Date Night – Page 4 – Fun Foodie Family

Seared Scallops with Garlic Brown Butter on Angel Hair

Epic cooking night, ya’ll. I love scallops. I mean, I really love them. Whenever we go to a restaurant that has a scallop dish, I usually order it. They usually serve you like 3 huge sea scallops and the dish is at least $20. I went to Whole Foods today and got 10 scallops for about $19. That may seem like a steep price, and it is, but much cheaper than eating out at a fancy restaurant.

It may seem scary to cook seafood at home. People who I have talked to about it are scared. It is not hard, I promise! I have cooked a lot of seafood on this blog; salmon, tilapia, shrimp, mussels… I think it is about time for more. I present to you my Seared Scallops with Garlic Brown Butter on Angel Hair.

Seared Scallops with Garlic Brown Butter on Angel Hair (serves 2)

Ingredients

1 shallot, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 container of cavatelli (angel hair)
1/2 cup of white wine (I used a lovely Chardonnay)

Directions
Boil water with lots of salt.
Heat pan to EXTREME HEAT!!!!
Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper.
Put in pasta.
Brown 1/2 stick of butter.
Put in scallops on first side for 2 minutes. Stir pasta.
Turn scallops over and cook for 2 more minute. They should be perfectly seared on both sides. Take them out and put them on a plate.
Add shallots and garlic. Add wine. Mix well and cook down for a minute or so. Add the pasta. Mix well. Plate and add scallops on top. Serve with a side veggie.
Enjoy!

Stove Top Lasagna and Bruschetta

Date Night, Girls' Night Out/In, One pot meal, Pasta, Pizzas, Flatbreads, Toasts

Last weekend, I was watching The Kitchen, a show that comes on the Food Network. It is kinda like The Chew, but only comes on Saturdays. Sunny Anderson is one of the TV chef personalities, and she was making this stove top lasagna. It looked so easy and delicious, I thought I would make it the next time lasagna was on the menu. I made this kind of from what I remember, so it is not exactly the same as hers. Here is the link to her original recipe. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/sunnys-pan-sagna-one-pan-plan-lasagna.html
Here is how I made it…

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning and fresh herbs- next time I will add more
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 container of mushrooms
1 to 2 cups beef stock
8 par-cooked lasagna sheets, broken into shards- I also added the end of a box of penne.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
You need a large pan with a lid that is also oven safe. I used a circular dutch oven. Add the olive oil on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to swirl around in the pan a bit, add onions, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, a little salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the onions become translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Stir for a couple of minutes.

Add the beef to the pan. Cook while breaking up with a wooden spoon until cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the stock to cover the contents by almost an inch. Bring the pan to a boil then add the broken lasagna sheets. Make sure you cover the pasta with the liquid. Cover the pot, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the lasagna noodles are al dente, about 8-10 minutes. I uncovered it and stirred it around every few minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Once it is done, stir in the Parmesan cheese. The spread the mozzarella all over the top. Turn the oven on low broil. Put the pot in the oven and keep the door a jar a bit. Keep an eye on it and take it out when the cheese is melty and brown. YUM!

Of course I didn’t forget about the Bruchetta! Make this before you put your lasagna in the oven for a nice appetizer to munch on while you sip some wine and wait for dinner to be ready. Lots of different ways to make this- what kind of bread are you going to use; are you going to toast it first or toast the ingredients on it; what kind of toppings are you going to add etc.

I made mine pretty in a pretty basic way- Cut open some bread, minced some garlic and put it on the bread first, then add slices of a tomato, mozzarella, and top with some thinly sliced basil leaves. Put in the oven on low broil until cheese is melted. Perfect with a glass of Malbec!

Hook your Mate Meal

Beef, Date Night, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Hello lovers! I know there are lots of you out there who are in love and happy as a clam. I know some of you who are pretty sure you met your match, but there is no ring or serious commitment quite yet. There are some who even have their sights set on a guy or girl who they want to hook permanently or even just want to hook-up with. Never fear! Food is here! Cook for your main squeeze and you are sure to win their hearts! A nice bottle of wine or a few bottles of your favorite beer couldn’t hurt either!

