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Your favorite date night recipes

Hi ladies! FI and I are celebrating our anniversary early this weekend! We decided we would have a nice romantic dinner at home but I am seriously struggling on figuring out what to make. I was thinking of a mixed green salad and a chocolate/raspberry dessert but I cannot figure out what to make for a main dish. I am not the greatest cook so non-complicated ideas are much appreciated! Do you ladies have any suggestions? What do you typically do for a date night at home?  

Re: Your favorite date night recipes

  • edited February 2014
    Last Valentine's Day we had lemon ricotta champagne stuffed shells. They were super delish and pretty easy to make.
    http://www.simplyscratch.com/2012/01/lemon-basil-ricotta-stuffed-shells-in-a-champagne-cream-sauce.html

    Edited: to add link
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  • Cookie PusherCookie Pusher member
    Knottie Warrior 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    edited February 2014
    This is one of my favorite recipes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beef-and-guinness-short-ribs-recipe.html 

    I start the short ribs first, then make sides like mashed potatoes and salad (I love a salad with pears and walnuts for interesting texture). 

    And my favorite dessert is wine poached pears with vanilla ice cream. I've been making these twice a month all fall/winter. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/white-wine-poached-pears.html 

    ETA Why is TK eating my formatting tonight?!
    ~*~*~*~*~

  • My guy usually does all the cooking. This weekend I picked up a pre-marinated beef filet for dinner. Baked it in the over to a perfect medium-rare and it actually turned out quite nicely - and if I didn't mess it up, then you know it was easy.
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  • Do you like beef or chicken?  Fi loves to eat a simple steak for a romantic dinner: just rub with some pepper, rosemary, and a little bit of salt, then grill or pan-fry until done to your liking.  Use a meat thermometer.

    Easy chicken: Make a marinade of one cup dijon mustard, half a cup maple syrup (the real stuff, not Aunt Jemima), and about a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, with a little salt and pepper.  Marinate 2-4 chicken breasts in the mixture.  When you're ready to bake, pour everything including the marinade into a baking dish and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until done.  The marinade in the pan makes a delicious sauce to serve with the chicken.

    Either of these dishes would be great served with steamed or broiled asparagus.
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    "I'm not a rude bitch.  I'm ten rude bitches in a large coat."

  • If you eat pork, my FI just made me pork with carmelized apples and onions.. Freaking delicious.  Super easy.

    It's in Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" - the Basics.  

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  • We like to make lobster tails! :) The are our favorite "special night" dinner...we also made turkey dinner for us two for our anniversary in January since its our favorite. 
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  • If you like fish, salmon is my go-to. You can keep it simple with some pepper and lemon slices on it, or do a soy-based glaze if you're feeling adventurous :) It's pretty fool-proof -- just pop frozen fillets in a baking dish and stick in the oven at 450 for 20 minutes! I like pairing it with brown rice mixed with edamame and chickpeas.


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  • When we have a date night at home we take turns making pasta. We try to make it different everytime. The last time I grilled some chicken and tomatoes and added it to an Alfredo sauce with some chopped up veggies.
  • FI has promised to make either roast duck or goose with homemade honey oat bread and fresh veggies for our next date night!

    Mouth is now watering...
  • Our favorite thing to make are actually lettuce wrap tacos. They're easy and delicious.

    Get whatever meat you want to use (or tofu or soy crumbles if you're vegetarian or vegan) and brown it in a frying pan. Throw on some onions and orange peppers and let it cook for a few minutes with the meat. Then, take ice berg lettuce or romaine lettuce and use them as wraps. Sprinkle on some cheese and add sour cream and you're done! They're our absolute favorites. 


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  • It depends on your tastes.  For FI's birthday one year, he requested bacon wrapped pork chops.  After that dinner, he was oh so close to proposing on the spot.  ;)

    @CookiePusher, that dessert sounds amazing!
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  • My favorite easy but special dinner is pan-fried filet mignon with a red wine-mushroom sauce. Heat a cast iron skillet super hot. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Fry till they reach your desired internal temperature, turning often to build up a good sear. Remove from pan. Reduce heat, add mushrooms and onions and saute till soft. Deglaze pan with red wine. 

    Boom, done.

    The last time I made this, I melted blue cheese on top of the steaks. Mmmmmmm.....
  • Salmon - put some butter on it, drizzle it in honey and pop it into the oven. It comes out great. I think I do 20 minutes at 420 degrees. I can't remember. 

    Some other things I like to cook - Chicken Marsala (again, really easy), cornish game hens, stuffed turkey meatloaf. 
  • We don't really do date night at home...

    For Valentine's Day I'm making gnocchi bolognese, baked chocolate pudding, and apple pie ice cream.
    Tonight we're having fried chicken breasts, mash and gravy, and coleslaw.

    I think FI's favourite meal that I've made was a red onion, turkey, and sparkling wine stew. We can't make it too often though, 'cause turkey's hard to get here. It carries the flavours really well though.
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  • I always make baked ziti and garlic knots for date night at the request of FI. It's his favorite meal and its easy to drink a lot of wine with ;)
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  • You had me at chocolate raspberry dessert!

    My go-to romantic recipes are gnocchi mac & cheese (more fancy and elegant but just as decadent as your usual mac & cheese), parmesan and truffle risotto, or filet mignon tips with a red wine balsamic glaze served with mashed potatoes (hubby's fave).  The pastas I serve with sautéed greens.  Wow now I'm starving!

  • I tend to do Cornish game hens or stuffed chicken breast/fish filet (http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/21729/spinach-stuffed-flounder-with-mushrooms-and-feta).
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