We stopped going out for dinner at fancy restaurants years and years ago as we tired of fighting for reservations. Half the restaurants refuse to make them and those that do usually had an extremely limited menu. Then they would hover and try to rush you out the door to seat the next couple. Not very romantic!
The first course was a lovely plate of jalapeno monterey jack cheese, Madagascar peppercorn cheese, sesame rice crackers served with champagne. For the first time ever I served the cheese at room temperature as I'd read that to serve it chilled inhibits the flavour. Boy what a difference! The spice of the cheese combined the the bubbles from the champagne made for a decadent flavour overload!
Our entree was this amazing strawberry avacado salad. I like to find different recipes to try to surprise my hubbie and I have to say this one was a rousing success! Lettuce, avacado, strawberries and almonds made up this simple salad. The dressing was what blew me away! It consisted of white sugar, honey, olive oil, cider vinegar and lemon juice. I'll admit to being skeptical at first as it sounded awfully sweet, but it turned out to be quite tasty and not overpowering at all!
The main course consisted of twice baked potatos, a 6 oz, fillet mignon, sauteed mushrooms and baby carrots. My hubbie loves my twice baked potatos, they're simple and easy to do and make a meal just a wee but fancier!
You bake the potato, once done scoop out the potato and combine it with sour cream, butter, cheese, bacon bits (i use real bacon crumbled or those trans fat soaked real bacon bits) and chives. Mix it all together and then scoop back into the shells, then top with more cheese and bacon bits and bake for 15 minutes.
For the steak I was in a quandry as to how to cook it. I initailly planned to BBQ it but after a very painfull chiro visit and a nasty flair up which put me in bed for most of the week I didn't think I'd be up to BBQing. It didn't help that the temperature outside was about -40, so I had to find another method.
I decided to pull out my cast iron skillet and sear these babies! So after searing them I cooked them on a very low temp. (2 on my stove). I was really worried that I would over cook them as both of us prefer our steaks a little pink, but as it would happen they turned out perfectly!
Since there was no char from grilling all you tasted was amazing meat flavour. Next time though I think I would season them with sea salt and cracked pepper. I hesitate to season fillets though...a knee jerk reaction I think...my sister in law as wonderful as she is insists on marinating her fillet minion in Bulls Eye BBQ sauce...shudder...
For dessert I was in trouble. I'd already gone shopping for supplies and was not about to head back...but I'd forgotten to plan a dessert! I searched and searched for the perfect recipe and I was having no luck until I found a recipe for an apple bundt cake. The problem? I had no apples! However I did have mangos and cantelope...
I've never made a bundt cake, so I didn't really know how substituting my wheat/gluten free flour would work but I thought give it a shot! So I started to mix up the batter when I realized I also didn't have any orange juice which was called for. What to do?! I then realized that a couple of weeks ago while shopping I'd found this mango guava rum drizzler. I combined that with water to substitute for the orange juice and continued on.
I then decided to subsitute mangos and cantelope for the required apples and mixed them with cinnamon and sugar. I wasn't sure how these would work either, but i figured if it sucked There was always chocolate! So I layered as best I could the batter and the fruit, but again the batter was incredibly thick...I think it's a side affect from the w/g free flour...
The result though was incredible! I'd over cooked the cake slightly and was quite upset until I realized that even though it was crusty on the outside i was incredibly soft and moist on the inside! And as my hubbie pointed out everyone always fights for the end piece of a cake loaf so now every piece was an end piece!
I dusted the cake with icing suger and topped it with the Mango guava rum drizzle a lovely light citrusy dessert!
We followed that amazing dessert with coffee and extra creamy lindt milk chocolate squares...Yum...
Part of the deal though is setting up a small table in our living room (as we don't have a dining room) and decorating the whole entire room. This take a large part of the day, but it's totally worth it! I light about 75 candles (there's a ton more not pictured...every available surface has candles) and this year decided I to sprinkle rose petals everywhere. The table is wrapped with white mini lights and topped with a simple white table cloth.
Last year I blew up about 70 balloons...it looked amazing but really wasn't very enviro. friendly and they all had to be popped the next day...
We followed that amazing dessert with coffee and extra creamy lindt milk chocolate squares...Yum...
Part of the deal though is setting up a small table in our living room (as we don't have a dining room) and decorating the whole entire room. This take a large part of the day, but it's totally worth it! I light about 75 candles (there's a ton more not pictured...every available surface has candles) and this year decided I to sprinkle rose petals everywhere. The table is wrapped with white mini lights and topped with a simple white table cloth.
Last year I blew up about 70 balloons...it looked amazing but really wasn't very enviro. friendly and they all had to be popped the next day...
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