Alrighty, so my girlfriend's birthday is coming up in a month, and I really want a very good appetizer, entr茅e, beverage, and dessert recipes. So there are a few things that I'd like to say, haha. First, please no seafood, she despises it, but she loves red meat stuff, so maybe steak ideas, or even not, like a good chicken recipe or whatever. Second, I'm not sure if we'd be able to get away with alcoholic drinks, but shoot, I'd like a cocktail recipe, and then, a non-alcoholic beverage recipe. For the appetizer, I'm not sure if a salad would be the way to go, but I've never really studied appetizers, so, I have no idea what a good idea would be. Finally, for the dessert...to help you guys, I'm 16, and have been cooking entr茅es and desserts for 3 years, and I'm not a bad cook. For example, I can whip up a cheescake, or make some sushi without much trouble. I did bake a lot more then cooking, but even with cooking, I'm learning and getting better every week. Please, I want this to be a very special day for her, and I really want to impress her with my cooking skills, and recipes. Thanks! For a "cocktail" or a mixed drink that contains no alcohol, well, my personal favorite is a Arnold Palmer. It's half tea half lemonade, easy to make and well it tastes great. Proportions are simply half the glass of iced tea, then half is lemonade, add some ice and stir.
Appetizers- simplicity is best, at least I think so. For example, I love fresh salsa. It's simple, quick and the more you eat, the merrier.
What I use for salsa:
4 Large tomatoes,chopped
1/2 regular onion,chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 TBS green onions
1 bell pepper-any colour will do.
juice of 1 lime
Mix the ingredients and serve with chips. Voila! Appetizer is done!
Salad- great as a side for the main dish. Simply cut up a few vegetables and toss with some romaine leaves and keep the dressing on the side.
Main dish- Try something simple you know you can handle for example, pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce, or chicken cordon bleu. The link in the sources section is the chicken cordon bleu recipe adjusted for two people instead of the original recipe for four people.
Dessert- again keep it simple, if you're good a cheesecake, make that, or find out her favourite dessert, and make that to make the evening extra special to her.
Hope that helps! Appetizer salad!!!
I mentioned this recipe in another question
thinly sliced cucumber/zucchini
mixed salad
julienned carrots (2-3 inch very thin)
honey roasted walnuts or almonds (or just toasted nuts, or just plain)
maple poached pear slices (or just pear slices, or just apple slices, or some other fruit)
Arrange the cucumber/zucchini so it is standing up and forms a circle; put the salad inside the circle; sprinkle the carrots on top
Put fruit at the bottom and then sprinkle the nuts
Beverage:
Strawberry milkshake
1 pint of strawberry ice cream
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream cream (or whole milk)
fresh strawberry as a garnish
Blend together the ice cream and heavy cream; blend in some strawberries if you like
Pour in a nice glass and stick the strawberry at the rim
Dessert
smores with cheesecake!!!
graham cracker crust
about 250 g of graham crackers (ground in a food processor)
4 oz of butter (1 stick)
1 oz of sugar (how ever much you want really)
Melt the butter and add to the sugar and graham crackers
Spread in a 1/4 sheet pan
Press on the crust
Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350F (until dark brown)
Cheesecake:
1 lb of cream cheese
4.5 oz of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 oz of heavy whipping cream
Mix together the cream cheese and sugar
Mix together the above mixture with the eggs and vanilla extract
Mix with the whipping cream
Bake on top of the crust at 200-250F for 1-3 hours; done when cheesecake jiggles as one or when toothpick comes out non-liquidy
refrigerate overnight - very critical!!! do not rush it
Chocolate layer!!!
200 g of heavy whipping cream
90 g of egg yolks (about 4-5 eggs)
10 g of sugar
two 124 grams of milk chocolate hersheys (chopped)
marshmallows!
Heat together the cream and sugar in a stainless steel pot (aluminum is not good with milk); heat until smoke comes out when you whisk the mixture - mix it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming and to prevent scorching; measure chocolate in a mixing bowl large enough to hold the cream and yolks; pour heated cream over yolk and mix quickly to prevent scrambled eggs from forming; reheat mixture for a few seconds; pour the liquid mixture over the chocolate and mix until chocolate has melted; pour over cheesecake and refrigerate for 1-2 hours
when ready to serve, take a slice, torch a marshmallow - either use a blow torch, torch over a stove, or microwave it (i do not recommended microwaving it) and put it on top of the slice
That was a lot of typing!!! hope it goes well!
