Help needed in the kitchen?

Question

I am recovering from an operation and my partner has proved once again that he is the best man in the world ever - he has been caring for his mother who has recently had a triple bypass and also caring for me and he is tired running between the two houses - i would like to cook a meal for him to say thank you for being so wonderful

i want to surprise him with something special cos he really has been brilliant and to show him how much i appreciate him and love him

any ideas folks???

Sorry - i should have said that my operation was for an ectopic pregnancy

I know what sort of food he likes im just looking for ideas because im not the best cook in the land lolol he is used to burnt and he normally does the cooking so im lost with different recipes

Answer 1

Why not find a nice little hotel & surpise him by going away for the weekend?

Sounds like it would do you both the world of good to have some quality time together. Less stressful than making a meal if that's not your thing.

My missus got us a room at the Three Ways House Hotel for my birthday a couple of years ago & it was a fantastic treat (it's the home of the pudding club). Still thinking about it years later.

Answer 2

If you are in recovery I would opt for something easy as you dont want to get so stressed out it ruins the fun of a romantic meal together!!!
Grilled halloumi for a starter is easy and tasty. I serve it on a bed of rocket leaves and with a lemon & olive oil dressing (you can make this yourself, just whisk juice of half a lemon together with a few good glugs of olive oil).
I notice you had already been given a lot of 'fishy ideas' so I will give you something different. Main course could be this nice and easy (and not too much washing up!) chicken dish:
Two large chicken breasts
Parma Ham
Mozzarella (or your favourite melting type cheese, you can even use philadephia or boursin if you like)
Bit of olive oil
2 courgettes sliced
Yellow pepper sliced into medium sized pieces
cherry tomatoes
baby onions
baby potatoes scrubbed
thyme

make a gash in the chicken ahlfway through and insert some cheese. Wrap the chicken fillet in the parma ham so that the cheese cant come out and sprinkle a bit of thyme on top. Get a large baking dish and chuck all of the veggies in tossed around in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme.
Wrap chicken parcles in silver foil and place on a baking sheet. Pit everything in the over at 200 degreese centigrade for 35-40 mins until all of the veg is cooked through and the chicken is piping hot and cooked (juices runnning clear).
For dessert if you live in the UK, go to waitrose or Sainsbury and get a GU pudding, the choc souffle is PERFECT and is better than homemade, just get some creme fraiche to serve with them!

Good luck and I hope that you feel better soon.

Answer 3

Poached Fillet Steak - a winner with every male!

To serve 4 the recipe is;

4 fillet steaks
1/2 bottle red wine
1/2 pint chicken stock
6 garlic cloves, whole but peeled
6 black pepper corns
Springs of Fresh Thyme
Butter

Place all ingredients in a pan (which will fit the steaks snugly), other than the steaks and the butter

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 mins

Place the steaks into the pan and poach for 7 mins rare, 9 mins med and 11 mins well done.

remove steaks from sauce and crush garlic cloves to release flavour. Then sieve sauce to remove thyme, pepercorns etc. Then put sieved sauce back onto the heat and add some butter to thicken. Allow butter to melt but do not boil. Then pour sauce over steaks, put a small piece of Tyhme on top to serve.

When I cooked this for my husband the first time - he didn't even speak for about a minute - he has is was that fantastic!

Answer 4

I made this for my wife for Valentines. It's really easy as you just chuck everything in a pan and only needs a bit a chopping for preparation.

Ingredients

The amounts you need depend on your taste, but generally use a handle of the larger ingredients per person.

Cooked King Prawns
Tomatoes Roughly Chopped
Mange Toute
Peas (Fresh or Frozen)
Flat Leaf Parsley Roughly Chopped
1/2 Mild Red Chilli Finely Chopped
1 Clove Garlic Finely Chopped
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Ideally use a Wok or Paella pan, but a large frying pan will do.

Heat a few tablespoons of Olive Oil in the pan and add the chopped chilli and garlic a gently heat for a couple of minutes.

Add the Peas, Tomato & Mange Toute. Cook for another minute, stirring gently.

Season, add a splash of water or white wine with the prawns and cover. Again just for a minute or so until the peas are tender and the prawns heated through.

Add the parsely, give it all a final stir and serve with crusty bread or rice.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Why not make him a nice chicken or beef casserole?

You can serve it with rice which is easy (remember white rice cooks more quickly than brown, taking 10 mins where brown takes about 30).

BBC Good Food Magazine has a really easy quick chicken casserole recipe in it in the current (Feb) edition - I did it last night and it was yummy! And very easy! And fairly cheap to make too!

I added onion in and some mixed herbs to give it a bit of extra flavour, and if it gets too thick just add some water. The 10 mins cooking time at the end where everything simmers together is perfect for getting your rice cooked (ensure your water is boiling first!).

