A Romantic Evening at One of Chicago's Finest Destinations: Your Place
One of the things I wanted to do with this column, aside from suggesting good places to take a date for those on a budget, was to also provide for cheap dates at home, which are often the best kind. And yes, I am taking about an event rather than a person when I use the term cheap date, although both can be fun.
This time, I'd like to provide you with the makings for a memorable home-based evening. The fixings for such a dinner are under $30, per the parameters of the column. Tonight, we're using lemons: biting, tasty, and guaranteed to elicit a pucker. You need to provide the wine, the candles, suitable lubricants and/or battery-operated devices. Oh, and don't forget wit and passion, quantities that, while free, are often rare, and more valuable than anything you can cook. I have taken the recipes from my favorite all-purpose cookbook, How to Cook Everything, Simple Recipes for Great Food, by Mark Bittman.
Chicken Thighs with
Soy Sauce and Lemon
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 lb. bone-in chicken thighs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Heat a large, deep skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add oil, swirl, and add the chicken. Brown quickly on both sides.
2. Turn off the heat, remove chicken and all but 1 tablespoon of fat ( I like fat; I left two tablespoons ) . Let the pan cool for a minute or so, then turn the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook until it softens, a minute or two.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice; stir. Return the chicken to the skillet and turn it once or twice in the liquid. Cover; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, until the chicken is done, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove chicken to a serving platter and stir the lemon juice into the broth. Pour some of the broth over the chicken and pass the rest at the table.
While you're making the chicken, make some Basmati rice ( follow the package directions … I have a word count here ) . When it's done, dress it up with some of the juice from the chicken dish above and a handful of chopped scallions.
And before you do any of this, make a salad. ( I know that has sexual connotations in some circles, but this is about the meal. What you do later is up to you. ) The good thing about salads is you can use whatever you want. I suggest some mixed Mesclun greens, a handful of bean sprouts, some diced tomato and a couple tablespoons of finely chopped red onion, with the following dressing:
Lemon Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, plus a bit more if needed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more if needed
Mix zest, salt, and juice briefly ( use a blender, whisk, or fork ) . Slowly add the oil in a stream until an emulsion forms.
Note: Do not make more than an hour in advance, as citrus juices tend to lose their flavor over time.
After dinner, turn the ringer off the phone, turn the music up ( I suggest The Film Music of Toru Takemitsu … mellow and unobtrusive, and it goes with the Asian theme ) , and have the dessert of your choice.
Me, I go for something lo calorie and high protein.