Date Night Recipe // Chicken Piccata Recipe

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Stone

In 1954 at roughly 6pm, one would expect Mrs. Right to have the table set, kids bathed, dinner bubbling, and as Mr. Right walked in the door he was handed a glass of whiskey to dull the memory of his day. With a sigh he would ask what’s for supper, as if the thought of this moment has carried him through the last 9-5.

In 1998, at roughly 6pm, a youth sauntered through the door, calling out, “mom – what’s for dinner?” Mrs. Right might be working late that evening, or maybe Mr. Right is stuck at the office. The youth checks into the kitchen where mom, still in her work clothes, sets the table as dad strains the potatoes.

In 2015, at roughly 6pm, Mr. Right flips the tofu burger on barbeque, the salad is prepped, the dogs have been walked and as Mrs. Right walks through the door she is handed a cool glass of Merlot.  She looks apprehensively at the growing pile of dishes in the sink and smiles; she knows it will be a good meal.

Domestic life has transformed over the years but it’s never been about who is in the kitchen. Whether your partner is working late, you both have an evening free, or you’re trying to catch the kids after school, chicken piccata is an easy meal that is sure to please everyone’s time frame. 

Ingredients

·         3-5 chicken breasts

·         6 tbs of flour

·         4 tbs of parmesan cheese or any light shredded cheese

·         4 tbs of butter

·         4-6 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

·         2 tbs of minced garlic

·         2/3 cup of chicken stock

·         6 tbs of dry white wine

·         1 leak diced (roughly 1 cup)

·         1 cup of sliced mushrooms

·         3 tbs of chopped parsley

·         ½ cup of corn or green beans

Directions

1.       In a mixing bowl combine the flour and the parmesan cheese, stir well, then coat chicken

2.       On medium heat mix together olive oil and butter, stir until the mixture begins to bubble. Carefully place chicken breasts onto the frying pan. Flip every 6 -8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through

3.       Set chicken aside, keeping it warm

4.       In the remaining butter and olive oil mixture add in leaks, mushrooms, corn and any other vegetables you would like simmer on medium heat for 3 minutes

5.       Add the garlic, chicken stock, white wine and parsley. Stir mixture until it becomes thickened. Add 1 tbs of flour if necessary.

6.       Serve the sauce on top of the chicken with some added veggies on the side

Date Night // Basil Lobster Pesto Recipe

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Stone

Once upon a time there lived a couple of newlyweds looking to keep their young marriage alive with a well-known ritual called date night. Off they ran to the nearest book store to purchase many a newlywed cookbooks, matching aprons and Gordon Ramsey cook wear. Armed with their love and hungry stomachs, our heroes launched into the challenge to make the best home cooked meal that there ever was. Facebook and Instagram would be inundated with hashtags and hearts, pictures of the cooks and their wine would surface all over social media. This, they thought, would not only be the best meal ever, but people would come from far and wide to taste their great dish.

The real life version of this fairy tale is perhaps a little less idyllic.  The newlyweds have already gone back to work, thus leaving little time for skipping to any store, book or otherwise. One of two matching aprons is in the dryer, and the princess apron matched my shirt better that day anyways. My Gordon Ramsey cook wear is for guests, and I spend far too long painstakingly putting them back on the shelf for my husband’s liking. Facebook and Instagram are more likely to see one good shot out of the 10 that was taken that evening. And by the end of a long evening, sitting full by the dinner table, my hashtags tend to get a little irrelevant to the actual food that’s pictured (#redhead).

While real life isn’t as perfect, the food is always fantastic and the company couldn’t be better – and that is exactly what date night is all about.

Ingredients

·         2 cups of chopped spinach

·         3 cloves of garlic

·         2 tsp chopped basil

·         2 tbs chopped parsley

·         1 cup of ricotta cheese

·         1 cup of lobster meat

·         ½ cup of 5% cream

Directions

1.       Chop spinach and add to food processor along with basil, parsley, garlic, and chop finely

2.       Put mixture into a bowl and mix in 1 cup of ricotta cheese

3.       Prepare lobster meat (thaw from frozen, or cook)

4.       Add lobster meat into herb mix

5.       Pour ½ cup of 5% cream into a pot, stir for 3-5 minutes

6.       Add in the pesto mixture

7.       Keep on medium heat while cooking pasta for 8-10 minutes

8.       Serve with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese

Date Night Recipe // Whiskey Roast

Written with love, by Sarah-Eliza Stone (woohoo! new last name!)

The first thing that you notice about me is my red hair. The second inevitable fact is that I’m very Irish. And as my husband truly enjoys pointing out, “with the Irish follows the temper”. This is usually after an episode of swearing at the cutting board, or the pot, or perhaps the oven. Whatever it was that made my recipe go awry in the first place, it’s usually to blame. 

There are days where the poor fool should be pitied as he creeps into our tiny kitchen, patient as always, and attempts to fix my disaster. I’ll be the first to admit there are times where I would love nothing more than to chuck the dinner outside and order Chinese instead. I’ll also be the first to admit that sometimes all it takes is a bit of encouragement, and a teaspoon of whiskey.

This date night is all about spices, whiskey and how all the flavours can play off of one another to make a delicious dinner. Don’t be afraid to smell (or taste) a few brands until you like the smell of a certain kind.

Ingredients

·         2kg of round eyed beef roast

·         2 cloves of chopped garlic

·         ¼ cup chopped onion

·         2 basil leaves

·         2 mint leaves

·         3 cups of beef stock

·         1 tsp whiskey

·         1 tsp of paprika

·         1/8 tsp of cumin

·         ½ tsp of chilli flakes

·         1 tsp of butter

·         1 tsp of mayo (or light mayo)

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 400F

2.       To create the rub; chop garlic, onion, basil and mint

3.       Add in beef stock, whiskey, paprika, cumin and chilli flakes

4.       Puree entire mixture, or mix very well into a thick paste

5.       Taste, and add butter and mayo if you find the rub too spicy

6.       Rub down roast in the mixture, place in a baking tin with roughly 2 cups of beef stock or water

7.       Cook the roast for 30 minutes on 400F, then baste

8.       Reduce heat to 350F for 1h 15 minutes, keeping in mind to baste every 20 minutes throughout the cooking time

9.       With roughly 25 minutes to go, begin side dishes

10.   Allow roast to rest for 20 minutes before serving

11.   Serve with gravy made from left over juices, adding in salt to taste. Mix in baking powder to help with thickness.