5 Fun Ways to Create a Romantic Dinner For Two

Are you looking for some great fun ways to make a romantic dinner for two that will sweep your sweetie right off his feet? There is nothing like a lovingly home cooked meal to show your man the lengths you will go to make him happy. This is more about making it a labor of love rather than the actual menu. Nothing beats candlelight and soft jazzy music to set the mood but sometimes just a pinch of imagination is enough to add that extra magical touch. Here are 5 top ways to spice up a romantic dinner for two.
5. Make it together - Why not? Two heads, two hearts and two pairs of hands are better than one. Lots of men these days love to show off their culinary skills for their honey. Food is a sensual experience. The very act of creating it together and then devouring it can be a perfect appetizer for a romantic evening together. Besides the merger of your Chicken Kiev and his Baked Alaska is greater than the sum of its parts. This is especially true if the menu consists of your macaroni and cheese and his banana split for two.
4 Dinner for two under the stars - What can be more romantic than eating outside on a beautiful clear summer evening? If you live in an apartment this could mean dinner out on the balcony or up on the roof. Or if you have a backyard, lay out a blanket or set up the patio table. The fresh air is invigorating and the after dinner cuddling and stargazing will certainly make this a night to remember.
3. Pick a theme - Can't afford a vacation this year? Create a Hawaiian or Mexican getaway right in your house. Accent a spectacular exotic meal with some ethnic theme music and decor and sweep both of you away on a mini vacation. You don't even need to take time off of work.
2. Dinner and a movie with a twist - There are plenty of steamy and romantic movies that guys won't hate. Whether you opt for a classic like "Casablanca", a comedy like "Something about Mary" or a thriller like "Body Heat" or Basic Instinct", instead of popcorn, try serving up a tray of hor d'oeuvres. You can easily cut up some veggies and cheese with crackers, serve with chicken wings, potato skins or a shrimp ring. Top with some fresh fruit with vanilla yogurt dip for dessert. How easy is that? Much more filling and nutritious than potato chips.
1. Fine dining in the comfort of your own home - Nothing beats the classics. Candlelight, wine and soft music, with a full home cooked meal of his favorite dishes lovingly prepared to perfection. Surprise him at the door dressed in your sexiest little black dress and who needs dessert? Top it off with some slow dancing in your living room and let the rest of the evening take care of itself.
Dinner for two doesn't need to be boring. Whether you are preparing something special for a birthday or Valentines day, or just want to spice up a romantic evening together with something surprising and different, with a little imagination, some preparation and a lot of TLC, an ordinary meal can be transformed into something truly memorable. Take these ideas and imprint them with your own flair and get your romance cooking.

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Romantic Dinner For Two - Easy to Cook and Lovely to Eat

