Help w/ DH (again)

[oct2189]

Next Wed is our 20th wedding anniversary and I want to make something special for DH. He hates all things vegetable except lettuce (how he reached 46 heathy is beyond me).
I want to avoid the "about to chunder" face I get when I give him veggies. He's pretty good about everything else, loves meat above all.
Any ideas ?
Jill

[Hostess]

I must be married to his twin. I, too, have no idea what his mother fed him to make him this way.

I recently got DS to try artichokes and he loved them. I have a recipe for chicken with artichokes that is easy and good. I'll be glad to share it.

[PattiA]

Since he's all about meat, I'd buy the best steak I could afford, make a nice sauce for it (maybe Steak Diane), his favorite form of potatoes, and a lettuce salad.

[miss piggy]

That's a very special anniversary...I think it's OK to skip the veggies for one night! Eat whatever the heck you want! After 20 years you've got to have a pretty good idea of what he loves..how about serving that?? A nice steak, pork tenderloin, etc...whatever his fave is...with his roasted or mashed potatoes (maybe bacon and cheddar spiked?) and a green salad topped with his favorite dressing.

If there is a particular meat he loves, let us know and we can suggest some recipes for you...

[Hostess]

I agree! Beef tenderloin is waaaayy better than chicken for something special like an anniversary. Go with it. Serve the chicken the next day and tell him you want to married XX more years to him!

[oct2189]

I think you're right. Go w/ the beef. His favorite is prime rib, followed by NY strip. Any ideas would be great, I'm not very experienced w/ cookiing beef, he usually grills it.
Also, maybe someone has an idea for a special choclolate dessert?
Thank you!

[PattiA]

How about Molten Chocolate Cakes? These are really easy and you can get them ready early in the day if that works for you and refrigerate them ready to bake. Just be sure to take them out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before baking. The original recipe serves 10, but scales down easily. I'll post the original recipe, then a scaled version that will make 4.

I made these for a dinner party last weekend and served them drizzled with a raspberry coulis and dusted with powdered sugar. I used 7-ounce Corning French White ramekins and got 8 cakes from the original recipe (version that makes 10 4-ounce ramekins). The version of the recipe scaled to make 4 4-ounce ramekins filled 3 7-ounce ramekins. In the 7-ounce ramekins, I cooked them 13 minutes. If the ramekins are well buttered, the cakes will slip right out.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:15


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
10 4-ounce ramekins
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- for buttering ramekins
5 tablespoons cocoa powder -- for dusting ramekins
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 eggs
5 egg yolks
5/8 cup sugar
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
hand mixer
double boiler
muffin scoop

Peheat the oven to 450F Butter ramekins, then lightly dust with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa powder. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.

In a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale.

Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Quickly fold it into the egg mixture along with the flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead: The batter can be refrigerated for several hours; bring to room temperature before baking.

Source:
"Recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten"
T(Cook Time):
"0:12"

Suggested Wine: Try this dessert with a Ruby Porto, such as the nonvintage Sandeman Founder's Reserve or the nonvintage Fonseca Bin No. 27. Chocolate is too intense and bitter for many sweet wines, but not port.

NOTES : Jean-Georges' recipe calls for using flour to flour the ramekins. In his recipe for molten chocolate cakes, Mark Bittman suggests cocoa powder so there is no white residue from the flour, so I used cocoa powder.

********

Here's a scaled down version. Leftovers are delicious, but the centers won't remain gooey.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:15

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 4-ounce ramekins
1 tablespoon unsalted butter -- for buttering ramekins
2 tablespoons cocoa powder -- for dusting ramekins
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
hand mixer
double boiler
muffin scoop

Peheat the oven to 450F Butter ramekins, then lightly dust with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa powder. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.

In a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale.

Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Quickly fold it into the egg mixture along with the flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead: The batter can be refrigerated for several hours; bring to room temperature before baking.




Source:
"Recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, lightly adapted"
T(Cook Time):
"0:12"

Suggested Wine: Try this dessert with a Ruby Porto, such as the nonvintage Sandeman Founder's Reserve or the nonvintage Fonseca Bin No. 27.

NOTES : Jean-Georges' recipe calls for using flour to flour the ramekins. In his recipe for molten chocolate cakes, Mark Bittman suggests cocoa powder so there is no white residue from the flour, so I used cocoa powder.

[Canice]

Haha, and all this time I thought you were 19 years old!

