This dish from this siste is terrific: http://www.food52.com/recipes/7374_caramelized_butternut_squash_wedges_with_a_sage_hazelnut_pesto
and would be great with a special salad and great bread.
Lifelong vegetarian here! Is the vegetarian in question a fan of smoky flavors? I think a nice charred-roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish with an interesting sauce (creamy or tomato-based or a la ArielleClementine's smoked paprika dressing) is a great addition to the table: http://www.food52.com/recipes/2625_roasted_broccoli_with_smoked_paprika_vinaigrette_and_marcona_almonds. A beautiful thai coconut curry would likely impress--I'd go for something like http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/cashew-curry-recipe.html, and try it with a dense-flesh winter squash like Buttercup or Red Kuri. Make sure you have some grain like rice or noodles to balance the meal. On the squash note, you could roast and stuff an acorn squash with a ginger-inflected quinoa pilaf.
When thinking of romance, imagine how the person being honored will feel when eating the meal. Something too heavy or cold may make them feel less than sultry and sexy, so it's a balance of warm and spicy without weighing the person down, and adding a little intrigue with spice-inflected dishes. And barring all that, perhaps go for a meal that is a little messy, fun, better eaten with hands like tacos--your love will let their guard down pretty fast and appreciate the chance to just dig in and eat exactly what they want with a customizable-toppings dish like that.
How about individual vegetarian lasagna's, a fabulous Caesar salad and some squash crostini to start.
or go Mexican -- butternut squash enchiladas, bibb salad with lime vinaigrette, toasted pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese. All washed down with some pomegranate margaritas.
Japanese -- seaweed salad, vegetable tempura, noodle soup.
Other ideas -- Vegetable paella, a souffle of cheese & hazelnuts, chard & leek fritters with mushroom sauce & poached duck egg (not sure if eggs are in or out), mushroom raqout w/ eggs & yogurt sauce, decadent corn chowder followed by a mushroom & fontina tart w/ a green salad, a creamy risotto, your favorite ravioli with a butter and herb sauce.
4 Comments
and would be great with a special salad and great bread.
When thinking of romance, imagine how the person being honored will feel when eating the meal. Something too heavy or cold may make them feel less than sultry and sexy, so it's a balance of warm and spicy without weighing the person down, and adding a little intrigue with spice-inflected dishes. And barring all that, perhaps go for a meal that is a little messy, fun, better eaten with hands like tacos--your love will let their guard down pretty fast and appreciate the chance to just dig in and eat exactly what they want with a customizable-toppings dish like that.
or go Mexican -- butternut squash enchiladas, bibb salad with lime vinaigrette, toasted pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese. All washed down with some pomegranate margaritas.
Japanese -- seaweed salad, vegetable tempura, noodle soup.
Other ideas -- Vegetable paella, a souffle of cheese & hazelnuts, chard & leek fritters with mushroom sauce & poached duck egg (not sure if eggs are in or out), mushroom raqout w/ eggs & yogurt sauce, decadent corn chowder followed by a mushroom & fontina tart w/ a green salad, a creamy risotto, your favorite ravioli with a butter and herb sauce.