7 Valentine’s Day recipes!
What’s Valentine’s Day without a great dinner! Flowers and Candy are cool too, but a romantic dinner for two with good food is at the top of my list anytime!
If you are in a new relationship and still getting to know one another, cooking together can be a great opportunity to bond and take the relationship to the next level.
On the other hand, if your relationship has been around the block a few times, a romantic dinner at home and some friendly kitchen banter could help put the spice back into things! Dinner at home comes with some really good perks too. It’s personal, it’s private, it’s comfortable and you can drink all the wine you want because you don’t have to drive anywhere after dinner!
Today I am sharing some easy sure fire recipes great for a romantic dinner for two on Valentine’s Day! This article features 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and a delicious dessert for two. Feel free to mix and match to create the dinner experience you want!
APPETIZERS- Bruschetta and Stuffed Mushrooms
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- 4 slices of frozen garlic bread thawed
- 1½ cups of fresh salsa
- ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Top each slice of garlic bread with 2 tsps of salsa
- Cover with mozzarella cheese
- Bake for 5-6 min or until cheese is melted and bread has started to brown
- Serve hot
- 2 large mushroom caps washed and cleaned
- ½ stick of cream cheese
- ½ cup of pancetta
- 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves coarsely chopped
- ½ of a small onion diced
- ¼ tsp chives
- ½ cup of gruyere cheese shredded
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a small pan saute' the pancetta and onions until lightly browned and set aside on a paper towel to cool and allow some of the oil to drain off
- In a bowl combine the cream cheese, chives and spinach
- Mix in the pancetta and onion and lightly season with salt and pepper
- On a cooking sheet drizzle some olive oil and place the mushroom caps on the sheet
- Add 2 tbsp of the mixture to each mushroom cap and cover with gruyere cheese
- Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the mushroom and cheese has browned
- Serve hot
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Lets Get into the Entree’s
These are classic but simply entree’s that are timeless. I have paired the first entree with some asparagus. Any green or orange vegetable would really go well with the flavors of the sauce and twice baked potato. Also with the first entree I would pair a really nice Pinot Noir because it will go well with thee flavors on the plate and provide for an all around experience.
Tenderloin Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce & Twice Baked Potato
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- 2- 1½ inch thick beef tenderloin medallions
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper
- PEPPERCORN SAUCE
- ⅓ cup finely chopped shallot
- 1 clove of fresh garlic chopped
- ¼ cup of cognac
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp crushed peppercorns
- ¼ cup of heavy cream
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Lightly season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper
- Heat a medium sized skillet with olive oil over medium heat
- Add in the tenderloin and allow to cook for about 8-10 minutes turning continuously
- Remove from pan and place in a plate to rest.
- SAUCE
- In the same sauce pan, add the shallot and garlic to the juices let over from the tenderloin. Allow to fry until just tender
- Deglaze the pan by adding in the cognac (make sure you get all the bits from the bottom of the pan)
- Reduce heat and add the beef stock and peppercorns and let simmer for about five minutes
- In a bowl wisk together the heavy cream and cornstarch
- Stir mixture into the pan slowly and let simmer and thicken
- Stir in dijon mustard and taste for seasoning
- If need put in some sea salt and pepper to taste
- Stir well making sure all ingredients are mix and serve hot with tenderloin medallions.
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- 2 baking potatoes (washed and wrapped separately in foil)
- ¼ cup of sour cream
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tsp chives
- ¼ cup of whole milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Rest the potatoes in the oven directly on the cooking rack and allow to bake for about 30 minutes or until soft all the way through.
- Remove the potato from the oven and make a small oval shaped cut in the top of the potato
- Using a spoon carefully scoop out all the inside of the potato and place into a bowl (be careful not to rip the skin)
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together well
- Scoop or pipe the mixture back into the potato skin and put it back into the oven for about ten minute or until the potato has started to brown
- Remove from the oven and serve hot.
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Baked Salmon & Kale and Rice
This dish is so delicate and light. The rice is packed with kale, therefore you really don’t need to add another vegetable, but if you want to, another green vegetable like broccoli or Brussel sprouts would go well with this dish. The flavors in this dish are subtle and pair well with a really nice Pinot Grigio or a bright Sauvignon blanc.
- 2 Pieces of fresh salmon skin on
- ½ stick of garlic butter melted and cooled
- ½ of a lemon
- black pepper and sea salt
- foil paper
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
- Place the Salmon in a dish and squeeze the lemon juice over it.
- Let it sit for about five minutes
- On a cooking sheet lay out two pieces of foil big enough to cover each piece of fish seperately.
- Place a piece of salmon on each piece of foil skin side down.
- Slowly pour the garlic butter over the salmon and season very lightly with salt and pepper
- Fold the corners of the foil in towards each other making sure all the juice will be kept inside the foil and there are no holes.
- Fold over the top of the foil so that it stays sealed.
- Let stand for ten minute before placing the cooking sheet in the oven,
- Place the sheet in the oven and allow the salmon to bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cooking sheet from the oven and carefully transfer the salmon onto a plate.
- Serve salmon hot.
- ½ Stick of butter
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup of a pancetta
- 1 tsp crushed ginger
- 1 garlic clove finely diced
- 1 cup of rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups coarsely chopped kale
- salt & pepper to taste
- In a medium sized pot with a lid saute' the onions and pancetta in the butter
- Once soft stir in the ginger thyme and garlic
- Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat and add in rice and kale
- Add salt and pepper to taste and cover for about 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Leave the lid on the pot and remove the pot from the heat.
- Allow the steam to finish cooking the rice for another ten minutes.
- Serve hot
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Desert -Banana Chocolate Trifle
This Dessert is everything!!! It’s full of delicious goodness. Valentine’s Day just got kicked up a notch. I’ve used to 6 inch round cake pans to make the cake for this dessert so that I could get the layered effect and also make the cake look smaller. You could use any size pan you want depending on how you want the finished presentation to look. This is a dessert you will make again and again because it is that good!
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- Cake
- ⅔ cups of Butter
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of bananas mashed
- 1 cup of chocolate chunks
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 cups flour
- 1tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Toppings
- 1 cup of berries
- 1 small tub of cool whip
- 2 small box of instant vanilla pudding (follow instructions on box)
- chocolate syrup
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a mixing bowl cream together butter , sugar, and eggs
- Add in vanilla, baking soda and banana and mix together well
- Add in flour mix well
- Add in chocolate chunks and mix well
- Bake cake in non-stick pan for 45 minutes
- While cake is baking mix together vanilla pudding and allow to set
- Once cake is cooled completely top with a thick layer of pudding
- Cover with cool whip, then drizzle chocolate sauce and top with berries
- Keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
Valentine’s Day Wishes
Valentine’s Day should be everyday. If you ask me it’s always a good time to celebrate and feel and be loved. Enjoy these recipes and whether you are spending Valentine’s Day with someone special or celebrating it with your entire family and friends make it a good one!
