Growing up in Central Florida Mangoes were very common. We had three large Mango trees along the border of my yard and I spent many hours climbing those trees. I don’t recall ever eating a Mango until I was in my 40′s. Now I love making Mango Salsa.
This is super simple to make yet filled with flavor as the sweetness of the Mango interacts with the red onion and jalapeno. The lime juice and cilantro add a cool, refreshing finish.
Valerie loves this over Grilled Salmon or Pork Tenderloin.
Ingredients
1 Florida Mango diced
1/4 cup diced red onion (My apologies to Scott Conant)
1 diced Jalapeno (Remove seeds and veins)
1/4 cup diced Green Bell Pepper
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Cracked Pepper
Directions
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve over Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Chicken, Fish… You can also substitute peaches, apples etc for the mango.
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I love Caprese. The softness of mozzarella, ripe juicy tomatoes and the refreshing taste of basil taste great every time I combine them.
For tonight’s Date Night I decided to use Mozzarella Pearls and Rosemary Skewers from our herb garden.
This is so simple it really doesn’t need instructions but here you go!
Ingredients
Mozzarella (Look for pearl or baby Mozzarella balls)
Rosemary Skewers
Grape Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Instructions
Thread all the ingredients on the skewers. Drizzle with Olive Oil or Italian Dressing. Sprinkle with Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper. Garnish with extra Basil.
This is Fun, Fancy, but Easy! I hope you enjoy it. Please click the Share on Facebook link below to share this recipe with your friends!
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I haven’t seen Julia Robert’s new movie yet but I love the title, Eat Pray Love!
Those same three words, Eat, Love, & Pray sum up the keys to our Date Nights. Date Night is about eating Fun, Fancy, but easy romantic meals.
When I pray before Date Night dinners I thank God for the love Valerie and I share, and for the opportunity to have special, focused romantic times together.
Date Night is also a celebration of our love!
If you haven’t started enjoying a consistent Date Night yet, keep these three words in mind! Eat – Pray – Love. Taking time every week to date your mate can transform your marriage and your love life.
I’d love your feedback. Please use the comment form below to let me know if you and your spouse have a Date Night, how often? What challenges do you face? Also, onceyou see the movie let me know what you think!
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I love mussels, and since I don’t workout I have to settle for the ones from the sea.
Mussels are really easy to fix and they look amazing with their shiny black shells.
I recently fixed this version on a night when we had a guest right up until dinner time, because it literally takes less than ten minutes.
I buy my mussels from a local seafood market. They only cost $2.99 per pound, they get them fresh daily, and the shells are already cleaned so I don’t have to remove the beard and get rid of the sand.
Mussels make a great Date Night appetizer or entree.
Ingredients
2 pounds of Mussels (Entree for two)
1 Can of Rotel (Diced tomatoes, green chilis)
Cilantro
1 Lime halved
Instructions
Use a large saute pan, sauce pan or wok with lid. Use high heat, pour the rotel into the pan, add the mussels (Discard any that are already opened). Cover with lid. The mussels should steam open in three to five minutes. As soon as the shells open they are ready.
Plate the mussels on a deep plate or bowl. Pour rotel over top and garnish with cilantro and half a lime. Squeeze the lime over the mussels just prior to eating. (I served Valerie’s over a bed of yellow rice. I’m cutting carbs so I just had mussels).
This is Fun, Fancy, but REALLY Easy! I hope you enjoy it!
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You’ve probably noticed that I keep talking about Date Night recipes that are “Fun, Fancy, but Easy”.
The “Easy” part is essential to consistent Date Nights. For an Anniversary Dinner or Valentine’s dinner you can wear yourself out fixing a breathtaking dinner but if you try to do that every week Date Night will become a burden instead of a blessing.
I try really hard to make things really easy without sacrificing on the Fancy or Fun part!
On a recent Friday night we were having a pretty heavy main course so I decided to have a light Salad Course. We had a small wedge of Brie Cheese and some Blueberries on hand, so I bought a a package of Red and Green Butter Lettuces from Aldi and created this salad.
Brie, Butter Lettuce Salad with Pecans, Blueberries and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
The title tells it all…
Three Ounces of Brie Cheese
Butter Lettuce or other Baby Greens
Eight Pecan Halves
Sixteen Blueberries
Bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Instructions
Cover plate with the lettuce. Thinly slice Brie into eight slices. Arrange Brie on top of lettuce. Place one pecan half on each slice of Brie. Sprinkle blueberries add salt and pepper and serve the dressing on the side.
This is super simple to prepare. It probably takes a total of two minutes, but it looks great and is a very nice salad course for your next Date Night!
Let me know how you like it, and please click the Share on Facebook link to share with your friends!
