What can I prepare tonight for a dinner date tomorrow night?

Question

I have time tonight, but don't want to do much prep work/ cooking tomorrow. I would rather relax and have fun. Any fantastic recipes?

Answer 1

Think exotic? And small bite size, flavorable portions....
Do you have a bbq?
Try Mangos on the bbq,
bbq plantanes (sliced into long slivers)
bbq asparagus (rubbed with olive oil and salt, 3 minutes max)
bbq, portobella mushrooms with a bit of brie cheese smoked salmon, ongion and garlic, upside down of course!
Mmmmmm.... i wish i had a date tonight!

anyone available??? i am single... in the Toronto area!??? 33.... male..... lol.... mmmmmm i am hungry now!
PS: you need a nice salad... try a green tossed salad with broken walnuts.... salmon chunks... pine nuts... and a semi sweet asian dressing. Mmmmmm... i can taste the passion already!
good luck!

Answer 2

Prepare a lasagna or meat loaf that you can pull from the fridge and throw into the oven when you get home. Have potatoes peeled and soaking in water in the fridge to make mashed potatoes. Have carrots peeled and cut into coins to cook quickly in the microwave.

You can also do meat balls and tomato sauce. It'll taste better tomorrow (after a night in the fridge) anyway.

Marinate a whole chicken or chicken breast quarters to bake off tomorrow.

For minimal cookign tomorrow, serve fondue! You'll have a bunch of prep tonight, w/ cutting up meat and parboiling potatoes and making/pouring out sauces, but essentially NO work tomorrow. And fondue is a kind of sexy way to dine, too.

Answer 3

How about a nice tossed salad and broiled salmon with a side of lemon pasta?
Tonight...cut up veggies for salad, make fish marinade...I like chopped ginger and garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, fresh, chopped basil...and make the pasta sauce.
Tomorrow all you have to do is throw the salad together, toss the salmon in the marinade for 30 minutes, and cook the pasta.
Broil the salmon and you're ready to go! Here is the lemon pasta recipe...I have also made it with linguine and angel hair.

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Have fun!

Answer 4

Take cheese tortellini and toss with a jar pesto mixture and refrigerate. Grill some chicken breasts marinated in garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil and serve with the pasta. This dish is great hot or cold, so you can reheat the pasta tomorrow night and quickly grill the chicken before serving. Make with cresent rolls and toss a caesar salad together from the prepackaged varieties in the super market.

Answer 5

Try a Quick Garlic Herb Chicken breast dinner. Make some caesar salad with homemade Caeser dressing. Also toast some bread and add a slice of mozzeralla cheese.
Its simple and should only take about 20 minutes.

Answer 6

I know this sounds nuts, but make a really fancy beef stew.

1 - 2 lbs. stew beef
1 bag of pearl onions
1 bag of baby carrots
8 - 12 baby potatoes
1 stalk of celery
1 bottle of dry red wine
1 c. of beef stock
1 c. flour
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cloves of garlic

salt & pepper

I like to cut my beef into bite size pieces first, but you really don't have to. In a plastic bag put about 1 cup of flour and a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Shake the beef around in the bag. Shake off the excess flour and Coat the beef in a little flour, just enought to cover it. Then sautee the beef in a pan on all sides until its brown. Once the beef is cooked on all sides remove it from the pan. Then take the pot off the fire and add 1 cup of red wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan. Then add the beef, thyme, garlic (you don't have to chop it), celery (don't cut it up) and bay leaf to the pot. Let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours on very low. Check this occasionally, you may need to add water if it gets too low.

While this is simmering peel the baby onions, this will take a little bit of time. You can buy them frozen, but I find they don't hold their integrity as well as fresh. Put them in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Once the stew beef is finished cooking let it cook and put it in the fridge. Tomorrow, remove the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and celery stalk from the pot. At this point you will have to use a little discretion. If there isn't enough liquid you will have to add some. I prefer adding more beef stock, but you can add water, or a can of stewed tomatoes. I don't like the tomatoes myself, but my husband prefers it with the tomatoes. Heat the stew up until just warm enough for you to taste it. Again, use your discretion for seasoning it. It might seem like you are adding too much salt, but remember it's a pretty big pot. Then add the potatoes and carrots. Let it simmer for about 1/2 or until the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked through. Then add the onions. Let it simmer about 15 more minutes.

Serve it in a dish with fresh parsley on top, crunchy bread and a fresh salad. Oh, and the rest of the wine : )

Answer 7

this won't pass properly with THIS dinner, yet you are able to shop the recipe for next time:) CARROT RING a million c. softened butter a million/2 c. brown sugar a million egg a million Tb. water 2 c. grated carrots a million-a million/2 c. flour a million/2 tsp. each and every baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon & salt Cream butter & brown sugar properly. Then upload relax of components. combination at the same time properly; pour (%.) right into a greased ring mildew and refrigerate in one day. eliminate a million/2 hr. in the past baking. Bake a million hour at 350 (not in a pan of water). prove onto platter and fill middle with cooked peas. Serves 6-8 ..... it is aThanksgiving custom with our kin. My grandmother continuously made it too, and that i think of it tastes rather like gingerbread.... ARTICHOKE - RICE SALAD a million (6-7 oz.) pkg. rooster flavored rice combination (like Rice-a-Roni) 2 green onions, thinly sliced a million/2 green pepper, chopped 8 pimento-filled olives, thinly sliced a million (6 oz.) jars marinated artichoke hearts, decrease up a million/4 tsp. curry powder a million/3 c. mayonnaise practice rice in accordance to equipment. combination each and every thing else into warm rice and stir till properly mixed. Serve warm, chilly or room temp (keeps for days interior the refrigerator) ... Serves 10 This rice can genuinely be finished an afternoon or 2 forward... as quickly as you're making it, you will convey it to all of the pot-lucks you pass to (because of the fact it fairly is served room temp). it is totally different and fairly stable

Answer 8

These rolls could be prepared in advance and stored, to be reheated when you are in party mode.

Sausage Rolls.
Flaky or Short Pastry.
450 g tube of Sausage Meat.
Diced Onion.
Mix sausage meat and onion with about ½ cup of water.

Take one sheet of pastry and lay on the filling in the centre third.
Fold one side over and brush the other with water and press on top.
Turn over and cut into rolls 3’’ long or cut into 3 or 4.
Make 3 cuts on top of each roll and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Brush with milk and bake about 30 minutes at 215C (425F), in a pre-heated oven.

Scones can be eaten hot or cold.
Cheese Scones.
3 cups Flour.
41/2 teaspoons Baking Powder.
½ teaspoon of salt.
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper.
½ cup Grated Cheese. (Tasty)
1 Cup of Milk.

Sift dry ingredient, add cheese and mix to a light dough with the milk.
Turn out onto a floured board, knead, roll out and cut; place on an oven tray.
Bake at 215C (425F) for 10 minutes.

Savouries

You could bake some tasty savouries in a muffin pan. (Baby pies).
Mince.
Bacon and egg.
Fish.
Potato Top.

Line your greased muffin pan with puff pastry and add the filling of your choosing and add pastry lids.
Brush with milk.
Bake at 160C for about 40minutes, until the tops are golden.

They can be made in advance to reheat at the appropriate time, or make another dozen and put them in the freezer.

Answer 9

pasta and a salad..no garlic bread.