What should I cook for my date. Opinions/recipes please?
My lady friend will be visiting this weekend. We have been dating for several months. I am more-than-competent in the kitchen, but I am out of ideas because I haven't cooked for so long (wife died 8 months ago). I have a recipe magazine "Cooking for Two", but I thought I would throw it out to the Y!Answers community.
Neither of us are vegetarian/vegan. She likes to experiment in the kitchen and likes a very wide variety of foods (more than I do).
Ideas, please?
Thanks
If one recipe *really* stands out, I'll award best answer, otherwise I'll leave it up to the community to vote.
smdiner2009-10-13T22:07:33Z
Favorite Answer
Fettuccini Carbonara
5 teaspoons olive oil 4 shallots, diced 1 large onion, cut into thin strips 1 pound bacon, cut into strips 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 (16 ounce) package fettuccini pasta 3 egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallots until softened. Stir in onion and bacon, and cook until bacon is evenly browned. Stir in garlic when bacon is about half done. Remove from heat. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta, then return it to the pot. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cream, and shredded Parmesan. Pour the bacon mixture over the pasta, then stir in the cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4 ______________________________________… Baked Ziti
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. ______________________________________…
Pesto Di Basilico
2 oz. fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons pinenuts 2 cloves garlic, peeled salt 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese 3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature 1 pound fettucini, spaghetti, or spaghettini
1. Put the basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a food processor or blender and grind until fine and almost creamy. 2. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the two grated cheeses. 3. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with the sauce, two tablespoons of water from the cooked pasta and the butter. You can always add some shrimp, artichoke hearts (not marinaded) and/or kalamata olives for further texture and flavor. ________________________
Parmesan Puffs
16 slices Italian bread, cut 1/2 inch thick 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups mayonnaise 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(about 3 oz) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 350°.
With a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of bread with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes per side until lightly toasted.
While it's toasting combine mayo, cheese, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
Slather each toast withabout 3 tablespoons and spread evenly. 3. Now back into the oven for 5 to 8 minutes until lightly puffed and golden. Serve 'em hot.
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Little Chicken Burgers
These easy appetizers are small patties made with ground chicken, get it? And apparently mini burgers are a big thing at the coolest parties these days, so serve these and be cool.
1/2 cup bread crumbs 2 lb ground chicken 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup minced Italian parsley 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 2 Tbsp lemon juice Salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Place the bread crumbs in a small shallow dish. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, parsley, oregano, basil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 16 patties, each flattened and about 2 inches in diameter.
Press the patties into the bread crumbs to coat each side. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook, turning once, until each side is browned and the patties have firmed up, about 10 minutes total. Serve hot.
--------------------------------------… Chicken Almond Puffs Serves a bunch (depending on size of spoonfulls)
For your chicken use either a) leftovers, b) precooked packaged chicken or c) a purchased rotisserie chicken. This recipe will push our 30 to 35 minute limit but if you chop quick (but carefully) you should make it.
1 cup finely chopped, cooked chicken meat 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp toasted and chopped almonds 2/3 cup chicken broth 1/3 cup canola oil 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce 3/4 tsp seasoning salt 3/4 tsp celery seed 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp dried parsley 3 eggs
what kind of weather do you have hotter or cooler?well you could Always sit around a bucket of fried chicken and let your dog lick the crumb of your balls:- here's the recipe The Kentucky Fried Chicken Marinate 2 tablespoons Potassium 2 tablespoons Kosher Salt 4 tablespoons MSG 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1/3 cup Bottled Chicken Concentrate 5 cups water Mix all of the above and soak the chicken in the above marinate for 24 hours under refrigeration. The Original Recipe is not packaged in three different places. The way it is cooked and the process makes it taste like it has eleven herbs and spices when in reality there is not. The way it is done in the restaurant is using dried eggs and milk in the flour along with a box of breading salt and the seasoning bag and a bag of breading flour. KFC ORIGINAL RECIPE 2 fryer chickens cut up into 8 pieces and marinated 6 cups Crisco Shortening 1 eggs well beaten 2 cups Milk 2 cups Flour Page 6 2 teaspoons ground pepper 3 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon MSG 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1 dash paprika Place shortening into the pressure cooker and heat over medium heat to the shortening reaches 400°F. In a small bowl, combine the egg and milk. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining six dry ingredients. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk until fully moistened. Roll the moistened chicken in the flour mixture until well coated. In groups of four or five, drop the covered chicken pieces into the shortening and lock the lid. When pressure builds up cook for 10 minutes.
One of my favourite recipes is to slowly braise lamb shanks for about 90 minutes until the meat is almost falling off the bone. Mutton will do and has more flavour, but allow 2 hours. Make your own pan gravy using plenty of fresh mint. Serve with mashed potatoes and green minted peas. Use frozen and cook until they are a nice bright green. Don't use canned as they are a yukky colour, and if you can't buy frozen minted peas add a few fresh leaves to the pot or steamer.
If that doesn't give you a winner then she must have special tastes.
Seafood Lasagna Florentine Ingredients 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups 2% low-fat milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 large garlic clove, crushed 1/4 cup dry white wine 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1 pound bay scallops 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed 1 large egg, lightly beaten 9 cooked lasagna noodles 1/2 teaspoon paprika Preheat oven to 350º. Press spinach between paper towels until barely moist; set aside.
Place flour in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after 15 minutes. Spoon flour into a large saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Stir in salt and next 4 ingredients; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add wine; cook 1 additonal minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese and scallops. Cool slightly; stir in basil, lemon juice, crabmeat, and egg.
Preheat oven to 400º. Spoon 1/4 cup seafood sauce into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles in a single layer over seafood sauce; top with one-third spinach. Spoon one-third seafood sauce over spinach. Repeat layers, ending with seafood sauce. Combine remaining cheese and paprika; sprinkle cheese mixture over lasagna. Cover and bake at 400º for 30 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 10 additional minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
One of my favorites has been pasta with grilled eggplant in marinara sauce with ground sirloin.
I grill the eggplant with olive oil & S&P - set aside Cook the ground sirloin with garlic Cook the onions and more garlic and add some spaghetti sauce (Prego), add the eggplant and ground sirloin and fresh basil to the sauce, then toss together with the pasta. Salad on the side.
I also love this beef salad recipe -- For steak marinade: 2 tbs. grill seasoning 3-4 cloves minced garlic 4 tbs. red wine vinegar 4 tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup olive oil For dressing, whisk together: Zest & juice of 1 lemon 2 tbs. Dijon mustard (Jack Daniel's Honey Mustard) 1/3 cup olive oil, pepper I use this on any type of leaf and I add bell peppers, carrots ...
I also buy a big cut of salmon from Costco and for marinade I use -- S&P 7 tbs. honey mince together zest (only) of 1 lemon, handful of flat-leaf parsley Add some olive oil -- whisk Grill Salmon. I love raw salmon, but with this marinade, I love it when it's fully cooked.