Babysitter cancelled our eat-shoot-coffee date, and I am trying to salvage it into an in-date for lots of reasons, one of which is that we adults have nothing to eat otherwise.
Already have wine and snacks handled. Need dinner.
Kids are asleep by 9-9:30 and we're going to be super hungry by then. It can't take a long time to prepare, and it can't be steak, we did that last time. Also, no tomato sauce or pizza.
Tonight. In two hours. I have access to Earth Fare, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes.
GO!
Get a pound or so of shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined), a box of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice (or something comparable), and a jar of salsa. Boil the shrimp and drain, make the rice (separate pot), combine shrimp, rice and all of the salsa in a big bowl and stir.
Add a gallon of the white wine of her choice and it's Date Night.
Go simple. Bake a couple of nice salmon filets with spicy seasoning on them, white rice, sautéed sugar snap peas. A fresh lemon wedge to squeeze over the fish when it hits the plate and done.
Woody: No tomatoes!
Kyallroad: No spicy, forgot to mention that, but the fish is still a good plan
What is a long time to prepare?
Pasta with homemade alfredo sauce--takes me about 20-30 minutes to make and its pretty easy--let me know if you want the recipe. Throw some chicken, fish, shrimp, or Italian Sausage on there for good measure.
Italian sausage with peppers and onions in a pan with some olive oil. Cook. Put on a bed of pasta (dealers choice) with some olive oil and parmesan cheese.
Pair any of these with garlic bread. Cut a loaf of Italian bread in half. Roast some garlic with some butter in a pan. Pour the garlic butter onto both halves of the bread, put the bread back together, wrap in tin foil, stick in the oven for 15 minutes at 350. Throw a salad together as well.
Tacos! Cook chorizo in a pan. Heat up the (corn) tortillas, and make mini quesadillas with them and chihuahua cheese--then use those to make the tacos. Throw some Cilantro and Onion on there, and you're good to go. Add in guac for bonus points.
So..... Salmon with some Lemon pepper, salt, Dill on it
make a Cream sauce with 1/4 stick butter, and a cup of heavy cream with about a tbspn of dill and large cracked petter. You can even throw a dash of cayenne in there as its really sweet and wont make it spicy
Then get some asparagus, cover in olive oil, salt, and pepper and put in the broiler for a few.
Sea Bass with lemon, Uncle Bens wild rice, broccoli with cheese sauce. Takes about 30min total. Add wine and dessert! 
In reply to Woody:
Dang, that sounds good!
Salmon patties, mashed potatoes, and a vegi (Maybe asparagus)?
1 can salmon from the store (12-14oz). Drain the liquid like you do tuna (no pun)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 finely chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
put it all in a bowl and mix it together with a spoon. Roll into balls and flatten into shape. Heat a pan with a little olive oil and cook the patties like you would a hamburger. With the mashed spuds and the asparagus it really shouldn't take more than an hour.
easy money 
tuna55 wrote: Woods: No tomatoes! Kyallroad: No spicy, forgot to mention that, but the fish is still a good plan
Use lemon pepper or just some italian herbs instead. Pour just a little olive oil on them if going with herbs, cook in a foil packet on the grill or in the oven
mtn wrote: What is a long time to prepare? Pasta with homemade alfredo sauce--takes me about 20-30 minutes to make and its pretty easy--let me know if you want the recipe. Throw some chicken, fish, shrimp, or Italian Sausage on there for good measure. Italian sausage with peppers and onions in a pan with some olive oil. Cook. Put on a bed of pasta (dealers choice) with some olive oil and parmesan cheese. Pair any of these with garlic bread. Cut a loaf of Italian bread in half. Roast some garlic with some butter in a pan. Pour the garlic butter onto both halves of the bread, put the bread back together, wrap in tin foil, stick in the oven for 15 minutes at 350. Throw a salad together as well. Tacos! Cook chorizo in a pan. Heat up the (corn) tortillas, and make mini quesadillas with them and chihuahua cheese--then use those to make the tacos. Throw some Cilantro and Onion on there, and you're good to go. Add in guac for bonus points.
