Tag: Date Night

Strawberry Daiquiris (virgin)

We loved the virgin piña coladas so much that we wanted to find another slushy drink. Haha, I’ve never had strawberry daiquiris before, but these are basically a slushy strawberry limeade. Delicious and maybe a little more complex-tasting than piña coladas, these would also be fun for a tropical-themed night.

Luckily this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Strawberry Daiquiris (virgin)

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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Like a tropical slushy strawberry limeade.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. (about 2 cups) Frozen Strawberries
  • 5 Tbsp. Sugar (or to taste)
  • 1/4-1/2 c. Water
  • 1 c. Lemon Lime Soda
  • 3 Tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if you prefer it thinner. Garnish with fresh strawberries and lime wheels if desired.

 


Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

This is adapted from a Pioneer Woman recipe. She made it using mini skewers as an appetizer, but I’ve mostly made it as a main course on full-size skewers. It’s fun for a Hawaiian luau date night or summer grilling. We’ve cooked it on the stove top, in an electric skillet, and on a grill. You don’t even necessarily need skewers–it can just be chunks like a stir fry. It does have a tiny bit of heat from the chili flakes, but you can leave them out if you prefer. Also, if you want the easiest recipe, refer to the original Pioneer Woman recipe that uses thick teriyaki sauce. I wanted this to be gluten free from the start, so I made my own.

If you’re making it gluten free, make sure to use a gluten free soy sauce like La Choy or a tamari.

Make it a meal with:

Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

  • Servings: about 15 large skewers
  • Difficulty: medium
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A bit time-consuming, but great as a main course or appetizer, warm or room temperature.

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 1/3 c. Soy Sauce (or tamari or gluten free soy sauce like La Choy)
  • 1/2 c. Water
  • 1/2 c. Orange Juice
  • 4 tsp. Minced Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. Ginger
  • 1/4 c. Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  • Juice of Half a Lime
  • 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch mixed with 2 Tbsp. Water

Skewers:

  • Wooden Skewers, large or mini (optionally soaked in water to prevent burning)
  • 1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks
  • 2 Large Red Bell Peppers, cut into squares about the size of pineapple chunks
  • About 2.25 lb. Chicken, cut into chunks about the size of pineapple chunks
  • Olive Oil for pan
  • Sliced Green Onions (optional)

Directions

For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat until it simmers and thickens.

For the skewers: Thread a piece of chicken onto a skewer, leave a small gap so the heat can surround each piece, then thread a piece of bell pepper, then leave a small gap, then thread a piece of pineapple. Repeat until the skewer is filled. Drizzle a small amount of sauce on one side of the skewer, being careful not to touch the skewers and cross contaminate the sauce with raw meat juice. Heat a heavy pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil to heat. Place the skewers, sauce-side down and grill about 3 minutes per side until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove to a platter and brush on remaining sauce. Optionally sprinkle green onions on top. Serve warm or room temperature.


Piña Coladas (virgin)

These are very fun slushy drinks, perfect with tropical or Hawaiian meals like Kalua pork. Coco Lopez is the wonderful secret ingredient, but it’s not available at Smith’s anymore. You can find it at Walmart, though.

Luckily this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Piña Coladas (virgin)

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print


Slushy and tropical.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (15 oz.) Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
  • 2 c. Pineapple Juice
  • 8 c. Ice
  • Pineapple Slices (optional)
  • Whipped Cream (optional)
  • Maraschino Cherries (optional)

Directions

In a blender, blend Coco Lopez, pineapple juice, and ice. Pour into glasses, then garnish with whipped cream, cherries, and pineapple slices.

 

 


 

Fondue

We’ve done fondue as a date and as a family activity a few times, and they’ve all been very fun. Of course traditionally it’s made with wine and Kirsch, but we leave out the alcohol and replace it with chicken broth. It’s best if you melt the cheese or chocolate before placing it in the fondue pot or slow cooker–and it’s also best if you slice everything before making the melted cheese. The cheese does tend to eventually turn into a lump after a long time of sitting, so the less sitting the better.

You can keep it simple and just dip a few things in cheese and chocolate. Or we’ve gone all out and done a cheddar fondue, Swiss fondue, hot caramel, and melted chocolate, all in the same sitting.

