Romantic Meals to Dine al Fresco

By Sloane Taylor

Starry summer nights are ripe for romance and dining al fresco. Enhance the mood with Romantic Meals to dine al Fresco, candles, wine, and your favorite music. Fire up your grill and share a romantic dinner with your someone special. Then let the night take you away.

Create 45 delicious and complete meals for two that can be cooked on your grill or stove. No exotic or expensive ingredients needed. These 103 recipes use everyday products already in your kitchen cabinets. Increasing the dinners is a snap for those fun nights friends or family join you.

Romantic Meals to dine al Fresco, Book 2 in the Meals to Make Together series, is an ideal gift for a hostess, bridal shower, anniversary, or the couple who craves a fresh flavor in their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sloane Taylor
• Release date: May 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781732363557

Sloane Taylor

Award-Winning author Sloane Taylor is a sensual woman who believes humor and sex are healthy aspects of our everyday lives and carries that philosophy into her books. She writes sexually explicit romances that takes you right into the bedroom. Being a true romantic, all her stories have a happy ever after. Her books are set in Europe where the men are all male and the North American women they encounter are both feminine and strong. They also bring more than lust to their men’s lives. Taylor was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Studly, her mate for life, and Taylor now live in a small home in Indiana and enjoy the change from city life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/ every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy. Taylor currently has five erotic romance books released by Toque & Dagger Publishing with more releasing in the near future.

Book preview

Beef

1. Barbequed Brisket

2. Beef Kabobs

3. Grilled Sirloin Steak

4. Grilled Steak & Cheese Sandwiches

5. Marinated Skirt Steak

6. Marinated & Grilled Tenderloin

7. Philly Steak Sandwiches

8. Sloppy Joes

9. Stuffed Hamburgers

Pork

1. Barbequed Spareribs

2. Braised Chops ala Dru

3. Country Style Ribs

4. Grilled Bone-in Chops

5. Italian Sausage Sandwiches

6. Marinated Pork Loin

7. Pan-fried Ham Steak

8. Pork Braised in White Wine

9. Pork Tenderloin Kabobs

Poultry

1. Boiled Chicken

2. Chicken Grilled with Vegetables

3. Chicken Kabobs

4. Chicken Salad

5. Chicken Sandwiches

6. Garnished Chicken Thighs

7. Lemon Chicken

8. Oven-fried Chicken

9. Sautéed Chicken

10. Turkey Breast on the Grill

Fish & Seafood

1. Baked Cod

2. Cod on the Grill

3. Cod Italian Style

4. Marinated Salmon

5. Pan-fried Bass

6. Pan-fried Cod

7. Salmon on the Grill

8. Shrimp on the Grill

9. Tilapia on the Grill

International Dishes

1. Bacon & Potato Quiche (Ireland)

2. Boiled Beef Brisket (Italy)

3. Bratwurst & Sauerkraut (Germany)

4. Chicken in Tomato Sauce (Switzerland)

5. Mediterranean Chicken & Vegetable Salad (France)

6. Sautéed Flounder (Denmark)

7. Skewered Pork (Greece)

8. Steak (Portugal & Spain)

9. Sweet & Sour Pork (China)

Salads, Sandwiches, Sauces, Soups,

&

Extras

Salads

1. Avocado

2. Coleslaw

3. Fresh Fruit

4. Greek

5. Leafy Greens with Creamy Garlic Dressing

6. Mixed Greens (Portugal)

7. My Mom's Potato Salad

8. Pasta

9. Peach

10. Pear

11. Snazzy Sliced Tomatoes

12. Stuffed Tomatoes

13. Swiss (Switzerland)

14. Summer Potato (Germany)

15. Tossed

16. Zesty Tomatoes

SANDWICHES

1. Chicken

2. Grilled Steak

3. Italian Sausage

4. Philly Cheese

SAUCES / DRESSINGS

1. Basic Swiss (Switzerland)

2. Creamy Garlic

3. French Style (Switzerland)

4. Herbed Mayo

5. Italian Style (Switzerland)

6. Parsley (Denmark)

7. Tartar

8. Tzatziki (Greece)

SOUP

1. Egg Drop (China)

2. Melon & Nectarine (France)

3. Vegetable – Gazpacho (Portugal)

Extras

1. Fried Cheese – Saganaki (Greece)

2. Garlic Infused Olive Oil

3. Honey Scones (Ireland)

4. Red Wine & Fruit Punch – Sangria (Spain)

5. Spiked Watermelon

Veggies

1. Asparagus, Steamed & Fried

2. Asparagus, Grilled

3. Asparagus Vinaigrette

4. Baked Beans

5. Beets, Pickled (Denmark)

6. Broccoli, Lemon Garlic

7. Broccoli, Sautéed

8. Carrots, Glazed

9. Cauliflower, Cheesy

10. Green Beans

11. Mushrooms, Sautéed

12. Potatoes, Baked on the Grill

13. Potatoes, Boiled

14. Potatoes, Caramelized (Denmark)

15. Potatoes, Fried (Portugal)

16. Potatoes, Fried Shredded Cake (Switzerland)

17. Potatoes, Homemade Fries

18. Potatoes, Mashed

19. Potatoes, Parsley

20. Potatoes, Roasted on the Grill

21. Sauerkraut

22. Snap Peas, Herbed

23. Snow Peas, Stir-fried (China)

24. Sweet Corn, Roasted on the Grill

25. Sweet Potatoes, Baked

Bonus Content

Conversion Chart

Cooking Tips

MEAT

BEEF

A good portion of Americans love barbeque. We hold annual cookoffs across our country that bring in thousands of people and some of them win big bucks. I've never dared to compete. Definitely a coward am I. But please allow me to share what I think is a fine recipe with y'all.

