Shepherds Pie

by Alton Brown

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2.html

Finally I made a great shepherd's pie. I have tried several recipe but they never turned out well for me. Usually the potatoes were soggy and greasy. This meat had very rich flavor, and potatoes were good too. 

Changes:

- added celery and mushrooms

- used beef chuck instead of lamb

- added red wine

Will I make it again? - yes. This will be my staple recipe for shepherd's pie

Salmon Loaf

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/salmon-loaf

This is a good alternative for a fish dish. The loaf turned out very fluffy. I added capers to the sauce and they went very well with the dish. I like it cold the next day on a sandwich. I tried canned salmon and in a pouch and the canned was much better. The dish still had the canned fish flavor, but it also has some kind of craving effect. I would like to try it with frozen salmon next time.

Will I make it again? - yes.

Asparagus mushroom pasta

Creamy Fartalle with Cremini, Asparagus and Walnuts
By Giada de Laurentiis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/creamy-farfalle-with-cremini-asparagus-and-walnuts-recipe.html

I love asparagus and eat as much as I can during the fresh season. This recipe includes my favorites - asparagus, mushrooms and nuts. It was a good change from my beloved asparagus and prosciutto pasta, but I still prefer the complexity and richness from prosciutto.

Special Ingredients:
- asparagus
- mushrooms
- walnuts

Will I make it again? - yes.

Swordfish with Citrus Pesto

By Giada de Laurentiis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/swordfish-with-citrus-pesto-recipe.html

I love fish, and I tried the swordfish for a change. The citrus pesto was a bit orange forward, but pretty good to change things up. I made half recipe, and that was too much. Next time I would make a 1/4th of the pesto recipe.

Special Ingredients:
- orange and lemon
- basil
- pine nuts
- parmesan

Would I make it again? - maybe.

Beef Roast

By Ree Drummond

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/perfect-pot-roast-recipe.html

Fall is coming, and we decided to get a chuck beef at the market, together with other fresh vegetables. Ree's recipe is simple and includes all easy to find ingredients. The flavor was rich from beef and wine. Very satisfying home food.

Special Ingredients:

- beef chuck

- red wine (optional)

- beef stock

- herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc)

Corrections:

Next time I would cook at 200-220 F instead of 275F per recipe. It overcooked fast. And must measure the meet temperature, starting in an hour, to be around 140F.

Will I make it again? - maybe. It's a good basic recipe, but I prefer the complexity and twists of Ann Burrell's recipes, or French stews.

Sweet Potatoe Casserole, Gratin Style

By The Healthy Foodie
http://thehealthyfoodie.com/sweet-potato-casserole-gratin-style/

Great combination of fried onion layers and the sweet potatoes with pecans. A great festive dish for a holiday side. Spices and mustard complete the dish with a lot of flavor. I did nit have the rosemary, and will definitely try with it next time.

Maple Bourbon Glazed Salmon with Cranberry Chutney

http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/maple-bourbon-glazed-salmon-wsweet-cranberry-chutney-salt-roasted-potatoes/

Special Ingredients:
- bourbon
- maple syrup
- soy source
- orange juice

- apple
- orange zest
- jalapeno


Salmon rich with complex flavors. I would also like to try grilling. Half of chutney recipe would be plenty. Great flavor and refreshing offset to the richness of salmon. I made the romaine, apple and blue cheese salad on a side with mustard dressing.
I did not have jalapeno, but would definitely try it next time. I forgot ginger and cinnamon, but the chutney still turned out great.

Will I make it again? - Yes. Excellent go to recipe for salmon. Next time I will try grilling.

Scallops with Dried Mushroom Cream Sauce

By Emeril Lagasse

Special Ingredients:

- scallops
- dried morels (or wild mushrooms)
- white wine

This was my second time cooking scallops, and they turned out perfectly. Emeril's technique steps are very good. I've been adding shrimp to my scallop dishes. They go well with the scallops, and good protein for leftovers. I made more sauce and served with rice, so there would be tasty leftovers. The recipe calls for morels, but I used dried wild mushrooms and they worked well. I was worried to use too many dried mushrooms, but the cream mellows them down. Overall wonderful dish to satisfy my scallop craving. I've been using decent wine from Trader Joe's for cooking, but this french wine comes through as sour and tangy. I want to find a better wine to compliment the sauces.