Spring is here and love is in the air, so why not treat your beloved to a romantic dinner a deux? After all, there's no finer way to your loved one's heart than through their stomach. I'm thinking along the lines of 70's retro 'Surf & Turf.' The good news is this easy 3 course dinner won't break the bank or require you to spend hours at the stove. Apart from the steak, everything else can be made in advance, so if you want to up the anti and impress your sweetheart, be sure to make the bearnaise sauce to serve alongside the steak. So for starters it's prawn cocktail, main course is the perfect steak served with triple cooked french fries & bearnaise sauce followed by a dessert of 'petit pots au chocolate.' More on that later...
Here's Your Cooking Order To Prevent Panic!
Morning or Day Before:
Make the dessert & refrigerate
Prep the French fries up to stage 3 & refrigerate
Evening:
Bring the steak up to room temperature - 1 hr ahead
Make up the prawn cocktails & refrigerate
Make the bearnaise sauce and keep warm - ½ hour before serving
Cook the steaks and heat the oil for the final chip frying stage
Fry off the chips for 5 minutes while the steaks are resting
This chocolate dessert is so unbelievably easy to make yet decadently rich with a creamy silky texture. Who needs complicated when love is in the air?
Let's Start With Dessert...
Petit Pots au Chocolate
Ingredients:
4 oz dark chocolate minimum 80% cocoa
6 fl oz or ¾ cup half and half cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp Baileys liqueur
Here's What You Do:
Break the chocolate into tiny pieces (a food processor is best as it reduces the chocolate to a powder), but you could put it in a bag and bash with a rolling pin). The point is it make the pieces small so the melt faster. Heat the single cream and sugar in the microwave (or on the stove) until it just reaches boiling.
Tip the chocolate into the hot cream and stir until melted, it will immediately thicken. Add the Baileys liqueur and stir well. Pour into two small dishes and refrigerate for several hours. There! Told you it was easy!!!
Now for the prawn cocktail.
A cool, spicy & succulent starter. What's not to like? To get the perfect combo you want one third each of prawns, lettuce and sauce.
Ingredients:
½ lb small cooked Candian prawns
4 Romaine lettuce leaves
6 baby cherry tomatoes
½ lemon
2 level tbsp good quality mayonnaise
1 level tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
Here's What You Do:
Tip the prawns into a sieve and leave to drain. Shred the lettuce leaves and put aside. Slice or quarter the cherry tomatoes (a serrated knife is best for this) and put with the lettuce. Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup and Dijon together in the bowl. Now zip it up with a dash of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon - not too much - about 1 tbsp otherwise the sauce will be too runny. Stir in the prawns, lettuce and tomato coating them well with the sauce. Spoon into sundae glasses, decorate with a slice of lemon and refrigerate until needed. Now for the French fries. Lets be honest, you can't beat homemade fries. Triple cooked are super crispy and the best in the business.
Ingredients:3 large floury potatoes
Sea salt
1½ pints vegetable or sunflower oil
Here's What You Do:Peel the potatoes then trim off their rounded sides and square them up. Cut into ½ inch thick slices lengthways and then again into strips, giving you fries.
Place the fries in a saucepan, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Next, rinse them thoroughly, cover with fresh cold water and add a dash of salt. Place over a high heat and when they come up to the boil, cook for 5- 7 minutes. Pierce the centre with a knife, they want to be softish but not fully cooked.
Drain into a sieve and run under the cold tap to stop further cooking. Pat dry with a cloth then arrange on a tray lined with absorbent kitchen paper and stick in the freezer for 30 minutes. After 25 minutes, fill a saucepan a third full of oil and place on a medium heat. Now test cook a French fry first. The oil is ready when it surrounds the French fry with 100's of tiny bubbles. Don't overcrowd the pan or the temperature will drop. Otherwise fry them in small batches, for approx 3-4 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon when they're just starting to colour. Drain onto fresh sheets of absorbent kitchen paper and allow to cool for 10 minutes before returning to the freezer for half an hour. (You can prepare the French fries up to this stage and keep refrigerated for 24 hours if necessary.
The Next Night
Take the steaks out the refrigerator an hour before you plan to sit and eat.
Make up the prawn cocktail.
Now start the bearnaise sauce.
This classic French sauce is the perfect companion to steak and not bad with chicken, fish and vegetables either. It's made the same way as a hollandaise, but don't let that put you off because this recipe is pretty much bomb proof! All that's required is a little patience and some low heat!
Ingredients:
2 medium egg yolks - room temp
1½ sticks unsalted butter
1 shallot or a few onion slices
large handful fresh tarragon
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt
Here's What You Do:
Melt the butter over a low heat or in the microwave until it becomes liquid. Remove from the heat and let it settle, then strain off the clear golden liquid into one of the cups and put aside. Discard the milky sediment. Finely chop the tarragon leaves, put aside 1½ tbsp and tip the remainder into a small saucepan. Add the vinegar, peppercorns, onion or shallot and boil over a high heat for approx 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to a tablespoon, then pour through a tea strainer into the second cup and put it aside.
One third fill a saucepan with hot water and place over a high heat. Separate the eggs and tip the yolks into the bowl. Add the vinegar reduction and place over the saucepan of water. Immediately reduce the temperature to a low heat. Whisk the yolks until they become very light and fluffy - approx 5 minutes then turn off the heat and continue whisking, keeping the bowl over the saucepan of hot water.
Next, very slowly start dripping the liquid butter onto the yolks, whisk continuously until smooth. Continue adding the butter in this way - little by little and all the while whisking briskly until the sauce is thick - approx 10 minutes. Don't worry if the sauce seems thin to begin with, it will gradually thicken up as you add the butter. Keep the sauce warm over a pan of hot water but off the heat, otherwise it will split. If the sauce gets too thick add a splash of hot water.
Put two plates in a low oven to warm.
Time To Cook The Steak!
Place a dry frying pan over a high heat until it's searing hot (you want to hear a 'sizzle' when the steak makes contact with the pan. If it doesn't the pan isn't hot enough). Rub the steaks generously with oil & season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook the steaks in a dry pan without oil or butter
Turn down the heat slightly once your steaks are seared on both sides.
Guide To Cooking Times
The times given are a guide only and refer to a sirloin steak approximately 1? thick. Different cuts or thicker steaks will require longer cooking times and thinner steaks less. Remember to take your steaks off the heat BEFORE they are ready, as they will carry on cooking. The table below gives you rough cooking times.
1? Thick steak
Cooking Time
(per side)
Resting
Time
Total Cooking
Time
Rare
2 minutes
4 minutes
8 minutes
Medium
3 minutes
4 minutes
10 minutes
Well Done
4 minutes
2 minutes
10 minutes
While your steaks are cooking remember to reheat the oil for your French Fries. It must be very hot with a slight haze coming off it. Once the oil is hot and the steaks are resting, submerge the French fries into the hot fat and fry until crisp and golden - approx 5 minutes, then drain onto absorbent kitchen towel and season with a grinding of sea salt. Assemble your steak, French fries and béarnaise sauce on a warm plate and enjoy.!

