Great Meal For College Student

H

Hobbes2702

500+ Posts
Ok so I need a really good meal that is not terribly expensive for my anniversary with my girl. I want to cook dinner but I don't want it to be something that I can easily **** up and the food be terrible. Anyone have any good ideas?
 
My old stable in college.

Get two chicken breast, marinate in italian dessing (you can buy the cheapest stuff at the grocery store if you want) or go to whole foods or central market (will be a little more $ but already marinated...) Grill the breasts (do you have a grill?)

Get bag of Spinach, Garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. And a large can of del monte diced tomatoes.

Box of Angel hair pasta. (Capalinni)

In pan with liberal amount of EVOO and Garlic add spinach....it will shrink down so use more than you think you need. Once cooked (very limp) add entire can of Tomatoes and heat.

Bring Quart pot of h20 to a boil. Add Pasta....should only take 2-3 mins.

Toss pasta in Evoo and salt when done.

Plate goes like this. Pasta down first. Then Spinach mix. then chicken. Add parmasean on top if you please.
 
Baked Ziti...its easy and Italian (romantic)

15oz part skim ricotta
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan
16oz ziti pasta (mind went blank on what noodles are called)
26oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella

1) Preheat oven to 350; start cooking pasta should take about 15 min

2) While pasta is cooking, in large bowl combine ricotta, eggs, and parmesan; whip mixture

3) In different bowl add cooked pasta and spaghetti sauce, mix

4) In baking pan (13x9) add 1/2 pasta mix, then all of cheese mix, then rest of pasta. Cover with mozzarella, you may want to use more than a cup depending on your fondness of cheese

5) Bake 20 min, you can bake a little longer if you want the darker crustier top layer, just make sure you watch it

While its baking make a salad, and you could throw in breadsticks (cheap good ones are the hill country brand at heb). Put those in the oven with about 5 or 6 minutes left. Light some candles and enjoy the evening.

Beware this serves 6 so there will be leftovers. The lady and I personally love ziti leftovers so this is not a problem for us.

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haha, trust me that was not my idea...the gf is not a big drinker, boones farm is the only "alcoholic" drink she enjoys
 
I will say a fillet, asparagus, sauteed mushrooms and croissants.

The fillet's aren't cheap but it's the best meat money can buy. You can hardly undercook them them but whatever you do do NOT over cook them. A big sear on both sides and then to indirect heat for a few minutes.

Asparagus- super simple- snap off the hard bottoms. Do this by hand and they will snap at the right spot for maximum tenderness. Put the asparagus in a plate with a little water in the plate with a tiny sliver of butter and cover with plastic wrap creating a tight seal. At the last minute you till toss these into the microwave and nuke them until tender. probably 4 minutes.

The rolls are easy, folly the directions.

Shrooms, put in a pan with butter, 1/4 stick or so, on medium heat and keep them moving as the liquid slowly cooks into the pan as the shrooms begin to shrink. I like to slice them up bot for presentation purposes sometimes whole looks nice. Be sure and trim off the hard edge of the stem before putting in the pan. After you cook the down to about half the size of their original volume put a little worstershire and red wine into the mix. I like to get the shrooms mostly done and then reheat when adding the final vino and worstershire to have them hot for the steaks.

For the steaks I like a horseradish sauce. you can buy Woeber's at HEB for about $3 in a decent size squeeze bottle. Rub the Fillets with olive oil or cooking oil and coat season havily with salt and pepper, Sear on the grill about 3 minute a side then set off to the side (indirect heat) for another 5 minutes and you are done. This is for a steak that is 1-1/2 thick and at least 6 ounces. Again DO NOT overcook, the meat is so buttery you could honestly eat it after the sear alone if you like it extremely rare. Woeber horseradish sauce on the side, it's not really strong more of a creamy sauce.

The key to remember when timing the meal is that the Croissants are you limiter as when they come out everything else should be about ready. the other thing to remember is to pull the steaks and let them sit a for at least two minutes before serving so the jusices do not bubble out at the first cut.

Also ope the bottle of red wine 20 miuntes early to let it breathe. Try Ravenswood Zin for an undr $10 bottle that will do the job.

total cost probably about $30... She WILL be impressed.
 
Teedle....that cracks me up....I wish i could still convince the gf that we dont have to drink super expensive vino....i miss those days....damn getting old...damn it to hell.
 
Honestly, where did that pizza come from? Did someone really eat that thing?
Every time I see it I laugh, but then think how horrible it would be to be forced to eat that thing.
 
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