Dinner help?!
Dinner help?
I want to cook a romantic dinner for my boyfriend. He has been gone for over a month and I still won't see him until the 1st of July. I want to have a very good romantic dinner waiting for him when he gets here. I am l,ow on money so does anyone have any great recipes that are relatively cheap to make?
Answers:
Chicken parm is easy to make, cheap and can be dressed up to be romantic!
Take chicken breasts, trim of fat and skin. Pound it out using a mallet, if you don't have one- take aluminum foil or wax paper to cover it, lay a hard book on top or another cutting board and beat the top of the book with a hammer until it's about an inch or less (hey, it works!) Dip the chicken into a whisked egg, then dip it into italian seasoned bread crumbs. Place in a glass panthat is lightly sprayed/coated with oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Take spagetti sauce, spoon some on top of the chicken breast, top with mozz cheese, continue baking until cheese is melted and bubbly. While the chicken is cooking, boil up some of your favorite pasta and serve along side with your chicken parm! Also great with garlic bread- texas toast or breadsticks. Maybe a small salad if you'd like one. Buy an inexpensive bottle of wine if you'd like, either white zin or a reisling (if you'd prefer white wine that's sweet like white zin.)
Hope that helps! =)
Any meal can be romantic- it is the setting- not necesarily the food. Make a simple meal and add candles,napkins,fancy cutlery,etc
Enjoy!!
Serve this up with a leafy green salad and some cheesy garlic bread
Rigatoni alla Carbonara
Salt
1 pound rigatoni
1/3 pound pancetta, cured Italian meat, available at deli counter, chopped
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan)
4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, a few pinches, crushed in palm of hand
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons (about 2 palmfuls) grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more, for sprinkling
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
A few grinds black pepper
Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When water is rolling, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente, about 8 minutes, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over moderate heat. Saute pancetta in a drizzle of oil until it browns, 3 to 5 minutes. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and crushed pepper flake. Saute garlic 2 minutes. Add wine or stock to the pan and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes.
Beat together egg yolks, cheese, and while whisking vigorously, stir in a ladle of the boiling pasta water. Beat in parsley and pepper and set aside.
Drain pasta. Add pasta to pan with sauce. Toss pasta with pancetta, then add egg mixture and toss 1 minute, then remove from heat. Continue to toss until sauce is absorbed by and thickly coating the pasta. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with extra cheese, for passing.
Serves 4
Something like a Pot Roast is a good way to go.
To spice it up a bit, sneak a bag of beef demi glace mix AND some red wine into your slow cooker with the beef. Gives it a "I worked forever on this dish" taste to it. Just don't go crazy with the wine.
look for recipes with pasta. this can be the substance of the meal to which you would add a sauce, & meat or vegetables. this will be pretty inexpensive and add some romance with ambiance which is pretty cheap too. (colored lightbulbs, nice scents etc
How about you set the mood very romantic start by first either setting a blanket on the floor and serve dinner there or take a coffee table and cover it with a table clothe just fold to fir and then set the table with very nice place setting and some candles and then for dinner make a salad and spagetti with chicken here is the recipe it is quick and easy and cheap
2 bonless skinless chickens cut in half put in a pan with a little of oil and cook till browned then take some red wine or cooking wine and put in about 1/2 cup and let cook about 2 minutes then add a jar of your favorite spagetti sauce and cook till chicken is fully cooked and heated through if you have it also put some slice onion and garlic in it and serve it over any pasta. Then for dessert have some strawberries they are in season right know and very romantic with some cool whip then have rose petals all over the floor leading to your bedroom and on top of your bed and some more candles in there and have a good night!!!
And wear something very sexy!!
Hope this helps
Put on some pretty lingerie, set a beautiful table, sit ON the table AT his place setting and tell him "Dinner is served" he wont care about food...hell it worked for me...lol
Classic spaghetti and meat balls always do great and french bread also salad. very cheap just look for low price foods.
Pork chops with rice and some kind of veggies.
sure i can help start out with a few beers maybe a nice cheese dip, get the chocolate fountain out and get crazy forgetr dinner tell him and go straight for dessert.
Make something that you are confident in and that does not alot of time to prepare or that can hold in the oven for a few hours(wink wink).