If you’re making it gluten free, just make sure that your items for dipping are gluten free–leave out the bread, pretzels, certain dessert items, and Rice Krispie treats if they’re made with Kellogg’s Rice Krispies (because those are made with malt flavoring).

Fondue

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy
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Prepare and chop all the items to dip first, then prepare the fondue.

Ingredients

Classic Fondue

  • 16 oz. Alpine Blend Shredded Cheese (or 8 oz. hand grated Swiss and 8 oz. hand grated Gruyere)
  • 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  • 1 c. Chicken Broth (plus more if it starts thickening while sitting)
  • 1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic (optional–I don’t usually add it)
  • Pepper to taste

Cheddar Fondue

I’ve made the cheese sauce from the macaroni and cheese recipe with a lot of extra cheese added, but I’ve also made the above classic version with sharp cheddar cheese instead of Swiss, and it turned out great.

Chocolate Fondue

  • 8 oz. Milk or Semisweet Chocolate Chips (You can use fancier chocolate bars, but chocolate chips work fine.)

Caramel Fondue

  • (You could try melting wrapped caramels, or I’ve just made a smaller batch of homemade caramel and served it hot. Recipe below:)
  • 1 c. or equal of all ingredients:
    • Sweetened Condensed Milk
    • White Corn Syrup
    • Butter
    • Brown Sugar
    • White Sugar

Possible Foods to Dip

  • French Bread or Baguettes, cut into cubes
  • Sliced Salami
  • Ham Cubes
  • Steak Cubes (can cook stew beef with a little salt and pepper)
  • Cooked Fingerling Potatoes (a little bland, though)
  • Bell Pepper slices
  • Cooked Broccoli
  • Pretzels
  • Apple Slices
  • Pear Slices
  • Fresh Pineapple Chunks
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Marshmallows
  • Brownie Bites
  • Cheesecake Bites
  • Rice Krispie Treats
  • Graham Crackers

Directions

For classic fondue: In a bowl or gallon bag, place the cheese and cornstarch, then stir or shake to coat the cheese. Then in a pot over medium heat, warm the broth and garlic but do not allow to boil. Slowly add cheese mixture one handful at a time, stirring and allowing to melt completely before adding the next handful so it remains smooth. Lastly, add pepper to taste. Place in preheated fondue pot right when you’re ready to eat.

For chocolate fondue: Microwave chocolate chips for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave up to 30 seconds more at a time, stirring between microwaving, until smooth. Place in preheated fondue pot right when you’re ready to eat.

For caramel fondue: Place all ingredients in a heavy pan, then turn the heat to medium-low and stir constantly or it may leave chunks or specks. Heat until it reaches desired consistency. Don’t heat too long or it will start to get harder. Place in preheated fondue pot right when you’re ready to eat.


GF Pizza Crust

For basically every recipe, I prefer to have a gluten free version of the regular one. But pizza crust is just so different. Gluten is so integral to that stretchy, elastic dough. So I searched out a gluten free version. With gluten free, you basically always get a dough that looks more like Play D’oh or frosting, then you spread it out on parchment paper. I found this recipe on glutenfreepalate.com and am posting it here (slightly modified) so I don’t have to scroll through tons of pages of text and ads (and because I don’t make any money off this blog–it’s just so I have an electronic version of my own recipe book). If you’d like more details and pictures, make sure to visit their website.

In any event, this recipe is great because you don’t need to wait for it to rise. You can also bake a crust and freeze it to top later. Of course you don’t get fluffy, airy crusts, but it’s easy, chewy, and delicious, and you can make it as thick as you want. That’s one of the things about gluten free crusts–a lot of restaurants use the Udi’s crust, which is fine but thin–more like a really thick tortilla. So it’s refreshing to make it thicker. Here’s a picture of the thickness that I make (the black specks are extra basil on top):

Here’s an even thicker one:

Make it a meal with:

  • Green Salad
  • Root Beer

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

  • Servings: 1 pizza
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
  • Print


Chewy, easy, and delightful.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 c. Warm Water

