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Lisa O
I am planning on cooking for my boyfriend today. I was wondering if anyone has any yummy ideas for a full dinner that's not that hard to make, starting from an appetizer and ending with a desert. No tomatoes, please, as I am allergic.
Thanks for all the help in advance.
Answer
These will impress him!
Appetizers
Artichoke Squares
Serves 6 (4 per serving)
2 (6 oz cans) Artichoke Hearts
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 White Onion, Minced
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Eggbeaters
1/4 Tsp Pepper
8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup Italian Style Dried Bread Crumbs
3 Seconds Nonstick Cooking Spray
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF
Drain the liquid from 1 jar of artichokes into 1-quart saucepan. Drain liquid from second jar of artichokes and discard. Finely chop all artichokes; set aside.
Coat a 12x8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the artichoke liquid, over medium heat, cook minced onion until tender.
In a medium bowl add eggs, cooked onion and chopped artichokes, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in dish on wire rack.
With knife, cut lengthwise into 4 strips then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Arrange appetizer on platter and serve.
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Main Dish
Chicken Parmesan
Serves 6
1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 Tsp Italian Seasoning, crushed
6 (4 oz) Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup White Onion, diced
1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup 2% Milk
1 (1 oz packet) Ranch Flavored Salad Dressing Mix
6 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 (10 oz pkg.) Spinach, frozen, thawed, drained
1 Tbsp Pimiento, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF
In a small mixing bowl combine cheese, ranch salad dressing mix, and Italian seasoning. Roll chicken pieces in cheese mixture to coat lightly; set remaining cheese mixture aside. Arrange the pieces in an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. In a small saucepan cook onion in hot margarine until tender.
Stir in flour; add milk all at once. Cook and stir till bubbly; stir in drained spinach and pimiento. Place a slice of cheese and spoon the spinach mixture over the chicken; sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until tender.
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Dessert
Basic Pie Crust
Serving Size : 2 9-inch pie crusts
2-1/4 cups All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
10 tablespoons Chilled butter, lard or shortening -- cut small pieces
4-1/2 tablespoons Ice water
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter or lard and cut into flour using your fingers, a pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in water with a fork, 1 tablespoon at a time and work in with your hands until dough is just moist enough to come together in a smooth ball. You may not need to use all the water. Be careful not to overwork or dough will be tough.
If you're making 2 crusts, cut in half and shape each half into a flattened round. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Remove 1 round of dough from refrigerator and place on a lightly-floured surface. Roll into a circle about 14 inches across and 1/8-inch thick. Gently fold dough in half, then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing, and unfold it into a 9-inch pie or tart pan.
Crimp edges or pinch in a decorative border. Fill and bake as directed in recipe. Dough may be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, or frozen.
Apple Pie
8 servings
1/2 recipe Basic Pie Crust
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups thinly sliced, pared, tart apples
2 tablespoons butter
Heat thr oven to 425ºF.
Prepare pastry and line pie pan.
Mix dry ingredients together. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter or margarine. Cover with top crust, cut slits, seal and flute edges. Bake until crust is light brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in top, about 40 to 50 minutes.
These will impress him!
Appetizers
Artichoke Squares
Serves 6 (4 per serving)
2 (6 oz cans) Artichoke Hearts
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 White Onion, Minced
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Eggbeaters
1/4 Tsp Pepper
8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup Italian Style Dried Bread Crumbs
3 Seconds Nonstick Cooking Spray
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF
Drain the liquid from 1 jar of artichokes into 1-quart saucepan. Drain liquid from second jar of artichokes and discard. Finely chop all artichokes; set aside.
Coat a 12x8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the artichoke liquid, over medium heat, cook minced onion until tender.
In a medium bowl add eggs, cooked onion and chopped artichokes, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in dish on wire rack.
With knife, cut lengthwise into 4 strips then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Arrange appetizer on platter and serve.
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Main Dish
Chicken Parmesan
Serves 6
1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 Tsp Italian Seasoning, crushed
6 (4 oz) Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup White Onion, diced
1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup 2% Milk
1 (1 oz packet) Ranch Flavored Salad Dressing Mix
6 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 (10 oz pkg.) Spinach, frozen, thawed, drained
1 Tbsp Pimiento, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF
In a small mixing bowl combine cheese, ranch salad dressing mix, and Italian seasoning. Roll chicken pieces in cheese mixture to coat lightly; set remaining cheese mixture aside. Arrange the pieces in an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. In a small saucepan cook onion in hot margarine until tender.
Stir in flour; add milk all at once. Cook and stir till bubbly; stir in drained spinach and pimiento. Place a slice of cheese and spoon the spinach mixture over the chicken; sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until tender.
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Dessert
Basic Pie Crust
Serving Size : 2 9-inch pie crusts
2-1/4 cups All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
10 tablespoons Chilled butter, lard or shortening -- cut small pieces
4-1/2 tablespoons Ice water
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter or lard and cut into flour using your fingers, a pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in water with a fork, 1 tablespoon at a time and work in with your hands until dough is just moist enough to come together in a smooth ball. You may not need to use all the water. Be careful not to overwork or dough will be tough.
If you're making 2 crusts, cut in half and shape each half into a flattened round. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Remove 1 round of dough from refrigerator and place on a lightly-floured surface. Roll into a circle about 14 inches across and 1/8-inch thick. Gently fold dough in half, then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing, and unfold it into a 9-inch pie or tart pan.
Crimp edges or pinch in a decorative border. Fill and bake as directed in recipe. Dough may be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, or frozen.
