Easy Dinner Date Main Course w/Lots of Flavor?!
Easy Dinner Date Main Course w/Lots of Flavor?
Making dinner next week for my new "friend" I need something that I can actually make that tastes great and will have lots of flavor to impress?? Please help I'm no Rachel Ray!! Any easy dessert as well??
Answers:
Everybody loves pasta and it's quick and easy, Good luck and I hope this helps
CREAMY PASTA PRIMAVERA
12 ounces pasta, bowtie noodles
2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
10 ounces asparagus spears, cut in 2" pieces
8 ounces baby carrots, cut lengthwise, half
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup sour cream, light
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Add pasta to a large pot of boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Add squash, asparagus and carrots and cook 8 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Drain and place in a large serving bowl.
Meanwhile put flour in a large skillet. Slowly whisk in milk until blended, taking care to get into corners of skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pour over pasta mixture and stir to mix and coat. Sprinkle with cheese.
Serve with a salad:
LETTUCE & GARDEN PEA SALAD
1/3 c. corn oil
3 tbsp. vinegar
1 clove garlic, quartered
1/2 tsp. dried salad herbs
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 lg. head lettuce, chilled
1 c. cooked peas, chilled
Mix corn oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt, dry mustard and pepper in bottle of jar. Cover tightly; shake well. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove garlic. Tear off 2 or 3 inches from top of several lettuce leaves; reserve.
Break remaining greens into salad bowl. Tuck tops of lettuce leaves around edge of bowl. Mound peas in center. Just before serving, drizzle dressing over greens in bowl; toss.
and garlic bread:
CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
1 loaf French bread
2 c. Swiss cheese
1 to 2 tsp. garlic juice
1 c. green onions, chopped
1/2 chives (optional)
1 c. melted butter
Cut French bread into two halves; set aside. In microwave bowl add 2 cups cheese to half the butter - microwave until cheese is soft, then add garlic juice, onions and chives, stir well - microwave again until cheese is soft again. Pour remaining butter on both sides of bread, then spread cheese mixture over that - cover both sides of bread with foil. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese bubbles real good. If you like you can remove foil and brown top in broiler.
Usually can't miss with roast beef and vegetables. Slow cook it red wine and dry onion soup mix. Add carrots and potatoes about an hour before it's done. But whatever you do, use only
the tried and true the first time out.
I like a marinated flank steak. Lots of flavor, not too expensive, not common.
The easiest way to cook this is to marinate the flank steak in something you like. You can marinate it in a red wine with some type of seasoning added (rosemary, juniper berries, whatever you like). Then just place it either on a grill or a grill pan until medium rare,2-4 minutes to the side depending on the heat, thickness of the meat, etc.
An even easier marinade is soy sauce and ginger, and even easier is a bottled fajita marinade.
This is particularly good when sliced thin and served over a salad of spring mix.
Be sure and slice the steak across the grain, and slice fairly thin.
How about Creamy Pesto and Sausage Lasagna!!!
Pesto
Cup of Basil
Half Cup of Italian Parsley
1/4 cup of almonds
4 cloves of garlic.
1/4 cup of Olive oil (but I would actually leave out oil)
Chop Ingredients in a food processor or Blender. Set aside.
Cook about a half pound of Italian sausage with onions. Add a pint of heavy cream and 2 table spoons of the pesto to the sausage. Last add sliced mushrooms to the cream sauce. (If you want the sauce thicke just add little flour to thicken.)
Layer you lasagna like you normally would and add the remaining pesto by smearing it in each layer, than you sauce and than a layer of cheese and repeat for each layer.
I don't normally add cheese to the last layer until I'm finished cooking but that's up to you. Just remember to garnish the top with shaves of basil for a nice presentation.