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I need some help!

The idea for Saturday night (instead of going out for dinner/getting takeaway etc) is for me and my other half to cook a different dish for each other.  Only main courses mind as won't have time to do all three!

I need suggestions!  I was thinking of doing a grilled steak however unsure of accompaniments and chips is a bit boring.  I want to incorporate some other bits too but they need to be relatively quick!

Crushed cheese and chive potatoes

I did a cheap steak a few nights ago (£7 for two from Tesco). Sirloin, baked potato, fried onions and peas. I'm well romantic me!  :)

You tart.

Sounds nice though.

ahh that sounds well nice - I wish my boyfriend could cook

Chips always go with steak along with a simple green salad.

Otherwise Celeriac remoulade is very easy and goes well - particularly in winter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/celeriacremoulade_77607.shtml

Otherwise a good sauce for the steak is always an idea - it masks any mistakes in the cooking and can really add to the flavour. Something strong with a bit of mustard is good or just chuck peppercorns on the meat http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/pepperedsteak_1356.shtml

sprinkle some smoked paprika on the steak whilst its cooking, it tastes lush, maybe have some really nice spaghetti in olive oil to accompany.

For special chips cook them thrice as per Blumenthal.

Make sure you soak and chill the fuckers as that is what will give them the crispy texture.

Also add a little chilli powder and paprika for a spicy option.

Ingredients
4 Large King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm-thick batons
2 tsp Sea salt
1 litre Groundnut oil


Method
Place the chipped potatoes in a large pan of cold water and soak for half an hour. This removes excess starch, giving the chips a lighter texture. Rinse and place the chips in a pan with cold water and the sea salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until you can insert a knife easily through the centre of the largest chip. Drain and run the chips under very cold water to prevent further cooking. Pat dry with kitchen towel and arrange on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will make the chips nice and cold before you drop them into the hot oil to fry. Fill a saucepan a third full of oil (about 1 litre) and heat it to 130°C. Remove the chips from the freezer, pat dry with kitchen towel and carefully lower into the hot oil in batches of 8–10, cooking for 4–6 minutes, until they start to colour. Drain and continue cooking the remaining chips before cooling them in the freezer for another 30 minutes. Alternatively, prepare up to this stage a day in advance and leave them to cool overnight.
For the final cooking, heat the same oil to 180°C and again, lower small batches into it. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until crisp and golden. As they come out of the fryer, drain on kitchen paper and give each batch of chips a good sprinkling of sea salt. Serve with ketchup and eat while hot.

Dauphinose potatoes is a fave of mine.  Even if I cant spell it.  

Also if you are making a sauce a whisky sauce is good.  Add a small dash of Jamesons to the juices add cream and reduce.  Strangely Jamesons is the best to cook with.  Doesnt give the harsh flavour some others can.

Chips can be nice if you do them properly and hand cut them.  Just 6 to 8 very large chunky ones.

Also not the yet season but some asparagus on the side would be nice.

I really dont think you want too much to distract from the flavour of a really good piece of beef.

Thick cut potato wedges with loads of paprika and a little bit of chilli powder.

Home made onion rings.

Fresh garden peas.

Sautéd button mushrooms with butter and garlic.

Creamy peppercorn sauce.

Optional grilled tomato.

Jobs a good'un.

I forgot, peppercorn sauce too. Luverley.

Do some olive and garlic crushed new potatos, easy.

Boil said new pots, drain, shake around in pan with lid on to get em a bit fluffy then whack back on the heat for 30 seconds or frying in so some finely chopped garlic, olive oil and rock salt.

make a rosti...

McCain Home fries

warm oven to 200
put chips in
turn after 15 mins
remove after 25 mins

DONE

If you are doing Crushed Potatoes ( i like mine with just cream! ) You can boil them up the night before leaving the skins on... leave them to cool, put in fridage... when you get home on saturday peel them really easily leaving some skin is good! Crush them with the back of a fork lightly... then warm them through in a frying pan with cream or oil/garlic what ever takes your fancy... that way they only take ten mins or so

 Since when has mashed potato been called crushed potato?

 

Just a guess but i think that happened  when people started to crush them and not mash them.

Whatever it is, it sounds like lumpy mash.

How fucking dare you. Get back to essex and eat your slimey eels

 Exactly.

 DRS sounds like one of these pretentious types who go on about drizzling extra virgin olive oil over their food.

I would serve Pot Noodle, followed by Mars bar.

Why am I single?

Because you eat it all yourself.

Good point. I'd give her the sachet of sauce though.

ahhhhhhh.

You still single?  Must be 4 or 5 days now.

Not for long eh herthab

Grilled Greek-Style Pork Gyros

Ingredients
1 pork London Broil, about 1 pound, 1-inch thick
1 Tbs Greek seasoning
4 pita bread, warmed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
Dilled yogurt-cucumber sauce
1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 seeded, peeled and diced cucumber
2 Tbs minced onion
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dill weed
1 crushed garlic clove

Directions
Prepare medium-hot fire in grill. Sprinkle seasoning on pork. Grill directly over fire, turning once, a total of 15-20 minutes. Remove to a cutting board; thinly slice to serve in pita with onion, pepper strips and yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce:
In a medium bowl stir together yogurt, cucumber, onion, black pepper, dill weed, and garlic clove.


 
 

I'll go round, watch the dvd, eat the food, hell, I may even stay for 'afters'. But there's NO FUCKING WAY I'll get in another relationship for a long, long time. (Unless Miss Angry decides to relocate to sunny Somerset)

I can picture it now....

"Steve and Freds single adventures" :D

He isnt Reg!

Do you and your other half like Salmon?

I can give you a really good Salmon recipe if you like. Served with noodles and wilted spinach (or other accompaniments of your choice.....)

If you are going with steak then a very creamy garlic mash works well, or possibly horseradish mash and a bit of spinach tossed in a pan for about 45 secs.

For something different then a rack of lamb works a treat (you can had a herb crust), add some caramalised red onion (add some balsamic vinegar) and the same mash as above.

If you really fancy something nice then Quail is very tasty little bird (having just tried it at Gordon Ramsay's place).  It came cooked in Honey and Soy sauce.

 Reminds me Rob managed to get in at Ramsey's in NY cheers for the recommendation (ages ago) even had quail to boot.

Managed to have a butchers in the kitchen.  No swearing Gummage look-alike to be seen but there is a table in there where you can pay to eat and watch the fuckers cook for the price of a small bungalow.

Back onto recipes.  Singapore egg fried noodles is my favourite at the moment.  You can throw everything in; add some spring onion dash of curry powder and you have a meal in minutes.

What's he cooking for you? Make sure you have enough pans and space, otherwise you might end up arguing on valentines day ;)

Unfortunately neither like seafood as he suggested salmon and I said nooooo!  Thank you for the offer though!

Si - Ill be at Leicester so he will have the keys to get in there early and prepare :D  If not, Im going hungry!

Cold beans on toast it'll be then :)

Glad you enjoyed it, fantastic food.  I behaved with absolute decorum, despite consuming way too much expensive wine and gin, before promptly hitting the drunk wall as soon as I exited the place.