5 Bougie Recipes to Try With Your Friends

After a long week of adulting, you could use a fun night with your friends. However, simple pasta dishes and take-out get boring after a while.

Instead, a well-deserved gourmet meal will leave a lasting impression on those you love. Allow these five bougie recipes to help you decide what to cook up for a fancy dinner date at home with your best gal pals.

Charcuterie Boards

There comes a day when your shopping interests shift toward kitchen splurges, such as a cast-iron dutch oven, cheese knife set and cordial glassware. You might even peruse the houseware aisles for a beautiful, budget-friendly charcuterie board — because why not? You could always use one.

 

Charcuterie boards are versatile cheese and meat boards perfect for holidays, game nights or fun gatherings with friends. They’re easy to throw together at a moment’s notice and may include soft and hard cheeses, cured or smoked meats, savory nuts, olives, veggies, fresh and dried fruits, crackers, dips, etc.

 

Of course, there’s a trick to creating a stunning board, beginning with placing the dip bowls and cheeses down first, then rolling the meats and fanning them out.

 

Fill in the gaps with sweet and savory accompaniments — nuts, chocolates, fruits, veggies — and finally, add a variety of crackers.

Creative Crostinis

Save the mozzarella sticks and hot wings for a no-frills evening alone in your fuzzy slippers — because crostinis are the bougie finger foods you and your friends have been missing out on.

 

Most crostinis start with the same base — a crusty, toasty slice of French baguette that practically melts in your mouth. However, the real show stopper is the ingredients you put on top.

 

Pear, brie and honey are a popular combination in which you may decide to grill the pear slices for an enhanced charred flavor. Bake the crostini and brie in the oven at 400° Fahrenheit for five to seven minutes; then, add grilled pear slices, honey and a sprig of rosemary for garnish.

 

Another crostini option might include sliced strawberries tossed in a blend of balsamic vinegar, pepper and sugar and assembled with ricotta cheese, lemon juice and mint on a toasted baguette.

 

Depending on how gourmet you want dinner to be, the most bougie crostinis are caviar canapés. To make canapés, start with a toasted baguette and rich crème Fraiche — then add cured or smoked protein or vegetables to help round out the delicate caviar garnishing.

Fancy Flatbreads

Upgrade your pizza game with gourmet flatbread recipes. Like crostinis, there are several ways to create flatbreads with mouth-watering flavor.

 

Assemble a delicious Caprese flatbread on store-bought naan or thin pizza crust for a quick appetizer or dinner. Bake the flatbread with red sauce, cherry tomatoes, gooey mozzarella and Italian seasonings for five to seven minutes at 450° F. Then garnish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and fresh basil.

 

A caramelized mushroom flatbread is another fancy flatbread you can make, requiring baby portobello mushrooms, a shallot, Havarti and parmesan cheeses, pesto and chopped spinach. You’ll need to sauté mushrooms and shallots with oil for this recipe before assembling and baking your flatbread.

 

If your palette leans toward sweet, you might consider a nectarine, basil and reduced balsamic flatbread recipe instead. Heat balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on medium-high until it simmers and thickens — but watch that it doesn’t burn.

 

Assemble your flatbread with cheese, like goat cheese, ricotta or mozzarella. Then, add nectarine or peach slices and a sprinkle with parmesan before baking it in the oven.

 

Drizzle your flatbread with balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of basil and arugula when it’s finished.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Take a bougie restaurant favorite, like chicken cordon bleu and turn it into an easy at-home recipe you can make for your friends.

 

There are two parts to chicken cordon bleu — the chicken rolls and the sauce. Pound boneless chicken breasts thinly, season with salt and pepper and top each slice with ham and Gruyere or Swiss cheese. Then roll the chicken and secure it with a toothpick.

 

Dip each chicken roll into a garlic butter mix and coat them with breadcrumbs and thyme. Bake at 350° F for 35 to 40 minutes; then check to ensure the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165° F.

 

To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and cook for one minute. Then add milk, white wine, Dijon mustard, chicken bouillon and Worcestershire sauce until it boils. Reduce the heat while whisking for one minute before removing the pan and adding parmesan. Serve the bechamel over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley or more thyme.

No-Torch Crème Brulee

A get-together with your gal pals demands a sweet treat to end the evening right. Keep dessert bougie, simple and safe with a no-torch crème brulee.

 

Add skim milk, sugar and vanilla extract to a saucepan on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then, beat egg yolks in a small bowl, stirring in the cream, straining the liquid and pouring it evenly into broil-safe ceramic ramekins.

