The Best Dinner Date Recipe

The Best Dinner Date Recipe

There comes a time when you need to have a “Go To” dinner date recipe; something that is classy and shows confidence in the kitchen. Learn how to make my Dijon Scallop Pasta dish and make the best impression on your next dinner date from Cooking Blogger, Rj Jaramillo and CookLikeADad.

 

Don’t Be Afraid, Be a Man…

It’s easy to go out to dinner on a date and take that special someone to a nice restaurant. However, nothing shows greater confidence than a man making his woman a dinner that is both classy and tasty. That is why I am going to show my Dijon Scallops with pasta. This recipe will capture the heart of your dinner date and will guarantee to increase your chances on another date.  So what do you got to lose?

Ingredients:

(1 ¼) Pound of Sea Scallops, or about 12 scallops

(1) 16 oz. Carton of Barilla, Fettuccine Pasta

(2) Lemons

(1) Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard (Grey Poupon) or Gulden’s Brown Mustard

(1) Jar of Capers, (You can find them in the Pickle Section)

(1) Container of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

(1) Tablespoon Butter

(2) Tablespoons of Salt

Lawry’s Garlic Salt, Course Ground Pepper

*Optional Items: Red Pepper Flakes, Minced Garlic

Equipment: Boil Pot for Pasta, Fry Pan with lid for the scallops

 

Cooking Steps:

The prep time for this recipe is very short; so make sure you are ready to eat when you make this recipe. In fact, it can be very romantic when you ask your date to watch you cook or join in with you on this recipe…

Start by heating up a pot of water for the pasta. Make sure you ADD 2- 3 tablespoons of salt into the water. I like to use Fettuccine pasta for this dish because it’s a wide, flat noodle. While the water is taking its time to boil, you can start making the Dijon sauce. This sauce was created out of a last minute necessity I had on a dinner date at home. I had no red sauce and I was planning on making pasta that evening. As it turns out, the combination of lemon juice, capers and mustard offer a great flavor combination to the scallops and I pulled off a perfect evening.  Back to the sauce; take the two lemons and slice them in half and squeeze the juice out of them into a shallow bowl or dish. Add a Tablespoon plus+ of mustard and take about a tablespoon of capers and gently mix the three ingredients together.

Cook Like A Dad Tip: To avoid dropping seeds into your sauce, take a wet paper towel or napkin and place over the face of the cut lemon and squeeze the juice out.

Next Step: Boil Pasta.

Cook Pasta according to your taste and according to the direction son the box. When ready, take it out of cooking pot and keep at room temperature in a serving bowl.

Next Step: The Scallops

Now don’t be intimidated with cooking scallops. I know there is a fine line between a soft, cooked scallop and a hockey puck, but I am going to show you how to avoid disaster. Take your scallops and rinse, clean and dry. Gently Sprinkle the Scallops with Lawry’s Garlic Salt and some course, ground pepper. (See video)

Next, take a fry pan and place on MED heat. Immediately place a generous portion of butter onto the pan, while the pan is heating. Now place the scallops in the pan and cover ¾ of the fry pan with the lid. I do this to offer an “all over cooking heat” to the scallops. Scallops may cook unevenly depending on their size, but I have a foolproof way to solve that. In my video recipe, I am looking to see when the scallop begins to “Crack” at the edges. This tells me to flip the scallop over and reduce the heat of my pan. Watch your scallops and continue to flip the ones that are cracking. When all scallops are flipped, turn off the heat and pour your Dijon mixture over the scallops and place lid over the pan of scallops for another 5 minutes…

Next Step: The Serving

The Presentation is key. Take the plate you will be serving the meal and place a handful of pasta in the center. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese and the optional, red pepper flakes over the bed of Fettuccine. Now take the warm pan of Scallops and place scallops over the pasta with the Dijon sauce.

You are now ready to impress!

Wine Pairing: I am a big red wine fan and this time of year there are a bountiful amount of varieties to choose from with this diner recipe.  I am currently drinking a lot of blends and Zinfandel’s and my latest, affordable wine that I like is the following:

Kendall Jackson, Summation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Have a Dinner Date Recipe?

Give us your feedback and tell us what you like to serve on your dinner date, or if you would like to see CookLikeADad perform your favorite recipe. Send us your suggestions in  an email to: Rj@CookLikeADad.com

 
 

Message From The Editor

What Matters Most to Dads

Watch Cook Like a Dad TV in action