Serve with Pasta Salad, Fruit Salad, and Dry Red Wine – Merlot or Beer.

BARBEQUED BRISKET

1½ – 2 lbs. (750g – 1kg) beef brisket

5 sprigs marjoram or ¾ tsp. (3.75ml) dried

1½ cups (350ml) beef stock, not broth

½ cup (120ml) dry red wine

1 tbsp. (15ml) balsamic vinegar

1 lg. garlic clove, slivered

Mix all ingredients into a plastic bag or glass bowl. Marinate 3 hours – overnight. No matter the time length you choose be sure to refrigerate until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 325° F (160°C).

2 tbsp. (30ml) olive oil

1 cup (250ml) beef stock, not broth

Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade. Pat meat dry.

Pour oil into a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Heat to shimmering over medium-high heat. Add brisket and brown on all sides. Position meat fat side up. Pour on stock and then cover the pot.

Set pan in oven. Roast 2 – 3 hours or until brisket is tender. Check every hour and add more stock if necessary. Meat is done when the tip of a small sharp knife slides in easily.

Sauce

½ cup (120ml) ketchup

½ cup (120ml) beer

⅓ cup (75ml) dry red wine

¼ cup (60ml) Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. (30ml) honey

½ cup (60g) brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. (2.5ml) dry mustard

1 dash ground red pepper, cayenne

1 lg. garlic clove, minced

1 med. shallot, chopped fine

Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Maintain a soft boil for 20 minutes. Stir frequently.

When you're ready to serve, slice brisket thin across the grain. Slather on sauce or serve on fresh rolls with plenty of sauce on the side.

Add a little romance to a starry evening with a fine supper perfect for two. Uncork the wine and enjoy!

Serve with Baked Potatoes on the Grill, Avocado Salad, and Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon.

BEEF KABOBS

1 – 1½ lbs. (500 – 750g) sirloin steak, trimmed of fat

1 lg. onion, quartered

1 med. yellow pepper, seeded and ribs removed

1½ cups (350ml) garlic infused olive oil* (recipe in Extras section)

½ cup (125ml) dry red wine

2 rosemary sprigs or 1½ tsp. (7.5ml) dried

6 parsley sprigs or 1½ tsp. (7.5ml) dried

Freshly ground pepper to taste

10 – 16 cherry tomatoes

10 – 16 baby bella mushrooms, stems removed

Vegetable oil for grill

Cut beef into 1½ in. (3.8cm) pieces and then place into a plastic bag or bowl. Separate onion sections, add to meat. Slice yellow pepper into 1 in. (2.54cm) pieces and add to meat.

Add remaining ingredients, except tomatoes and mushrooms, to the meat mixture. Marinate 6 – 20 hours in fridge. Sirloin requires a long marinate to make it super tender. Filet, porterhouse, and rib eye work well in this recipe. Only marinate them for 3 – 4 hours as they are tender cuts.

Coat grill lightly with olive oil. Set grill to medium.

Thread steak and veggies onto skewers, e.g.: sirloin, onion, sirloin, yellow pepper, sirloin, tomato, sirloin, mushroom, and so on. Make sure all the pieces touch but aren't jammed against one another. Discard remaining marinade.

Grill 10 – 15 minutes. Turn skewers frequently so meat cooks evenly.

No skewers? No problem.

Drain sirloin mixture in a colander. Heat a skillet on the grill or stove. Add beef mixture, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Sauté 10 – 15 minutes, stirring and turning frequently.

*If you use regular olive oil add 3 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped fine.

Summer is meant for fun, romantic evenings, and great steaks. This flavorful dinner is sure to win the heart of your someone special.

Serve with Baked Potatoes on the Grill, Leafy Greens with Creamy Garlic Dressing, and Red Wine – Pinot Noir.

GRILLED SIRLOIN STEAK

1½ lbs. (750g) sirloin steak, cut 1 – 1½ in. (2.50 – 3.80cm)

½ cup (120ml) garlic infused oil* (recipe in Extras section)

¼ cup (60ml) dry red wine

1 tbsp. (15ml) basil

1 tbsp. (15ml) oregano

Cut slits in fat around the meat so it doesn't curl when cooked.

Combine all ingredients into a plastic bag or glass bowl. Marinate 5 – 9 hours in fridge. Sirloin can be tough. A long marinate