Published: February 11, 2008 06:57 pm            

Looking for a romantic dinner?

JOPLIN, Mo. — So you’re thinking a nice romantic meal will be the perfect way for you and that special someone to kick off a Valentines Day celebration to remember but you forgot to make dinner reservations and you don’t feel like standing in a line for hour.

Well, have no fear Jose Nieves is here to show you how you can feed your stomach, your soul and maybe, just maybe warm the heart of someone special. We asked Nieves, perhaps better known as Chef Jose, the owner of Personally Yours, to suggest a simple, inexpensive yet romantic dinner for two. We were looking for a dinner that carried with it a certain amount of elegance with a minimal amount of kitchen time. It is, after all, Valentine’s Day.

After some careful deliberation Nieves devised a menu consisting of a entree - Chicken Cilantro - accompanied by a simple salad with balsamic vinaigrette and for desert an instant rice pudding and cinnamon, cardamom and blueberries. The recipes for all three dishes are below.

Nieves said a lot of times people who haven’t spent much time in the kitchen will avoid anything that sounds remotely exotic or the least bit complicated.

“Some people are too intimidated to step outside of their comfort zones when, in fact, there often is nothing to be afraid of,” he said.

Nieves’ Chicken Cilantro is one of those exotic-sounding recipes that is actually remarkably easy and inexpensive to fix. The chicken-based dish is served over rice but can also be served over pasta, with mashed potatoes or with roasted potatoes.

As part of his business Nieves likes to conduct cooking demonstrations for small groups and one of the things that Nieves preaches to his students is the concept of mise en place, which is a French culinary expression that basically means to have all of your ingredients in place before you start to cook. For his Chicken Cilantro Jose begins by chopping up a small onion, a tomato, some garlic, cilantro and parsley and setting them off to the side. He then chops his chicken breast into bite-size cubes.

“It’s so much easier to have everything ready before you start cooking. That way if the phone rings or you get distracted while you’re cooking you don’t lose anything," he said.

Once the ingredients are chopped and ready, Jose starts cooking the rice. Once the rice is boiling he adds a bit of olive oil to a skillet and tosses in garlic and onion and sautés them for a few minutes. He then adds the chicken and tomato and cooks the mixture, stirring frequently, until the chicken starts to brown. Once the chicken is done he adds the cilantro leaves and stirs them just enough to coat the meat.

From start to finish the whole main course part of Nieves' meal takes about 20 minutes.

“Some cooks like to make things more complicated than they need to be,” Nieves said.

The great thing about Nieves' chicken dish is that it can really be a springboard to so many other dishes. For example, if you want you can use this same basic recipe but instead of chicken substitute shrimp or beef. You can also, if you like, add a bit of white wine and some heavy cream to the dish and make a white sauce that would go well over pasta, topped with some parmesan cheese.



Mike Pound writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.





Chef Jose’s perfect rice:

1 cup uncooked rice

2 cups water

Bring rice to boil over high heat. Continue boiling rice until water is almost evaporated. Reduce to low, cover and let stand 15 minutes.







Chicken Cilantro

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 Roma tomato

4 tbsp. olive oil

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves (if you prefer you may substitute basil for cilantro)

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Garnish with chopped parsley



Chop onion, garlic, tomato and set aside. Also chop cilantro and parsley and set aside.

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté. Add chicken and tomato and cook until chicken is slightly browned (5 to 10 minutes). Add cilantro and stir to coat the chicken.

Serve over rice and garnish with chopped parsley.



Simple Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 bags ready to use salad greens

pinch of salt

ground pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, halved and thinly sliced



Toss the greens with salt and pepper together with just enough vinaigrette to coat (about 1/2 cup).

Place the greens in a decorative bowl and top with tomatoes and bell peppers and serve.



Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 cup olive oil



Combine the shallot and basil in a food processor and pulse until the shallot is finely chopped. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and pulse again. While the machine is running, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Pour the vinaigrette into a small bowl.





Instant Rice Pudding and Cinnamon Cardamom and Blueberries



1 cup cooked rice

I cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

I tsp. ground cardamom

I tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup dried blueberries, plus more for garnish



In a medium saucepan, stir together all ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for five minutes, stirring frequently until the pudding is thick and creamy.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish as desired with additional blueberries or a sprinkle of cinnamon.

        

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