Posts tagged ‘cooking’
10 Cooking Tips on Making Christmas Dinner
Christmas dinner is one of the most romantic meals of the year. We want you to make the most of it! That’s why Zoosk went to Max Clark of the Leiths School of Cooking to get his top tips for avoiding Christmas cooking calamities and impressing your guests (and your sweetheart). Here’s the summary:
1. Impress your guests with decadent champagne or prosecco cocktails.
2. Serve toasted panettone with the cocktails.
3. Keep the starters and appetizers simple.
4. Try some different poultry for a change, like quail.
5. Serve the quail with glazed cocktail sausages, bacon rolls, and individual Christmas cakes.
6. Don’t forget your leafy greens.
7. Jazz up the cranberry sauce with orange zest and port.
8. Make your own bread sauce on Christmas Eve.
9. Make sure you have the gravy situation covered.
10. Try something simple like a clementine compote instead of a Christmas pudding.
Want more insight on the menu? The full article, with recipe how-tos, can be read at the Daily Mail.
Photo via Flickr. Creative Commons License. Attribution-NoDerivs.
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A recipe to get you engaged
By Carissa Trujillo
Have you ever heard of engagement chicken? It’s a dish that claims to have the power to help couples take that “next step” in their romantic journey.
A record 70 couples claim to have gotten engaged shortly after eating it! Does it work? There’s only one way to find out.
Here’s the recipe:
- 1 whole chicken (approx. 4 pounds)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons including 1 sliced for garnish
- 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley)
Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.
Prick 2 whole lemons three times in three different places on each with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the counter top with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)
Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and roast, uncovered for 15 minutes.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast-side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes for a stuffed chicken that is 4 pounds.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
I hope you enjoy the tasty recipe – and I wish you the best on your journey in romance, both in life and in the kitchen.
About the author: Carissa Trujillo is a cooking adventurist and a Zoosk Customer Support Ninja.
Photo via Flickr. Creative Commons: Attribution ShareAlike.
A recipe for a romantic dinner at home
By Carissa Trujillo
My mother has always said, all you need to find a good man is to keep a clean house and be a good cook. Hey, it worked for her.
While I hate cleaning, I can say I love to cook.
Here is a recipe to help start your romance with cooking!
A romantic dinner date at home:
Chicken Cordon Bleu for two:
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 2 slices Swiss cheese
- 2 slices ham
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons dry white win
- 1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.
I hope you enjoy the tasty recipes , and wish you the best on your journey in romance, both in life and in the kitchen.
About the author: Carissa Trujillo is a cooking adventurist and a Zoosk Customer Support Ninja.
Image via Flickr. Creative Commons license: Attribution-NoDerivs.
Zoosk has received heart-warming letters from couples from all over the world have found love on Zoosk. We are proud to share 
