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Question

I'm hoping to cook a nice romantic meal for a very special person and i need help. I'm not the best chef but i'm willing to give anything a try. Can you please give some guidance as to what to cook and how. She's a bit fussy with her food so nothing to adventurous. Thanks

Answer 1

Some of the best meals I've been cooked by a bloke have been simple and show he's listened to the things I like. 3 courses always shows you put in a lot of effort. I don't think you can go far wrong with a cheese and pine nut salad as a starter, its easy to throw together and can be modified to suit personal taste. Then maybe a pan fried steak with baby potatoes, carrots, parsnips, red onion and sweet potato roasted with rosemary, served with a red wine perhaps? This means you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen so can entertain your friend whilst dinner is cooking. This time of year a crumble always goes down well and it not too tricky but if this feels a bit heavy after all the starchy veg then an exotic fruit salad or ice cream with warm fruit compot (Buy it it's easier. The most important thing is to create an atmosphere with soft lighting and carefully selected music, nice table setting etc. Be careful to show her you know what she likes, she feel so special i guarantee it!

Answer 2

You need to know the sort of things she likes/dislikes before you cook for her.

Keep the food simple. Use fresh ingredients. Do not cook anything that will not hold - you don't want to ruin a romantic moment with smoke issuing from the kitchen. Avoid soup or anything that's messy to eat - it is a good way to avoid accidents that may happen if you're nervous. Garnish each course and make it look attractive - a twist of orange a sprig of fresh herb. Good food should appeal to as many senses as possible not just taste: it should look good, smell good, have pleasing texture.

I would suggest ending with a cheese and fruit platter - make it beforehand and have it set aside under a cloth so the cheese is at room temperature. If cheese isn't your style - start the meal with melon slices and have a deluxe ice-cream to end with.

Grilled chicken breasts and salad would make a nice main course - just sprinkle with lemon and a little cracked black pepper while panfrying - they are ready when the juice starts to appear. They are very quick to cook so you are the minimum time in the kitchen. Have a nice tossed salad ready in the fridge.

If she likes seafood, shrimps served in half an avocado is nice and simple to start with - drizzle a little mayonnaise over it and sprinkle with paprika and a little parsley and a wedge of lemon or a twist of orange.

A romantic dinner is mostly atmosphere. Put fresh flowers on the table - just in a bowl or saucer - so you can see over them. Have candles ready and light them when she arrives. Put on some mood music - quietly - so its in the background and you can talk over it easily. Have nice napkins on the table. Have a clean ironed tablecloth or on a polished wood table - placemats.

If you do all that you could serve pizza and get away with it.

Answer 3

Something that is really easy but impressive is a beef casserole.Brown 2lb diced stewing steak tossed in flour in a little oil and remove with a slotted spoon.Throw in about a dozen shallotes or baby onions,2 halved cloves of garlic and toss them around for a few minutes and remove.Put in a large glass of red wine and bubble till it has reduced by about a third.Put the beef and onions back.Add a boquet garni and season.Add 3/4 pint of beef stock and a squeeze of tomato puree.Give it a stir ,cover and put in the oven at 150 for 2 hours.Check that the beef is tender and give it another 1/2 hour if you think it needs it.If you like a thicker gravy just let it bubble on the top of the stove until it is how you like it.Serve with whatever veg you like.Carrots and buttery mash is best though.

Answer 4

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 5

Tortellini (the fresh kind) and buy the white sauce next to it. Add lightly steamed broccoli, asparagus tips, sauteed shrimp, scallops, or mushrooms. Serve with freshly grated parmesan. But remember even lasagna or something like that is romantic because you are taking the time to do it. It the company and setting that is most imoprtant, not you messing around in the kitchen. Plus you are not all harried when she shows. One of the most romantic things is to have her help you cook. Instead of her just showing up and serving her, open a bottle of wine and have her help just a bit or watch you throw it together. You are doing something together and you both have something to do while you talk. It really does the trick, trust me. Think about doing that? email me.

Answer 6

Chicken, prawn or fish fajitas are simple and quick to cook. The pancakes just need to be put in the oven for 10 minutes. Fry some yellow or orange pepper (capsicum) with red onion. The meat or fish you season with fajita seasoning and gently fry. Then all you need to complete is guacamole and sour cream. Then you both have fun putting them together and hope they don't fall apart while you are trying to eat them. Have fun!

Answer 7

thick pork chops cook them and season to liking
cook some stove top stuffing and when done cut pork chops and stuff them with the stove top
make cream corn in a can
and alittle mash potatoes use garlic and cheddar cheese in the mixture
and cranberry sauce if you want a fruit to add or apple sauce

or do a pasta meal
spaggetti with angel hair pasta cook pasta add olive oil in a pan with garilic fresh cloves and mix till heated steam some broccoli and add garlic to finished pasta and then mix in broccoli make alot of olive oil and garlic for a stronger flavor then serve it with toasted bread and butter and yummy lol

Answer 8

just stick to something simple then like a minestrone soup to start maybe a chicken roast dinner then a fruit salad to finish, and wash the whole meal down with a good bottle of white wine and brandy to finish good luck

Answer 9

av a look at cooking sauces at ur super market u pick one u like the sound of and on the back of the jar they tell u what u need to buy and step by step instructions try spag bol one really easy goodluck

Answer 10

Scampi & Salsa Verdi.
Soup.
Medalions of lamb with a Burgundy fruit sauce.

Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dark chocolate wafers.
Bubbles ( pink!)

Go figure!