  • 1 Tbsp. Sugar

  • 1 pkg. Yeast

  • 2 c. Gluten Free Flour with Xanthan Gum (like Bob’s Red Mill cup for cup)

  • 1 tsp. Salt

  • 1 Egg

  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

  • 1 tsp. Vinegar

Directions

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 450°. In the bowl of a stand mixer, place water, sugar, and yeast, and let it sit for about 5 minutes or until it’s foamy. (Note: For measuring gluten free flour, always spoon into the measuring cup and level off with a knife instead of scooping out with the measuring cup.) Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed for 1 minute. Using an oiled spatula, scrape the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and use oiled hands to spread into your desired size and shape (about 10-12″). Place the parchment on the pizza stone and bake for 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Carefully remove from oven with the paper (remember parchment can get brittle and break easily after baking), then add toppings, return with paper to the stone, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.


 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Jeff and I had our first date at Chili’s, so it’s always had a special place in my heart. I used to love getting their quesadilla explosion salad before I found out I have celiac. One day for a date night, I looked up ideas of how to make those quesadillas, stuffed with cheese, chicken, bacon, and ranch. I didn’t find an exact copy, but I’m quite happy with how these turned out, and we’ve had them a lot. They’re pretty easy if you’ve got pre-cooked chicken (such as from rotisserie chicken) and bacon. And Chili’s would serve them with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream, so that’s what we try to do if we can.

If you’re making this gluten free, just use corn tortillas and make yours either in a separate pan or make yours first before making any with flour tortillas. They still turn out great.

Make it a meal with:

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
  • Print


Chili’s flavors, delicious with shredded lettuce, pico, and sour cream.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. Bacon, cut into pieces with scissors
  • 1-1.5 lbs. Chicken Breasts, sliced thin or Rotisserie Chicken pieces
  • Taco Seasoning to taste (optional)
  • Flour or Corn Tortillas
  • Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Cheese
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Optional: Shredded lettuce, pico de gallo or salsa, sour cream

Directions

In a heavy frying pan, cook the bacon pieces until crisp and then place on a paper towel lined plate. Remove the grease, then cook the chicken on high heat, adding taco seasoning to taste. Set chicken aside in a bowl. Wipe out the pan, then cook one side of two tortillas (or alternately you can use one tortilla to make a quesadilla, but fold it in half). When the tortillas are crisp but not dark, flip one over and set one aside. Place a handful of cheese on the one in the pan, then squirt ranch dressing in a spiral on top of the cheese. Add several chunks of chicken, then sprinkle bacon pieces over top. Sprinkle another handful of cheese over all, then place the reserved tortilla with the uncooked side up. Then carefully flip the whole thing so the uncooked side of the tortilla cooks. When the quesadilla is done, place on a cutting board and cut into four pieces. Serve with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

 


 

Pizza Dough

This is from Bobby Flay’s recipe, just with a few clarifications and more info. It’s one of Food Network’s most popular recipes. You can make it with bread flour or all purpose flour. We usually opt for the all purpose flour because it’s cheaper and is still great. The longer you can give this dough to rise, the softer and fluffier it will be. I generally start making the dough 3-4 hours before we want to eat, so there will be plenty of time to rise.

It’s a fun activity for a date night, family cooking, or even holidays, especially when you toss the dough in the air. We’ve had a few times when we’ve made individual pizzas with our guests, so they can put on whatever toppings they’d like.

If you’re making this gluten free, I find that any bread-based recipe will not translate well–because gluten is so integral to the rise and structure of bread. And because gluten free dough ends up being like Play Doh or frosting after you mix it. So you’ll want to use a different recipe like this one.

Make it a meal with:

  • Of course all the pizza toppings, sauce, and cheese
  • Green Salad
  • Root Beer

Pizza Dough

  • Servings: 2 pizzas
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
  • Print


You can use bread or all-purpose flour for this great dough.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 c. Flour (plus more for rolling)
  • 1 tsp. Sugar
  • 1 envelope Instant Dry Yeast
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 1/2 c. Water, 110 degrees
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (plus 2 tsp. for oiling the bowl)

Directions

Fit a stand mixer with a bread hook, then combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl to combine. While the mixer is running on low speed, add water and 2 Tbsp. oil until dough forms into a ball. Then beat 5 minutes on medium speed to help form gluten. (If the dough is too sticky, add flour. If it’s too dry, add water.) Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and knead into a ball.