 

Place the ramekins on a 13-inch by 9-inch pan and into the oven at 325° F. Add boiling water to the pan until it reaches two-thirds of the ramekin’s height and bake for 25 to 40 minutes.

 

When the custard is just right, transfer the ramekins to a cooling rack and refrigerate for two hours. Before serving, sprinkle brown sugar on top and broil until it browns, watching that it doesn’t burn. Top with fresh berries or whipped cream before serving.

 

Be Bougie With Great Friends and Good Food

Cooking may not always be in the cards, especially after working all day and taking care of essential responsibilities — but everyone enjoys eating a gourmet meal. These bougie recipes will surely satisfy diverse palettes, from appetizers to meals to dessert.

About The Author

Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy. 

7 Amazing First Date Dinner Recipes

Needs some dinner recipes for your next date? If you’re sick of the standard “dinner and a movie” date night, why not make your next first date something very special with an experience that’s just a little more intimate? There’s nothing better than a home-made meal cooked with your special pans to show your date that you’re wife or husband material, after all.

Thanks to the wide selection of easy to prepare meal recipes, you don’t need to be a professional chef to create a truly amazing meal. Here are 7 first date dinner recipes that are sure to make anyone fall in love with you.

1.    Paprika Steak and Lentils

Unless you’re cooking for a vegan or vegetarian, steak dinner recipes are very difficult to under-impress. Here is a fabulous recipe for paprika steak and lentils that is sure to impress with a beautiful selection of colors and flavors – including just a touch of dry white wine. You can always swap the steak for eggplant if you prefer to go the vegetarian route.

2.    Kale Risotto

Speaking of going veggie for your first date – why not do something super chic with kale? Most green foods are so nutritious and delicious, and they are a great way to show your date that you’re into healthy eating. The beauty of this risotto is that it’s baked. So you won’t need to stand around and stir a pan for a very long time. Alternatively, store-bought pesto is also an option if you don’t think that you will have time to make your own.

3.    Smoky Beef Tacos

Food that you can eat with your hands is always fun for a first date. These smoky beef tacos aren’t just delicious; they’re also a fantastic opportunity to laugh with your date over the mess that you both will make. You will also be able to dress your tacos up however you like with shredded cabbage, jalapenos, and more.

4.    Seared Scallops and Butter

Scallops are a super-fast and easy option for a first date meal. If you want to spend more time with your crush, and less time in the kitchen, then you can rely on a scallop recipe. You’ll even be able to cook this meal while your date is watching if you want to be extra impressive. Get the recipe for your amazing seared scallops here.

5.    Rigatoni with Broccoli and Chicken

Chicken is always a comforting ingredient to have in any meal. It’s the kind of meal that will remind your date of home – so it’s definitely a good choice if you want them to feel comfortable with you. This delicious take on chicken and broccoli is sure to get you both in the mood for cuddling on the couch. There’s plenty of rich flavors to enjoy too.

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6.    Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Another tasty vegetarian recipe for people who’d rather stay away from the meat; this roasted sweet potato recipe has a mixture of tomatoes, chickpeas, and herb sauce. You can pretend that it’s your very own recipe if you like – and no-one will tell your date any different. Get the fabulous recipe here.

7.    Chicken Piccata

Finally, this is a meal that’s going to make it look like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen when really, you’ve whipped it up just before your date arrived. If you’re looking to truly wow your date, then this could be just the meal for you. Serve this Chicken piccata fresh and watch your date’s eyes light up.

Home cooking your first meal is one of the easiest ways to impress your date, instantly. You can be certain that you will delight anyone with these amazing meals. In fact, you may have a bigger chance of getting a second date using one of these recipes. And you can keep your kitchen well organized with these tips. 

5 Ways to Organize Your Kitchen and Make Your Cooking More Efficient

Organizing Your Kitchen

Need to organize your kitchen? One of the greatest problems you might have in your kitchen entails how you’re storing your food. You might end up wasting more food than necessary due to your food stores not being managed as well as you wish. The foods may not be arranged well around your property. In some cases, some foods may spoil after a while. These issues can make it harder for you to enjoy your cooking as much as you wish. It may even be harder for you to take care of your foods as necessary.

The great news is that it is possible for you to keep your kitchen organized if you plan it well enough. There are a few things you can do to make it easier for you to manage your kitchen and keep everything in this part of your house organized.

