Valentine's Dinner
Found this on a budget internet site. You could swap the chicken for steak and still have a romantic dinner for two for a reasonable price. If you have any money left over, buy some scented candles and have dinner by candle light.
For The Menu: ( $5.69 for 2 people)
French Onion Soup
Tomato Basil Salad
Maple-Glazed Chicken
Glazed Carrots
Lemon Potatoes
Red Velvet Cake
Water with lemon slices
Tea or coffee with desert
French Onion Soup ( $1.15)
2 onions, thinly sliced (yellow onions work best) (.25)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (.10)
2 cups beef stock (made with bullion cubes or beef bones) (.10)
1 bay leaf
2 slices day-old French bread (.20)
1/2 cup mozzarella or Swiss cheese, grated (.50)
Melt butter in a skillet. Sautee onions until slightly brown. Add onions to beef broth in saucepan. Simmer slowly 10 minutes or simmer overnight in the crock pot on low. Pour into bowls. Place bread on top of each bowl of soup, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Then set under broiler and cook until cheese is melted and brown.
Tomato Basil Salad ($1.44)
4 large peeled tomatoes (.79)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar (.10)
2 Tbsp. olive oil (.05)
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped into small pieces (.50)
Dice tomatoes and combine with salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and basil. Serve. You may also add cubes of mozzarella cheese.
Maple-Glazed Chicken ($1.43)
1/4 cup maple syrup (.05)
4 tsp. lemon juice (.05)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine (.05)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
4 pieces chicken ($1.28 purchased on sale at $1.34/.lb)
Preheat oven to 450º. Mix maple syrup, lemon juice and butter together in a small saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes. Spray a baking dish and place chicken in it. Add salt and pepper to the chicken. Bake 10 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and pour on glaze. Bake 15 minutes more or until juices run clear.
Glazed Carrots (.37)
1/2 lb. fresh carrots or baby carrots (.12)
1/2 stick margarine (.05)
6 Tbsp. brown sugar (.10)
1 tsp. cinnamon (.05)
1 tsp. ginger (optional) (.05)
Clean carrots and cut into bite-size pieces. Steam 10 minutes in a small amount of boiling water (just until tender). Melt margarine in a large skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add hot carrots, stirring well to coat. Remove when shiny and well glazed.
Lemon Potatoes (.75)
6 new potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, cut in halves or quarters (.50)
2 Tbsp. margarine (.05)
1/2 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (.05)
1 tsp. chives, chopped (.10)
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg (.05 for all spices)
Clean and steam potatoes 20 minutes (until tender). Heat remaining ingredients just to boiling. Pour lemon butter over potatoes and serve.
Red Velvet Cake (.50 for 2 servings)*
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
1-2 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
Cream together butter, eggs and sugar in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except the flour and buttermilk. Mix well. Add flour and buttermilk alternately. Beat until all the lumps are out. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Frost with Red Velvet Frosting.
Red Velvet Frosting
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook milk and flour until thick, stirring constantly. Cool thoroughly. Beat milk and flour for one minute until fluffy. Beat butter and sugar until crea{omitted}{omitted}. Add to milk and flour and add vanilla. Mix well. Frosts one Red Velvet Cake.
*Or purchase a box mix on sale .79 and canned frosting on sale .69. plus .50 for eggs, etc. to make the cake $1.48
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I know the Lord never gives you more than you can handle, but sometimes I wish He didn't trust me so much.
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Birthday/Valentine's dinner
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