next day with them, just like you'd make a chicken stock, only instead of bones and carcass, you throw in all those shells. And if you don't have leftover crab meat (who does?) just use a can of lump crab meat.

The flavor is incredible! I never saw a recipe for that crab stock, I just made it up one day and hoped for the best!

Answer 4

Smokey lasagna is what I turn to for meals to impress, comfort, save money, be lazy, and entertain a crowd or freeze for myself.

follow the basic instructions on the box of noodles, but

make a hearty vegetable tomato sauce or add grilled/roasted veggies to bottled sauce. add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

layer with lasagna noodles and use shredded smoked mozzarella and smoked gouda cheese with parmesean in place of regular mozzarella.

mix fresh herbs into the ricotta mixture.

I serve with lots of crusty garlic bread and a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

you can make it ahead and then bake when ready. you can freeze individual cooked portions for weeks to microwave hen wanted.

easy to adapt to what you have. so so tasty. i use lots of roasted or grilled mushrooms and eggplant in the sauce to give it depth of flavor.