Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Okay so romance is dead and DH and I are staying in for our anniversary - what to cook?

24 replies

Sparkletastic · 24/08/2009 13:57

Any ideas please? We are skint but I think we could spend approx £50 for three courses including wine. We eat pretty much anything except for gizzards and guts. We will have quite a lot of preparation time as our anniversary falls on Bank Holiday Monday.

TIA.....

OP posts:
Sparkletastic · 24/08/2009 14:02

Please help me

I've been through all my recipe books and I'm losing the will....

We might have to resort to a takeaway.....

OP posts:
Dogshitsonthedailymail · 24/08/2009 14:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

notamumyetbutoneday · 24/08/2009 15:06

me too me too! [jumps up and down excitedly]. its our anniversary on wednesday and we are celebrating at the bank holiday weekend by cooking a 3 course meal together.

DH is doign a cheese souffle for starter (something he has always wanted to make apparently!)

I am looking at this or this for main course

Dessert I havent decided but might do something like a summery version of a tiramisu i make- with limoncello liquer instead of tia maria/amaretto and maybe some raspberries in there as well. Will probably make that one up on the fly!

notamumyetbutoneday · 24/08/2009 15:11

Previously for special meals we have done:

Starters:
goats cheese tartlets
bacon and baby spinach and avacado salad
smoked salmon cheesecakes

mains:
pork or chicken with white wine mushrooma nd mustard sauce (was soo easy and tasted gorgeous)
chicken stuffed with basil mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes
beef wellington (not a success really, was a bit bland)
fish pie (a really posh one)
seabass with sauce vierge (this was much tastier than i had expected as was so easy to cook)

desserts:
chocolate mousse
chocolate fondue
tiramisu
melting choclate puddings (not a success- they exploded in the oven)

itchyandscratchy · 24/08/2009 15:15

It's your anniversary - why are you cooking?? Can't you go to M&S or Waitrose and buy a gourmet something-or-other and save yourself the time preparing it?

unless he's cooking of course, in which case pass the above recipes to him post-haste

notamumyetbutoneday · 24/08/2009 15:17

I think cooking together is really nice though itchy, we have had some of our nicest evenings together doing this. I think the trick is to leave yourself loads of time and not choose something ultra-faffy. Something that will sit in the oven for a bit is the best bet.

TheDMshouldbeRivened · 24/08/2009 15:21

we always get a takeaway curry but a special meal is a nice idea.

Sparkletastic · 24/08/2009 17:13

Oh thanks people - dragged the moaning DDs out for a walk so missed your responses. Yes we do like fish but I always think salmon is a bit meh - but maybe if I went for wild rather than farmed? Loving the duck recipes and not too much faffing might be possible with something like confit of duck legs... Not a chocolate fan (DH is but sod him it is MY day ). Any good fruit-based puds out there? Goats cheese tartlets sound ace but I'm crap with pastry - could I do it with bought and should it be shortcrust or puff or filo?

OP posts:
Sagacious · 24/08/2009 17:18

Our last WA (11 yrs) we spent the cash on booze and got happilly whammed (dc's were sent to Grandma's for a sleep over)

A decent fry up in the morning and proper papers.

I'd get a takeaway and leave tartlets for impressing friends TBH.

Sparkletastic · 24/08/2009 17:31

Sounds good Sagacious - blow the budget on takeaway and fizz

I thought cooking a meal together might be romantic and fun like the olden days when we made an effort. I'm almost certainly mistaken though

OP posts:
OhBling · 24/08/2009 17:42

you are not a chocolate fan?

I was going to suggest a chocolate fondue as not only is it delicious (to normal people) it offers brilliant romantic opportunities...

Goats cheese tartlets are easy with premade and rolled pastry - use puff pastry, score about 1cm round the edge and then put your goats cheese filling in the middle (I like to put a layer of red pesto on the bottom then goats cheese mixed with some chives and then a layer of sliced tomato and drizzled with some olive oil).

I've said this before but I think for special occasions at home, the secret is not the flash food but the ingredients - so a lovely leg of lamb or some steak or exotic vegetables that perhaps you wouldn't normally buy is always nice.

