Cooking To Impress

[modiddly16]

Hey guys-

I have a lot of recipes and have used them often but I'm in a new situation with a guy who doesn't know a whole lot about my disease and I want to cook for him on Saturday but want something special that will really impress him and make him realize that just because I can't eat a lot of things....the stuff we can eat CAN be normal and delicious!

I was wondering if anyone had a fun recipe that they've used for their "date nights" that you could post on here to help!

Thanks!

[*lee-lee*]

have you checked out the CrockPot Lady's website? she's making something in the crock every day this year - gluten free. i'm addicted to the website.

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i've tried a few recipes and have had pretty good results. i made the Brown Sugar Chicken a few days ago and my boyfriend loved it!

granted...it doesn't feel like real cooking because the crock does all the work but you can take the credit! plus it smells up your house like you spent all day slaving over a hot stove!

[purple]

Personally, I love Lasagna or Spaghetti. The smell is wonderful. You could have a tossed salad. There is a french bread recipe on here that is good too. Don't forget dessert. Hot fudge on ice cream with brownies.

Next favorite is enchiladas, rice, beans and (warmed) tortilla chips on the side, with all the "taco" fixins to choose from. Just like you get at a mexican restaurant. Heat up the plates in the oven or microwave. Make some homemade salsa and guacamole. Very tastey. Have fun cooking!!

[sickchick]

date night ?

you mean with a man?

lol!

I don't get many because as soon as we have the 'we need to talk about me being sick' conversation I usually don't hear from them again.

sending you lots of love and luck dollface

[ShayFL]

My guests always seem to be oh so impressed with baked cornish game hens and they are so very simple to cook. Just season and bake. Throw in a side of blanched green beans with toasted almonds and a baked potato.

[modiddly16]

yes a date with a man.....shocking, I know. Usually no one likes that "i'm a freak about food otherwise I'll get sick conversation" but so far so good....

thanks for the help so far, and pushing me to y'alls blogs. Cornish game hens sounds pricey......delicious, but pricey. I'm on a strict budget here people

[JNBunnie1]

yes a date with a man.....shocking, I know. Usually no one likes that "i'm a freak about food otherwise I'll get sick conversation" but so far so good....

thanks for the help so far, and pushing me to y'alls blogs. Cornish game hens sounds pricey......delicious, but pricey. I'm on a strict budget here people

Try baked mac & cheese. I use a 9x11 pan, dump a pound of rice pasta (I like shells) in the pan (dry) and then pour 1/2 a stick of melted butter with whatever seasonings you like mixed over the pasta and stir. Then I put from 1/2 pound to 3/4 pound of shredded cheese on top, usually cheddar & romano, sometimes mozzarella, that makes it chewy though. Pat that down evenly, then pour milk over til it's halfway up the noodle, then water til it's almost to the top of the cheese. For some reason the noodles like it better when it's part water. I haven't measured this in so long I'm not sure how much milk that is, sorry. Bake at 375 for 45 min. Yum!!!!! The only hard part is shredding all the cheese, cuz we're too cheap to buy pre-shredded cheese.

[Lisa16]

How about this? It can be elegant. It is easy.

First course-- salad with pears and maytag blue cheese (gluten-free!) and a citrus type vinagrette.

spinach or lettuce

pears, skinned and cut

crumble the blue cheese over the salad and

add the dressing made of vinegar, olive oil, fresh orange juice, a little lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

Main course course-- jasmine rice with thai chili and basil chicken and green beans or asparagus

chicken:

cut 4 cloves of garlic into bits and stir in a wok with two or three small red chilis (bird's eye)

add in the chicken and stir until browned

stir in a sauce made of gluten-free soy sauce and a little brown sugar (gluten-free fish sauce is optional) until the sauce reduces and kind of coats the chicken bits

add in 30-40 fresh basil leaves and stir until they wilt. Leave them in. This has a lovely aroma and a bit of kick.

green beans:

You can just french them (cut them in halves the long way and then split them) and boil them up with a bit of onion

asparagus:

clean and boil them (not too much- I think real chefs call this blanching)-- you can serve them hot or chilled with a nice dressing

Dessert-- fruit salad, fresh melon, roast apples (with butter and brown sugar baked at 425 until brown) or oranges cut into rounds and served with a sprinkle of cinnamon (an aphrodisiac!)