For the romantic part, make the table very pretty, a table cloth, napkins, flowers or a table decoration.
Keep the music soft and make sure the lighting is just right.
Some scents also create a very romantic mood.
italian food!! spaghetti and meatballs is very cheap and easy. you can buy really good frozen meatballs now from the grocery store. serve with salad and garlic bread & you have a great romatic dinner that you should be able to get with around $30. good luck.
make spaghetti and meatballs, like in lady and the tramp. make that the theme. a checkered tablecloth, a candle or two and you know the rest....enjoy!!!
A romantic dinner is not really what is on the plate but the atmosphere you create. soft music, candles & your attire last is the food but When I was short on cash I made a meatloaf for my husband. One of the dinners I made was Porkchops in a mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes a vegy and some rolls and to top it off chocolate pudding. this was very inexpensive and he loved it. I hope it all works out for you have a good time just remember the most important thing about a romantic dinner is atmosphere
I agree with the user who said pot roast.
Spaghetti is also a good meal, and you can usually make your own type of sauce "homemade" by buying tomato sauce/paste and adding whatever else you like (depending on how you like your sauce).
Well - since you haven't seen him in a month I have an idea what maybe going on for desert.
I would suggest a light meal -"a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine and thee" a poet wrote that a long time ago and it still applies today.You might want to add some cheese with that. All this - under 20.00. Just he fact that you went to the trouble to fix something special for him with your feelings for one another is what counts.
You can always hit Jack-In- The -Box latter it's open 24/7. Best Wishes.
Smothered pork chops are my sweetie's favorite.
1 cup olive oil
1 small package pork chops, maybe 4 pieces?
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of onion soup
water
rice (instant, regular, boil in bag, whatever you have)
Marinate pork chops overnight in a freezer bag of 1 cup olive oil, fill with water and add seasonings (whatever you like lawrys, ms. dash etc.)
Mix 2 cans of water with 1 can cream of onion and 1 cn mushroom soup
"Smother" your pork chops in the mixture in your baking dish.
Bake on 350F for about an hour
Keep checking it to be sure it's always covered in the soup mixture (may need to mix up another can of mushroom soup with 1 can water and pour it over.
Make rice as directed and serve on side of porkchops; the soup mix makes great gravy for rice when cooked this way.
i made this for my husband for our anniversary. we had a lot of fun and he loved it.
you'll need a fondue pot and sterno heat.
on one platter -strips of sirloin steak and/or chicken breast
on another platter-fresh broccoli,fresh mushrooms, onion rings and a drained can of small whole potatoes.
place peanut oil in fondue and then you have an old-fashion fondue party for two.
you can also do a cheese fondue with chunks of crusty bread
a chocolate one with chunks of pound cake,fresh strawberries and chunk canned pineapple.
start the meal with a pretty salad and take your time to enjoy each other over a slow meal.
have fun
The Best Shrimp Scampi for an Appetizers
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons brandy
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Dredge shrimp in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, saute dredged shrimp in olive oil for 5 minutes over high heat. Toss shrimp often to prevent burning. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, leaving the oil in the pan.
In the same pan, saute the garlic, shallot, parsley and oregano over medium heat for 3 minutes; stirring constantly. Spoon the mixture over the shrimp. Return pan to the heat. Preheat your broiler for medium heat.
Pour the wine and brandy into the skillet and ignite with a match or lighter. When the flames die down, stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet; pour over shrimp.
Place the serving dish of shrimp in a preheated broiler for about 2 minutes.
main dish serves 3
Angel Hair Pasta with Peppers and Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1-1/4 teaspoons minced garlic
3/8 large red bell pepper, julienned
1/4 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar snap pea pods
2-1/4 thick slices smoked deli chicken
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/8 pinch salt
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chicken broth
3/4 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium high heat. Add the garlic, bell pepper, water chestnuts and pea pods. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes.
Cut chicken into strips, approximately 1/4 inch wide. Add the chicken, onion powder, ground black pepper and salt to the skillet.
Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
In a separate small saucepan, heat the chicken broth to a near boil.
Pour the hot broth into the vegetable/chicken skillet. Toss and serve mixture over cooked angel hair pasta immediately.
dessert
New York Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
10 graham crackers, crushed
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon butter, melted
2-3/4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2-3/4 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.