That's all too long. Bear in mind we're starting at 9-9:30. Lots of spicy stuff (tacos, she won't eat paprika or pepper)
Also she's not an alfredo fan, or really any thick sauces
Loving the salad and garlic bread ideas though
Softshell crab for the main course?
hmmm. There's something "fishy" about all these suggestions
(ah thank you 
)
you guys are fast - no pepper, no spicy, no paprika, no white sauces.
Hungary Bill wrote: Salmon patties, mashed potatoes, and a vegi (Maybe asparagus)? 1 can salmon from the store (12-14oz). Drain the liquid like you do tuna (no pun) 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 finely chopped onion 1 tbsp olive oil 1 egg put it all in a bowl and mix it together with a spoon. Roll into balls and flatten into shape. Heat a pan with a little olive oil and cook the patties like you would a hamburger. With the mashed spuds and the asparagus it really shouldn't take more than an hour. easy money
I'm loving this idea
Up front question, is the wine red or white? do you have both available?
The following apply to whites
My go-to is usually baked salmon with fresh steamed green beans, but green beans arent in season... (so I will run with KyAllroad)
I also do crab cakes a lot, but depends on price and availability of crabmeat.
If you are looking for a side, Curry veggies, thin slice up some potatoes (I have a mandolin for this) into a covered bakinig dish, add cut up onion, carrots, and peas. dump in a goodly amount of curry powder, hit with some season salt, and add dried parsley then put a nice amount of butter on top. Slam in a 400* oven till cooked to satisfaction (gonna be over 30 min)
Apexcarver wrote: Up front question, is the wine red or white? do you have both available? The following apply to whites My go-to is usually baked salmon with fresh steamed green beans, but green beans arent in season... (so I will run with KyAllroad) I also do crab cakes a lot, but depends on price and availability of crabmeat. If you are looking for a side, Curry veggies, thin slice up some potatoes (I have a mandolin for this) into a covered bakinig dish, add cut up onion, carrots, and peas. dump in a goodly amount of curry powder, hit with some season salt, and add dried parsley then put a nice amount of butter on top. Slam in a 400* oven till cooked to satisfaction (gonna be over 30 min)
No spicy!
Also, it's red, Malbec to be exact, but I am not a snob, and don't need to pair it any special way.
keep white sauce out of mine.
or, ask at the whole food place to get some very thin sliced steak, setup a grill and do a hibachi grill/korean BBQ of sorts. Do some instant rice or sorts and sit back, drink, cook, talk, enjoy
Sounds like asparagus and fish, or asparagus and crab cakes, or asparagus and salmon cakes
I'm totally checking to see if they have softshell crabs, but it may be a letdown, the only time she had them before was cooked in OBX a few hours after it was alive.
Pro tip: if there is a shot at "brown-chicken-brown-cow" time at the end of this lovely date-in, don't make a big meal at 9:30 at night. Keep it light and easy, both of you will feel more "enthusiastic" later.
(I know you old guys know this already, it was more for the younger members of our posse)
The "no Paprika" is killing most of my recipes 
Hungary Bill wrote: The "no Paprika" is killing most of my recipes
Dude, paprika and I are bros. I love it. I put that in my milk (not really). it's killing me that I can't make spicy stuff, but that's what it is.
How about something cooked a bit before hand and held in the oven, like a casserole or something?
Spaghetti Carbonara?
KyAllroad wrote: Pro tip: if there is a shot at "brown-chicken-brown-cow" time at the end of this lovely date-in, don't make a big meal at 9:30 at night. Keep it light and easy, both of you will feel more "enthusiastic" later. (I know you old guys know this already, it was more for the younger members of our posse)
I get it. I have no idea what "brown chicken brown cow" means, though I think I may have figured it out through deductive reasoning.
EDIT, Oh, I see. I urban dictionary'ed it
Brett_Murphy wrote: How about something cooked a bit before hand and held in the oven, like a casserole or something? Spaghetti Carbonara?
Too many kids being too active to reliably cook something ahead, but thanks for the suggestion.
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