urgodhere

I have thgis girl and I cannot cook worth crap. But I would like to treat her to something that I made instead of buying her dinner at some fancy restraunt. Any suggestions that taste good and are romantic that I could prepare? thank you for the help.

GM2

Here's something very easy to do:

Go get 2 half-pound salmon fillets from the supermarket/fish market. Leave the skin on, drizzle with some olive oil, and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Over medium heat, cook skin-side down in a frying pan for about 4 minutes, then put them into a baking dish and bake at 375 for about 15 more minutes.

While that's going on, boil some plain orange juice in a small pot until it gets thick and syrupy. When the fish is done, drizzle the orange juice syrup over it and enjoy. Goes well with a salad or potatos.

Cynthetiq

let me know what you guys like to eat..
but here are some easy dishes...

baked ziti with meat sauce
breaded pork chops
roasted chicken
stir frys

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MacGnG

if we knew what she likes?

but some sort of pasta dish isn't to hard,
roasted chicken isnt that hard either
soup
salad

hmm more ideas to come

rockzilla

A chicken caesar is ridiculously easy to make. Buy a caesar salad kit and two boneless chicken breasts. Either grill the chicken then cut it into 1/4 inch strips, or if you don't have a BBQ, freeze the chicken halfway, then cut it into strips (much easier than trying to cut it at room temp.) and saute it in a pan with a little olive oil. Add it to the salad while the chicken is still warm and you have a nice, light meal. For extra romance, buy a $10 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (the best stuff comes from New Zealand or Southern Austrailia). Fresh fruit is the simplest and best dessert out there. Buy a basket of strawberries and some whipped cream (not cool whip) and feed each other.
Watch a couple of cooking shows, you might find something within your skill level, and it really helps to actually see the dish get cooked.

anti fishstick

dude i'd be happy if someone made me a grilled cheese sandwhich. heh.

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Charlatan

For dessert look up Molen Chocolate Cake on epicurious. They aren't that tough to make but make a real impression.

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mrmolta

How about buying a pizza and enhancing it?

You can add a bunch of your favorite fresh ingredients like sun dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, pineapple, etc...

Make spaghetti using something from a jar but add fresh ingredients.

Make a salad.

Am I assuming too much thinking that everyone loves the Italian staple?

What do you like to eat? What does she like to eat?

Do you own a oven? A stove? Any sort of cooking utensils?

Do you live in a place that has a variety of fresh ingredients? Do you live near a grocery store?

Are you vegetarian? Any special eating requirements?

urgodhere

Well there area some eating requirments that I should have mentioned before. I do not eat beef and she rarley eats pork. Also I do own an oven/stove/eating and cooking utensils/live near a grocery store. Also Italian food is always good. Both of us prefer the same types of foods. We enjoy almost anything. Thanks...keep the recipies coming.

Target_Practice

Hummous is easy and can make you seem "international"

human

Just a useless observation : Take 20 minutes sometime at a bookstore and look at some cookbooks with pretty pictures and see how they present stuff.

If you are a decent cook (if you like what you do even moderatly, then you are) then the presentation can make something plain incredibly romantic. Candles, wine glasses, a nicely set table etc. then spend 5 minutes getting the food just right on the plate. The effect is more than worth it, and nothing shows professionalism more than good presentation. She'll love it

Fisher

I agree with human. If you want to impress, the thing to do is plan. Think about how you are going to put it all together at the same time. Make a little extra effort on presentation, and look for recipes that require the work well ahead of time, so when your girl arrives, you can give her your attention instead of stressing over the meal.

Here's a thought - you can buy frozen Pepperidge Farm pastry shells that are foolproof. You just put them in the oven and bake and make a creamy chicken or seafood sauce that goes on top. It's easy but different and seems very fancy.

rmx

http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....364#post405364

you can thank me later

also, fry some boneless skinless chicken breasts. it is ridiculously easy.

in a good (preferably cast iron) skillet big enough for the chicken you want to cook, and put in a frying liquid. i always use crisco. of course i am in the south, and it is what i am used to. put in around 1/2" - 3/4" of fat. you CAN use vegetable oil or my second favorite, peanut oil.

set the heat to mh. if you dial is numbered, go for 6-7 out of 10. it needs quite some time to heat the oil nicely.

now, get four plated (good paper plates will do) and put the following in each:

1. plain all purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
2. 1 large egg and 2 tbsp (that's the big one ) of milk mixed well
3. all purpose flour (about 1 cup) with generous amounts of salt ond black pepper (you can add cayenne pepper if you want to kick it up a notch) mixed well
4. leave alone for now

if you know the day before and want to add this step, please do, but it will be fine if you don't do this: place the chicken breasts in a plastic container (or ziploc if you want) and pour in some buttermilk. let it soak over night.

now, you want to dredge the breast in the #1 plain flour until both sides are nicely coated. pat off any excess with you hand. now dredge both sides through #2 egg wash. let some it drip off. you don't want it too drippy, but you want it to be moist. now dredge it through #3 seasoned flour and pack it on with your fingers and massage it in a little. now place the breast aside. repeat until all are coated. let them sit for at least five minutes.

if during all of this yo unotice your oil smoking, turn it down a little.

now gently lay the breast in the pan AWAY FORM YOU in case the grease splatters. discard all paper plates you used! they had raw chicken on them. cook on that side for 8-9 minutes. lift one up gently and see that it is golden brown. flip all the breats and cook for 10-12 minutes more. the first side will be prettier. it is your "presentation side". if you have thin breasts, you should reduce cooking time slightly.

serve with rice and a canned vege, and voila, instant fuck fest my fried chicken usually gets me some that night. i make it often. let me know if there are any holes in my recipe. i do it on the fly.