What is something different that i can cook for dinner, but not too hard?!


Question:

What is something different that i can cook for dinner, but not too hard?

I want to cook something for my boyfriend tonight, but don't want to cook the usual thing. Any ideas on something that will make him say 'wow' without it being too hard? We like beef, chicken, seafood, just about anything really!


Answers:
This is a super simple food network recipe that is not a normal every night dinner that is simply delish. Try it with some crusty garlic bread and a ceasar salad...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...

Happy cooking!

In the rice section at the shops, there is an instant rice, where you cut part of the top off, stick it in the microwave for about a minute and a half, then it is cooked. It comes in egg, mederteranian and i think there is a seafood one. The rice is really fluffy.You could by multiple ones, stick it in a container and plonk it on the table if you want.

First meal I ever cooked my husband was Mushroom and Artichoke lasagne with warm beef salad. To this day he always asks for it. I dont make it that much because I dont want him to get over it.
Filling
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 8-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry vermouth
Béchamel sauce
4 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 7 1/2 ounces)
Ground nutmeg

1 9-ounce package oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles
1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
preparation
For filling:
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté until mushrooms release juices and begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Add artichokes and vermouth. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
For béchamel sauce:
Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens and lightly coats spoon, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg.

Spread 2/3 cup béchamel sauce over bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Top with enough noodles to cover bottom of dish. Spread 1/4 of artichoke mixture over. Spoon 2/3 cup béchamel sauce over. Top béchamel with 1/4 of mozzarella.

Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with enough noodles to cover. Repeat layering 3 more times, finishing with a layer of noodles, then remaining béchamel. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake lasagna covered with foil 1 hour (or 1 hour 15 minutes if chilled). Remove foil. Increase temperature to 450°F. Bake lasagna until golden on top, about 10 minutes longer.

buy chicken breast , marinate in Tandoori paste & plain yogurt with a squeeze of lemon. bake or grill in oven. chop into bite size pieces and mix through a garden salad.

skinless boneless chicken breast cut up potatoes boil in a pot till it is done leave the water in pot and add a family sized can of cream of chicken soup u can put any veg u like in it, instead of beef stew it is a chicken stew and is very delicious salt and pepper to your taste

Here is a good and easy recipe --
Porcupine Meatballs
1 cup of cooked white rice
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded onion
3 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1 beaten egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 lb. of ground beef: veal or turkey
2 cups of tomato sauce

Preparation Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix together all of the above-noted ingredients (except for the tomato sauce) until all are bound nicely together. With hands slightly moistened, shape mixture into small meatballs. (Should make approximately 18-20 balls.) Coat the bottom of an oven pan slightly with some olive oil or vegetable oil and place meatballs in single file. Cover with tomato sauce and bake at 350 degrees for approximately one hour or until meat is browned and cooked throughout. Turn meatballs after approximately 30 minutes of cooking time and continue to bake until well done. These are a great alternative to traditional rice balls and make a wonderful weeknight meal with salad! Enjoy!!

I know you didn't want hard recipes, these aren't hard but worth saving for some day when you have time to cook --

Apricot Chicken, pork chops, beef, etc.

1 chicken, or meat of choice, cut up
1 small jar Apricot preserves
1 small/regular bottle of Russian dressing
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Mix preserves, dressing and onion soup mix. Place chicken in crockpot and pour over the mixture. Some recipes recommend marinating overnight but it is not necessary. Cook in crockpot about 6-8 hours or until done.
Serve with rice, noodles, etc.

Try substituting apricot pie filling for preserves.
Can also bake in 375 oven for 55-60 minutes.

A very good slow cooker recipe
Pork and Apricots with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
1 3-1/2- to 4-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed
1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
12 to 16 ounces kielbasa or other smoked sausage links, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
3/4 cup apricot nectar
1/2 cup dried apricots
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Trim fat from pork roast. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; rub onto pork roast.
In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in cooker. Add sausage. Pour broth and 1/2 cup of the apricot nectar over all.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours, adding dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

With a slotted spoon, transfer pork, sausage, and apricots to serving platter. Transfer sweet potato chunks to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
Strain cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup. Skim fat from cooking liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary add chicken broth to measure 2 cups). In a small bowl whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture.
Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook for 2 minutes more. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes. Makes 8 servings.

