Brought to you by Nuffnang and IKEA Australia
I am all for enjoying the little things in life, especially the ways we try to keep our relationship lively. As I enjoy cooking and complementarily, my beloved enjoys home-cooked food, stay-home dates work for us. In fact, I can hardly remember the last time we went out for dinner just the two of us. Usually if we go out for dinner, it is with a group of friends. To some people, it may sound like we are headed for happily retired couplesville. Personally, I feel there’s something about stay-home dates which feel really cosy and intimate. Dressing down, totally in the comfort of our home, warm food and cuddles, I’ve got to say it is a fantastic idea – especially in the winter months, no?
While planning a date night is much easier as compared to inviting friends over for dinner, I do make an effort to ensure our date nights feel a little more special, for example by decorating with fresh flowers and candles, trying a new recipe and picking up a movie that both of us will enjoy. I could also take the planning a little further with the help of the new IKEA Wintertainer Facebook app.
If you love Pinterest and mood boards like myself, this easy-to-use app will help you plan for meals with friends and family, date night to celebrations. All you have to do is to choose an occasion, which part of the house you wish to hold the occasion (i.e. breakfast bar, dining room, kitchen, living room etc), the menu and IKEA products to set the ambiance you have in mind. After you’ve submitted your selections to IKEA Australia, you’ll see a mood board resembling what I’ve done with my date night mood board above.
You’ve probably noticed I have a clean and clear glass theme on my mood board. The practical side of me always goes for a timeless theme rather than a trendy one. With my penchant for fresh flowers, a short clear glass ENSIDIG vase caught my attention. I love the look of a clear glass vase displaying the beautiful flower stems. There’s something about a clear glass display exudes sleek elegance. Being a short vase, it makes an ideal centrepiece for a dining table and coffee table.
{IKEA 365+ Serving stand, three tiers, clear glass, stainless steel}
Speaking of centrepiece ideas, I really like having fresh fruits as a table centrepiece. Just because it is an edible one ha! Instead of the conventional fruit bowl, having sliced fruits on a tiered serving stand like this one from IKEA is simply stunning, perfect for those who enjoy fruits as dessert like us.
Creating an event mood board via the app really tested my creative thinking. I like to think of it as my virtual stylist without breaking the bank. As for you, it is also an opportunity to turn your idea to life as your selections will be entered into the IKEA Wintertainer competition for a chance to win one of twelve, $500 IKEA gift cards.
Inspired by my own date night mood board above, I’ve made this effortless and decadent salmon dish which turned out to be a date-night-worthy dish even though it was a deviation from baked salmon with horseradish compote as per the above. I did not have horseradish on hand, one thing lead to another and, the grilled salmon fillets with wasabi and lemon cream sauce were what I came up with.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsps sour cream
- 1½ Tbsps mayonnaise
- 1 - 2 tsps wasabi
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- About 3 tsps chopped spring onion (aka scallion)
- Water
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- ½ Tbsp light soy sauce
- Generous amount of freshly milled black pepper
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 2 salmon fillets
- Dried chilli flakes
Instructions
- To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients except for the water in a small bowl with a fork until well mixed. Add water gradually to your desired consistency. I actually like the consistency to resemble a thick cream. Cover with a cling wrap and set aside in the fridge.
- While waiting for the griddle to be heated over the stove, on large flat plate, whisk together cooking oil, soy sauce, pepper and lemon juice. Coat the salmon fillets with the marinade on both sides.
- Gently place the salmon fillets over the griddle and cook on both sides until golden brown and the flesh turned opaque on the sides of the salmon fillets.
- To serve, place the salmon fillets on a flat plate and spoon the wasabi-lemon cream sauce over them. Garnish with more freshly milled black pepper, dried chili flakes and chopped spring onions. Serve immediately with your choice of steam vegetables. My pick was steamed green beans.
Whether it is a simple date night, family dinner or celebratory occasion, I’d love to see your entertaining ideas in these winter months (aka ‘Wintertaining’) to have the chance of becoming a reality. There will be 12 winners in total, with winners released weekly. I should also add that there will be a winner’s gallery on the IKEA Home of Inspiration web page, filled with great ideas.
If this is something that interests you, do explore the IKEA Australia’s ‘Wintertainer’ Facebook app below. Have fun & good luck!
[…] Get the recipe here […]