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Posted: 4/9/2008 12:03:56 PM | Hi all, thanks for reading my wee problem...recently i went to a mates house (girlfriend) and she made me this absolutely fab meal, and ive returned the compliment by asking her to mine nxt week...however, i havnt got a clue what to cook...she cooked for me coca-cola in ham, creamy garlic potatoes and honeyed parsnips. Yeah, ano a bit ladeda but I really dont know what to cook for her in return...ano she wont really care, shes known me for ages but shes been there for me a lot and Id like her to enjoy my evening as much as I enjoyed hers....so people, any recipes or ideas? Im from Belfast in Northern Ireland so if your telling me some unusual food substance please explain...thanks for all your help I really appreciate it... | |
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Posted: 4/9/2008 12:41:06 PM | Cherie70: Why not ask your friend what she prefers...chicken? fish? shrimp? meat? Do you own a grill? You can always marinate something for at least two hours if not overnight (which is better) and grill.
It sounds like she made a nice dish that you enjoyed, but perhaps make something that either she would prefer or something that YOU enjoy making. A native Irish dish perhaps?
Why not take a look at some of the recipes that are listed for various dishes on the recipes forums. I have found plenty that have been tried and approved by others and especially my children.
Good luck to you. I am sure whatever you make, your friend will enjoy and appreciate. The company is what matters most. Plenty of laughing, for sure.
~~Beth~~ | |
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Posted: 4/9/2008 10:18:02 PM | Unless she's a vegetarian (she cooks ham, so I doubt it) you really can't go wrong with chicken.
I'd go with baked chicken (I prefer boneless thigh meat) with rice and a 2 or 3 vegetables (one green, one red, one yellow) on the side. Cooking the rice in chicken broth will tie the protein and starch together; perhaps a sauce or glaze applied to the chicken and the vegetables can tie the entire package together. | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 12:08:01 AM | Well, its hard to go wrong with a Lasagna and a loaf of garlic bread with a good red wine.
Brown a pound or 2 of hamburger and pour off most of the grease. Set aside.
Saute some chopped onions and minced garlic in oil. Add beef. Throw in a large can diced tomatoes, medium can of tomato sauce and small can of tomato paste. Or double it if you want. Add a palmful of oregano, pour yourself a glass of red wine and pour a cup or so into sauce. Let simmer and reduce. Season it to your taste. Watch the tube for a bit and enjoy your wine. Pour some more wine. :o) Throw a container of cottage cheese and the same amount of Parmesan into a dish and mix. Layer meat sauce, lasagna noodles (the kind you dont have to boil) meat sauce, cheese mix, noodles, meat sauce and top with Mozza. Pour more wine. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 F. (You figure out C. lol) for an hour. Take off tin foil and brown cheese. Throw in the garlic bread for the last 15 min. or so. Pour more wine
Google "Sex in a Pan" for a good dessert ... at least my ex gf loved it ;o) | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 12:14:50 AM | You might want to try this recipe for pasta carbonara.
1pkg.sausage, breakfast, Italian
1pkg of bacon
2bellpeppers red if available they look nicer .
1onion
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1 pkg of fresh Parmesan cheese
2cups 16oz. heavy whipping cream
1 pkg pasta 16oz. Linguine or Fettuccine
(chop)the following.
bell pepper,onion,mushrooms.
Saute' the bell peppers first (they take longer to cook) When they start to brown and get soft throw in the musrooms and onions.
Drain
Set aside
Brown sausages
chop sausages
set aside
Fry bacon
drain
crumble
set aside
Grate a wedge of Parmesan cheese
set aside
Cook pasta I like linguine. fettuccines also good
set aside
In a large pot
combine small amounts of pasta, vegetables, meat and cheese.
pour in about one quarter to one half cup heavy whipping cream
mix until cheese is well blended with the cream
repeat until ingredients are gone.
I realize this thread is old and you've probably already served your special dinner.
but this is easy to make and sure to impress. | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 12:19:49 AM | WOW, Cherie, I would have thought you were from Australia until you said Ireland. What I thought was really surprising is that I read 2 or 3 weeks ago in here how a friend of the lady posting had made her the exact same dinner. I am pretty shocked how that one menu is burning a trail around the world faster than gossip, or bad news.
