Americans spend an average of 37 minutes preparing and cleaning up meals a day. Our lives are busy, and many choose to spend their time in other ways. We also like to eat, though.
This article will help you bridge that gap with fancy dinner recipes that are easy to prepare.
Creating an amazing dinner need not take hours and every pot and pan in your kitchen. Here are 11 awesome recipes that you will enjoy making and LOVE eating.
1. Steak Marinade
Many of us equate summer with outdoor barbecue. You will amaze your family and friends with this steak marinade.
Begin by choosing good quality steaks. The interior marbling, not the edge fat, is where the flavor and tenderness lives.
For the marinade, combine:
- Beer or red wine
- Soy or Worcestershire sauce
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Onion powder
- Brown sugar
- Salt
Once you have whisked your marinade, put it in a closed container with the steak and refrigerate. Place them on the grill and cook as desired and serve.
2. Broiled Spicy Chicken Thighs with Sweet and Tangy Honey Glaze
Sweet and tangy combinations are always a crowd-pleaser.
Begin by coating the chicken thighs with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Place them in a broiler pan. Brush the chicken with the honey and apple cider vinegar glaze.
Broil 10 minutes at a time, turning and brushing, with the glaze until cooked through. Serve with a quinoa salad side.
3. Southwestern Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Sweet glazed salmon will make anyone’s mouth water.
Rub the salmon fillets with paprika, chili pepper powder, cumin, sugar, and kosher salt. Glaze with maple syrup and broil until cooked through.
Toss together diced fresh pineapple, cilantro, lime juice from one lime, and maple syrup. Serve with salmon with the pineapple salsa.
4. Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp
As Julia Child said, “With enough butter, anything is good.”
Toss peeled and deveined shrimp with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and place in a baking dish. Roast in the oven until pink.
Add butter into the hot baking dish toss shrimp until the butter melts. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
5. Broiled Asian-Style Flat Iron Steak
Flat iron steak is one of the most tender cuts and less expensive.
Begin by making thin slices of fresh ginger and then chopping it. Sauté in olive oil until soft and aromatic. Add chopped garlic and sauté.
After 1 minute at dry Sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, and water. Simmer until thick. Stir in sesame oil and butter.
Place the flat iron steak on a broiler pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil to desired doneness and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then cut into slices and serve with brown sauce.
6. Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
The name “crab cake” was first coined by Crosby Gaige in the 1930s in his book called New York World’s Fair Cook Book.
Mix eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a bowl. Add crabmeat and breadcrumbs and fold together. Form into crab cakes.
Cook in a preheated pan with canola oil until browned. Serve with chilled tartar sauce made from mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, red onion, lemon, salt, and pepper.
7. Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Moroccan food is known for its extensive combination of spices.
Mix the following spices in a zip lock bag:
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground ginger
- Ground turmeric
- Ground cinnamon
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt
- Garlic
Add olive oil and sugar and blend inside a plastic bag. Tenderize the boneless chicken breasts. Place them inside the plastic bag and express all the air.
Rub the marinade into the chicken breasts and then refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours. Grill them until cooked through. Serve and enjoy.
8. Grilled Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin with Chimichurri
Chimichurri is often described as the Argentine barbecue sauce.
Create the Chimichurri spice rub with the following:
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground giver
- Ground turmeric
- Ground cinnamon
- Cayenne pepper
Now chop shallots and garlic cloves and place in a blender with the following:
- Olive oil
- Sherry wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Some of the spice rub
Blend to a puree, adding spices in small amounts. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Drizzle beef tenderloins with olive oil and pat down with a generous portion of Chimichurri. Grill to desired doneness and serve with Chimichurri sauce.
9. Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate
Let’s not forget the vegetarians among us.
Choose a variety of mini-winter squashes. Cut about 1/4 to 1/3 from the top for a lid. Remove and save the seeds.
Rub the inside with olive or coconut oil, thyme oregano, sea salt, and pepper. Roast until slightly brown, crispy, and fork-tender.
Separate and wash the seed and pat dry. Toss with the same oil and spices as before and roast until brown and crispy. Roast walnuts until aromatic.
Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Sauté chopped onion and celery in olive or coconut oil. Then add garlic, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
Stuff squash with quinoa, walnuts, and parsley and warm through in the oven. Serve with pomegranate, parsley, and roasted squash seeds.
10. Chicken Breasts in Caper Cream Sauce
Do you remember the famous ad, “You can never have too many capers”?
Rub boneless chicken breasts with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed, and garlic powder. Place breasts in melted butter in a large skillet. Turn chicken often, cooking until brown. Reduce heat and continue cooking until done.
Remove chicken from the pan and keep warm. Whisk whipping cream in a skillet over high heat until it thickens. Stir in capers and pour over chicken breasts.
11. Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze
If you love the filet mignon, this balsamic glaze will ignite your taste buds.
Sprinkles freshly ground salt and pepper on both sides of the filet mignon. Place steaks in a hot non-stick skillet and cook until browned on each side. Reduce heat to medium-low and add balsamic vinegar and red wine.
Cover and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Baste with sauce as you turn the meat over. Remove from pan and serve on warm plates with glaze poured over each steak.
Managing Your Home When You’re Making Fancy Dinner Recipes
We all enjoy a nice, clean, stylish home with a delicious hot meal on the table. Most of us do not wear hose, heels, or a dress with pearls and spend our day cleaning and cooking. Our site offers fun ideas to make your house a great home on a money budget.
You can find joy in cooking fancy dinner recipes. Learn about parenting, style, wellness, and entertainment. Make money management and travel planning less hair raising.
Continue exploring our site today for fun and helpful information to add joy in the homelife.