Need some ideas for a simple but tasty dinner tonight (Crap cook alert!)

[notnowbernard]

I'd like to cook dp and I a nice meal tonight (he's been away with work), but am a bit rubbish in the cooking dept. Can do quite well if following a recipe, but am not very imaginative and always end up cooking the same old stuff. Will have to go shopping for ingredients. And it must contain flesh!

Thanks!

What does your DP like to eat? Mine loves real home cooking - pies and macaroni cheese etc, things about as far away from my favourite foods (noodles, sushi) as possible. If he likes homecooking, what about macaroni cheese with lots of crispy cheese on top and a side dish of bacon and mushrooms? Or a steak with sliced potatoes baked in cream and garlic on the side?

slice 4 chick breasts marinade in soya sauce +1 tbsp raw sugar for about 40 mins. pan fry the chicken when cooked, soft beat some eggs 3-4 wtih s&p, cook until eggs done. serve on rice with spinach.

it's a japanese dish called the family (chick + the egg). quite simple and delish, fav around here.

Mmm, that steak sounds nice... he is someone who has to have 'flesh' in his meal (meat or fish) otherwise doesn't consider it a real dinner!

How would I cook the potatoes then?

What is his fav meal?

He loves a good curry (and is great at cooking them, which I am not!)

Quite fancy trying something different, as a bit of a suprise. Japanese, definitely haven't attempted that before (though love eating it)

I'm trying to make a bit more effort to cook at the moment, and am also from the "ok if I follow instructions" school of cooking - we had this last night and it was well received:

www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageId=33609&F6613990-301E-4D27-B7C9B16A2F4943EF

(used pork and leek sausages as couldn't find pork and fennel ones)

Try looking at the Delia Smith recipe - I'll try to show it here but my links never work

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/gratin-dauphinois,1006,RC.html

I never use the nutmeg and it is always fine. These potatoes take longer to cook than you think, but will sit happily in the oven once done, so if I were doing this I would wait for the potatoes to be done, then turn the oven down and leave the potatoes in there, before cooking the steaks and veg etc

What about fillet steak with mushrooms in puff pastry?

Chop enough mushrooms for 2 (quite finely) and cook gently in butter with onion and garlic until dark and dry. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool.

Heat a frying pan or griddle until smoking hot and sear 2 individual fillet steaks (which have been seasoned with salt and pepper) on either side - just till brown, you're not aiming to cook them at this stage.

Put them on to a plate and cool.

Cut out some puff pastry (shop bought, natch) into rounds that will be big enough to encase each steak.

When mushrooms/steak are cool, put a steak in the middle of each piece of pastry, top with mushrooms, and seal the pastry around it - bit like a cornish pasty!

Brush with milk or beaten egg and bake in the oven. Not sure about times/oven temperature, but would imagine around 200 for 15 mins - if you have a Delia book she's probably got a similar recipe in there. Or check online.

Serve with new potatoes and a green salad.

Thanks everyone for the inspiration!

I really do need to extend my repetoire...
Spag bol anyone?

Pork chops
Baked sweet potatoes
green beans

BBC's GoodFood have a brilliant website full of recipes that you can check quickly: www.bbcgoodfood.com
I have been a subscriber for yonks, and I find that with the magazine delivered to my door every month it is easier to increase the variety of stuff I cook. I love it!

My dp is a steak and chips man, ive doen a few variations of it over the years, I've done jacket potatoes where you scoop it out and mix with bacon and cheese and put back in, homemade chunky chips with the skin still on.

Thanks for ideas, all... dd2 now woken from her nap, so will head out to shops