Category: Date Night

No Kitchen Week 2

Date Night, Eating Out

Hey guys! This past week we pretty much finished our demolition. This coming week it is electrical and setting up for the floor to be put in.

Here are some of the yummy bites I have had this week.
Chinese- Shrimp and broccoli with panfried potstickers



Indian food- Paneer Makhani, meat and veggie pakoras and samosas, and cheese Naan, and Daal soup.



My birthday dinner!!! (The Optomist)

Cocktails  Octopus
OFried Oysters
Duck Fat Poached Swordfish with Short Ribs
  Pan Seared Tilapia

Hushpuppies

Brunch this morning- French Toast, Eggs Benedict, and Bacon


The Honey Pig

Asian, Date Night, Eating Out

So last night was date night! We wanted to do something different, so we came up with the idea to go out to Korean Barbecue. This place was quite the experience! The atmosphere was amazing, cool Korean music blared, and everyone looked like they were just having a great night of fun, friends, family, and food!

The servers start out by putting some sprouts and kimchi on the cast iron dome skillet. They put out a spread of different sauces (bean paste, spicy chili sauce, pickled jalapenos), some lettuce, and different wraps (daikon radish, rice paper, and lettuce).  Then they bring out the meat. We ordered the honey pork, beef steak, and some tofu. It was all so delicious, but I think I liked the steak the best.

The next time I go, I am ordering the whole octopus. I saw a table that got it and I just have to try it!

http://honeypigatl.com/web/


  
  
  

Linguine and Clams

Date Night, Girls' Night Out/In, Pasta, Seafood

Happy Friday!!! So earlier in the week when I made my meal plan, I asked the girls if they would rather order pizza or me make something for dinner on Friday night. They wanted to know what I might make, so I took the risk and said pasta with clams. They wanted clams. I even double checked last night to make sure that was still their choice. Yep! So that is what I made tonight for dinner!

Linguine and Clams

Ingredients

1 pound Linguine Pasta
1 tablespoon sea salt
1-2 pounds live Clams
1 tablespoons butter
2 cloves minced Garlic
1 cup White Wine (I used Chardonnay)

Directions
Take a large bowl and fill with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt and stir to dissolve. Add clams and allow to sit in the refrigerator for as long as possible (30 min up to 2 hours). This will release the silt and sand. Rinse clams and press any open clams closed, if a clam won’t stay closed throw it away.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil. Salt water well. Cook pasta in water until 1 minute short of al dente. Reserve 3 cups cooked pasta water for sauce. In a large pan add butter. Heat over medium high heat until melted.
Add garlic. Cook about 2 minutes. Add white wine and reduce about 2 minutes. Add salt and clams, toss to coat. Add pasta and 2 cups reserved pasta water. Cover and cook about 3 to 4 minutes until all the clams have opened, any unopened clams need to be discarded.

The girls’ plate…

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My plate….

linguine-with-clams

Well…I totally forgot to take a pic, so I snagged this one from google. I added fresh parsley to mine, and of course I had wine =) PERFECTION!!!!!

Have a great weekend!!! See ya soon with some yummy dinners this weekend and a new weekly meal plan!

Garlic Seafood Pasta

Date Night, Pasta, Seafood

Evening kids! 2nd post of the day! Since the last time we talked, the family, including the dog, went on a nice hike at our local park. We came home and I started cooking this amazing dinner.

Earlier today we all went grocery shopping. I noticed some peeled and deveined shrimp were on sale, so I decided to make shrimp pasta tonight. Then I saw some nice clams and mussels and decided to add them to the mix. The girls were in an especially good mood and promised to try a bite of everything. Verdict? They both LOVED the clams!!  Katie loved the shrimp. Becca tried a bite after I promised I would never make her eat another bite of shrimp in her life if she tried it; she just shrugged her shoulders at it. She is just not a fan. They both ate the mussels, but BEGGED for more clams. Next pasta seafood…linguine and clams. Be on the lookout for it =)

Garlic Seafood Pasta

Ingredients

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 cup white wine

Directions

Start a pot of salted boiling water.

Melt 1/2 a stick of butter and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a med/large sized dutch oven or heavy pot. Add in onions and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, add in pasta to the boiling water.

Add the wine to your garlic and onions. Add the rest of your butter and olive oil. Mix well.

Add the clams to the garlic butter sauce; they should cook about 10 minutes total. 2 minutes later add your mussels; they should cook about 8 minutes total. In 2 more minutes, add your shrimp. They just need about 6 minutes to cook.

Just when your shrimp are turning pink, add in the pasta and a cup or so of starchy cooking water. Mix well and cook for another couple of minutes. When your pasta is perfect, you are ready to eat!
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***do not eat any shellfish that has not opened***

***freeze the shells so you can make this…https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/01/19/seafood-stock-2/

Cravings…

Beef, Date Night, Recipe Review

Cravings…

Steak…Porterhouse…Medium Rare…Perfection

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The cooking time all depends on the size and thickness of your steak and how well done you like it. Mine was on the smaller size and not too thick. Season your steak with salt and pepper on both sides. I like mine medium rare, so I cooked it on the first side about 6 minutes in a super hot cast iron skillet in with a tablespoon of butter. Then I flipped it and cooked the other side about 4 minutes. Then I let it rest for 10 minutes to keep in all the juices.

I have also made it half on the stove and half in the oven with a broiler using Bobby Flay’s recipe I read in Bon Appetit. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfect-porterhouse-steak

Ingredients

  • 1 2”-thick Porterhouse steak, trimmed (about 2 lb.)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • Preparation
    • Let steak sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking, which will help it cook quickly and more evenly.
    • Heat broiler. Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat, then heat oil in pan until smoking. Season steak very generously with salt and pepper and cook until a deep brown crust forms on underside (do not turn), about 4 minutes. Transfer steak to a cutting board, turning it browned side up.
    • Cut meat from bone in 2 pieces (strip steak and filet mignon). Slice both pieces straight down perpendicular to the bone 1” thick. Replace sliced steak around the bone (it should look like a whole sliced steak) and return to skillet, browned side up. Top with butter and broil until butter is melted and steak is medium-rare, 4–6 minutes. Serve steak with buttery pan juices spooned over.