A Perfect meal...?

Question

Hi... I need some help please, i could really use some help in cooking, My girlfriend and I are going to have our one year anniversary and i need the perfect meal... I can do with the setting and decoration but not with cooking... any creative Ideas in the Kitchen, Preferably, simple, rich in taste and delicious :)... Thank you!!

Answer 1

Straberry salad
3 cups romaine
3 cups fresh spinach
8 ounces sliced Gouda cheese
2 cups sliced juicy red strawberries
1/2 cup toasted ground pecans


Directions
Arrange greens on four salad plates.
Arrange cheese in wedges and strawberries alternately on greens.
Use 2 ounces of cheese and 1/2 cup strawberries per plate.
Divide dressing between the four plates and garnish with 2 tablespoons pecans on top of salads.

Strawberry Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup seedless strawberry jam or strawberry preserves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup red wine, strawberry or raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.Place in jar with lid and chill until ready to use.

Shrimp Scampi
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vermouth
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
PREPARATION:
Heat oil over medium low heat in a large skillet. Sauté shrimp; add vermouth, garlic, salt, and pepper; simmer until liquid is almost evaporated. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice. Gently stir and serve over linguini noodles (follow directions on box or fresh tray for perfect noodles every time).

finish the meal with a chocolate lava cake (there are simple mixes) and enjoy!

Don't forget flowers and a nice beverage as well as calming dinner music.
Good Luck!

Answer 2

Okay, easy but impressive menu.

Simple green salad (you can buy it in a package and put it in a bowl to serve

Fettucine al fredo. Cook about 8 oz of the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water. Drain and melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in the pasta pot. Pour in about a cup of heavy cream and heat it, but don't let it boil. Then put the drained pasta back in the pot and add a half cup of parmesan cheese and toss well. Put that on a platter with a couple of sprigs of parsley and put some extra parmesan cheese in a bowl on the side. Serve a light white wine or white zinfandel with it if you like.

For dessert, your girlfriend's favorite flavor of ice cream would do, but if you're up for a little more cooking on the night before, try the basic Kraft cheesecake recipe. It only has a few ingredients and is ultra simple to make (a 14 year old teenager can do it so I'm sure you can) and get some fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries to put on top. The trick is, you have to make it the night before so it has enough refrigerator time to set or it will be cheesecake flavored pudding.

Good luck! It's sweet that you want to please her. She's a lucky girl.

Answer 3

Made this the other day.

Brown pork chops in a skillet with a little oil.
Once browned on both sides add a cup of water,
season with garlic powder, a Little Cayenne pepper
season salt. slice a onion and green pepper add that also.
Cover and simmer letting the water reduce some ,if pork chops are not tender add more water.
Once chops are tender take them out of the skillet and reduce the liquid if there is more than a cup. Once you do this add 1/2 can of tomato paste , stir well and place chops back in the skillet. Cook another 20 min.
It's easy and very tasty
I buy Lipton dirty rice and make it as the side (only takes 7 min.)
a salad will also be good with this.

Answer 4

Here you go! It is REALLY good she will be impressed!

AIOLI AND GARLIC BREAD
INGREDIENTS
Garlic Bread:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 (1/2-inch thick) slices ciabatta bread
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
Aioli:
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, drained, patted dry
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
To make the garlic bread: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle the oil over the bread slices. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the bread is crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Immediately rub the garlic cloves over the hot toasts. To make the aioli: Finely chop the garlic in the food processor. Add the peppers and blend until almost smooth. Blend in the mayonnaise. With the machine running, blend in the oil. Season the aioli, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the aioli to a small bowl. (The aioli can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Spread the aioli over the toasts and serve.

RED PEPPER CROUTON PASTA
INGREDIENTS
1 pound rigatoni pasta
3 cups purchased garlic-flavored croutons, (about 5 ounces)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (about 1 ounce), toasted
1 cup julienned roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl. Place the croutons and the almonds in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes the texture of bread crumbs. Add the crouton and almond mixture to the hot pasta. Add the peppers and the olive oil. Toss to combine and serve.

Serve these with a romaine lettuce salad that includes tomato, cucumber, cheese, and a light dressing like raspberry wallnut.

Don't forget the red wine!

This is really sweet of you hope it all turnes out!

Answer 5

For simple, quick, rich in taste and delicious go to foodnetwork.com and look up Racheal Ray's 30 minute meals. You can find whole meal recipes there that are very simple to make and not too time consuming. Plus some of her episodes also have a drink and or dessert along with it. She also has a few episode for that special occasion for two type meal or sweetheart type meals. Good Luck, you have a lot to choose from.....

Answer 6

try this
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallots, minced
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 can crushed tomatoes
Coarse salt and pepper
8 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/4 cup heavy cream
10 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 7

The perfect meal food wise is a matter of taste, what kind of food does she like? Italian food (not pizza) seems to be the most romantic and pasta and garlic bread are simple to make

Answer 8

Well... since you said "meal" and not food, I'ma stretch it. Of course it'll too require the best foods? and I'm not exactly the most notiable person in foods, but I'm guessing maybe..... some chicken..... some vegetables... and champagne, but most importantly having a meal with someone I know and you could carry along a nice convo. but we're not going to get into convo. and people right? cause then I'll be off topic... kind of, and you'll be annoyed! :D

Answer 9

Go for roast lamb or roast chicken.
It's traditional and homely and fairly simple.

Nothing says I love you like a lovingly cooked roast dinner ;o)

Answer 10

you just might want to take her out for that anniversary dinner because you are not such a good cook Good Luck!