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Romantic New Years Eve dinner for 2


momlovestocook

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I was thinking of making a romantic dinner for dh and serving after kiddies go to bed. I'm looking for ideas of what to make. Nothing too complicated, ie that will take hours to prepare.

The only foods off the menu are seafood(I'm allergic) and pork. I do eat fish, chicken, beef, etc.

Wine selections would be nice as well since I know very little about that.

I am not a novice cook and have a well stocked kitchen.

thanks for any suggestions.

Sandra

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Do you want to go more formal with this? Or more intimate, say with finger food? You can still do candles either way . . . :wink:

Judith Love

North of the 30th parallel

One woman very courteously approached me in a grocery store, saying, "Excuse me, but I must ask why you've brought your dog into the store." I told her that Grace is a service dog.... "Excuse me, but you told me that your dog is allowed in the store because she's a service dog. Is she Army or Navy?" Terry Thistlewaite

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I second the rock cornish hens idea. How about somthing like this:

Tomato Bisque or Tomato Blue Cheese, Onion Salad

Cornish Game Hens with Almond Rice stuffing

parslied carrots

Chocolate baby cakes or Strawberries in Grand Marnier Cream

Champagne

Alternatively, I use fondues as a romantic meal for two quite often.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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Rack of Lamb is dead easy and yet very "special occasion".

Open with a little smoked salmon and a glass of non vintage Brut Champagne (Piper Heidseick is nice, readily available and reasonable)

Winter Greens with beets and chevre in a warm tomato vinaigrette - an off dry Riesling - Penfolds is a good choice.

Rack of Lamb crusted with rosemary, garlic, olive oil, fine bread crumbs and dijon.

Brussel sprouts sauteed in butter gratineed with pecorino romano and fine bread crumbs (or frenched green beans - I know not everyone enjoys sprouts) and potato pancakes. Serve with red wine reduction of Lamb jus.

A good Ozzie Shiraz or Californian Cabernet Sauvignon (ask your wine merchant).

Creme Brulee with a muscat based dessert wine (a good Beaumes de Venise is perfect - save any leftover to use for reduction sauces)

The rest of the Champagne at midnight.

The prep can all be done way in advance so it makes for a leisurely evening.

''Wine is a beverage to enjoy with your meal, with good conversation, if it's too expensive all you talk about is the wine.'' Bill Bowers - The Captain's Tavern, Miami

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I second short ribs especially since you can make ahead and re heat next day so that you can focus on putting kids in bed.

How about fried rissotto balls for appetizer. You can make basic risoto night before then shape and fry on spot. I like to make mine with peas prosciutto and stick in a little piece of mozzerella in each ball. Fry up then roll in some parmigianno.

Dessert creme brulle or bread pudding both easy do ahead prep dishes.

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For an easy, elegant soup you might consider creamed cauliflower soup, drizzled with curry oil (a la slkinsey) or just topped with a dot of butter and a little pile of long cut chives. So good and easy to make.

For salad, perhaps a nice braised endive. Or wilted winter greens with chanterelles.

I would say the braised beef short ribs are a good bet. I think that jscarbor and I both can recommend the Porter Ale/Rosemary braised beef short ribs from Molly Stevens' All About Braising. PM me if you'd like to see the recipe.

And if you like lamb the rack is also easy and sure to please.

Judith Love

North of the 30th parallel

One woman very courteously approached me in a grocery store, saying, "Excuse me, but I must ask why you've brought your dog into the store." I told her that Grace is a service dog.... "Excuse me, but you told me that your dog is allowed in the store because she's a service dog. Is she Army or Navy?" Terry Thistlewaite

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Just remember that dinner is only romantic if you're not in the kitchen!

Salad of field greens: dotted with goat cheese, sprinkled with dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Make it while hubby bathes the kids.

Cornish game hens - unstuffed - basted with orange marmalade, on a bed of white and wild rice blend. They only take an hour and can be roasting with hubby puts the kids to bed.

Vanilla icecream with hot fudge ( gotta have chocolate somewhere....)

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For an easy, elegant soup you might consider creamed cauliflower soup, drizzled with curry oil (a la slkinsey) or just topped with a dot of butter and a little pile of long cut chives. So good and easy to make.

For salad, perhaps a nice braised endive. Or wilted winter greens with chanterelles.

I would say the braised beef short ribs are a good bet. I think that jscarbor and I both can recommend the Porter Ale/Rosemary braised beef short ribs from Molly Stevens' All About Braising. PM me if you'd like to see the recipe.

And if you like lamb the rack is also easy and sure to please.

