Easy Meals to Impress Your Man

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. One hears tales of how a recipe won a man's heart, "Oh!, he was floored by my cooking!" stories and how a sinful aroma can bring a smile on the face of even the most Neanderthal of men. There's an old joke that cavemen would choose prospective mates, based on the aromas wafting out of a cave!

And if you have a steady man in your life, once in a while remind him that the only kitchen in town worth eating at, is yours! For those of us who are not the creme a la creme of cooks, some easy meals to impress a guy are the need of the hour. Keep reading for cold, hot and mixed recipes, easy to make, easier to eat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 2 cups apples, diced
• 2 cups turkey, cooked and diced
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• Salt
• Mayonnaise

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the mayonnaise and salt.
• Add mayonnaise as needed to bind the ingredients. The salad should be thick, not liquid.
• Season with salt and pepper and chill if needed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boneless chicken breasts, skinned and roasted, then chopped
• 4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can (9 ounces) whole-kernel corn (no-salt variety), drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle Chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Firstly, prepare the salad's dressing in a separate container.
• Mix salt, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, chipotle Chile, sour cream and cilantro in a bowl.
• In a large bowl, toss chicken, lettuce and other vegetables well.
• Using a spoon, lightly drizzle dressing over the salad, then toss gently and serve.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces roast beef, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces goat's cheese, crumbled
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 small lettuce heads, torn into thin pieces
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix vegetables, beef and cheese.
• In a different bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, oil and ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
• Over the salad, drizzle this syrup generously, tossing the salad from time to time.

Ingredients:

• 400g spaghetti
• 200g flat pancetta, sliced into thin strips
• ⅔ cup or 50g Parmesan, grated
• 3 eggs and 1 extra yolk
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 100 ml thick cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

• Saute pancetta over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
• When pancetta turns crisp, add chopped garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
• Remove pan from heat and leave to cool.
• Cook spaghetti as per packet's instructions, drain and keep aside.
• In a bowl, combine eggs, yolk, Parmesan and cream.

• Add salt and pepper as desired, then mix gently with a fork.
• In a cooking pan over low heat, combine egg-Parmesan paste and pancetta.
• Add spaghetti and parsley. Toss lightly to mix pasta and sauce.
• Let the sauce thicken, so that the egg will cook over the pasta. Stir pasta from time to time. Serve hot.

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes, diced into small wedges
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup parsley leaves
• 200g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced into thick strips
• 75g cheddar cheese, grated
• 30g butter (unsalted)

Directions:

• Set the grill on high heat. In a non-stick pan, melt the butter at medium heat.
• Fry the mushrooms and tomatoes for 3-4 minutes, stirring in the middle.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. Add cheese and parsley. Stir well.
• Then add the cooked mushrooms and tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

• At medium heat, melt butter in a pan and add the egg mixture. Stir briefly, leave it to cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Check if the frittata is golden underneath.
• Place pan under grill for 3-4 minutes, such that the top of the frittata is golden and set.
• Place the frittata on a board, divide it into half and serve hot.

Ingredients:

• 2-4 eggs (Opt for 1 or 2 eggs per person)
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 can red enchilada sauce (10 ounce sized can)
• ½ can refried or black beans
• Salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300º F. Place the tortillas on top of each other, wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Cook the beans in a saucepan such that they simmer and bubble.

• In another pan, heat the enchilada sauce such that it simmers. Form a well of sauce around each egg.
• Crack the egg into the well, cover it with the sauce well. Do this for each egg being used.
• Cover the pan. Let the eggs cook for 5-7 minutes, depending on how soft you want the yolks.

• On a plate, place 2 tortillas, spoon a generous amount of beans on them. Then spoon the eggs on the beans.
• Garnish with enchilada sauce. You can be creative and use toppings like grated cheddar, sour cream and salsa.

Ingredients:

• 2 packets frozen cheese ravioli, 30 ounce size (do not thaw the ravioli)
• 1 box frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
• 8 ounces mozzarella, shredded
• 1 jar pasta sauce, 26 ounce
• ½ cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking tray. Layer the bottom with 1/3 of the pasta sauce.
• On the sauce, place 12 ravioli and sprinkle the chopped spinach over them.
• Add half of Parmesan, then add half of the mozzarella cheese.

• Place another layer of ravioli and spoon the leftover sauce and cheese over it.
• Cover the dish with foil and place it in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
• Take out the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes till the cheese on top starts to bubble.

Ingredients:

• 12 corn tortillas, lightly toasted
• 2 cups dark chicken meat, pre-cooked and shredded
• 1 can (4 ounces) green chilies, diced
• 1½ cup green salsa
• 1½ cup "Mexican blend" cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place 4 tortillas at the bottom of the pan.
• Top tortillas with 1 cup of shredded chicken, ½ cup of salsa, 1/3 cup of sour cream, half of the diced chilies and ½ cup of cheese.
• Place another layer of 4 tortillas on top of this layer.

• Top once again with the same amounts of chicken, chilies, cheese, salsa and sour cream.
• Make a last layer of tortillas and top it with remaining quantity of chicken and other ingredients.
• Bake pie for 30-40 minutes, until cheese topping starts to bubble and turn brown.