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Korean Recipe - A Easy Way to Cook Korean Food

Vegetable pancake (ya chae jeon)
Or Korean pizza, which I like to call this! Obviously, I love pizza. I can't deny that and the Korean version is a classic Korean food. And no, you won't find melted cheese with pepperoni but something crispy with some seafood. I remember eating this in Korea with some soju (Korean liquor). I could not get enough of it! Although there a lot of different versions in restaurants. This Korean Recipe is the basic one.
Ingredients: ½ cup of flour, 2/3 cup of water, 2/3 cup of chopped scallops or other seafood, green onions, asian chives (or regular chives if you can't find), zucchini , green chili pepper, 1 ts salt, 1 egg, vegetable oil.
Let's cooking the yummy Korean Recipe:
* Place ½ cup of flour, 1 ts salt, 2/3 cup of water in a big bowl and mix it.
* Chop ½ cup of green onions, 1 cup of asian chives and shred ½ cup of zucchini.
* Put chopped vegetables into the mixture of flour and water and mix it up.
* Chop 2/3 cup scallop. I put also some mini shrimp of same amount.
* In a big heated pan, put some oil and spread the vegetable pancake batter thinly. Lower the the heat
down to medium.
* Place the chopped seafood over the top and press it down with a spoon or spatula.
* When the pancake is cooked about 70%, beat one egg and spread it in the center of the
pancake and cook a few minutes over low heat.
* Turn the pancake over with a spatula.
* Add more oil and cook for few minutes. And serve it hot with dip sauce.
Tip: to make crispier, add more oil and spread the pancake mixture thinly.
Dip sauce: mix 1 TBS of soy sauce and ½ TBS of vinegar.

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Easy Ways to Cook Mega Healthy

