Your wedding anniversary is a special life milestone. If you’re planning a celebration, and in need of easy and elegant anniversary dinner recipe ideas, read on for some tips and inspiration.

Anniversary Party Invitations

Before you plan the menu, shop PurpleTrail’s collection of anniversary party invitations to find the style that’s right for you. If your dinner party will be a small, intimate affair, consider sending dinner party invitations.

Anniversary Dinner Tips

First, set the mood by recreating some of the elements of your wedding day:

• Pick up some of the same flowers you had at your wedding and create a simple center piece with them.
• Download some of your wedding music to your iPod or make a CD to play for the evening.
• Write a personalized note telling him/her how glad you are to be on this journey together.
• Get some candles to decorate your table and surrounding area. Everything tastes better by candle light. Avoid heavily scented candles as they can often overpower food.
• If you have a wedding video, take some time to watch the ceremony portion…particularly your vows and that first kiss you shared in your matrimonial bliss.

Fun & Easy Anniversary Dinner Recipes

(courtesy of foodnetwork.com)

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for searing
• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (2 onions)
• 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 ripe mango’s, peeled, seeded, and small diced
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, to taste (1 pepper)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tuna steaks

Directions:– Saute the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large saute pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. – Add the mangoes, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, until orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the mint. – Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. – Heat a saute pan over high heat for 5 minutes until very hot. Season the tuna liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and then the tuna steaks. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the outside is browned, but the inside is very rare. Serve the tuna on top of the mango salsa.

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Blackened Tilapia Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise Recipe

 Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 4 (10-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 4 Kaiser buns, split, buttered and toasted
• Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise, recipe follows
• Store-bought mango salsa

Directions: – In a shallow dish, combine first 6 ingredients. – Pour melted butter into another shallow dish. Dip fish fillets in melted butter and coat with seasoning mixture. – Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook prepared fish, in batches if necessary, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. -Spread Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise evenly over toasted buns. Place blackened fish on bottom half of bun, top with mango salsa, and cover with top half of bun.

Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

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Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound whole-wheat spaghetti pasta
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 (4-ounce) pieces salmon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:– Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the salmon from the pan. – Add the basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti mixture and toss to combine. Set out 4 serving plates or shallow bowls. Place 1/2 cup spinach in each bowl. – Top with 1/4 of the pasta. Top each mound of pasta with a piece of salmon. Serve immediately. – Here are some delicious dessert ideas, also courtesy of foodnetwork.com. Remember, if it is your first anniversary, eat the top layer of your cake for dessert!

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Easy Berry Dessert

Ingredients:

• 1 pint good quality Greek style plain whole milk yogurt
• 4 to 5 pieces crystallized ginger, grated
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey, look for orange blossom, clover or sage, plus some for drizzling
• 1 orange zested
• 2 pints black berries

Directions: In a bowl combine the yogurt, grated crystallized ginger, honey and orange zest. Let the yogurt mixture sit for about 5 minutes, the flavors will meld together a bit. Divide the blackberries between 4 dessert bowls, top with a large dollop of the yogurt mixture and then give each dollop a drizzle of honey for a sweet finish.

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Easy Sticky-Toffee Dessert For Your Anniversary Party

For the cake: Ingredients:

• Butter, for baking dish plus 1/4 cup, melted
• Scant 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped, rolled dates
• For the sauce:
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• Approximately 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in little blobs
• 2 1/4 cups boiling water

Directions For the cake:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 1 1/2-quart capacity baking dish. Combine the sugar with the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring cup, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared baking dish. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look very full; it will by the time it cooks. Directions For the sauce:  Sprinkle the sugar over the cake mixture and dot with butter. Pour over the boiling water (yes really!) and transfer to the oven. Set the time for 45 minutes, though you might find the dessert needs 5 or 10 minutes more. The top of the dessert should be springy and spongy when it’s cooked underneath, the butter, dark brown sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche or heavy or light cream, as you wish.

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Don’t forget the champagne for your romantic evening. Enjoy your dinner party planning with these easy anniversary dinner recipe ideas! Read more on 50th Wedding Anniversary Party Planning Ideas.

 

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