Edit: !!!! it just occurred to me that you probably cannot get white wine; I guess you can omit it or try this instead:
1 lbs of ground beef
-80:20; lean meat: fat
1/4 tsp of dry oregano
1/4 tsp of dry basil
1/4 tsp of dry thyme
1/2 tsp of minced garlic
1/4 cup of minced onions
-very minced; onions should not be visible
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1 1/2 whole whisked eggs
1 tsp of Worcestershire
Salt
Black pepper
-to taste
Take the meat and break it up in a mixing bowl
-while wearing gloves, punch the meat well in the center
Add all ingredients to center
Take a clean cutting board and place meat loaf on top of cutting board
-chafe meat loaf again
Soak gloves in cold water (1 cup) to prevent meatloaf from sticking to gloves
Make sure that there are no air pockets in center
Take 2 pieces of parchments paper and place them on top of each other
Take loaf and place it on lower 3rd part of parchment paper
Roll parchments with the meatloaf in a roll tugging each time you roll
Twist the ends; fold the two ends toward the center
Bake at 375F until internal temperature of 155F
Unwrap it and take a serrated knife
Cut it straight down; 陆 inch thick slices
Makes sure meatloaf stays round
Good luck!!!
2nd Edit: i had to remove the other recipe (the one with white wine) because it became too long to post :'( This may help Two ribeyes! Marinate them first with salt, pepper, seasoned salt, minced garlic, brown sugar, and massage some butter on them. Let them sit for about an hour, then put them in a baggie with a can of beer, worchestershire sauce and a little more garlic. Let soak for for an hour and grill. I starting you with a dessert. I think a chocolate fondue is very romantic, here is a recipe:
Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients
12 ounces of dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped if from a block)
8 ounces of heavy cream
A pinch of salt
Dippables such as strawberries, banana pieces cut into 1-inch chunks, dried appricots, candied ginger, apple pieces, banana bread cubes
Method
1 Warm the cream over moderate heat until tiny bubbles show and begins to lightly and slowly boil. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth and full incorporated.
2 Immediately transfer to a fondue pot heated at low or with a low flame, or serve straight from the pot.
3 Arrange the dippables on a platter or plates around the chocolate pot. Use a fondue fork, bamboo skewer, seafood fork, or salad fork to dip the fruit pieces and other dippables into the hot melted cream chocolate mixture. Eat immediately.
If the fondue begins to feel a little stiff, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and stir. It will help it go a little longer. Eventually, it will cook down though and you may need to start a new pot.
Variations
Add a tablespoon or two of Bailey's Irish Cream to the chocolate. Other liquors such as Grand Marnier, Amaretto, or Kirsch are equally yummy.
Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and ancho chili pepper for a nice Mexican Chocolate.
The contents of a vanilla pod or some vanilla extract are always a decadent touch to chocolate.
A good pinch of espresso powder can do wonders!
Orange zest or grapefruit zest is nice way to create a slightly fruity chocolate.
A few tablespoons of Torani flavoring syrups (the kind used for coffee or Italian sodas) can add a nice dimension of flavor as well.
White chocolate is always a nice change, and spiked with a little liquor or citrus zest becomes heavenly.
Steeping the cream for an hour beforehand and while heating it can add a nice subtle flavor, lemongrass for white chocolate or a bag of Earl Grey tea for dark chocolate are particularly stylish and contemporary. Appetizer: Fresh salsa and tortilla chips (This way you can specify the types of vegies and amount of spice you use)
Entree: Pollo bandido (chicken with cheese sauce), rice, beans, etc.
Beverage: I suggest not chancing it with alcohol since you're under age, but you can make a simple mock-margarita
Dessert: mock-fried icecream
Pollo bandido:
Grill thinly sliced chicken breast (can substitute steak if you want) and cover with the white mexican cheese sauce you can purchase in the grocery store; add some grilled bell pepper slices, onions, or mushrooms if you want.
Serve with spanish rice, refried beans, guacamole, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, or your other favorite toppings. Serve with warm torillas.
{The key with this is you're eating with your hands, which equals sexy.}
Mock-margarita:
Key Lime sparkling water (or 7-up, Sprite if you can't find the water), margarita mix (it's nonalcoholic so no worries) to taste, over ice. You can serve this in a margarita glass with salted rims for more effect...
Mock-Fried icecream
Turn your broiler on in the oven, while it's warming up, take a tortilla and spray with Pam, put on a pizza pan that's been covered with aluminum foil (spray the foil too)
Let it get a little brown
Turn the tortilla and spray again
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and put back in the oven
Be careful, the broiler will be hot and the sugar can burn easily, when it's brown/melted take it out
Put on a plate, scoop on some vanilla icecream and cover with chocolate sauce
Enjoy! |