Dogshitsonthedailymail · 24/08/2009 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Sparkletastic · 24/08/2009 18:07

Oh Dogshitsonthedailymail that is in fact DH's signature only dish but he uses cod or haddock!! Bluddy lush but he wouldn't think it was special enough - awkward cuss. OhBling - I know I am an affront to womankind but chocolate just doesn't do it for me and am waaaaaay too OCD for sticky stuff on skin . Am going with the goats cheese tarts for starter and duck for main. Just lacking a pud still.

OP posts:
notamumyetbutoneday · 25/08/2009 08:56

some kind of posh trifle maybe?with a liqueur in?

My mind id a total blank, I cant think of ANY other fruit desserts except fruit salad!

dandycandyjellybean · 25/08/2009 09:07

notamumyetbutoneday - could you post the recipe for your mushroom wine and mustard sauce? Sounds divine.

GossipMonger · 25/08/2009 09:11

Raspberry Creme Brulee is delicious

Mini summer puddings

Pannacotta with cherry coulis

Poledra · 25/08/2009 09:12

For desert, how about a pavlova with fruit and cream? Raspberries or something tart goes well with the sweetness of the meringue, and you can make the meringue the day before and store it in an airtight container if you like. Remember to add vinegar and cornflour if you ike the meringue sticky inside.

Poledra · 25/08/2009 09:13

Jesus - I know I'm at work but I'm not on the Gin yet

OhBling · 25/08/2009 09:18

what about a cake of some sort? I have a recipe for an Italian hazelnut cake which, served with a bit of vanilla icecream, is delicious? Or a posh fruit tart or some kind?

OhBling · 25/08/2009 09:19

Oh, and I'm letting the chocolate thing go but I'm watching you....

notamumyetbutoneday · 25/08/2009 09:32

sexbombbikerchick (great name!)- the recipe is out of a Morrisons magazine!!! But is really a) easy and b) delicious. PILS and foodie friends have been impressed.

It is similar to this one I think this one

but:
-add generous teaspoon wholegrain mustard
-use creme fraiche (i did anyway) rather than double cream

  • i use chicken breasts
dandycandyjellybean · 25/08/2009 09:50

thanks hun, am veggie so will be using quorn fillets, but that sounds brill. Can't wait to try it.

eeky · 25/08/2009 21:55

I know this sounds over the top, but every year for our anniversary (in June) we make lobster thermidor, and I look forward to it all year! Really not complicated, use Hugh FW's recipe from his Fish Book. We have a fantastic cheap fishmonger and do go the whole hog by ordering a live lobster (about 25 quid for large one), freeze for 2 hrs to send to sleep humanely, then boil for about 15 mins. Split lengthways, chop up tail and claw meat. Add to sauce (which can do the day before) - basically tarted up cheese sauce with sauteed shallots, reduced white wine, lemon zest, mustard and gruyere cheese, and good amount of cream to a basic white sauce. Stir into lobster and stick in hot oven (if have let cool in advance) or hot grill with bit of extra cheese on top.

Have also made with ready-cooked fresh lobster from M&S and frozen from Lidl, and was still delicious. I realise not all comfortable with cooking live lobster (dh has to leave the house to take dog for walk whilst I do this bit!

We eat with a green salad. This year, due to greed of pregnancy, I did put in an order for some of dh's string chips cooked in beef dripping which were dee-licious on the side.

No need for cooked starter as pretty filling-maybe nibbly bits of olives/nuts/ parma ham etc with a G&T. Pink bubbly with lobster (the colour just seems right!) -Prosecco or NZ Lindauerfor my preference. Raspberry creme brulee for dessert. Nice candles and few flowers.

You'll never eat better meal in a restaurant, 50 quid budget or not! Mind you can't remember last meal out in eve we had as are both obsessive cooks and too wussy to leave dd and soon to be ds (and the dog). Also can eat meal in pyjamas if wished

AuraofDora · 25/08/2009 22:02

saumar champigny
warm goats cheese, chilled pears

moules a la marinere
muscadet

fresh melon, raspberries, blueberries
chilled dry sherry /champagne

and
spread the lurve ....

New posts on this thread. Refresh page