Sunday, March 25, 2007

Hot Under the Colander


There a few of us out there who may be looking for new & exciting ways to impress a girl of which we just started dating. Then again, there are a few of us who just wish to add a new wrinkle to the all too normal routine. Whichever the case, an often overlooked skill which is sure to impress is the Man's ability to dazzle her in the kitchen. There are some of us that feel rather at home in the kitchen, but then again there are those of us who's culinary expertise begins & ends with the words, "Grilled cheese". Fear not, for we must all begin somewhere & for some of you, your journey will begin here.

I believe that those of us who can at least hold our head above water in the kitchen add a certain level of complexity to our game that women seem very intrigued with. Some women might even find that watching their man (or date) showing some proficiency in the kitchen is a sexy experience indeed. Don't believe me? Then maybe you should give it a try & find out for yourself!

Cooking for a women is a great way to invite a girl to your place without seeming like all you have cooking are some bad intentions. Or, for those of us with little ones, it's a great excuse to put the baby to bed an hour early & uncork a bottle of wine. (Which I actually did tonight.) First, get all your shopping done for the nights meal earlier in the day, so that when your date shows up she only has to pull up a chair in the kitchen & keep you company as you turn up the heat on your night. It's a great opportunity to let her talk & a great opportunity for you to listen. You may be surprised at how entertaining the stories of her & her friends can really get. (Especially as she pours herself that second glass of wine.) The fact that your busy getting dinner worked up will keep those awkward 2nd or 3rd date moments from destroying your conversation. Keep her talking while your cooking & you'll be just fine.

No need to get fancy with what's on the menu, but then again, no need for her not to THINK you busted your butt for her. Here's a great dinner that's sure to impress as well as be on the table in less than a half an hour:

Chicken Pesto Linguine

Shopping list:
9oz fresh (or dried) packaged linguine
2ea 6oz boneless skinless chicken breast

7oz pre made pesto sauce of choice

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2oz toasted pine nuts

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1 generous pinch of kosher salt

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 large eggs
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Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta as per package instructions until al dente

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high

Salt & pepper both sides of the chicken breast

Add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil to skillet & lay whole sprigs of rosemary on bottom of skillet

Sear chicken on top of rosemary in skillet for 5 minutes per side.

Carefully place entire skillet with chicken into 350 degree oven for 10 minutes

~With 5 minutes left on chicken; heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat.~

Add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil & crushed red pepper

Add entire 7oz container of pesto sauce & stir to heat

Add in pasta & toss. Crack both eggs into pasta & toss until pasta is completely coated. (1-2 minutes)

Remove chicken & slice into medallions.

Plate pasta & top with toasted pine nuts & then with chicken medallions.

Garnish with small rosemary sprig & serve with crusty bread & bottle of wine. (Chardonnay is easy & works well.)

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Give it a try. I promise she'll be impressed & you just might impress yourself along the way. You can follow it up with a store bought slice of cheesecake for dessert. But, if you played your cards right, dessert might just be, "on her".
~Bon appetite~

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovin' the blog!! I think I'll have to give that dish a try. It sounds YUMMY! And yeah, what better way to keep the conversation flowing and avoid those later dates flowing well. Great idea!!

LeisureGuy said...

Sounds terrific!

 
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