Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

M&S do a lovely roasted vegetable cous cous, but they add sugar to it! I want to try and replicate it, either with raw cane sugar, or honey (or another sugar alternative) - but it got me wondering, anyone here good at reproducing something you've tasted?

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

I quite enjoy doing that Azz - moreso with restaurant meals, where you don't have the assistance of a list of ingredients!
Do you think the sugar in your couscous recipe was used to caramelise some of the veg?

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

It was part of the 'lemon dressing' - it actually tastes quite nice.

Or maybe I could find some 'sweet' lemon dressing recipes and take it from there.. think I could replicate the rest of it (baked veg in cous cous lol).

I wish I was as talented as some of you lot in the kitchen

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

I love cous cous - I have a whole recipe book devoted to it - including deserts.

You could try this one http://mideastfood.about.com/od/cous...oncouscous.htm

and just add in slow oven roasted vegetables. It would be an approximation but it may work. You could also use some palm sugar if you want to get that sweetness. I use it in Thai cooking.

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

Thanks PPH, I've bought some more and here are their ingredients...

• Couscous
• Roasted vegetables (Aubergines, Courgettes, Red peppers, Red onions - sunflower oil, salt)
• Lemon Dressing (9%) (lemon juice, sugar, Dijon mustard (water, black mustard seeds, spirit vinegar, salt) salt, white wine vinegar, garlic puree, ground black pepper)
• Tomatoes
• Basil infused sunflower oil
• Parsley

I've bought all the ingredients (even the separate ones for the Dijon mustard as all the ready made ones had preservatives etc) so am gonna give making it a go myself

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

sounds good -

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

I've had some luck with that. Had a delicious restaurant dish of chicken livers sauteed with mushrooms and wild rice years ago that I duplicated; also Ka Pow chicken (Thai dish); that was before the computer but when I did check a recipe I found I had it just about right.

Good luck with your recipe, Azz, you're getting good at this!

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

Here it is!



It took me about the time of a CD from start to finish, and actually wasn't too difficult to do.... but how did it taste? Not bad actually!

Not quite as sweet as the M&S one - (I prefer it less sweet anyway) but I think the basil was a bit too strong, as were the aubergines, least I know for next time - but overall it was pretty similar. Funny thing is I thought the lemon dressing was too sweet when testing it, but mixed in in the smaller amount it actually wasn't that sweet at all.

Can't believe I made Dijon mustard from scratch tho! Have no idea what it's 'meant' to taste like as I haven't had any for ages! Still least I know what went into it.

Unfortunately I don't have a recipe (as I just guessed it all) but I went by the order of ingredients to judge quantities as they usually start with the most first.

I will definitely be having this again - and would cook it for guests too

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

You are getting good at this cooking lark, Azz ...... especially without a recipe, well done!

Have your appointments book at the ready, you may have a list of guests willing to come and taste it!

Re: Are you good at recreating dishes you've tasted?

Well done you! That looks very tasty.