Is your anniversary coming up? If you're anything like me, you want to celebrate with food. And lots of it. But the idea of waiting for a table at a restaurant and the high probability of being sat in a less than desirable table is too high.
When I want to celebrate, I like to cook at home. I usually do all of the cooking without any thoughts towards the dishes. After chatting together (and finishing a bottle of wine or two), the clean up always goes smoother than you think it will.
Generally, I take a half day off from work to cook a meal this special. I like to give myself plenty of time. Plus, I genuinely enjoy the process of shopping for groceries, so I like to shop the day of for the freshest ingredients.
Appetizers
First, pop a bottle of bubbly and serve appetizers to get the mood set. My pick is this creamy feta radish dip. Simple, but still far from ordinary. And perfect with champagne.
Feta Cheese Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces feta cheese, preferably reduced fat
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 large radishes, quartered and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsley chopped
Directions
- Place feta cheese, yogurt lemon juice and honey into a food processor and pulse until combined, but still a bit chunky.
- Stir in radishes and chopped parsley by hand.
- Serve with pita chips.
And because having two different kinds of cheesy to nibble on always means something is being celebrated, whip up this Whipped Goat Cheese Dip, too. It's completely customizable, just use your favorite herbs and you're guaranteed to love it.
Whipped Goat Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces goat cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (i used a combination of thyme and rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Combine goat cheese, milk, herbs and honey in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process on high until all ingredients are well combined and cheese has taken on a fluffy texture.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and process to combine.
- Serve whipped goat cheese at room temperature with crackers and crudités for a quick and easy appetizer.
Main Course
As a main course, I would make this Grilled Pork Tenderloin. The meat is simple, easy and always delicious.
Grilled Pork Loin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds pork loin, boneless and silver skin removed
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 8 long spears
Directions
- Combine the pineapple juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper in a long shallow bowl or large ziplock bag.
- Place pork in the marinade, seal and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat grill to medium. Remove pork and pat dry, discard marinade. Grill pork tenderloin about 3-5 minutes on each side. Turn heat to low and cook another 10 minutes until inside reached 140°F. Remove from grill and cover with foil, let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Over a medium high grill, place pineapple spears on the grates. Cook about 3 minutes on each side until nice grill marks have formed and the pineapple is warmed through. Serve with sliced pork tenderloin.
To top the grilled pork, this homemade teriyaki is an excellent choice.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water, cold
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup boiling water, cold
Directions
- Mix Tamari, 1 cup cold water, ginger, garlic and sugar in a small sauce pan and begin to warm on low-medium heat.
- In a separate cup, mix starch in remaining 1/4 cup of cold water until it has dissolved.
- Add starch mixture to the saucepan and gently stir.
- Heat until the sauce thickens to your desired thickness.
Notes
- You may use the same amount of ground ginger, but it's not as good!
Side Dishes:
Since we need a side dish or two, I would make something a little spicy to go with the sweet. Jalapeño cheddar grits sound like just the thing!
Jalapeño Cheddar Grits Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 thick slices bacon, diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 1/2 cups white corn grits, quick cooking
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, white - divided
- 1/4 cup green onions, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Using a 9" cast iron skillet, add the diced bacon and diced Jalapeño. Cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy (~8-10 minutes).
- Transfer the bacon and jalapeños to a paper towel and pat dry. Drain the bacon grease from the skillet and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, bring the heavy cream, chicken broth, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until grits have thickened and absorbed the liquid.
- Stir in the bacon, jalapeños, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese.
- Transfer the grits into the cast iron skillet and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Place skillet under broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese on top has melted and grits are light brown in color. Garnish with green onions (optional).
Roasting vegetables of any kind brings out their sweetness, and this roasted broccoli and cauliflower mix might be the perfect way to round out your main course.
Roasted Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli and cauliflower florets. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and cauliflower and toss to coat the vegetables.
- Place seasoned florets on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly tender and lightly browned.
- Toss the vegetable mixture with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Dessert:
You've worked hard cooking that huge meal. Let's take it easy on dessert with the quick and effortless almond skillet cake. It's fancy without being complicated. Plus, any leftovers made for a great breakfast with a cup of tea.
Almond Skillet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- orange zest, from one whole orange
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more to grease the pan (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon sanding sugar, or demerara sugar
- powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Grease a 9" cast iron skillet (or round cake pan) with butter. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and orange zest until well blended. Add the salt, vanilla, and almond extract; whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour to the bowl, and gently stir until well combined. Fold in the melted butter until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour the batter into greased skillet and smooth top with the spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds and course sugar evenly across the top of the batter.
- Bake at 350°F until top is golden and edges are slightly crisp. Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes before slicing or transferring to a serving plate. Garnish with a light dusting of powdered sugar (optional); serve warm or at room temperature.
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