First time making dinner for BF?

Question

Want to impress him but am not a very good cook and want to make a huge effort cos really like him. Any suggestions on what to make? Bangers & mash and spag bol aren't really great for that! Do guys actually notice the decor if I decorate the table nicely? Thank you

Answer 1

If you really want to impress him, I suggest a salad with hearts of palm and artichoke hearts, served with the following pasta, and then buy a simple dessert to finish with. Here is the recipe for the pasta, it got me engaged!
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

Answer 2

Steak and baked potato with salad is pretty easy. When I was young, I very successfully made two stuffed game hens. They're really easy, just little whole chickens. Rub their skins and insides with rosemary, thyme, sage and olive oil. You can use a stuffing mix but add a couple of things, like some diced apple and onion, to spice it up. Then make a salad or steamed veg. Make sure you cook the hens long enough, but they're so small, shouldn't take much more than an hour. Having a meat thermometer is the best way, they have to get to 180 degrees F.

And yes, remember the ambience! If you don't drink (and why drink, it dulls the senses!), sparkling cider is lovely with game hens. And a nice dessert too, you can make or buy that in advance.

Answer 3

easiest thing i can think of for you is pasta bake.

get some pasta shells and a pasta bake sauce, make the bake as it says on the jar.serve with a green salad and crusty bread (would say garlic but it dont smell nice when kissing)

the reason i say this is because everything is done and put in the oven and left there to cook for an hour while you go get ready and then come back and take it out and while it stands just put your bread in the oven for a few seconds to warm it through and serve. the best pasta bake sauce ive found so far is creamy tomatoe and herb.

the table shouldnt matter just throw a cloth on and a candle in the middle and you can do all that before the time b/f arrives. you can even serve the bake and bread etc in their dishes on to the table so you cna have the plates etc already laid out.


good luck

Answer 4

Make something that you feel comfortable with - don't try to overdo it - sometimes less is more. Keep it simple. at the end of the day its the thought that counts and the effort that you put to doing something special.

You might consider a pasta dish - something you can put in the oven with cheese on top and that you don't have to fuss over. this way you have time to organize the table and set the mood.

Pasta bake:
cook some ground beef, onions, garlic(1 -2 cloves), Italian spices, red & yellow pepper (1 each) in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. once its all cooked through add in a can of crushed tomatoes and a splash of red wine, let it simmer through for about 10 min. Boil some pasta - anykind is ok - i like penne or the bowties are cute, then combine in a baking dish. top with lots of cheese and place in the oven on a low temperature for about 15 min then turn the oven off and leave there until you are ready to serve. you can serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Have a nice bottle of wine, candle light and some nice music.

I am sure he will love whatever you decide to do. Best of luck!

Answer 5

this recipe never fails

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 6

Yes, guys notice your homemaking skills.

Dress the table up with some votive candles in the center, not anything too formal. A small bouquet of daisies or other wildflowers in a bowl would be a great low key centerpiece.

Serve wine and beer. Make sure you also have some hearty bread on hand, maybe with olive oil for dipping.

Men love carbs and meat and potatoes kind of meals.

Smothered steak and mashed potatoes? Just grill a good angus DelMonico steak, and at the end of cooking, smother it with sauteed mushrooms and mozz cheese. When the cheese is good and melted, serve it up.

Make mashed potatoes with some milk, sour cream, and garlic powder. You could throw in some parsley for color into the potatos.

And for dessert...you.

Answer 7

I think atmosphere is key!! Candle light is simple, elegant and very romantic. A nice table setting would be inviting too. Wear a dressy outfit.
It's a bit of a cheat from cooking- but get chinese take out, and make a great dessert! The table setting can make up for the rest. But if you are dead set on cooking-
Keep it simple- don't go gourmet goo-goo. Steak or chicken and a baked potato and salad. Make a nice desert.

Answer 8

He probably won't mind what you cook, so do something that is easy to make and that you've done before so you won't stress over it and can be relaxed for the evening. He'll prefer it if you can spend time with him rather than spending the whole evening in the kitchen.
Try something like a coq au vin with baked potatoes which could all be made in advance and just put in the oven - serve is with a side salad and maybe a nice wine.

Answer 9

I find that lasanga is pretty easy but impresses men no end. All you have to do is boil noodles and fry hambuger. The rest is layering and baking - no stirring and the proportions of meat, sauce and cheeses don't seem to matter. It's also something that's easy to get ready the night before and then just do the baking the day of. As an added bonus if he's running late it takes forever to get cold as long as you don't slice it until he gets there.

And men do notice things like cloth napkins and candles. Mood music is good too. Good luck!

Answer 10

Yes! Decor and Candles are really important. Do something simple like seared steak with a baked potato and spinach. or scallops? For starters you could get some oysters and just have them with a bit of lemon or shallot sauce... no cooking required! and for dessert try creme brulee? You can always buy that ready made, and simply put it in the oven. Good Luck!