1. Create dedicated sections for specific foods.

Take a look at the foods you plan on preparing for any purpose. The foods should be arranged based on what types of foods you want to prepare and how new or old they may be. It should be easier for you to find what you want to prepare when you create the proper sections for foods that are suitable and useful for whatever you need.

You might need to get multiple containers for different food types that you want to work with. And when you organize your kitchen, include separate containers for ingredients that you might use when preparing different food types at your home.

2. Watch for how you arrange your cookbooks.

Contrary to popular belief, you can have too many cookbooks. You should arrange your cookbooks to where the most commonly used ones are the most visible. Anything that you use should be accessible soon, including both traditional cookbooks and more recent versions of magazines that you might use in your preparation efforts.

Anything that you don’t use all that often should be placed in another part of your home. These include cookbooks for the Christmas or Thanksgiving seasons.

3. Keep your cooking utensils in spots near the appliances they are to be used around.

You should look at how your cooking utensils are going to be prepared when getting them ready for use. Keep your utensils and other items closer to the appliances that you would typically link them to. Any pots or pans that you use on a stove top should be placed as close to your stove as possible. This makes it easier for you to access your stuff and to know what you should be using around the area.

You can find different items to help you with securing these cooking materials near their appropriate appliances. These include hooks for pans or shelves for bowls or trays. Anything that helps you organize your kitchen.

4. Keep items that might spoil faster at the back part of your fridge.

While you might assume that storing milk on the door to your fridge might be a good idea, you might cause the milk to spoil a little faster. Anything closer to the front of the fridge will not be as cold as other items. The back area of your fridge is the coldest part, as it is not going to be impacted by outside air as much as the front segment.

The colder temperature back there makes it easier for your items on the inside to stay colder. This is critical for dairy and meat products that might spoil faster if not kept under control. You should still be fully aware of what you are putting in there at any time, so you don’t waste your time storing things incorrectly and potentially producing more waste than what you can afford.

5. Review all containers you have to ensure they are safe and will not let in air.

Check on all the containers you use for your food storage needs. Make are the containers are airtight. You might need to replace any old containers you have to ensure they will not produce any possible leaks.

But you might also want to consider a heat-sealing tool. One that can secure your foods and prevent excess oxygen from entering the container. A heat sealer can vacuum air out and allow your food to last longer. It may also be easier for you to store your food after you seal it with a Vacuum Sealer, what with the container not being as bulky or thick as what you might find elsewhere in your home.

All of these points will help you with food storage. And they will help you organize your kitchen. This organization can help keep your food situation under control. And your cooking efforts more efficient.

Eight Simple Oven Recipes to Impress Your Other Half

If you’re anything like my partner and I, you probably love going out to a fancy dinner on date night. As for the lofty price tags on these menus…not so much. But what if I told you you could impress your other half just as easily with these simple oven recipes from home as you could with a sophisticated restaurant? I challenge you to test out one of these eight recipes on your next date night – and soon, you’ll see for yourself the wonders that a simple, home-cooked meal can work on an already-strong relationship!

Chicken Parmesan  Meatballs with Creamy Polenta

What could be more romantic or inviting than sharing a meatball with your partner? Silly as it may sound, the thought of love always calls to mind the iconic scene in the Disney film Lady and the Tramp, where the two amorous dogs take turns nudging the last meatball toward each other in a touching display of affection. While you may not want to stick your nose in these meatballs, you and your partner will want to savor their taste all night long.  

Easy Baked Gnocchi  with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

In my experience, the best way to impress your man (or woman) is with creamy comfort food that reminds them of their childhood. If your other half grew up in an Italian household like I did, they probably already have a love for gnocchi, a type of small, round potato dumplings often served like pasta. Naturally, baking it with sweet tomatoes and stretchy mozzarella can only make this nostalgic classic even better!

Sheet Pan Lemon  Parmesan Garlic Chicken & Veggies

Can you believe that this sophisticated date night dinner can be made in a single pan? That’s right: coat your chicken, pop it on a pan with some veggies and roast for a delicious date night meal that’s sure to satisfy. If you’re pressed for time, you might even consider using a halogen oven to speed up your baking time. Check out some of the best halogen ovens on CookBakeEat if you haven’t got one.

Medjool Date Apple  Bacon Pizza with Fontina Cheese and Arugula

Next time you’re tempted to have a lazy date night and order a delivery pizza, I dare you to buy the ingredients for this medjool date apple bacon pizza instead. Pizza making is a bonding activity that you and your partner will love – not to mention, the sophisticated depth of flavor in this particular pizza makes it a particularly stunning suggestion for date night.