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Date Night Chef’s Roasted Chili Garbanzo Beans
Looking for a fun weekend snack? I was watching a cooking show about Bar Food recently and they mentioned Roasted Chili Garbanzo Beans. Since I love saying Garbanzo I thought I’d try these
They’re super crunchy but light and nice and flavorful thanks to the spices! The feta cools them down a little.
INGREDIENTS
One can of garbanzo beans (Chick Peas)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 ounces Feta Cheese cut into very small cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
Toss bean in olive oil and spices. Bake on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with cubed feta cheese and garnish with Cilantro.
This is Fun, Fancy, but Easy. Try some tonight and let me know how you like them!
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Cowboy Ribeyes that is. Wow! After seeing them on Iron Chef and offered as the most expensive steak on the menu at upscale restaurants, I finally had one last year on my birthday.
Downtown Produce, a wholesale/retail store had them on sale for $4.99 a pound.
Since that day the Cowboy Ribeye has been my favorite steak. Ribeye’s are arguably the most flavorful of all steaks. They are nicely marbled which makes them tender, moist and packed with flavor.
Cowboy Ribeyes are double cut and bone-in. The bone gives them even more flavor!
For Date Night I grilled a two pounder. I marinaded it in a bottled honey terriyaki sauce. I fired up my gas grill with all four burners on high. When it got to 600 degrees I tossed the steak on for five minutes per side to sear it and give it nice grill marks. Then I turned the far left burner to low and moved it to that burner for 15 minutes. Be sure and keep the grill lid closed so it almost bakes the steak. That is the only way you’ll get this thick of a steak done.
I served it up on a cast iron fajita platter and we sliced it as we went. Valerie made smashed potatoes and that was it.
Cowboy Ribeye – It’s Fun, Fancy, but Easy!
Let me know how you like it!
BTW – I’m a finalist for the 2011 Next Food Network Star!
Please be sure and vote for me at http://www.youtube.com/foodnetwork
Click on GALLERY then search For Bruce or Date Night Chef and click the thumbs up! You can vote daily through August 16th!
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I love spontaneous cooking. Don’t get me wrong, for most Date Nights I carefully plan all the courses, but sometimes I like to just look in the pantry and refrigerator and toss some things together. That’s where this Black Bean Corn Salad recipe came from.
I was fixing a Tex-Mex Date Night dinner one Friday night and wanted a light salad. I found a can of black beans in the pantry, a bag of frozen corn in the refrigerator and a tomato and voila, a Fun, Fancy but Easy Date Night salad was born!
This is light and refreshing with great textures from the beans, corn and tomatoes. It goes great with Fajita’s or Steak Tacos!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of canned Black Beans rinsed
1/2 cup of Corn
1/2 cup of Diced Tomato
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro
Olive Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the Beans, Corn, Tomato and Cilantro in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.
That’s all there is to it! It’s Fun, Fancy, but Easy!
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I grew up in Indialantic, Florida. There were four Mango trees along the border of our property. I used to climb those trees all the time but I don’t think I ever tried a Mango until I became an adult. Now I love to make Mango Salsa and serve it on top of grilled Pork Loin Chops. (I’ll post that recipe soon!)
Mango trees are very common in our area, in fact Merritt Island which runs from Melbourne where I live now north to the Kennedy Space Center, and was once filled with Pineapple and Mango plantations. If you aren’t familiar with Mangoes you must try one soon!
I recently discovered an amazing product, Mango Hot Chili Jam made in New Mexico by http://www.chileboys.com
I decided to try this intriguing jam with Quesadillas for dinner tonight. It was awesome. It was the perfect blend of heat and sweet. Not so hot as to scorch my tongue and not too sweet. I heated the jam to soften it which made it perfect for dipping the tips of each wedge of Quesadilla.
Mango has such a sweet but refreshing tropical flavor and it was balanced perfectly with the hot chili peppers.
Date Night Chef’s Roasted Red Pepper Quesadilla with Mango Hot Chili Jam
Ingredients
2 Large Whole Wheat Tortillas
4 ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Ounce Dry Grated Cheese ( I used Edam but Parmesan would work fine)
3 Ounces Roasted Red Peppers sliced thinly (I buy them in a jar)
1 t Chipotle Sauce (Substitute Salsa if needed)
1/2 t Minced Garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
Spread half the mozzarella on half of each tortilla. Lay the red pepper strips on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with the minced garlic and chipotle sauce. Top with sharp cheddar cheese. Fold in half and fry in a non stick skillet on high heat until the cheese starts to melt. Flip the quesa to fry the other side and sprinkle the grated cheese on top so it melts. Slice each quesa into four wedges using a pizza cutter. Microwave the Mango Hot Chili Jam for 30 seconds to soften.
Roasted Red Pepper Quesadillas with Mango Hot Chili Jam is Fun, Fancy, but Easy!
Leave a comment below to let me know what you think!
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