Yes I made the short ribs on lovebenton's rec and they are great. The recipe is for 6 but could probably be cut in half or you could have some great leftovers.

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Well, I'm finalizing my menu

tomato fennel soup

spinach roasted red pepper salad

cornish hens-probably brined and then cooked with lemons, thyme and garlic

israeli couscous pilaf

glazed carrots and maybe some roasted asparagus

dessert is chocolate souffle cakes from fine cooking holiday magazine

most of these things can be prepared ahead of time so I will not have much to do but serve.

I'd like to make an appetizer with some frozen puff pastry(It's already rolled out) but not sure what to make. Any suggestions

I'm going off my perpetual diet for the night so I want it to be good LOL.

Sandra

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I'm preparing dinner for my current GF (and most likely wife-to-be) and my former long time love.... who are meeting each other for the first time. As odd as that may sound to some, I suspect it will be a warm and really fun evening, as I'll be in the company of two great women who really care about my happiness, as I do theirs.

Neither is much of a cook so the kitchen chores fall on me (which suits me just fine). I'm planning the following:

- chicken liver mousse and some soft stinky cheese with water crackers before dinner

- crabcake appetizer

- baby spinach salad with sliced pears and walnuts

- Miso Glazed Sea Bass with wild rice and sauteed haricots verts (or ordinary string beans if I can't find the haricots verts)

- flaky pastry layered with peaches baked with small scoop French vanilla ice cream

Probably doesn't sound like a very adventurous menu but it will suit my less than culinarily adventurous guests and be very easy to fix.

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I'd like to make an appetizer with some frozen puff pastry(It's already rolled out) but not sure what to make.  Any suggestions

Onion and Wild Mushroom Tart - make a custard base with 2 eggs and sour cream fold in sauteed onion and any wild mushroom selection - top with a little chevre or mild bleu and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

''Wine is a beverage to enjoy with your meal, with good conversation, if it's too expensive all you talk about is the wine.'' Bill Bowers - The Captain's Tavern, Miami

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Oysters, Les Halles Beef Bourguignon, Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream. And lots of bubbley. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

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Well, I'm finalizing my menu

tomato fennel soup

spinach roasted red pepper salad

cornish hens-probably brined and then cooked with lemons, thyme and garlic

israeli couscous pilaf

glazed carrots and maybe some roasted asparagus

dessert is chocolate souffle cakes from fine cooking holiday magazine

most of these things can be prepared ahead of time so I will not have much to do but serve.

I'd like to make an appetizer with some frozen puff pastry(It's already rolled out) but not sure what to make.  Any suggestions

I'm going off my perpetual diet for the night so I want it to be good LOL.

Sandra

Yes!!!! I have a super easy suggestion that was a big hit X-Mas Eve. Takes just seconds to make. Spread some Fig Spread (got mine at whole foods), over the puff pastry, sprinkle about 4 slices of proscuitto, chopped fine, over the surface. Dot with chunks of goat cheese, and a dusting of fresh, chopped thyme. Follow instructions for baking, slice and enjoy. It's a GREAT flavor combo, and so easy.

:raz: Pam

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Happy New Years!!!

Dinner was great. The kiddies went to bed around 8:30 and we started in on the appetizers. We had Prosciutto and gruyere pinwheels, the trianges are just extra pastry brushed with butter, s&p and parmesean and the best part was the brie in puffed pastry. I just bought a small round, cut it in two, put some of my homemade crabapple hot pepper jelly in the middle, topped with dried cranberries and toasted almonds. We could have made a meal out of just this.

gallery_20283_539_1104597231.jpg

Next came the soup-Tomato fennel soup with gremolita. I also added some shaved parmesean. This was very good although the raw garlic came back to haunt me later LOL.gallery_20283_539_1104597812.jpg

I didn't bother with a picture of the spinach salad-I figure everyone knows what spinach and roasted peppers look like LOL. It was just a nice sweetness after the tomato soup.

Next was the main course. I made a paste of butter, shallots, garlic, lemon rind, juice and s&p and put this under the skin of the hens. I just put some olive oil on top. Not as brown as I would have like but good all the same. Couscous pilaf and glazed carrots finished it off.

gallery_20283_539_1104598636.jpg

By the time dessert rolled around, I forgot to take a picture of the chocolate souffle-It was very good with an expresso ganache in the middle.

We finished off a bottle of white wine and rung in the New Year!

All in all a success(although I am not used to eating so much and was very full). I forgot to put my homemade rolls on the table. Oh well, the kids had them for lunch today.

Sandra

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