Cornish Hens with  Cherry Sauce

This simple meal is perfect for the cook who is anything but adventurous, yet still wants to impress his or her other half! All you need to do to create this restaurant-worthy meal is roast the cornish hens (as you would a rotisserie chicken) and simmer the cherries over the stove for a delicious dinner your partner won’t believe is homemade. The recipe is so foolproof, even the worst cook could conquer it.

Garlicky Baked Shrimp

When you and your partner are both busy with work and other commitments, it can be difficult to make time for date night. Luckily, this recipe takes just 20 minutes of your time, so you can whip it together before your other half even gets home from work. Albeit speedy, the flavors in this meal are delicious and impressive, and I promise your partner will appreciate the effort to slow down and catch up after spending so much of your days apart.

Honey Mustard Salmon  in Foil

“Mustard” is a word that might stir up fear in some of the pickier eaters on this side of the globe, but trust me when I say that this recipe uses mustard in a creative and delicious way. This honey mustard sauce-covered salmon is the perfect recipe for impressing the seafood lover in your life who’s always looking to try new things and experiment with bold flavors. Especially if you’re someone who tends to walk on the cautious side of life, your adventurous partner will surely appreciate the effort to join him or her outside your comfort zone.

Triple Chocolate  Skillet Brownie

What date night would ever be complete without dessert? The brownie is a classic childhood dessert, but baking and serving it in a cast-iron skillet elevates it to a first-class treat at the end of a long day. Your favorite chocaholic will love savoring the sweet, melty chocolate and cold, creamy vanilla ice cream with you as you both ride off into the sunset.

These eight recipes may sound simple, but they’re more than enough to win over your other half on date night. Keep it up and you might just find yourself craving more and more date nights in the kitchen instead of the local restaurant.

4 Reasons Cooking With Your Partner Is The Best Thing You Ever Do For Your Relationship

While the health dividends brought on by choosing to cook at home are both plentiful and apparent, the relationship benefits are less often discussed. That’s right, relationship benefits!

For not only does cooking produce dozens of mentally and physically therapeutic side-effects (culinary therapy is currently being used to treat everything from depression and anxiety to eating disorders, ADHD and addiction), doing it with your partner has its own set of wonderful perks. Such as the following:

1. It’s good for your sex life.

In a 2016 study, researchers found that one in five Americans “say someone who is a good cook turns them on the most – the exact same amount (19 percent) as those who are most turned on by a nice body.” I encourage you to pause and really let that statistic sink in. A huge number of people are as turned on by cooking acumen as they are by hot bodies.

Indeed, a 2014 article by the Washington Post bore the headline, “Couples Who Share Housework Have The Most And Best Sex Lives.” That’s because tensions over unfair housework division are directly correlated to the likelihood of divorce—which is initiated twice as often by women than by men.

2. It increases your emotional bond.

Couples who do stuff together, stay together. A 2010 study by Stel & Vonk joins an ever-growing body of research that shows doing an activity with your partner creates a context in which the two of you can coordinate your actions.

This sort of nonverbal mimicry “helps people feel emotionally attuned with one another, and those who experience or engage in it tend to report greater feelings of having ‘bonded’ with their partner,” according to Psychology Today.

3. It strengthens communication.

But emotional bonds are strengthened in less subtle ways, too. Cooking together means spending quality time together—time spent discussing the events of the day, the future, ambitions and dreams. Time spent truly communicating. Without communication, the relationship is doomed.

According to Dr. Terri Orbuch, who headed up the Early Years of Marriage Project, most couples who have fallen into the routines of life only think they are communicating, when in fact what they’re really talking about is what she calls “maintaining the household,” or discussing chores, to-do lists, finances, etc. On the other hand, couples who do fun and challenging activities together have more time truly getting to know one another.

Lounging on the couch, staring at Instagram while a Netflix movie plays in the background does not count.

4. It boosts your physical health and mental wellbeing.

The phrase “you are what you eat” resides in the common vernacular for good reason: it’s true! The better you treat your body, the healthier foods you eat, the happier you’ll be. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health discovered that for every serving of fruits and veggies consumed, participants felt happier and more satisfied with their lives. Treat your body good, look good, feel good, and your relationships will undoubtedly thrive.

If you’re looking to strengthen your relationship with your partner (or with yourself!), the kitchen is an accessible, affordable, and fun place to start. Put on a catchy playlist, pop a bottle of cabernet, and whip up that shrimp scampi dish you’ve been wanting to try for months.

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