What's for dinner? I need some fancy meals!

Question

What's for dinner? I need some fancy meals!

Answer 1

Ziti al Forno

Ingredients:

1 pound ziti

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup julienne red onion

4 ounces diced prosciutto (ham)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 boneless skinless chicken b*****s, diced

8 ounces small (preferably 50-60 per pound) raw shrimp

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 cups heavy cream

2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

6 tablespoons chopped scallions

Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, and set aside.

Boil ziti in a large pot of salted water until al dente, checking for doneness about 2 minutes before the time called for in the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and prosciutto, and saute until onions are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chicken, and saute until chicken is about halfway done, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are just done, about 3 minutes.

Deglaze pan with wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook until reduced by 1/4, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and scallions. Season to taste with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (bear in mind that the red pepper flavor will intensify as it cooks).

Stir in the cooked ziti. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Turn pasta and sauce out into prepared baking dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Answer 2

Chicken in Champagne Sauce

4 boneless chicken b*****s

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp seasoned salt (Lawry’s)

1 tsp garlic salt or powder

6 tbs light margarine or butter

2/3 cup Asti Spumante or any sweet wine (use the cheapest you can find)

2 tsp flour (more if needed to thicken)

1 cup half and half or lowfat milk

Sprinkle chicken b*****s with all seasonings. Heat butter in frying pan. Brown chicken. Add Asti or wine. Cover pan and simmer about 30- 40 minutes, turning twice, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and keep warm. Thicken sauce with flour. Stir in half and half and heat sauce. Add chicken to sauce to coat. Makes 4 servings

Serving suggestions: Serve with boiled red potatoes or mashed potatoes with sauce on top and steamed broccoli.

Artichoke Filled Chicken Rolls

1 – 9 oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup mayonnaise (or ranch dressing)

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbs fresh basil, minced

6 boneless chicken breast, pounded flat

salt

pepper

6 thin slices ham

3 tbs olive oil

3 tbs butter or margarine

Place first 5 ingredients in food processor and puree until fairly smooth. Reserve.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Top each breast with a slice of ham and spread a thin layer of artichoke mixture on top of the ham. Roll up and secure lengthwise with toothpick or tie crosswise in several places with un-waxed dental floss.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken rolls and cook, turning frequently until brown. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove string and slice at an angle. Serves 6 (10-12 as an appetizer).

Answer 3

Im making chicken and dumplings tonight....not fancy...but tastes delicious!

Answer 4

Simple Baked Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil (for this, I use inexpensive olive oil from Spain)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons sweet basil

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

salt, to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

16 ounces lasagna noodles

4 ounces ricotta cheese

4 ounces cottage cheese

12 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1Brown meat and onion in olive oil. Add garlic, tomato paste, water, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, and sugar. Mix well, and simmer at least 20 minutes.

2Cook lasagna noodles according to directions on the package. Drain.

3Mix together the ricotta and cottage cheeses. Set aside.

4Layer the ingredients, in a prepared 9x12 casserole dish, in the following order: noodles, ricotta-cottage cheese mixture, jack cheese, and sauce. Repeat until all noodles, ricotta-cottage cheese mixture, and sauce are used up. Reserve a portion of the jack cheese to sprinkle a thick layer on top. (Don't make the cheese and sauce layers too thick, as your goal is to have enough cheese and sauce to use all of the noodles.)

5Bake at 350 degrees F about 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.

Answer 5

Super simple but looks refined:

Fish (I like mahi mahi but anything will work) - dip in lemon juice, place on foil, top with dill (fresh or dried) and a pat of butter. Wrap up and grill 3-5 mintues per side.

Grilled Raddichio salad - cut raddichio in 1/2. Place cut side down on a plate of olive oil. Toss sliced mushrooms and nuts (I use walnuts and cashews) in olive oil. Place radicchio cut side down on hot grill; cook about 3-5 minutes. Cook mushroom mix on grill in a grilling pan on BBQ or fry pan on stove. To serve, cut radicchio halves in half again to make quarters, top with mushroom mix and blue cheese dressing.

Black beans and rice - add tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime, chili powder, and/or cayene to canned beans.

For dessert grilled fruit - toss tropical fruit (papaya, mango, banana, pineapple, etc.) in melted butter with just a sprinkle of brown sugar and 1/8 tsp vanilla extract.  Grill is grill pan or on skewers. Serve plain or on vanilla yogurt or ice cream if desired.

Answer 6

Fancy as in, looks like I've been cooking all day! or fancy as in, complicated?  Here are some ideas;

1.  Artichoke and feta stuffed chicken b*****s (make a pocket in 4 boneless, skinless chicken b*****s; season with salt and pepper; mix together 1 can drained (save liquid) chopped artichoke hearts and 1 container crumbled feta cheese, with 1 T chopped chives, 1 T chopped parsley; stuff each breast with 1/4 of the mixture.  Place in baking dish and mix together artichoke liquid, 1 T dijon mustard, 1/2 cup white wine, and 1 tsp thyme.  Spoon liquid over b*****s and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Serve with wild rice pilaf and baby lettuce salad.

2.  Roasted pork roast:  rub with a mixture of 1 T kosher salt, 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, 1 T rubbed sage.  Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 1 to 11/2 hours uncovered.  Remove roast from pan and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup white wine, 1 T dijon mustard, and 3 T orange marmalade.  Bring to boil and let reduce to half.  Add 1 T butter.  Spoon over slices of pork.  Serve with mashed potatos and fresh asparagas with lemon butter.

3.  Grilled london broil; baked potato casserole; fresh green beans with bacon and onion.

4.  Roasted beer can chicken; parmesan wedge potatos, sliced tomatos and cucumber salad.

5.  Grilled gourmet sausages, grilled veges and onions, fresh fruit salad.

6.  Chef's salad with sliced meats, cheese, hard cooked eggs, tomatos, olives, chopped celery, shredded carrots, pickled beets, ranch dressing; warm bread, butter; fresh melon sprinkled with lime juice and greay salt.

Answer 7

Not really terribly fancy, but this is what we're having tonight:   BBQ Apple-Gouda Chicken sausages;  homemade potato salad;  grilled asparagus & shitake mushroom salad ...  peach shortcake

Answer 8

chicken broccoli stir fry for me and kids

tomato soup and grilled cheese sammys for hubby.. now there is fancy cookin!