It is hard to make suggestions to people in other countries when one doesn't know what is available to you, or what all things are called. It sounds like you are not comfortable cooking. If you are, please forgive this post. I will tell you a dilemma I had last year.
Our ladies group at church cooks for the families that have a member pass away, for a minimum of 2 weeks, if not longer. Everyday, at least one lady will bring food for that day, one dinner and maybe one will bring over breakfast. I was in the middle of packing to move 3 days away and went out to do some errands before going back home to finish up the kitchen. Most of the kitchen had already been packed. While I was out, I got a phone call.
The caller told me that she was supposed to take dinner over for the family and was still stuck an hour away at a doctor’s appointment with her son. She had already called everyone and most did not answer and the ones that did, simply could not jump in and make dinner, they were not at home, or had to leave. Before thinking too long, I had said I would fill in for her. I got off the phone to double check that I had about 3 hours, only to find that it was only 1 1/2 hours before the dinner was due to be at the house all ready for 12.
I was so stunned that without thinking I went into "Fix this mess and get out by the skin of your teeth" mode. Because I HAD TO, my mind totally opened up to any possibilities. I didn't have a single idea in my head, but left what I was doing and flew to the store to purchase anything that would be fast, fairly good and FAST. LOL I was practically running. I also had to consider that all of my cooking pans were packed, because I had taken a date to cook for after I had moved.
As I came into the store, I had to go passed the deli first and saw roasted whole chickens, 3 flavors, so I grabbed 2 of the lemon pepper flavor. As I kept walking I was thinking what is a side dish that people like and would be good to go with lemon and chicken....I flew to the pasta isle. I am pretty much the only person who doesn't like pasta, so I knew it would be a hit. I looked at all of the jarred pasta sauces and thought, nope, I can't get away with that, they are all nasty. Then I saw some sun dried tomato pesto, so I stopped. Next to the pesto, I saw some sun dried tomato four-cheese Italian blend cheese sauce. I grabbed 1 pesto jar and 2 of those cheese sauce jars. I knew I needed pasta that the sauce would stick well to, no orecchiette, so I went for the boring old 4 color corkscrew pasta, but hey, it would work. Ok, now I need a vegetable. I had decided to do large portions of only a few dishes to save time. I went to the veggie isle and found a 2.5# bag of thin green beans (French haricots). They were already trimmed and cleaned, fresh. I then went to the frozen foods isle to get a dessert and found some nice frozen cakes, so I got 2 of those in double chocolate and a gallon of raspberry swirl ice cream. On the way to the checkout I passed the bakery and picked up 2 loaves of buttered garlic Italian bread, fresh from the oven. Oh yeah, I had also picked up a bag of lettuce leaf blend, grape tomatoes, cucumber, red onion.
When I got home, I had 30 minutes to complete the meal. I got hat water on to boil the pasta, microwaved the green beans with tarragon, dill, butter & extra virgin olive oil. I mixed the 2 bottles of cheese sauce and the tomato pesto in another microwave boil and heated. When the pasta was done, I mixed together and it traveled in the bowl, as well as the green beans in their bowl. I threw together the salad fixings and took them a bottle of creamy Italian and Russian Red dressing. I just kept the bread and chicken warm and placed some lemon slices around it and kept the ice cream frozen and let the cakes thaw. I actually knocked on their door with dinner at 6:30pm on the dot.... shocking. All I could think is how they were going to say what a thrown together dinner it was. Instead, I got several letters from the family telling me how it was the best dinner out of all 2 weeks and wanted my recipes. When the lady who attends our church, whose husband had died returned, she asked me in a large group to tell her exactly how I had made the pasta dish and the chicken. I stared in stunned silence for a few seconds and all eyes turned to me, then I said, "I cannot lie, I didn't cook any of it. The chicken was from the deli and the pasta was just a couple of jarred sauce thrown together." She was shocked. She said they had bet it was hours of prep. I said...30 minutes. I still had to write it all down for her. It made me realize that if you choose well, you can still please people and never have to worry, prepare, or cook a thing. Most people are pretty easy to please.