That ought to get his attention.

Good luck!

[Juliebove]

My husband loves simple beef roast with potatoes and carrots. If it is still hot where you are at, you can do this in the crockpot.

Most men love steak, baked potatoes and salad. But steak can be tricky if you don't know how he likes his.

One thing my husband likes on hot days is a big spinach salad topped with plenty of hard cooked eggs and bacon. Honey mustard for dressing.

For dessert, I would do either a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit, or chocolate dipped strawberries. Or 1/2 a cantaloupe hollowed out and filled with ice cream or sorbet and topped with berries and sauce.

Whatever you choose, you want to do as much as the prep work ahead of time so you can spend time with him and not be in the kitchen.

[Lisa16]

Oh-- I forgot some stuff:

In the salad, you want to toss in some candied pecans (instead of croutons). You can buy these gluten-free and ready made or you can candy them yourself.

I forgot to say you need to cut the chicken into small bits. I use boneless/skinless chicken breast. You are also supposed to cut the red peppers up into bits. I leave the seeds in for heat, but you can de-seed them (it kind of neuters them).

And garnish like mad! Add a few fresh tiny baby basil leaves to the dish, add a cinnamon stick or two to the plate of oranges. Put some edible flowers in the fruit salad.

You will blow him away.

[gfp]

I'm on a strict budget here people

OK....

How's about...

Chicken breast wrapped in ham and stuffed with garlic, herbs and cheese steamed in white wine?

You can cheat and find a soft cheese with garlic

Just get some foil ... slice open the chicken breasts sideways (the little flap on the back)

stuff with a couple of teaspoons of soft cheese, spinkle some mixed herbs.... and a little garlic (to your own taste)...

Then get a strip of parma ham (or you can use bacon).... and roll it around the closed breast... stick the two foil packets still open on a oven tray and fold over the ends... add a few tablespoons of white wine...and seal the packet

if you have bay leaves stick one on top before closing the packet

Throw these in the oven for 20 mins on medium heat...

Meanwhile choose veg of choice ... if you decided to impress then a puree of parsnip is unusual.... but its really your choice....

After 20 mins take out the packets and drain the fluids into a small saucepan.

make up some corn starch into a paste with either wine or water....

stick the unwrapped chicken back for 10 mins to brown slightly....

gently heat the starch and juices together, add a little more wine if you like....

shouldn't cost you much....

[TrillumHunter]

Wow, all this sounds so good!

I'll add one. How about pot roast? The cut of meat is cheap and it is easy to prepare for you. Get a good looking chuck roast, season well with garlic, salt and pepper. Toss in lots of root veggies and onions and red wine and put it in to roast. You won't have to fool with it last minute except to thicken the juices with some rice flour or cornstarch. Serve with a salad with bacon and some roasted nuts to bulk it up. If you are a baker, you could do a pan of cornbread to go with it.

Good luck and relax. Let him see your warm, funny self. Celiac is only part of who you are, not the whole.

[modiddly16]

You guys are great!!!

Thank you! I'll let you know how it goes

[JNBunnie1]

You guys are great!!!

Thank you! I'll let you know how it goes

Well, what'd you pick?

[sickchick]

LOL!!

[Lisa16]

OH-- has it happened yet? How did it go?

And is the way to a man's heart really through his stomach?

[modiddly16]

I did the wrapped chicken breast thing and it was delicious!!!

I also checked out that crock pot lady blog and got some great stuff from there.

I think I treated his stomach pretty well!!! He really liked it!

Thanks again!