Dinner date, I'm cooking, need assistance please

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AnthonyJ

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
49
Location
On The Moon
Long story short, I have a dinner date coming up. I know what I want to make for the young lady, but I need a little assistance.

I'm looking to make peppered chicken in lemon butter, topped with fresh grated parm. With that, I'd like to make some baby potatoes and steamed broccoli and baby carrots in a butter sauce.

As far as the potatoes go, I must be searching wrong because I keep finding recipes to put them in the oven. I'm hoping to cook them on the stovetop. I figured on cutting them in half and sautéing them with something.

The hardest part, obviously, will be steaming the veggies. I'm thinking the sauna at the gym will work, but I've gotta be really sneaky or people might think I'm weird.

Anyway, if anyone could help me with the baby potatoes recipe, that would be greatly appreciated. I figured if I gave the details of the rest of the meal, it would help in deciding which spice(s) would work best.
 
Welcome to DC Anthony.

Gosh, by my count you have four things going on for the top of the stove. I've been cooking for a very long time and that's more than I would want to keep tract of for a company dinner, as all your attention will need to be at the stove and not with your girl. You're right, the sauna is a clever thought, but not likely to work.

I'd recommend no more than two dishes for the stove top myself.

For the starch with your meal, I'd do steamed rice instead of potatoes as it can be done without any attention.
 
Actually, I saw a stove-top method for cooking potatoes on America's Test Kitchen just a week or two ago. Guess they knew you wanted to do baby reds. ;) Here is the link to the recipe: Braised Red Potatoes with Lemon and Chives

You do need to sign up for access to the current year recipes, but it is free. Also, unless you have a paid membership you can access just the current year recipes. I suggest if you don't want to pay but you do like a recipe that you find and try you copy the recipe to however you save recipes. Remember to copy the actual recipe, not the link. They won't let you through the door on this one come next year.

As Kayelle pointed out, this is going to be a busy time at the stove while you're also trying to socialize with your date. If you still go ahead with your planned ingredients I would suggest you cook the carrots and broccoli in the same steamer basket. Use baby carrots, cut them in half lengthwise, and throw them into the basket for a minute or two before adding the broccoli. Have your butter sauce all ready so you can toss the steamed veggies into it as soon as they're done. The potatoes can do their thing while you fuss with the chicken. Oh, and if you both enjoy a little wine with dinner, I suggest you open the bottle when your guest first gets there, then try and wow her in the kitchen while you cook and chat and she sips and, hopefully, smiles. Good luck and be sure to report back to us on how things went.
 
I've gotten good at multitasking in the kitchen. I can manage two dishes on the stove while holding a toddler and having a conversation with his mother and grandmother.

The chicken is easy, low and slow. Broccoli and carrots in the steamer is pretty simplistic and I can make the butter sauce in the pan before starting the chicken. I figure the part with the baby potatoes will be the difficult part, if I have to continuously stir it.

My ex has my rice steamer, so that's kinda out of the question, but I could nix the potatoes completely. I'm not too confident with cooking the baby's on the stovetop just yet anyway. The chicken and veggies should be alright by themselves.

Little bit of back story, she was eating one of those microwave meals at work and I was busting her chops. I jokingly said, you should let me cook for ya. Without missing a beat she started asking me what kind of stuff I cook. Unfortunately for me, she doesn't do spicy, so my cajun chicken and salmon (favorite dishes) are out of the question. :( But she said she was going to hold me to cooking her dinner. :chef:

The wine sounds like a good idea though. Any suggestions? I'm more a craft beer guy, don't know much about wine. But I do know, I'm not a fan of red. :ROFLMAO:
 
You can steam the veggies ahead of time, plunge in ice water to stop them from cooking any further, drain, set aside, then nuke them for a minute just before serving. Restaurants do it all the time...

Why don't you go with a Potatoes Anna type recipe? I have a version that doesn't go in the oven and is done in a pan, low and slow....
https://www.google.ca/search?q=pota...oAw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1138&bih=541#imgdii=_
2Q==
 
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Long story short, I have a dinner date coming up. I know what I want to make for the young lady, but I need a little assistance.

I'm looking to make peppered chicken in lemon butter, topped with fresh grated parm. With that, I'd like to make some baby potatoes and steamed broccoli and baby carrots in a butter sauce.

As far as the potatoes go, I must be searching wrong because I keep finding recipes to put them in the oven. I'm hoping to cook them on the stovetop. I figured on cutting them in half and sautéing them with something.

The hardest part, obviously, will be steaming the veggies. I'm thinking the sauna at the gym will work, but I've gotta be really sneaky or people might think I'm weird.

Anyway, if anyone could help me with the baby potatoes recipe, that would be greatly appreciated. I figured if I gave the details of the rest of the meal, it would help in deciding which spice(s) would work best.
Wow! This sounds good :yum:. I don't suppose you'd cancel the young lady and invite me instead?..... No?...... I didn't think so.

Cooking Goddess's recipe for potatoes would tie in nicely with your chicken as both have lemon juice so flavours wouldn't clash. The method isn't unduly involved and would fit round the other preparations. It's one I've saved for myself.

I'm now stuck with a mental picture of you sitting in the sauna (in swimming trunks, of course - I'm not that weird) with a bowl of veggies on your lap and trying to pretend they aren't there :LOL:.

Hope the date turns out well. What's for pudding, sorry, dessert?
 
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I've gotten good at multitasking in the kitchen. I can manage two dishes on the stove while holding a toddler and having a conversation with his mother and grandmother.