Will I make it again? - yes. I like dried mushrooms, and will follow the technique for scallops with other recipes.

Thai Style Stir Fried Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli

by America's Test Kitchen
http://www.emomrecipes.com/recipe/476

The tastiest chicken in a stir-fry. You cook vegetables and chicken separately. And the stir-fry the noodles in the same sauce, also separately. Unique flavor, and a tasty stir-fry.

Will I make it again? - yes. Very good recipe for a stir-fry.

Ultimate Shrimp and Grits

by Tyler Florence

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/ultimate-shrimp-and-grits-recipe.html

An excellent recipe of shrimp and grits. A lot of recipes use bacon and I was worried it may be too overpowering with the shrimp. Andouille sausage is very tasty in this. Next time I would cut it into smaller half-moon pieces.

Will I make it again? - no. I am not a fan of sweet savory dishes, and the grits are too sweet to go with a savory topping like this.

Pizza Night

1st pizza:
- shrimp and pineapple

2nd pizza:
- fennel, mushrooms, pepperoni, olives, capers, onion, garlic, mozzarella

I love pineapple on pizza, and it goes very well with shrimp. So i try to make this combination every time I make a homemade pizza.
I've been craving the fennel, and get pizza with fennel every time I get a chance, so I wanted to try make it myself. You have to cook the fennel in the pan first, so it's soft on the pizza. This pizza turned out amazing. The capers really brightened up on top of all the savory flavors, which I will make the must item on the pizza going forward.

Crust and sauce can either make or ruin the pizza. I simmered home canned tomatoes with tomato paste and dried herbs. It worked well. I bought a premade crust in a hurry, and did not like it. I will be on a search for the best premade crust in town.

Scallops and Shrimp Provencal

by Ina Garten
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/scallops-provencal-recipe.html

Special Ingredients:

- scallops

- white wine

- shallots

This was my first time cooking scallops, and they turned out wonderful. I mixed in shrimp with the scallops, and that was a great combination, and shrimp work in the recipe very well. Scallops turned out perfectly and were soft and delicious. I substituted onion for shallots which tasted a little aggressive in the dish, so shallots would be worth spending time to get for the dish. I added the lemon to the sauce at the end, but it played off of the white wine too much and made the sauce a little too lemony. 

Would i make it again? - yes. I loved the scallops, and also in a combination with the shrimp. I would like to make scallops more often.

Chicken Tagine

from Just One Pot

Special Ingredients:
- eggplants
- apricots

A nice stew with a mix of vegetables, served over couscous. This recipe drew my interest with apricots. I used dried apricots, but did not care for them. They were ok. Chicken cooked very nicely, and I liked eggplant because I've been craving for it lately. Overall good dish with vegetables.

Will I make it again? - probably not. I don't have a craving for cumin and cinnamon flavored.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

From Just One Pot

Special Ingredients:
- bacon
- mushrooms
- pearl onions
- white wine

This is a perfect way to cook chicken. Bacon adds the rich flavor edge, pearl onions and mushrooms are always my favorite, and wine makes the very tasty sauce. Ultimate comfort food.

Will I make it again? - yes. Made several times, and this is my go to recipe to cook chicken.

Chicken with Tarragon

Chicken with Tarragon and White Wine Sauce
from
Tuscany: The Beautiful Cookbook

Special Ingredients:
- tarragon
- white wine
- pearl onions

Chicken was well cooked and moist. Pearl onions are always my favorite, worth taking the time to peel them. Tarragon sauce was pretty good, but the tarragon sweetness plays off the chicken sweetness to much. It has much stronger effect with the porkchops. 

Will I make it again? - Maybe. Fairly simple way to cook the chicken well.

Beef with Oyster Mushrooms

By Ching-He Huang

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beefinoystersauce_89263

Ching-He Huang is one of my favorite chefs. Her recipes always are bright and each is unique and much better than typical american chinese that we are used to eating out. This dish is fairly simple, consists of three main ingredients, each cooked seperately - beef, spinach and mushrooms. Only change I made - added 

Pho

http://steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup-pho.html

I've been pretty addicted to pho lately. Broth is made with so many spices that make it taste rich even if you didn't use meat and bones. And a mix of fresh vegetables adds to the brightness. Above website has very good tips how to make the broth followed by the recipe. I also blanch the vegetables in salted water which makes them taste very pleasant in the warm broth by muting down the harshness of the raw vegetables. Mushrooms are my favorite, and blanching makes them more flavorful as they are semicooked. I would say the lime is a must. Citrus always brightens the flavors and you can keep eating large amounts of the broth.