Grease a large bowl with the remaining oil, add the dough, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area to double in size (longer is better–I generally like at least 2 hours). Then turn out onto a floured surface and divide in half. Cover and let rest for at least 10 minutes (I generally opt for 30 minutes).

Toss or roll out the dough. (Optional: Cover a pizza peel with corn meal before placing dough on top to help the pizza slide off.) Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings as desired. Bake on a preheated pizza stone at 450° for at least 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown underneath.


Crepes

Crepes are always a lot of fun and are great for special occasions. We often make crepes for date night, and we always make them on Christmas for a brunch with family. Haha, usually when we make them for date night, we end up standing the whole time while we eat because we stand by the stove and eat them as they come off the pan. They do tend to cool down very quickly, so we try to add Nutella quickly so it’ll melt a little. If you’re going to make a lot for a big event, make sure to start a long time before the event (like an hour) because they do take time.

For date night, we usually stick to ham, cheese, and broccoli crepes for the savory. Then for the sweet ones, we usually fill them with Nutella, peanut butter, and bananas. And sometimes also strawberries. And of course whipped cream.

But for Christmas, we go all out and make a crepe bar with all sorts of toppings. For example, we might have the standard ham and cheese, cooked broccoli, bananas, strawberries, Nutella, peanut butter, other berries, rotisserie chicken pieces, peppers, scrambled eggs, salsa, sausage, bacon, green onions, nuts for sweet crepes, whipped cream, powdered sugar, jam, and even pizza toppings like pasta sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. You can also have some sides with it, like rosemary potatoes (which works well if we have leftover baked potatoes from Christmas Eve dinner the night before) or wild rice. I’ve even made the sauce from our cordon bleu recipe, which tastes great with rotisserie chicken crepes, but I think most people weren’t sure what the sauce would taste like and so avoided it. Since the crepes cool so quickly, you may want to have an electric skillet out to heat up the crepes or let people microwave them to melt the cheese.

If you’re making it gluten free, of course replace the regular flour with cup for cup gluten free flour and add a tablespoon or two extra to make it the right consistency. We’ve done it a few times without adding the extra flour, and it’s been so thin that they ripped like crazy. But it works well when you add a little extra. Of course if you’re having an event with both regular and gluten free crepes, just be careful if you’re trying to avoid cross contamination to make your gluten free crepes first and take your toppings before everyone else. And make sure to use fresh or dedicated peanut butter, Nutella, jam, etc. so you don’t end up with people’s crumbs from previous uses. I’ve also made it dairy free with almond milk.

Make it a meal with:

  • Sausage
  • Scrambled Eggs
  • Rosemary Potatoes
  • Juice

Crepes

  • Servings: 10?
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print


Fun for dates and special occasions, but they get cold quickly.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ c. Milk (or almond milk for dairy free)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 c. Flour (or gluten free flour with xanthan gum, plus a few tablespoons extra)
  • ¼ tsp. Salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Oil

Topping suggestions

  • Ham Slices
  • Cheese Slices or Shredded Cheese
  • Cooked Broccoli
  • Rotisserie Chicken
  • Nutella
  • Peanut Butter
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Sliced Strawberries
  • Whipped Cream

Directions

Place liquid ingredients in the bottom of a blender, then add rest of ingredients and blend until very smooth. About 3 Tbsp. of batter per crepe makes 10-12 crepes. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and butter the bottom of the pan. Then add the batter and swirl around to cover the bottom of the pan. When the edges are starting to peel away from the edge, use a spatula to flip. For ham, cheese, and broccoli crepes, now is the time to add about 2 cheese slices to the pan, then 4 slices of ham on top. Then add a few broccoli florets and roll up the crepe. For sweet crepes, take the crepe out of the pan after flipping, and while it’s hot, spread Nutella and peanut butter down the middle of the crepe, then add banana and strawberries, then roll up.