Romantic meal ideas.....

Question

me and my gf have got the house to ourselves one day during the week. im planning to make it a special romantic night. im planning to put candels and roses all ova the house so it is lite only by candle light and looks dead nice for her. problem is i cant cook very well and need some suggestions...................... i really need your help people i want this night to be perfect for her shes a very special woman and deserves it so much

Answer 1

Aww that very nice.

How about fajitas, ok maybe a bit fiddly and messy, but really nice and so easy to prepare and you can have all the nice dips and garnishes with it so it'll look like you've made a big effort (which you will of) like a nice salad, guacamole, salsa, sour cream etc.

Then for pudding just have something as simple as strawberries and cream!

Answer 2

Awwwwwwww.........I'm in love!!!

With the mood set like that, who cares what you cook!

Enjoy!!

Answer 3

Roasted lamb chops or pork chops - thick cut with a raspberry glaze.

Bacon wrapped asparagus - drizzled in olive oil then baked with some garlic and salt.

Chocolate and white chocolate covered strawberries. Delish!

Coconut shrimp - home made from you of course.  

Answer 4

make it easy on yourself and order out for Chinese! order her favorite dishes and feed her with chop sticks! have some chocolate type of dessert- maybe cheesecake. rent a good movie and give her a massage....might lead to more romance!

Answer 5

I find the most romantic food to be that which you can eat with your hands.

Fijitas always goes down well and with some of the packs you get at the supermarket, dead easy to make.

Girls have a sweet tooth, so dessert is a must. But again, keep it simple. How about some nice strawberrys, served with some melted chocolate to dip them in, and whipped cream??

Answer 6

What a sweetheart you are.

If you cooking is that bad I would suggest finding something pre-prepared and that you can heat up - like a casserole?  There are some great upmarket meals that can be bought in upmarket shopping stores.

Or how about organising food to be organised and delivered from her favourite restaurant or one she has spoken about?  I am sure they would be willing to help you out.

Wow - lucky her!!!!

Answer 7

pick up a nice pre made surf n turf dinner and just heat it up

Answer 8

a fondue will be great.  u can do fondue with cubes of beef and some sauce.  you can also have veggies   put oil in the fondue pot or you can get a small hibachi for the table.  

for dessert put 10 oz of chocholate with 1/4 cup of  cream in the fondue pot with some fruit on the side. fruit, ( strawberries, pineapple or any other fruit she likes).  i like your idea.  good luck

sauce:  soy sauce, with sauted onion & garlic minced small or use powder to taste. salt & pepper to taste

Answer 9

How about a picnic? I know it sounds crazy but you can have a carpet picnic (or even a bed picnic).

You don't need to cook at all. Go to a supermarket or M+S and buy

A bottle of champagne

strawberries

smoked salmon

some pastry nibbles

some nice bread

some fancy cooked meats

something sweet - profiteroles or something similar.

Anything the two of you like really.

You can get cheap wicker baskets - pack it all into the basket when she arrives spread a nice cloth on the floor with some cushions and candles.

Have fun

Answer 10

I agree a soup to start with or a small salad with some fish as a starter.

For main i suggest either a steak with boiled potatoes and veg and get a pre made sauce or nip in to your local marks and spencers and pick up something nice they have lovely meals.  Any way it is the thought that counts.  

Answer 11

Romantic?  O.K....how about getting her friends to help you.Have them take her out for a late big lunch. In the mean time you can get the candles all in place. Instead of dinner, how about cutting up a few different kinds of cheeses, and some fruit. The cheese  on one platter, and the fruit on another. To add to the ambiance a wonderful bottle of white wine, or your favorite beverage. Make sure grapes and strawberries are part of your selection. Leave the strawberries in the kitchen untill you feel the time is right. After feeding each other grapes maybe you would like to step it up with some strawberries and whipped cream. Make up a cd with her favorite romantic songs.  

Answer 12

That's so sweet! Just keep it simple, that way you wont stress about it.

how about steak and salad, or if you want to keep things even simpler make a pasta bake. Simple and easy, cook the pasta and make some sauce (or you can buy ready made if don't know where to start) , add some meat like chicken or mince and/or some veg, mix it all together and put in an oven proof dish cover it with cheese and put in the oven to warm up, serve with crusty bread and a salad/chips. And make sure you have a nice pudding like ice cream and strawberries or cheese cake. good luck and hope you have a great night. I'm sure she's going to love what ever you make.

Answer 13

ah, that is so sweet!  You sound like a good boyfriend!

Try and keep it simple, perhaps two courses - a soup (like tomato soup, or broccoli and Stilton), and then something like spag bol which is quite straightforward.  

Answer 14

This is my suggestion for a simple but impressive, romantic three course dinner for two.