Craberry Jello

Grandma's Recipe
1 box raspberry jello (8oz)
1 apple, chopped
1 orange, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Prepare jello liquid according directions. Mix in all ingredients. Let cool.

This is my favorite cranberry dish and I make it for every holiday. It works well as a palate cleanser which is very helpful when you always eat too much of those holiday dishes. It's very refreshing and I always have several servings.

Kūčiukai with Poppy Seed Milk

http://www.gaspadine.lt/receptas/naminiai-kuciukai-3849

http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2007-12-20-kuciu-valgiai-aguonu-pienas/21188

The small poppy seed pastries are made from yest dough and are kind of savory in flavor. They are eaten with poppy seed milk which is sweet.

Smoked Fish Salad

Recipe:

Smoked fish

1 can of peas

Green onion

Cucumber

Mayonnaise

Dill

Black pepper

Herring with Dried Apples

Ingredients:
Dried apples
Onion
Salt and pepper
Herring

Boil the dried apples, chop into small cubes. Fry chopped onion, add the apples and salt and pepper. You may add tomato sauce for more flavor. Top the herring.

Pastries with Dried Mushroom Filling

http://pragarovirtuve.lt/pyrageliai-su-grybais/2790/

The dried mushroom pastries were my favorite growing up. Traditionally they are made with yeast dough, but this year I was afraid it would be too much work. This dough is with margarine and farmers cheese, and is very easy to work with.

Ingredients:
160g flour (379ml = 1.52 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
160g margarine
160g farmers cheese (I used creamcheese)
1 egg yolk

Filling:
Dried mushrooms
Onion
Egg
Salt and pepper

The creamcheese worked well as substitute. I also used shortening for margarine, but the dough lacked flavor. I would used butter next time. Creamcheese makes it already pretty easy to work with.

Will I make it again? - I love the dried mushroom pastries, but the yeast dough is much better and worth the work.

Marinated Mushrooms

By Tyler Florence

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/marinated-mushrooms-recipe.html

The mushrooms taste refreshing marinated in lemon and not vinegar. Light frying deepened the flavor. I would marinate them a night before to let the flavors soak in. I will definitely make them again as a side dish for a holiday dinner.

Baked Fish with Mushrooms, Zucchini and Tarragon

http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-fish-with-mushrooms-and-zucchini-505481

Great fragrance from tarragon, but zucchini made the dish kind of bland. It still fit the fish and mushroom theme of the Christmas Eve. If I made it again, I would replace zucchini with a different vegetable.

Dried Mushroom Soup - Rasalas

This is the most disliked dish of my childhood, so I wanted to make it and try it as adult. It is a very old Lithuanian dish more common in the the Southern Region Dzūkija. It is made on Christmas Eve Kūčios.

The broth turned out beautifully, and everybody loved the soup. It kind of reminds me of pho or ramen broth, although is made very differently. I made the soup a night before the dinner, and it seemed weak to me, but the flavor was very rich the next day.

http://www.delfi.lt/gyvenimas/receptai/kuciu-patiekalai-ir-tradicijos.d?id=11557841

Recipe:
- 2 handfuls of dried wild mushrooms, presoak in boiling water
- 2 cups of barley (presoak in cold water)
- onion, chopped

Soften the onion in oil with some butter. Add a liter of boiling water (4 cups), chopped rehydrated mushrooms, barley, salt and pepper. Simmer for about an hour. Let stand overnight or for several hours. Reheat before serving, or serve cold with hot potatoes.

Traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve - Kūčios

After living in US for 13 years, this was my first traditional Kūčios (Christmas Eve) dinner. Tradition is to make 12 vegan and fish dishes.

Meniu:
Dried mushroom soup - Rasalas
Baked fish with tarragon, mushrooms and zucchini
Marinated mushrooms
Pastries with dried mushroom filling
Herring in Shuba (Russian)
Herring with dried mushroom topping
Herring with dried apple topping
Fish cakes
Smoked fish salad
Beet salad
Kūčiukai with poppy seed milk
Cranberry jello