What a nice thought, good luck!

Answer 6

There is a special dish that I make for company or if my children "beg" me because I haven't made it in a long time. I call it Chicken Cache'.
I picked this dish because chicken is a favorite for most people.
For 4 Servings:-
4-Double size chicken breasts.
Cut a pocket in each breast, careful not to cut through meat completely. You need to insert a piece of cheese, preferably a hard cheese. I use a Jack (White).
First make a savory mixture of herbs to your taste that will not overpower the cheese. I use marjoram or tarragon .
Dust the inside cavity of the chicken and then insert the cheese. Secure with a toothpick and dreg in an egg-wash mixture then seasoned bread crumbs, then egg wash again, coating well. Fry each cutlet in a medium heat skillet with butter or margarine only. Do not use oil, it tends to make the cutlet heavy and does not have the taste you are looking for. Fry only until golden brown, not dark brown. Remove to paper towel plate & drain.
You can prepare up to this point and cook later. Oven cook at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes and serve.
Since you are recovering from an operation, choose to sit while frying because you must watch them until they are done.
To make life easy for you, put some Red Potatoes in the
350 degree oven a full 20 minutes before the chicken.
A vegetable that doesn't require a lot of prep time, Green beans or mix red cabage with pears and use some syrup to sweeten a bit. A prepared salad from the store with added carrots (already peeled), a cucumber and rings of a pepper or red onions on top look decorative. Cresent rolls if you wish (Do not cut them off and roll as directions suggest). For a different twist, lay dough out flat dust with sesame seeds and roll up in a jelly roll fashion and cut in circles. Bake as directed. They are done when golden brown.
VOILA" you are done. Serve with a crisp chilled white wine. I love a Pouilly Fusse' or a less expensive Pinot Grigio. Desset is from the bakery, a great pastry and serve it surrounded by strawberries. Coffee or Tea.
Bon Appetit.

Answer 7

hiya a lovely dish and very simple and fresh is tuna steak with noodles the ingrediants are

tuna steaks
teryaki marinade a lime
fresh egg noodle/beansprouts
red peppers mushrooms chillis spring onions
soy sauce and chilli p[owder

put the tuna steak s in pan and pour the teryaki marinate on the fish slice sum chillis throw them in and a squeeze of lime juice marinade 4 atleast 2 hours then cook fish in griddle pan with a bit of corriander then add peppers and mushrooms 2 wok or ppan add noodles and beansprouts then add a splash of soy sauce and some chilli powder if u like it spicy wait 4 uingrediants 2 cook then add spring onions at end (a little tip cut all vegtables in stripsit looks alot better presentation wise) put noodle on plate and tuna steak on top it really is delicious and takes about 15 mins 2 cook honestly give it a go and it will be easy 4 u to do after your operation hope u get well soon and your man is a diamond

Answer 8

He sounds like a great guy who'll appreciate the thought and the gesture as much as whatever you serve. Something simple done with love will be better than the best, most complicated dish you can do. Very best wishes to you and him and (not strictly related to your question), my best friend had an ectopic pregnancy two years ago and was very poorly. She is now the mother of a cute, smiley one year old with the cheekiest grin in the world.

Answer 9

Beef tenderloin, with a nice pan gravy, mashed potatoes and beans almondine. The meat will be expensive, but it is an easy thing to cook, and he will never forget it! Just like you will never forget what he's done for you.First mash your potatoes, make your green beans and keep them warm Take your meat(well seasoned), and a hot pan (oven durable)with a little butter and olive oil and sear it on either side put it in a 450 dgree oven and cook it however you like it, pull them out of the pan and let them rest. Sautee some shallots and garlic in the pan and add a little red wine to deglaze, reduce season and pour over your meat that you have put on plates with the sides while you were waiting for the sauce to reduce. It will be delicious and memorable.

Answer 10

Sorry about the baby

A trick taught to me by the best cook I know:

Get a small fillet/sirlion of beef, put in a roasting tray with an onion, cut in half but not peeled, a couple of cloves of garlic, crushed but not peeled, a couple of carrots and a stick of celery and half a cup of water.

Heat your oven to its highest setting. When it is there put the beef in and turn the oven OFF. Leave until the oven has cooled down. Take out the meat but do not put in the fridge (ruins the flavour)

Right that's the meat done.

Get a packet of salad with lots of rocket/watercress in it.

Put 2 baking potatoes in the oven (set to about 180 heat), having put a cross in the top of them and drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil. They take about an hour.

Set table, candles, wine etc.

Get potatoes out and serve the thinly sliced beef on a large plate, which you have covered with the salad.

Minimal chance of burning.

Pudding - something sweet like profiteroles or just grapes and cheese.

Add the love - you'll be OK