am cooking a meal for my wife any ideas what i should cook please?

Answer 1

How Sweet!
well, Men are usually great on the grill.
Try fillet Mignon or chicken and 2 of what ever veggies you both like nice wine maybe something you had when you were dating. hay! here is a thought cook what you had on your first date. if all else fails make reservations. she will love you for just thinking about it.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

I agree with Sam - cook something that you both really enjoyed when you were dating!
If you never had a chance to get away from "fast food" in those days & you want to impress her, these are some of the things my Gorgeous Girly really likes:

Roast lamb - you can get a very decent prepared Lamb Shank in the supermarket's "Finest" or Special ranges, then you only need worry about veg. (See my answer to Dena's question about Duck for veg ideas).

Pasta - as already stated, it is pretty safe and usually simple. However, make sure you are confident with your sauce (use plenty of garlic with prawns, shellfish or chicken as a base) . If not, then buy FRESH pasta & dress with some Pesto. Serve with good quality salad (dressing - again, can be bought) olives & fresh parmasan in side dishes so that she can take what she wants.

Don't skimp on the wine - this will make all the difference to your evening. For the Lamb (or another red meat) choose an established, robust, South African or French (although the Oz's are getiing better again - I just bought a 2L box of "Snappygum" from Asda for £6 it is v good for the price) red grape - Shiraz/Syrah or a Cabernet Sauvignon. (In UK pay around £8 for a bottle, and buy at least two!).
If you go for the pasta (particularly with a seafoood base) then I'd suggest Italian Pinot Griggio (£5-£8) or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (£7-£12), again two bottles based on my own experiences!
If she likes Chardonnay, then it MUST be young & unoaked for seafood.

Quick edit - just seen Horsemonkey's spag bol - use two types of meat if you want to do a Bolognaise sauce, minced beef with either minced lamb or minced pork. Then let it cook for at least 2 hours. I get loads of parise & points when I serve this!

Good Luck, & I hope you both have a really fabulous evening & night together!

Answer 3

Steak Sandwich

1 large strip, round, or shell sirloin steak, weighing between 12 ounces and 1 pound

1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper

Salt to taste

2-3 T. oil

2 T. chopped onion

4 oz. crimini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1/2 t. thyme

1 loaf French or Italian bread, or 1 Vienna loaf

3-4 T. prepared mustard

Trim any excess fat from the steak. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and salt, then brush with a tablespoon of the oil. Heat a cast-iron or nonstick pan and sear the steak about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Cook the onion for 2 minutes in the remaining oil, then add the chopped mushrooms, sprinkling them with the thyme and a little salt. Cook, stirring, until they have softened. If the mixture dries out, add a tablespoon or so of water.

Cut a large piece of bread about 1 inch longer than the steak. (If you're using a Vienna loaf, you may not need to cut it at all.) Slice it lengthwise through the middle, leaving an uncut edge as a hinge. Spread both cut sides of the bread liberally with mustard. Now place the steak on the bottom half and scatter the mushroom mixture on top. Fold the top half of the bread down. Wrap the sandwich in two layers of plastic wrap. Take a long piece of string and tie the sandwich up tightly as if it were a parcel, knotting the string in several places. Put the sandwich on a plate and place another plate on top of it. Now weight it down with either cans of food or a bowl filled with water. Leave it for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator or other cold place. When you rescue it from the weights, it will be firm and flat. For serving, unwrap it and slice it on the diagonal so you have several strips, each about 3/4 to 1 inch wide. Arrange these on a platter with a bowl of relish or chutney to accompany them.

Answer 4

Chicken breast with cheese sauce, asparagus, creamy mashed potatoes and vegetables (carrots, beans and courgettes are nice).

Fry the chicken first then throw it in the oven with some cheese sauce on top.

Make the cheese sauce by melting 25g butter in a small pan and adding 25g flour to it. Mix really well, add some salt and pepper then slowly add 300ml milk. It's normal for it to get thicker before getting thinner. Then add as much mature cheese as you like. Yummynesssss.