AND
Baked Pork Chops

4 center-cut pork chops, trimmed of visible fat
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon crushed or minced garlic
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request? Chicken & Rice Soup
Paprika

Blend mustard and garlic together in a small dish. Add flour to a shallow dish. Spread both sides of pork chops with mustard mixture; dip both sides of pork chops into flour.

Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and coat generously with canola cooking spray. Set pork chops in the pan and let them brown. Flip chops to other side and continue cooking until nicely browned on second side.

Place chops in a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Open soup can and pour broth into a measuring cup, reserving rice. Spoon rice evenly over the top of chops. Add 1/2 cup of water to broth and pour around chops. Sprinkle paprika over rice. Bake in oven about 45 minutes (or until chops are cooked throughout). Liquid left in pan can be used as gravy. If liquid is not thick enough, thicken with a teaspoon or two of Wondra? quick-mixing flour.

AND
Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb with Watercress Pesto
For chef Martha Phelps Stamps, boneless leg of lamb is the centerpiece of a classic spring feast. (At this time of year, boneless lamb is easier to find than the bone-in variety, and it's much easier to work with.) More exciting than mint, the peppery flavor of the watercress pesto is intensified by a strong dash of Dijon mustard―a perfect companion for the lamb's rich flavor.

Serves 8
1 boneless leg of lamb (4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
Watercress Pesto (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Rinse the leg of lamb and pat dry. Open the leg and butterfly by making a deep incision almost through the leg, allowing you to lay the leg out flat. Cut away large pieces of fat or gristle.

Rub the leg all over with the olive oil and seasonings (garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary leaves). Place the seasoned leg in a roasting pan, cut side down. Place the pan in the middle of the preheated oven and cook to desired doneness. For medium rare lamb, the meat thermometer should register at 135°F (approximately 30 minutes).

Let the meat rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Make the Watercress Pesto and serve warm or at cool temperature in a separate serving dish (as sauce for the lamb). Or cook up a bowl of pasta, toss it with this Watercress Pesto and serve as a side dish with this lamb.

1 bunch watercress, thickest stems removed
2 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
Turn the motor on and pour the olive oil through the feed tube while the mixture purées and emulsifies.
Keep covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serve with grilled meats, like our Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb, or tossed with pasta.

AND
Round Steak Sauerbraten

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Top Round Steak, trimmed and cubed
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup dry brown gravy mix
4 cups water
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup A1 sauce
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 TB and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. salt
1 cup rice
3 to 4 bay leaves
Ground black pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cubed meat and brown well. Remove meat. Add the gravy mix, tomato sauce, A1 sauce and water; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the onion powder, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Stir in rice. Return the meat to the pan. Add bay leaves; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour, or until meat it tender. Remove bay leaves. Yields 4 servings.

I couldn't email you recipes so I hope you don't care that I gave you so many recipes here.
Enjoy! ~-~

Here are two meals:

#1 Buy a whole chicken breast split it in half. Rinse and Marinade it for an hour or two in Paul Newman's Italian dressing. BBQ or broil until cooked. Slice the breasts into strips. Next, cook up a box of fettucini, drain and coat with margarine. Then, cook some mixed veggies (either frozen or fresh). Place the fettucini on a plate and put cooked chicken strips on top. Sprinkle fresh grated parmsean cheese over the chicken/pasta (you can buy already grated cheese). Place veggies along side.

#2 Cook up a package of Rice-A-Roni (beef). Brown 1/2 pound of lean ground beef. Add cooked ground beef to cooked rice. Then, add a medium side can of chopped tomotoes (drain them first). Mix all together and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. I usually add mixed veggies on the side and also a green salad.

Okay...don't judge this without trying it. It is really, really yummy, quick and easy. Everyone thinks it is made of chicken.

BBQ Tuna Sandwiches

1 Finely Chopped Onion
1 Finely Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Bottle Bold BBQ Sauce (I use Bull's Eye Brand)
4 Cans Water Packed Tuna, well drained

Saute the onion and bell pepper until the onion begins to carmelize. Add the BBQ sauce and heat through. Add the tuna and make sure to shred the tuna really well so there are no chunks. As soon as it is heated serve on hamburger buns.

My husband does not even like tuna and was on his thirds before I told him what they were made of. These are still one of his favorites!!

try something funky like shabu shabu (japenese stew) or fondue. Something eclectic that you can prep ahead of time and reheat.

How about a barbeque or spaghetti bolognaise?




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