Romantic Dinner - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Mugzy6 · 10-25-2005, 06:17 AM

I want to surprise my boyfriend with a homemade dinner sometime soon (we're both quite sick of dining hall food and it'll be fun) and I need some ideas. Keep in mind I'm in college and all I have to work with is in a dorm kitchen, so there are definitely limitations. Also, I am not a chef (very far from it) and don't have much experience with cooking. Any ideas or advice would be super!

777 · 10-25-2005, 06:27 AM

Steak!!!!!

maleficent · 10-25-2005, 07:28 AM

It's been a while, back in my day a dorm kitchen was a hot pot, a toaster oven and a hot air corn popper...

If you have access to a stove or oven and a pot or pan... you can pretty much do anything...

What's your budget that you want to spend?

Mugzy6 · 10-25-2005, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

What's your budget that you want to spend?

I'm not looking to spend too much. I want something nice, but anything over $50 is gonna be a tad too expensive. There is a stove and an oven in our kitchen and I do have a pot and a pan.

maleficent · 10-25-2005, 01:42 PM

It's not fancy, but it's easy and it's really quite good and you wouldhn't find it in most cafeterias...

Chicken Picata
4 chicken breasts, boneless
2 lemons sliced, thin (because lemons are usually pretty cheap and I like lemons I will usually double the lemons called for)
1/4 c. white wine ( 1/4 cup is usually a good splash) (drink the rest with dinner)
1 c. chicken stock (I tend to use one can which is about 12 ounces and reduce it a lot)
2 tbs. butter (use the rest of the butter for rolls or a nice crusty french bread)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. capers
Parsley for garnish

1/2 cup flour
1 tbs salt
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs ground pepper
Blend together and put into a plastic bag or bowl.

Dredge breasts in salt, pepper, flour, paprika mixture.
Saute chicken in butter and olive oil.
Add wine, chicken stock, lemon slices and capers.
Saute until reduced and chicken is done.
Remove lemon slices for serving or use as garnish with parsley.

Serve over Angel hair pasta or a pasta or rice of your choice...

rsl12 · 10-25-2005, 02:48 PM

maleficient's recipe sounds really good! I'm always impressed by a wide spread of items, even if they're simple. For example, if you're doing maleficient's chicken with pasta/rice, you could have on the side a cold spinach salad (thawed frozen spinach, yogurt, salt, olive oil, a little lemon juice), an avocado wedge, braised carrots (buy some baby carrots, boil them until they're almost tender, then take out all but a few tablespoons of water and add butter, a little sugar, thyme and cook till you have a very light caramel over everything. if that's too complicated, boiled carrots with butter & lemon is good too!). All of this can be done well in advance (even the carrots are good at room temperature).

Elphaba · 10-25-2005, 03:18 PM

Mal's recipes are the best, trust me. (I need all the help I can get)

This one may seem a tad complicated, but much of it can be readied ahead of time, and you can impress you SO with a 1, 2, 3 finish that makes you look the ubberchef.

Where are you serving this dinner? Your room or dining hall? Think about adding some special items to the table that you both identify with, whether silly or romantic.

Have a great time, don't stress, and tell us all about it later.

10-25-2005, 06:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
Mugzy6 Tilted Location: North Carolina	Romantic Dinner I want to surprise my boyfriend with a homemade dinner sometime soon (we're both quite sick of dining hall food and it'll be fun) and I need some ideas. Keep in mind I'm in college and all I have to work with is in a dorm kitchen, so there are definitely limitations. Also, I am not a chef (very far from it) and don't have much experience with cooking. Any ideas or advice would be super!

10-25-2005, 06:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
777 drawn and redrawn Location: Some where in Southern California	Steak!!!!! __________________ "I don't know that I ever wanted greatness, on its own. It seems rather like wanting to be an engineer, rather than wanting to design something - or wanting to be a writer, rather than wanting to write. It should be a by-product, not a thing in itself. Otherwise, it's just an ego trip." Roger Zelazny

10-25-2005, 07:28 AM	#3 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	It's been a while, back in my day a dorm kitchen was a hot pot, a toaster oven and a hot air corn popper... If you have access to a stove or oven and a pot or pan... you can pretty much do anything... What's your budget that you want to spend? __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

10-25-2005, 01:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	It's not fancy, but it's easy and it's really quite good and you wouldhn't find it in most cafeterias... Chicken Picata 4 chicken breasts, boneless 2 lemons sliced, thin (because lemons are usually pretty cheap and I like lemons I will usually double the lemons called for) 1/4 c. white wine ( 1/4 cup is usually a good splash) (drink the rest with dinner) 1 c. chicken stock (I tend to use one can which is about 12 ounces and reduce it a lot) 2 tbs. butter (use the rest of the butter for rolls or a nice crusty french bread) 1/4 c. olive oil 1/4 c. capers Parsley for garnish 1/2 cup flour 1 tbs salt 1 tbs paprika 1 tbs ground pepper Blend together and put into a plastic bag or bowl. Dredge breasts in salt, pepper, flour, paprika mixture. Saute chicken in butter and olive oil. Add wine, chicken stock, lemon slices and capers. Saute until reduced and chicken is done. Remove lemon slices for serving or use as garnish with parsley. Serve over Angel hair pasta or a pasta or rice of your choice... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

10-25-2005, 02:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
rsl12 On the lam Location: northern va	maleficient's recipe sounds really good! I'm always impressed by a wide spread of items, even if they're simple. For example, if you're doing maleficient's chicken with pasta/rice, you could have on the side a cold spinach salad (thawed frozen spinach, yogurt, salt, olive oil, a little lemon juice), an avocado wedge, braised carrots (buy some baby carrots, boil them until they're almost tender, then take out all but a few tablespoons of water and add butter, a little sugar, thyme and cook till you have a very light caramel over everything. if that's too complicated, boiled carrots with butter & lemon is good too!). All of this can be done well in advance (even the carrots are good at room temperature). __________________ oh baby oh baby, i like gravy.

10-25-2005, 03:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
Elphaba Deja Moo Location: Olympic Peninsula, WA	Mal's recipes are the best, trust me. (I need all the help I can get) This one may seem a tad complicated, but much of it can be readied ahead of time, and you can impress you SO with a 1, 2, 3 finish that makes you look the ubberchef. Where are you serving this dinner? Your room or dining hall? Think about adding some special items to the table that you both identify with, whether silly or romantic. Have a great time, don't stress, and tell us all about it later.