Cooking healthy is essential for a diet rich in vitamins and nutrition. What we eat improves or damages our health, so it is imperative to cook with health and wellness in mind.
To have a healthy diet, certain ingredients need to be limited when cooking. A typical diet and recipe tend to be high in sodium. Reduce the amount of salt called for in recipes by one-half to one-fourth. You can also try using low-sodium ingredients, like soy sauce and tomato-based products, instead of salt. To limit the amount of fat when preparing dishes, decrease the amount of margarine and butter called for in recipes by at least one-half. Cooking spray is also a much lower fat alternative to oil. (If you choose to cook with oil, use one of the healthy oils, like macadamia oil, peanut oil, canola oil, coconut oil and olive oil. The bad oils that should be avoided are walnut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil and soybean oil.)
Adding flavor to food can also have healthy benefits, in addition to a better taste. Garlic has been shown to help heart and digestive problems. It also assists in fighting infections, diabetes and parasites. Lemon juice has been shown to cleanse the liver, fight infections, purify the blood and strengthen bones and teeth. Controlling constipation, gas, bloating, diarrhea and heartburn are other healthy advantages of cooking with lemon juice.
A healthy diet consists of lots of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and nutrition. To add more vegetables to dishes, replace some of the meat with vegetables, like broccoli. (Limiting or decreasing the amount of processed meat in a diet also has healthy benefits, as it is said to reduce the risk for cancer.) Choose the leafier, darker vegetables, like spinach, kale and carrots, over lighter ones, like celery and iceberg lettuce. The darker vegetables are much higher in vitamins and provide more nutrition. Also, increase the amount of fruit when you cook by adding chopped fruit to desserts and baked goods. Or better yet, stop cooking desserts and instead serve fresh fruits.
It is important to prepare meals with plenty of fiber for a healthy diet. Fiber is found in the peels of fruits and vegetables, like apples and potatoes, so don't peel fruits and vegetables. Cook beans more often and serve them as a side dish. One cup of kidney beans has 13.1 grams of fiber. Another option to increase the amount of fiber to dishes is to add one tablespoon of flax meal or wheat germ to baked goods.
Food is directly connected to one's health, present and future, so make the most of the meals you prepare. Stop cooking to eat, and begin to cook for better health and wellness.

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Cook Great Summer Dishes The Easy Way

Buy wine online and cook some great dishes for the summer! In many areas of the nation, the warm times of summer and early fall could leave the family cook sweltering in front of a scorching stove, setting up those nutritious foods. Besides making your house too warm for comfort, you might find your appetite languishing by the time you are able to sit down. Here we have some quick cooking recipes and tips that save you time and leave your energy - and appetite unchanged when you're ready to eat. Let's see how you can work this kitchen magic for you and your loved ones.
The microwave is among your very best friends, specifically in hot weather. It lends itself flawlessly to preparing quick cooking recipes and definitely helps keep the kitchen cool. For entrees, try cooking a set of chicken or fish inside the microwave. These meats turn out excellent when cooked inside the microwave. You can also cook chicken in the morning hours and simply warm it up in a lidded frying pan just before serving, with the extra benefit of giving the chicken a fast browning that improves the taste. Fish cooks so easily that it takes just a few minutes to prepare at supper time. Use the microwave oven to cook fresh veggies in the cool early morning, cooking these until just quite undercooked. Refrigerate right up until ready to serve, heating and completing cooking in the microwave.
In the same manner, cooking up a big batch of rice takes the same amount of time as preparing it for a single mealtime. Divide the prepared rice and freeze, ready to defrost and use as soon as your menu requires rice. This tip on quick cooking recipes saves time and decreases your energy consumption, while making summer season cooking less stressful for you in a hot kitchen. Less stress in the kitchen means more time for fun!
Busy mothers can get a jump on the kid's school lunch preparation here. Watch out for sales on lunch meats and cheeses at the deli. Fill up and make an 'assembly line' manufacture of snacks. Line up a number of hoagie rolls and fill these with your sandwich goodies. Wrap each sandwich inside a plastic wrap and freeze. Defrost the amount of sandwiches you'll need for tomorrow's lunch this evening. The next day, let the kids put on mayo, mustard or whatever they like to dress the sandwich. Load up and head out!
Buy wine online and cook some food and save time and money while keeping cool like a cucumber! What about breakfast? Pancakes, waffles as well as crepes can be organized in advance in bulk and frozen for future quick and easy breakfasts. All that is needed is a short, low temperature heating up inside the oven before serving. With a side of sausage patties, you have a delicious breakfast. You can see that these tips for quick cooking recipes, using your microwave and freezer, along with cooking in big amounts make good sense.