I totally agree to taking a night off from the veggies, go for a great piece of beef - not just a great cut, but also quality. Oh yea, Draeger's. Heh.
I know you said no vegetables, but is it literally NO vegetables?
I ask only because you could do a great steakhouse dinner, and all the sides in those places seem specifically designed for people who hate vegetables. No potato gratin? That's a special indulgence and can be assembled in advance and is perfect with beef. And molten chocolate cakes are definitely special and chocolatey. I made them just once and was surprised how simple they were. Another easy and impressive one is flourless chocolate cake.

I just started cooking beef about a year and a half ago and still only do so a couple of times a year, so you can take this from someone without much experience who's succeeded or wait for someone who knows what she's talking about chimes in, BUT... I wouldn't do prime rib. To me that seems it would be harder to get right if you don't have any experience with it. The NY strip, on the other hand, should be more predictable. The first time I did it I used my grill pan (super hot) and let the steak cook about 4 minutes. When it was ready to release without resistance, I flipped it and employed the simple "press" technique that a 1000 cooking instructors and TV shows had demonstrated. What surprised me was that it came out perfectly, even though I didn't know exactly how it should feel. But I could imagine how that would translate to what I ate, and it hasn't failed me since!


Flourless Espresso Chocolate Cake with Kahlua Whipped Cream

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
5 eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Kahula

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Line with a circle of parchment paper, butter paper and sides of pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Melt chocolate, butter and espresso powder and vanilla in a bowl set over simmering water. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Whisk chocolate mixture into yolks. Whip egg whites with salt to soft peaks and fold into chocolate/yolk mixture. Gently mix until no white remains. Pour into prepared pan and bake until risen and set, 35-45 minutes.

To make the whipped cream, whip the cold cream with a whisk until soft peaks begin to form. Add the Kahlua and continue to whisk until cream just holds a stiff peak.

When cool, remove side of pan, invert cake onto a serving platter and peel off paper. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with Kahlua Whipped Cream.

[Canice]

BTW, were you living in San Francisco when you got married? That's a heck of an anniversary!

[Laurielee]

I agree with Steak Diane, so easy and elegant

Here is a CL recipe I like with my changes. My mom always makes her version by slicing hte steak and then sauteeing which is my favorite way too.

Steak Diane

salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks,
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry ( I use regulary cooking sherry found in the vinagar isle of the store.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add water and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. remove sauce to a bowl.

Salt and Pepper steaks, slice steaks in to thin slices heat pan to medium high brown slice a minute on each side, add sauce to back to pan cooking a few minutes. remove sliceswith a slotted spoon, to plates then pour sauce over steaks.

I serve with Mashed potatoes

here isa good green saladGreen Salad with Apples and Maple-Walnut Dressing

6 cups gourmet salad greens
1 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut Braeburn or Honeycrisp apple
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons walnut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine salad greens and apple in a large bowl.
Combine vinegar and the remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss gently to coat.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups

And those molton cakes are too die for

Laurie

[oct2189]

Thank you all for the suggestions. That steak Diane sounds great, he's a big fan of worch sauce. One of the chocolate cakes will also be in the mix!

Originally Posted by Canice

Haha, and all this time I thought you were 19 years old!

That sent my tea onto my computer screen LOL. Nope, in my early 20's when we got married in SoCal, so that makes me a 40+.
We escaped to SF soon after!

[oct2189]

Many thanks for all the help! We had a great dinner, if I do say so myself.
App: BC's roasted shrimp cocktail http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html

Mixed green salad
Steak Diane (posted by Laurielee)
Flourless chocolate cake (posted by Canice)
Everything was delicious!

( I made the candy corn bark while waiting for the cake to bake, haven't ventured in yet)

[Canice]

Reported

[SusanMac]

It sounds like Steak Diane is the winner. But just to throw more ideas in the mix....When I have a very special beef dinner, my go-to dish is the mini beef wellingtons. It's such a nice change from just steak (but I have to confess neither DH nor I are regular steak people).

It's filet mignon topped w/blue cheese & shrooms (or perhaps sauteed onions...or both), all wrapped in puff pastry. Devine!

If it sounds intriguing, you should be able to find it easily in a CL search

[Canice]

Originally Posted by Canice

Reported

I reported you for making candy and then not eating it!
(j/k - stupid spam had been posted)

Anyhow, glad the dinner was a success and that you liked the cake! I really want to make that one again.

[cherylopal]

Originally Posted by oct2189

Next Wed is our 20th wedding anniversary
Jill

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Serve whatever you both love best! And champagne