The starter can be made (it doesn't actually involve any cooking) in advance. The main course does have to be cooked at the time, but it's dead easy, it doesn’t take long and it allows you to show off your new-found culinary skills. The dessert can be "taken elsewhere", if you know what I mean, or even dispensed with completely.

For a wine, I recommend a Soave, or a good quality Pinot Grigio.

The starter is a simple mozzarella cheese and tomato salad. The original recipe uses sliced onion as well but, under the circumstances, I‘ve left this out. You can make this in advance, cover it with cling film and keep it in the fridge.

MOZZARELLA SALAD

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

100g packet of Mozzarella cheese

1 large beef tomato

1 small bunch of fresh basil

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Open the pack of cheese and drain off the liquid. Wash the tomato. Wash and chop the basil.

Cut the cheese into an equal number of slices. Cut off the top and bottom off of the tomato, and then cut it into an equal number of slices.

Arrange the cheese and tomato on two small plates, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle on some of the chopped basil. Dribble on the olive oil. Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Add some stoned olives. Ideally, you should use extra virgin olive oil for salads. However, if you only have the normal stuff, you can use that instead.

Serve with ciabatta or focaccia bread.

The main course is one of my favourites, tagliatelle with smoked salmon in a cream sauce. I don’t know of any other dish, which gives such a luxurious result yet only uses so few simple ingredients.  



SMOKED SALMON TAGLIATELLE (TAGLIATELLE AL SALMONE AFFUMICATO)

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

125g pack of smoked salmon

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of flour

150ml carton of single cream

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

At least 300ml of water  

¼ of a teaspoon of salt

200g of tagliatelle

Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Cut the smoked salmon into 2cm (1 inch) pieces. Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the onion and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until the onion has gone soft. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the flour and stir until it has absorbed the oil and juices in the pan. Add the cream, herbs and smoked salmon. Stir and cook for about a minute until it has made a smooth sauce.

Put the water and salt into a saucepan on a medium heat. Bring to the boil. Add the pasta. Stir it to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring back to the boil and continue to cook. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. (Memorise and use this phrase: ‘Gli spaghetti amano la compagnia’, which is Italian for ‘spaghetti loves company’.)

Begin testing it about 2 minutes before the packet instructions say it should be done. The best way to judge if pasta is cooked is to bite it. This is tricky, because if you fish out a bit and stick in your mouth you may burn your mouth on the boiling water. Wait a bit and blow on it, then bite it. If it is hard it needs longer. If it is chewy (or ‘al dente’, Italian for ‘to the teeth’) it is ready. If it is soft it is overcooked.  

Drain the pasta in a sieve or colander.

Put the pasta in the pan with the sauce and stir together until thoroughly coated. (Explain to your partner that this is because an Italian would always ‘bring the pasta to the sauce, not just plonk a dollop of sauce on top of the pasta. At this point, your status as a domestic god should be pretty well guaranteed.)

Season with the pepper. Sprinkle on a little more of the chopped fresh basil.

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

Use crème fraîche instead of the cream.

The half cream, half green mixed tagliatelle (called ‘paglia e fieno’, or ‘straw and hay’) looks really good with this sauce. (It also gives you yet another Italian phrase to drop into the conversation.)

Serve with some more ciabatta or focaccia bread.

TIPS

If you use enough water, add the pasta when the water is boiling, stir the pasta frequently and don’t wander off (Remember, ‘Gli spaghetti amano la compagnia’, or ‘spaghetti loves company’) and don’t overcook it, adding olive oil to the water to stop it sticking is totally unnecessary.

The dessert is just three scoops of good quality ice cream, one each of mint, strawberry and vanilla. It can be ‘taken elsewhere’, if you know what I mean. If your partner has eaten enough, this course can be dispensed with in a suitably nonchalant manner.

If you really want to show off, ask your partner if they have spotted the theme to the meal. "It’s Italian" is the obvious answer, which is close. The answer is that all the courses are red, white and green, which are the colours of the Italian flag. This is a bit of a high risk play, as it could add either culinary genius or smartarse to your list of qualifications.

PS. If all goes according to plan, this is my suggestion for an equally simple but impressive, romantic breakfast for two.

SCRAMBLED EGG WITH SMOKED SALMON

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

A small sheet of smoked salmon

4 eggs

2 tablespoons of butter

Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Cut the salmon into 2cm (1 inch) pieces. Break the eggs into a bowl and pick out any bits of shell.

Put the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the eggs and salmon. Stir frequently to stop them sticking, and to scramble them. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the eggs are still moist. Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Serve on 4 slices of hot buttered wholemeal toast. Serve with orange juice and coffee, or even a Buck’s Fizz cocktail (champagne and orange juice).

TIPS

Use fresh eggs at room temperature. There is no need to keep eggs in the fridge.

It is better to slightly undercook eggs than to overcook them, as they end up like rubber.