I'm a Vegetarian wanting to make a meal for a meat-lover.?!
He will be 19, we've been dating for 5 months. For his birthday I want to enjoy a meal with him, but I can't afford a restaurant. HERE'S THE CATCH! I'm a vegetarian, with no experience cooking meat. ANOTHER CATCH: I'm in a uni residence, and working without an oven (I do have a microwave and a stove).
MY QUESTION: What can I make that will be:
1) Easy to cook (stovetop/microwave)
2) Easy on my vegetarian eyes / hands (meat grosses me out)
... hope all the veggies out there don't condemn me for wanting 2 make a meat meal for the BF. . FYI I won't be eating it ! I'll be making my own veggie meal to eat with him.
Answers: It's my boyfriend's birthday in 3 weeks or so, and I've pretty much broken the bank buying his gift.. We go out to dinner for occasions like my birthday, valentines, New years, et cetera, and sometimes when we are staying in for the night, I'll make something to eat (pasta, perogies, french fries .. stuff that is easy to make).
He will be 19, we've been dating for 5 months. For his birthday I want to enjoy a meal with him, but I can't afford a restaurant. HERE'S THE CATCH! I'm a vegetarian, with no experience cooking meat. ANOTHER CATCH: I'm in a uni residence, and working without an oven (I do have a microwave and a stove).
MY QUESTION: What can I make that will be:
1) Easy to cook (stovetop/microwave)
2) Easy on my vegetarian eyes / hands (meat grosses me out)
... hope all the veggies out there don't condemn me for wanting 2 make a meat meal for the BF. . FYI I won't be eating it ! I'll be making my own veggie meal to eat with him.
Let's be honest for a second. If meat grosses you out, you're going to have to get over that hump a little bit in order to cook something with meat in it for your boyfriend. That being said, you don't have to make anything crazy. Just go to the store and get a nice steak for your boyfriend (I suggest filet mignon, it's one of the best steaks you can get, and also has very little fat and hardly requires you to handle it).
Here's all you really have to do to make a delicious steak:
Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a pan on low-medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt (kosher salt is best, but if you only have regular salt that's ok). Turn the heat up to medium high, and cook the steak on both sides for about 3-4 minutes (don't move the steak around in the pan while it's cooking... just let it be).
For a normal size (which is about an inch thick) this will give you a medium-rare steak. If your boyfriend likes his steak medium, cook it 4-5 minutes on each side. If he likes it more well done, do it for 5-6 minutes. Also, if you can, when the steak is done cooking, wrap it in aluminum foil for about 5-10 minutes before you serve it. This will help the juices in the steak redistribute, and make it even better.
So, that's it. You're done. You don't need to go nuts. Especially not for your first time cooking meat. Trust me, your boyfriend will be so appreciative that you cooked something special just for him, that it won't matter. Just keep it simple and serve it with some mashed potatoes and a salad, and there you go. An easy, tasty, special meal for your carnivore boyfriend...
That's so sweet of you.
Well, buy a steak, a fat juicy one just for him. Season it and grill it on a pan on low until it cooks. You wouldn't have to cut the steak because it would already be cut for you. Many are a little under 20 bucks.
Here is a link to steak recipes...
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q=...
since you probably don't have much experience in cooking meat, here is a video showing you how to cook the perfect steak (Youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZF7xPd7m...
Since your already making veggies, you can combine his plate with steak and veggies.
Hope I helped!
Fish and chips.Its easy.Just use fish fillets and batter it etc and fry.Simple and quick.
OKAY!
sauteed lemon chicken
-- (this is a marinated chicken breast dish)
marinade:
lemon juice
olive oil
pepper
salt
roasted red garlic
a LITTLE curry seasoning
(and other spices you may want to use)
let the chicken breast marinate for about.... 15 mins? just make sure it has soaked in for a while.
heat up the pan and pour some cooking oil on to it.
add JUST THE MARINATED CHICKEN. dont add the left over marinade.
let it simmer and keep flipping it with a fork.. (i think u get the idea) top off with some salad and you're done!
Maybe make a mock meat meal and see what he thinks - use Sanitarium casserole mince or tender pieces to make bolognaise, lasagne, shepherd's pie, stew, taco filling etc or use veggie hotdogs or sausages, plus grilled marinated veg, tofu steaks, there are great alternatives to meat available in the cold section of the supermarket like tofu and the Sanitarium range of veggie hotdogs, sausages etc - you can heat these up in microwave or make the casserole mince on stovetop - use veggie stock and taco seasoning, add taco shells/fillings and there you have it!
Lasagna always seems to be a hit with both crowds....
Use a good sauce, and a topping of bread crumbs for some crunch. Make a fab salad and have some berries for dessert.
make him pot roast its a great meal. you'll need to barrow a crock pot or get one don't need a fancy one or a new can get a new one for 20 bucks so odds are you can find someone that has one. you buy a roast (cow) since its just him prob. get a small roast 2 lbs. is smallest I've used. you put it in the crock pot don't even have to touch it. then you put in cut up or baby carrots, potatoes cut into double bite size, and chop onion for flavor. then you add in a can of cream mushroom soup, can of beef broth, and a can of water. set it to high and leave it on this takes a long time about 6 hours min and better if you put it on for 8 hours so start it at appropriate time for when you want dinner. also some fresh roles go good with this but don't need it. if you want you can take some of the liquid out when you are done and make brown gravy and pour that over the top. scoop it up on a plate and enjoy. best parts you shouldn't have to touch the meat and the vegi's should be at least a good add to your meal if they're not your meal.
Meat Loaf looks OK anf ground beef is cheap--
The Best Meatloaf
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 egg
1 dash ground black pepper
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup steak sauce, (e.g. Heinz 57)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, egg, black pepper and bread crumbs. Pour in the cream, 3 tablespoons of the steak sauce, onion and green bell pepper.
Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Brush the top with the remaining steak sauce.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until done. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.
how about eggs?
just fry a medium chopped onion in a pan.
with oil in it. then add a dash of salt,
if you eat hot then can also add a chopped
green chilly, then add chopped tomatoes
then one at a time break egg without spoiling
the yellow (egg yoke).
then lower the heat add black pepper powder.
& cover the pan.
For you, can also make soup, so that both of you
can enjoy.
Here is a one pot recipe for a delicious beef and tomato stew. You won't be required to touch the beef at all, provided you buy it already cut. I have included the link for the site it comes from for more ideas (plus a bonus link to a vegetarian recipe site for you!)
Beef and Tomato Stew
You will need, per person:
1/2 lb (225g) of preferably shin of beef, but stewing steak will suffice (one-inch cubed)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
3 closed cup mushrooms (quartered)
1 small onion (halved then sliced)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Large handful of flat-leafed parsley (roughly chopped)
8 to 10 basil leaves (roughly torn)
1 small red chilli pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
1 tbsp plain flour
Salt/freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp olive oil
Put the flour in to a mixing bowl and season well with black pepper only. Pop in your beef and stir well until all the beef is well coated. In a large - preferably non-stick - saucepan, heat up your olive oil then seal the beef in it. Carefully spoon the beef out on to a plate and sweat down the garlic and onion on a gentle heat for a few minutes, to soften but not colour them. Re-add your beef and all remaining ingredients except the salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours on as low a heat as possible, stirring frequently. Taste a bit of the beef to ensure it is tender, then season with salt, garnish with a bit more parsley and serve with a chunk of freshly baked bread, or some boiled new potatoes.