Alternatively you can't beat a spaghetti bolognese. (This makes enough for 3-4 servings, it freezes excellently and will be ok in the fridge for up to 3 days)
450g minced beef
4 rashers bacon
1 large onion
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon flour
1 can tomatoes (400-450g)
some tomato purée (about 70g)
300ml chicken stock (Knoor is best - make 450ml and discard last 150)
some dried oregano
pepper (plenty of salt already from stock)

Fry minced beef and chopped bacon in large (non-stick) pan with just a tiny bit of olive oil. Once cooked, empty it onto a plate and get rid of the juices left in the pan. Cook the onion in some olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and stir. Put the meat back in the pan and stir again. Add the flower and incorporate well. Then add the tomatoes, the purée, the chicken stock, oregano and pepper and stir slowly. Leave to simmer on lowest heat for 30-40 mins stirring occasionally. Serve with garlic bread.

Answer 5

Something she's never had and that she's never cooked so that she can't consider it done wrongly! LOL Honestly I really love it when my husband makes me a dinner. Even if it's just hot dogs and salad. I would look something up on the food network site then you can pick something you have ingredients for and something at your expertise level. It has lots of tasty meals there and they usually recommend things to make a whole meal.

Answer 6

Pesto Chicken Florentine

•2 tablespoons olive oil
•2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
•2 cups fresh spinach leaves
•1 (4.5 ounce) package dry Alfredo sauce mix
•2 tablespoons pesto
•1 (8 ounce) package dry penne pasta
•1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

:
1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute; then add chicken and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on each side. When chicken is close to being cooked through (no longer pink inside), add spinach and saute all together for 3 to 4 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, prepare Alfredo sauce according to package directions. When finished, stir in 2 tablespoons pesto; set aside.
3.In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
4.Add chicken/spinach mixture to pasta, then stir in pesto/Alfredo sauce. Mix well, top with cheese and serve.

Answer 7

If it's a new experience go for simple. Roast a small chicken. New potatoes and seasonal veg with gravy. Or bake some salmon wrapped in foil with a squeeze of lemon jice and a grind of pepper. Or, chop some bacon, onions, pepper, mushrooms and cougettes. Fry them in olive oil Add a shop bought italian tomato based sauce (they are as good as anything you can make yourself) Boil some pasta. Grate some parmesan on top. Finish with a sprig of basil on top. Yummy. Serve with a lovely chilled white wine or fruity red depending on your preference. White teblecloth, fresh flowers. She'll fall in love with you all over again. Good luck.

Answer 8

CHICKEN MARSALA - In first frying pan, Cut boneless chicken into chunks or strips, coat with flour and cook in butter until all sides just start to brown, set aside. In second frying pan, melt butter and add fresh sliced mushrooms (lots) and cook until they just start to soften, add generous amount of Marsala wine and a couple of finely diced garlic cloves and cook for three minutes. Add chicken from first pan and cook until sauce thickens (flour from chicken will thicken sauce), Add a small spritz more Marsala wine ( to refresh Marsala wine flavor) and serve immediately.

Answer 9

really simple but impressive - start with a shared plate of ours d'euvre - mixed sliced meats like salami, Serrano ham served with rye bread arranged nicely - prep time minimum, followed by poached salmon (wrap in foil with fresh dill, parsley a dab of butter, squeeze of lemon juice !) this Will take 20 mins in oven serve with baby new potatoes and fresh asparagus. Follow with a fresh fruit salad of mango, kiwi, melon (any fruit you like really ) serve with creme fraiche. Top it off with a nice COLD pinot grigio. VIOLA! this doesn't take long is fairly simple and also fairly healthyish (apart from the mixed meat)

Answer 10

Depends on the occasion - passionate reunion needs aphrodisiac seafood menu followed by fruity pud. Comfort "we have loved for a long time & know each other very well" needs comfort food - soup, roast or grill & good pud. Apology needs extravagance - maybe better take her out to high star restaurant. Good luck!