Not your average date at HOME
In the very beginning of dating most women decline nicely when men ask if they would like to come to his house for dinner. There are hundreds of reasons why she said, “No.” First, she probably hasn’t Googled you. Secondly, she hasn’t paid $30 for a legal background check. Thirdly, she hasn’t looked you up on Facebook to see if you have mutual friends. Lastly, she probably thinks you can’t COOK.
Before you figure out the food, figure out the music. I’m sure you, everybody and their mom has an iPod and some may have the speakers that you can attach to your iPod that allows you to play music. Set yourself apart, go to Amazon.com and purchase a record player. It should run you around $80.
Then head to Eastern Market, Goodwill, or Crooked Beats located at 2116 18th St NW to pick up some vinyls. You can never go wrong with the Marvin Gaye record “I Want You” or Coltrane, Mozart and of course, the great Frank Sinatra.
Now that you have the music, WINE is the next important thing.
Mapmaker Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand
Will compliment your dishes. The wine is bright and zingy; bursting with a passion fruit character that lingers on the light finish with hints of grapefruit and pear.
Now let’s prepare to cook!
Some of the simplest dishes are the best dishes. Your first dish should be mussels with garlic and white wine. I’ve made this dish before and thanks to Food.com, they make it easy for you to prepare. This dish is very simplistic but so yummy!
2 lbs. fresh mussels
salt & pepper
Directions:
1.In a pot large enough to hold mussels, heat butter on medium heat.
2.Add garlic and mussels toss and warm for two minutes.
3.Add tomatoes, wine, cream, salt& pepper.
4.Raise heat to med-high, cover and cook 5 minutes.
5.Check during cooking.
6.Do not overcook.
7.Mussels are done when shells have opened.
8.Divide into 4 bowls with broth.
9.Garnish with parsley and lemon wedge.
Bon Appetit!!!! (In my Julia Childs voice)
Second course, Pan –Seared Salmon with a tangy Thai Sauce
When I first made this dish I was shockingly surprised at how great it tasted. When my father first taught me how to make pan-seared salmon he insisted that you do not put sauce on salmon. He was right, but with this sauce you HAVE to savor every bit of sauce possible. You can also use this same sauce for stir-fry and shrimp. I found this recipe on About.com.
2-4 salmon fillets (if making more, double the marinade/sauce) - if frozen, thaw in a bowl of cool water
1-3 Tbsp. canola oil (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
MARINADE/SAUCE:
1/2 cup rice vinegar (or substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh red chili, minced or finely sliced, OR substitutes 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian/Chinese food stores)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dark soy sauce (or substitute 1 extra Tbsp. regular soy sauce)
GARNISH:
Handful of fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley
Preparation:
1. To make the marinade/sauce, place all marinade ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir as you bring the sauce to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and allow simmering for 10 minutes, uncovered. The sauce will gradually thicken (the smell of the vinegar is rather pungent as it cooks). When marinade/sauce has thickened, place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Place salmon fillets in a flat-bottomed pan or casserole dish (so that fillets aren't piled on top of each other). When the sauce/marinade has cooled (warm instead of hot), spoon 2 Tbsp. over each fillet, 1 per side, slathering it over the flesh (reserve the remaining sauce for later). Marinate in the refrigerator 10 minutes or up to 24 hours.
4. Place a frying pan or wok on medium-high heat, allowing it to warm up for at least 1 minute before adding the oil (this will help prevent the fish from sticking).
5. When pan is hot, add 1-2 Tbsp. oil, lifting and turning the pan to distribute evenly. Now place fillets in the pan.
6. Allow salmon to fry at least 2 minutes undisturbed before turning. If you turn the fish too soon, it will stick. Instead, allow it to "sear", and it will come freely away from the bottom of the pan.
7. Fry the fish 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Salmon is done when inner flesh is no longer transparent. For faster cooking, cover fish while it's frying.
To serve: arrange on a serving platter or plates. Spoon a little of the sauce over each fillet. Place the rest in a side dish and serve as a dipping sauce (it can be re-heated or served at room temperature).
Side Dishes
Sauté Kale
Though I’m not a big fan of greens, but sautéed kale with garlic is a great alternative. You can purchase kale from your local grocery store in the produce section. I normally purchase kale in the package, but you can buy fresh kale.
Prepare:
Clean 3 large hands full of Kale from the package. (You may want to use more because the kale will shrink once you begin to cook it) cleaned and put to the side
Cut 3 cloves garlic minced and put to the side
In a large pan add 2Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Let the pan heat until you can hear it pop on medium heat.
Once it’s hot place the Kale with salt (I use sea salt) in the pan. Let it cook for 7 minutes adding garlic the last 45 seconds of the dish. Add some flavor and add paprika.
Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes is as simple as they come. Foodnetwork.com is one of my favorite sites to check out for new cooking ideas.
10. 2 pounds Yukon golden potatoes, washed and quartered
11. Salt
12. 4 tablespoons butter
15. Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and cook until fork tender. Drain well. Add back to the pot that they were cooked in.
Meanwhile, heat butter and cream until hot. Add the crumbled blue cheese and stir together. Add sauce to potatoes and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Dessert
If you haven’t killed her with the other two courses, congratulations!
Fried bananas are quick, unhealthy, but OH SO GOOD! Paula Deen has a great recipe for fried bananas.
2 tablespoons butter
4 fresh, firm bananas, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 lime, juiced
Directions
Heat a wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, toss in bananas and add the 1/4 cup of sugar. Cook down sugar and add the sesame seeds and the limejuice. Stir together and serve. You can also serve this with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Lastly, Make sure your house apartment is in order. If you’re married, do something extra special that she wouldn’t expect. Maybe flowers at the dinner table or wait on her the whole time.
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