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3 Easy Ways to Make Baby Back Ribs

Baby back ribs are a popular food to eat at barbecues and picnics. While they are not that difficult to prepare, they do take a lot of patience to make. The average cooking time is over 2 hours! Many experienced competition chefs will also recommend that you allow them to marinate for at least 6-8 hours if not over night in the refrigerator!
There are many different ways to cook baby back ribs, which makes it possible for just about anyone to make them depending on their preferred cooking style and methods. Three of the most popular ways to make them is grilling, oven baking, and slow cooking in a crock pot. Below is a quick overview of each way to make this classic dish.
Grilling Ribs: If you are grilling your meat, you will want to make sure your grill is prepared so that you can cook with indirect heat. A common mistake that many people make is to place the pork directly over the flames. While yes this will cook them, it will not make them very tender or "fall off the bone" like many people enjoy. By placing a shallow pan of water between the heat source, the metal grate, and the ribs, you can keep cooking them for hours without compromising on tenderness. Dripping barbecue sauce and marinade can also cause flame flare ups which can make them burn and dry out. After about two hours of roasting on low medium heat (around 225 degrees) you will be able to enjoy a delicious and juicy meal. Be sure to check the pan frequently to make sure it still has water in it.
Oven Baked: Baking is another popular way to prepare this summer favorite, especially in the winter months when it may be too cold to stand outside for two hours and watch them cook! The easiest thing to do is simply allow your pork to marinate in sauce or with a simple dry rib rub if you prefer them without sauce and then bake for about 2 hours at 225 degrees. Wrapping them in foil with or without sauce will help them stay nice and tender while they bake.
Slow Cooker: A Slow Cooker, or Crock Pot as it is also commonly referred to, is another popular method of making ribs. The main difference is that the meat and bones will need to be cut into small sections, especially since most slow cookers are not large enough to accommodate the entire rack of ribs. You can then slow cook covered at a low heat (around 200 degrees) for several hours with your favorite sauce or marinade.
There are many other different ways to prepare and enjoy ribs, such as smoking or frying, but these three are the most popular and some of the easiest ways for a new cook to learn how to make them.

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7 Easy Ways To Make Cooking for Kids Fun

etting your kids in the kitchen early on is the best way to keep them keen on cooking for the rest of their lives, and the easiest way to teach them to cook is by making it fun. Here are some ways to make cooking for kids like any other fun game they want to play:
1. Let them participate. Don't make them just sit there and watch while you do all the work and explain it step-by-step. They'll feel like they're being lectured, plus the easiest way for young kids to learn how to do something is by trying it out firsthand. If they're reluctant to take part, you might have to take a page out of Tom Sawyer's book. It's not to say that cooking isn't actually a lot of fun, but if you verbalize it and tell the kids how much fun it is to knead dough or mix batter, they're more inclined to want to try it out.
2. Help them dress the part. Kids love playing pretend, and costumes and props are a big part of that. Lots of places sell kids chef costumes, so get a little chef's hat and apron. You could also get separate play cooking utensils for them to use so they can play kitchen on their own.
3. Involve them in cooking something they'll actually want to eat. Kids have pretty simple palates, and typically want nothing to do with anything too fancy (or veggie-based). Make sure that what they're helping out with is a dish they'll enjoy -- if they know they're making something good they'll be more devoted to getting it right.
4. Don't give them jobs that will be too difficult for them. When cooking with children, it's important to find a balance of importance and difficulty in the jobs you assign them. You want to make sure they feel like they're helping out in a significant way, but not doing something that's too hard for them. Luckily, a young child will probably be so busy focusing on getting things right that he or she won't notice if the task is menial.
5. Take pictures, or even a video, or them cooking. Pictures and home-movies are a great way to remind kids of how much fun they had doing something. If they see images of themselves having fun cooking, it'll inspire them to keep cooking.
6. Don't worry about messes. Cooking with children is bound to get messy, and it's best to just let them do their thing and worry about it after. Don't let them throw around flour just for kicks, but if they accidentally spill or drop something, don't make a big deal about it. Tell them not to either, and assure them they're doing a great job.
7. Encourage them to offer the food they've cooked or helped cook to friends and family. Kids, as a rule, can be very sensitive and insecure, and generally love to be praised. Help boost their confidence and encourage them to keep cooking by telling them to share their creations.

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