Apple Pie
8 servings
1/2 recipe Basic Pie Crust
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups thinly sliced, pared, tart apples
2 tablespoons butter
Heat thr oven to 425ºF.
Prepare pastry and line pie pan.
Mix dry ingredients together. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter or margarine. Cover with top crust, cut slits, seal and flute edges. Bake until crust is light brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in top, about 40 to 50 minutes.
I want to make a romantic dinner tonight for my girlfriend - any ideas or suggestions?
gittilygoo
I want to do something special for my girlfriend tonight. So tonight I want her to come home to a nice, romantic, candlelight dinner. I really haven't cooked much, but I want to try it tonight. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what I should make? Or the presentation or anything? I want to put on a really, really nice dinner for her tonight. Your help is appreciated. Thank you.
Answer
Good luck and I hope that you both enjoy!
Appetizer: Red Pepper and Tapenade Slices
1 (8-ounce) can crescent rolls (recommended: Pillsbury)
1/2 cup marinara sauce (recommended: Prego)
1/2 cup jack cheese, shredded (recommended: Kraft)
3 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup olive tapenade
1/3 cup roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove crescent dough from can and unroll. Separate into 8 triangles. Lay pieces of dough on baking sheet. Top each slice with a spoonful of marinara sauce, some shredded jack and blue cheese, a spoonful of olive tapenade, and red bell pepper strips.
Bake in oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are golden.
Pasta: You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta
This recipe will make enough for 2 couples. If you plan a romantic evening where more than two's a crowd, reserve half the sauce to freeze for another supper before the addition of basil, and only cook 1/2 to 2/3 pound of penne.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread
Main Course: Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning) or, coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Arrange chicken in a baking dish, 9 by 13-inch. Add garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and grill seasoning or salt and pepper to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.
Salad: Your Basic Tossed Salad
2 hearts romaine lettuce
2 small plum tomatoes, diced
1 Kirby cucumber or 1/4 European seedless cucumber, diced
1 small yellow onion or 1/2 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 /4 cup (a couple of glugs) extra-virgin olive oil,
2 to 3 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Coarse salt and black pepper
Place salad greens in a salad bowl and top with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and carrot. Place oil, vinegar and sugar in a small plastic container. Put the lid on the container and shake dressing until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad. Season salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream
Make your dessert first for this menu to allow these chocolate cups to set and chill: This recipe is a no bake pot de creme, no kidding.
2/3 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur or dark rum
4 demitasse cups
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Mint sprigs, for garnish, optional
Heat milk in a small pan over moderate heat until it comes to a boil.
In blender or food processor combine egg, sugar, a pinch of salt, semisweet chips, and liqueur. Run processor or turn on blender to low setting. Pour in boiling milk in a slow stream. The hot milk will cook egg and melt chocolate. Process or blend 1 minute, until smooth.
Spoon chocolate into 4 demitasse cups and chill. After dinner, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add a little sugar and beat to combine. Top the chocolate cups with a dollop of cream and garnish each cup with mint sprigs.
Place cups on saucers and serve with demitasse spoons. If you use teacups, this recipe will yield 2 cups, rather than 4.
Good luck and I hope that you both enjoy!
Appetizer: Red Pepper and Tapenade Slices
1 (8-ounce) can crescent rolls (recommended: Pillsbury)
1/2 cup marinara sauce (recommended: Prego)
1/2 cup jack cheese, shredded (recommended: Kraft)
3 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup olive tapenade
1/3 cup roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove crescent dough from can and unroll. Separate into 8 triangles. Lay pieces of dough on baking sheet. Top each slice with a spoonful of marinara sauce, some shredded jack and blue cheese, a spoonful of olive tapenade, and red bell pepper strips.
Bake in oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are golden.
Pasta: You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta
This recipe will make enough for 2 couples. If you plan a romantic evening where more than two's a crowd, reserve half the sauce to freeze for another supper before the addition of basil, and only cook 1/2 to 2/3 pound of penne.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread
Main Course: Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning) or, coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Arrange chicken in a baking dish, 9 by 13-inch. Add garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and grill seasoning or salt and pepper to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.
Salad: Your Basic Tossed Salad
2 hearts romaine lettuce
2 small plum tomatoes, diced
1 Kirby cucumber or 1/4 European seedless cucumber, diced
1 small yellow onion or 1/2 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 /4 cup (a couple of glugs) extra-virgin olive oil,
2 to 3 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Coarse salt and black pepper
Place salad greens in a salad bowl and top with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and carrot. Place oil, vinegar and sugar in a small plastic container. Put the lid on the container and shake dressing until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad. Season salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream
Make your dessert first for this menu to allow these chocolate cups to set and chill: This recipe is a no bake pot de creme, no kidding.
2/3 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur or dark rum
4 demitasse cups
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Mint sprigs, for garnish, optional
Heat milk in a small pan over moderate heat until it comes to a boil.
In blender or food processor combine egg, sugar, a pinch of salt, semisweet chips, and liqueur. Run processor or turn on blender to low setting. Pour in boiling milk in a slow stream. The hot milk will cook egg and melt chocolate. Process or blend 1 minute, until smooth.
Spoon chocolate into 4 demitasse cups and chill. After dinner, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add a little sugar and beat to combine. Top the chocolate cups with a dollop of cream and garnish each cup with mint sprigs.
Place cups on saucers and serve with demitasse spoons. If you use teacups, this recipe will yield 2 cups, rather than 4.
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Title Post: Some good full dinner ideas for a date night?
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Rating: 93% based on 9658 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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