This evening was a particularly nice spring evening and we kicked off the date night dinner with an appetizer of fried oysters, followed by a wine walk around the neighborhood (so we would’t feel guilty!) before settling in for the main course. The nice thing about this menu is that all the work is up front on the appetizer. The main course requires very little prep, just timing. Main thing is to cut up the potatoes before even starting on the appetizer and pre-heating the oven while making the oysters. I’m all about efficiency, particularly on a date night, so we can maximize the enjoyment part and minimize the food prep part.
With oysters now a nice memory and the potatoes roasting in the oven, we had plenty of time to enjoy a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc while strolling through the evening spring air around the neighborhood. It’s about a 20 minute walk for us and that’s about perfect for the potatoes to be ready when the tilapia and asparagus are done.
Appetizer
Like I mentioned above, I went ahead and cut up the new potatoes and started pre-heating the oven before making the oysters. That way we could put them in the oven and enjoy our walk. All in they take about an hour and 15 minutes giving us plenty of time for a leisurely walk and then an equally leisurely main course prep.
Main Course
- Pan Seared Tilapia
- Roasted Greek Potatoes
- Grilled Asparagus
At this point, I don’t have a separate recipe for the grilled asparagus since it’s so simple. Pre-heat the grill to medium high. Break off the woody stems and toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt & pepper. Grill until slightly charred, but still green. It retains the best flavor when it still has a crunch to it but it’s been thoroughly cooked. About 7-10 minutes, rolling it occasionally with a grill tool to cook on all sides.
I like to use my cast iron skillet for fillets since I just seem to get a better crispy sear than when using a frying pan. But either way, this simple recipe is pretty bullet proof, provided the fish is fresh!
Dessert
- Espresso with Talenti Caribbean Coconut Gelato
Ok, so I kind of cheated here with dessert out of a container, bit tonight was all about the conversation and less about the cooking. Sometimes it’s the other way around, but I’m not too particular when we’re talking about Talenti gelato. This stuff is the bomb and the fact that this weekend it was buy one get one free at Publix made it a no brainer.