The chicken is easy, low and slow. Broccoli and carrots in the steamer is pretty simplistic and I can make the butter sauce in the pan before starting the chicken. I figure the part with the baby potatoes will be the difficult part, if I have to continuously stir it.

My ex has my rice steamer, so that's kinda out of the question, but I could nix the potatoes completely. I'm not too confident with cooking the baby's on the stovetop just yet anyway. The chicken and veggies should be alright by themselves.

Little bit of back story, she was eating one of those microwave meals at work and I was busting her chops. I jokingly said, you should let me cook for ya. Without missing a beat she started asking me what kind of stuff I cook. Unfortunately for me, she doesn't do spicy, so my cajun chicken and salmon (favorite dishes) are out of the question. :( But she said she was going to hold me to cooking her dinner. :chef:

The wine sounds like a good idea though. Any suggestions? I'm more a craft beer guy, don't know much about wine. But I do know, I'm not a fan of red. :ROFLMAO:
Hmm, she has a good pick up technique. I must lay in a supply of microwave meals.......:LOL:

White wine would be fine with the chicken but it will have to stand up to the parmesan and the garlic and lemon. I understand that buying wine in some parts of the States can be a bit complicated but if you can use a proper wine merchant tell him/her what you are cooking and ask advice. Might be a good idea if you could go with a price range in mind so the wine merchant has an area to work in. A good wine merchant will want you to be a return customer so shouldn't pull the wool over your eyes.
 
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...Little bit of back story, she was eating one of those microwave meals at work and I was busting her chops. I jokingly said, you should let me cook for ya. Without missing a beat she started asking me what kind of stuff I cook. Unfortunately for me, she doesn't do spicy, so my cajun chicken and salmon (favorite dishes) are out of the question. :( But she said she was going to hold me to cooking her dinner. :chef:
Wow Anthony, she's good. She's very good. Wonder how long she's been stalking you...:huh:

The wine sounds like a good idea though. Any suggestions? I'm more a craft beer guy, don't know much about wine. But I do know, I'm not a fan of red. :ROFLMAO:
Mad Cook's suggestion is a very good one:
...if you can use a proper wine merchant tell him/her what you are cooking and ask advice. Might be a good idea if you could go with a price range in mind so the wine merchant has an area to work in. A good wine merchant will want you to be a return customer so shouldn't pull the wool over your eyes.
I personally like to use a decent Chardonnay as a general white. Of course there are ALL kinds of nuances in Chardonnays, so that wine merchant can still be a lot of help.
 
It's great you're good at multi-tasking but that's not the issue. When cooking for a "date" you should plan on a menu that allows you to spend time charming your young lady, rather than having her watch a frenzy of activity at the stove. At least that's what I'd do.

If your chicken dish calls for cooking low and slow, you can do it in the oven or start it on the stovetop if needed and finish it in the oven. or

You can do your potatoes in the oven. That's where they're usually done.

The microwave is a champ at steaming veggies.

If you're going to make rice, make pilaf rather than steamed rice. Tastes better and its flavor will stand up to the chicken.
 
It's great you're good at multi-tasking but that's not the issue. When cooking for a "date" you should plan on a menu that allows you to spend time charming your young lady, rather than having her watch a frenzy of activity at the stove. At least that's what I'd do.

If your chicken dish calls for cooking low and slow, you can do it in the oven or start it on the stovetop if needed and finish it in the oven. or

You can do your potatoes in the oven. That's where they're usually done.

The microwave is a champ at steaming veggies.

If you're going to make rice, make pilaf rather than steamed rice. Tastes better and its flavor will stand up to the chicken.


Spoken like a successful woo-er!!

And I agree with you on every count. A first date where you are cooking the dinner means simple but yummy. Use the oven and the microwave and cook as much up front as you can.

The LAST thing you want to be doing on a first date is multitasking, IMO.


Good luck to the OP!
 
Spoken like a successful woo-er!!

And I agree with you on every count. A first date where you are cooking the dinner means simple but yummy. Use the oven and the microwave and cook as much up front as you can.

The LAST thing you want to be doing on a first date is multitasking, IMO.

Good luck to the OP!

+2!!
 
I'll be honest, I've never understood the appeal of steamed vegetables. They taste washed out to me.

You could roast all three of those veggies together in one pan and they would have a lot more flavor. Just toss with olive oil, s&p and roast at 400ºF for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives and parsley when you remove them from the oven.

Also, I like sweeter wines, like Pinot Grigio or Riesling, with chicken. But that's personal preference :)
 
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I would forget about the carrots, but that's just me. Is there a microwave nearby. You can zap up nice broccoli in a couple minutes. Give the taters a couple minutes, in the same microwave, then into a pan with some olive oil and butter to brown and finish. Beer or wine, what does the lady like? I would keep the meal almost simple and then go all out on a dessert even if it's a glorious hot fudge sundae with all the fixings.
 
Welcome to DC Anthony.

Gosh, by my count you have four things going on for the top of the stove. I've been cooking for a very long time and that's more than I would want to keep tract of for a company dinner, as all your attention will need to be at the stove and not with your girl. You're right, the sauna is a clever thought, but not likely to work.

I'd recommend no more than two dishes for the stove top myself.

For the starch with your meal, I'd do steamed rice instead of potatoes as it can be done without any attention.

Yep, it looks like we've come full circle. I repeat again from post #2 and you sure don't need a rice cooker to cook rice!
 
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