Now, I know this is a no brainer, but most guys and many girls I know, myself included, love a nice steakhouse meal. I am no stranger on this blog to cooking lots of different cuts of steak. Just last week I made it. Tonight I made it again. We all went to the store today, and Publix had Ribeye on sale. Duh! Of course we bought some. My hubby had a hockey game this afternoon, so I knew it we would have a late dinner. I made med. rare ribeyes, creamed spinach, and au gratin potatoes. I have made variations of all of these on this blog. Here are my pics tonight and how I made them tonight.

Steak- Depends on your cut of steak and how you like them cooked. I like mine just past mooing, so if you like it more done, just cook it longer! =) Just a couple of examples…
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/08/24/life-cycle-of-a-steak/
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/01/19/porterhouse-steak-slow-cooked-mushrooms-and-onions-and-steak-butter-mashed-potatoes/

Au Gratin Potatoes- serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large russet potatoes, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 cup grated cheese- I used a combo of colby jack, mild cheddar, and gruyere. What an amazing combo!

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat cream, butter, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, layer a greased 8″ × 12″ baking dish or med. sized cast iron skillet alternately with potatoes and ¾ cup of the cheese.

3. Carefully strain heated cream over assembled potatoes, then sprinkle potatoes with remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until potatoes are tender and gratin is golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Allow gratin to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of bacon grease/butter/veg.oil
1/4 onion chopped
3 cloves crushed and chopped garlic
1 large container or bunch of fresh spinach (I used a large container of baby spinach)-
2 tablespoons of cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large skillet, heat your pan on med.low heat with bacon grease/butter/veg.oil. Add your onion and garlic to the pan and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add your spinach and cook down about half way. Add your cream cheese. Melt down and add your cream. Mix well and take off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let sit about 5 minutes or so.

Steak with Onion and Mushroom Blue Cheese Sauce, Creamy Spaghetti Pesto, and Roasted Asparagus

Beef, Date Night, Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Girls' Night Out/In, Pasta, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Skip the steak house and cook your family a nice steak dinner at home! My whole family LOVES steak, so when we see them on sale at the store, we always buy them. This time Publix had Porterhouse steaks on sale, so we just had to get them! I have blogged a few times on making steaks, but here are the directions I use for making mine. Of course, it depends on the cut and size of your steak, so if the steak is thinner you want to go less time, etc. I always cook them in my cast iron pan or cast iron grill pan. We like ours med. rare, so if you like it cooked more, obviously add time. You could also finish it off in an oven on 350 for a little extra cooking time.

Steak

The main star was the Porterhouse. For the perfect med.rare you need to follow these instructions. Get your cast iron pan to screaming hot smokiness. Then salt and pepper your steak on both sides. Cook until the first side is nice and crusty, about 6 minutes. Then turn and cook about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and tent in aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes. YUM!

Onion and Mushroom Blue Cheese Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 onion chopped (or shallot)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1 container or package of crumbled blue cheese
salt and pepper

Directions
Cook onions and garlic in butter/oil on med. high heat for 5 minutes. Add your mushrooms and cook for 10 more minutes. Reduce heat to low heat and add your cream. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until it reduces to about half. Stir in blue cheese and melt. Serve with steak (or pork)

Roasted Asparagus

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Snap the tough ends off of the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp. One of my favorite vegetables!

Creamy Spaghetti Pesto

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cups greens- I used a mix of parsley and basil
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook your pasta in boiling salted water. Stir Occasionally.
When Al dente, drain, but keep about 2 cups of pasta water.

While your pasta is cooking, pulse your pine nuts and garlic in the food processor until smooth. Add your greens, oil, and Parmesan Cheese. Process until smooth. Season with your salt and pepper.

Add your pesto to your pasta. Stream in your heavy cream a little at a time. Add any starch pasta water as needed. Mix well. Enjoy!