Make an impression on your date?

Finally, that hot flame you’ve had your eye on for months has asked you out on a date and you get to cook. With your knees knocking, you walk through the supermarket trying to come up with a formidable menu. Everything depends on this! No stress, I’ll give you some ideas that always work. 

First, you need to find out what kind of meat you’re dealing with. Is your date a true bon vivant, or do they only drink green tea with their vegan meals? If you’re both in completely different categories, it might be a good idea to simply call off the date, but are you on the same page? Then make one of these showstoppers. Personally tested and tried by me.

Bon vivant

I think this is the dish with which I’ve conjured the most blissful looks on men’s faces. If your girl is a true meat lover, you’ll definitely win her over with this too. You slowly and gently braise beef chuck, then sear it at a high temperature at the end for a crispy exterior. The combination of the meat, risotto and cress is truly heavenly. If your date is still with you the next day, you can make croquettes from the leftover meat. Then you’ll probably be asked to get married straight away.

No-nonsense

Is your date not into fancy restaurants and complicated ingredients? Then throw a whole chicken in the oven. First, make sure to put plenty of deliciously seasoned butter under its skin, so the meat becomes extra flavorful and juicy. This tarragon chicken by Joris Bijdendijk is incredibly delicious, but you can also mix parsley, thyme or rosemary into the butter. Serve with fried potatoes and a fresh green salad and you’re done. Easy does it.

Vegetarian

No meat? Don’t panic! This pasta with walnuts, lemon and sage by Ottolenghi is your salvation. The pasta is super creamy, but also fresh thanks to the lemon. And pasta with sage remains one of the most delicious things ever, if you ask me. Blanch some spinach to go with it and you’ll have the perfect vegetarian meal that is guaranteed to score you points.

Vegan

If you want to eat vegan, Asian cuisine is your best friend. Cream and cheese don’t appear in its vocabulary. The occasional egg on top, but that’s about it, and you can always leave that out. Kung pao chicken is a popular Chinese dish, but it’s just as delicious with cauliflower. This recipe for kung pao cauliflower does contain bacon, but I always make it without, and it’s already incredibly delicious that way. And vegan! If you really want to go all out, also make a portion of scallion pancakes.