Good Luck, I am sure you will do well. | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 12:33:23 AM | KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid!
(sorry...didn't mean you were stupid)
I would keep it really simple and delish. Why not chicken?
take the time to roast a nice chicken, go to the butcher store and get a nice bird.
whip up some soft butter with some herbs like fresh or ground oregano, thyme, rosemary..whatever you like...make a nice paste.
Separate the skin gently from the meat of the bird and stick the butter paste in between...this will look lovely and taste great.
a little salt n pepper in the cavity of the bird...and you could toss in 5 or 6 crushed cloves of garlic for good measure.
Make sure you baste the bird occassionally with melted butter.
Roast it for the desire time per pound. When it is done, remove it from the oven and cover it with tin foil for 15 minutes to allow the juices to stay in the flesh.
serve with some lovely wedges of red skin potatoes, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes...you only need one or two of each potatoe since it is only the two of you.
make sure you drain off the goodies from the bottom of the chicken roasting pan....put it in a frypan... make a nice gravy...easy on the flour... make a nice jus...if you don't want gravy.
a nice salad...something different like spinach leaves, thin slices of red onion, slices of strawberry...and make a light vinegrette or buy a raspberry vinegrette to pour over...cheap from the store.
I like a simple spring mix of lettuces... sprinkled with roasted soy nuts, sunflower seeds and a store bought poppyseed dressing.
dessert... ice cream...a good rich vanilla... drizzle over some fruit that has been soaking in liquer for one hour in the fridge... a Grand Marnier is nice.
get a nice wine....a nice Aussie Shiraz is good... or a good chilled bottle of chardonnay.
some candles....and go hunt for some flowers....and some linens...the thrift store has interesting pieces sometimes....I hate wine on my good stuff...lol
bon appetite...and let us know how it goes.
Me?... I keep it simplier... lamb...lamb chops even...I remove the silverskin...you can ask the butcher to explain that one...and I marinate the meat overnight... sometimes 24 hours in olive oil, robust red wine, onions, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic.
Then I grill it in the oven on low for 5 minutes on each side....keep a close eye on it so it does not burn... you can use the bbq...or the gas grill too. How can you go wrong with Lamb? | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 12:40:06 AM | LOL KISS
Rose, I love it...good menu too. | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 4:58:25 AM | | wow...well ive read all your ideas...thanks for helping me out...now ive just got to sum up what I want to cook and what she will enjoy lol...anyways thanks again..dinner is this sat so ano ive a bit of time, and yes i will let you all know...thanks again.. | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 5:24:25 AM | Lamb that is incredible and cannot be stuffed up no matter how bad you cook:
Buy a shoulder of lamb from your butchers. 1 shoulder will feed 3 hungry people as a main wide sides.
Put it in an oven dish/roasting dish with the juice of 3 lemons, a good slash of olive oil, a cup or so of dry white wine, plenty of oregano some rosemary some basil and maybe even a little mint (dried is fine), plenty of pepper, plenty of salt.
Cover with foil and roast at 110oC/220oF for 12 hours.
But here's the trick. COok it like a day or 2 in advance.
On the night, peel some potatoes, boil them in water until they're soft, drain and roast in an over of around 220 oC/440 oF covered with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
Once they're about done, put your lamb in (it'll keep well in the fridge, even taste a bit better) so it warms up.
Serve them together. No need for grazy. Just some pan juices from the lamb.
On the side: some rocket lettuce tossed in a little olive oil, squeeze of lemon, balsamic and crumbled feta (has to be good feta. Persian Feta is brilliant and easily available here, not sure about there)
Best main course ever. Easy as hell and can be made in advance so you aren't rushed on the night. Tell your guests the lamb took 12 hours and they'll be blown away. | |
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Posted: 4/10/2008 10:29:52 AM | | Go to Deliaonline for a fast spring theme menu. | |
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