Valentine's Dinners

[lcsamano]

Well it is about a month and half away but I need to figure out a romantic evening for my husband. I am thinking about cooking a really nice meal more than likely steak and potatoes. I also will have salad and bread. I am not sure of what to make for dessert as of yet. Thinking of something with strawberries.

Do you know what you will prepare?

[medako]

Ya know, I might not mind going out for dinner this year, but I know it won't happen, so I might as well start thinking about what to make.

I might just do a simple baked ziti, crusty bread, salad and some sort of dessert (maybe with strawberries and/or ice cream). And of course, a bottle of wine, probably Principato (Olive Garden's house wine)

orrrrrrrr.....maybe i can convince hubby to make dinner. He's cooked valentine's dinner once, but I must say, it was a big hit!

[Barkely]

Good idea, I am also hoping to go out to dinner. If not I would love to make some seafood, shrimp or lobster, and maybe a salad, and a baked potato, with some cheesy biscuits, or hush puppies sounds good. Maybe I should just make my husband take me out for seafood.

[Angewl_73]

We usually try and go out on Valentines Day. I always pick Red Lobster. lol

I LOVE their broiled flounder and their shrimp pasta.

Their bread? YUMMMMMY!

[r8rpwr]

Ooh, great thread!

We NEVER go out on V-day, the crowds are insane. I just can't deal. Much more romantic to stay home all by ourselves.

In the past I have done:

Veal Oskar (sp?)
Crab cakes
Parmesan sage crusted pork chops
London broil

Last year I made fried ice cream balls for dessert. YUM! It's kind of a PITA to do for only 2 people though, but very fun and special.

I have also done individual chocolate chunk bread puddings for dessert (recipe from cooking light).

I'm sure I will be back with more ideas. This is one of my favorite dinners of the year.

[Mrs. Chipotle]

Here is what I made last year. Jury still out for this time around, but I always try to come up with something really special:


Black Cherry and Black Pepper Lamb Chops with Sweet Pea Risotto

1 quart chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus some for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup peas, defrosted
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 loin lamb chops, each 1 1/2 inches thick
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black cherry all fruit preserves (recommended: Polaner brand)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, eyeball it in your palm
Salt


Place the stock in a small pot and warm it up over medium low heat.
Place an oven rack 8 inches from broiler and preheat broiler to high.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 turn of the pan, with a tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium to medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add onions and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes the add Arborio and cook a minute more. Add wine and cook it all away, 1 minute. Add a few ladles of warm broth and let that cook off, stirring occasionally. The risotto will take 22 minutes to cook. Add a ladle of broth from time to time until risotto is starchy, creamy and cooked to al dente. Add peas about 2 minutes before serving. Add in cheese, chopped mint and parsley just before serving.

When the risotto is half-cooked, 10 minutes from being done, drizzle the chops with extra-virgin olive oil and arrange on a slotted broiler plan. Place chops in oven under hot broiler and cook 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare. Place a tiny pan on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and shallots to the pan. Cook shallots 2 minutes then add the preserves and whisk them together with balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Heat to a bubble then remove from heat and add remaining pat of butter. Whisk butter into sauce.

Season the risotto with salt to taste. Place a generous serving of risotto into shallow dinner plates. Arrange 2 chops on each plate alongside the risotto and drizzle the black cherry pepper glaze over the chops and garnish plates with extra sprigs of mint.

Grilled Baby Vegetables

6 baby zucchini, halved lengthwise, 1/2 pound
2 to 3 baby eggplants, thinly sliced lengthwise, 1/2 pound
12 baby portobello mushrooms, criminis
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 rounded teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons grill seasoning, 2/3 palm full (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning blend by McCormick)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Preheat a grill pan, indoor or outdoor grill to medium high-high heat. Place the vegetables in a large plastic food storage bag. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stream in the extra-virgin olive oil and beat dressing with a fork. Pour dressing into the food storage bag and seal bag. Coat the vegetables evenly with dressing then grill vegetables a couple of minutes on each side until marked and tender. Arrange on a small platter.

[lcsamano]

Ooh, great thread!

We NEVER go out on V-day, the crowds are insane. I just can't deal. Much more romantic to stay home all by ourselves.

In the past I have done:

Veal Oskar (sp?)
Crab cakes
Parmesan sage crusted pork chops
London broil

Last year I made fried ice cream balls for dessert. YUM! It's kind of a PITA to do for only 2 people though, but very fun and special.

I have also done individual chocolate chunk bread puddings for dessert (recipe from cooking light).

I'm sure I will be back with more ideas. This is one of my favorite dinners of the year.

It is insane. I usually get my dinner out either the day before or the day after. We went out one year on Valentines and ended up waiting almost 2 hours at Olive Garden. Never again will I do that.

[medako]

We did go out for Valentine's 2 years ago (I think) and only because we were out shopping and hungry. We hit up a small mexican place in the middle of the afternoon (about 3:30) and it's wasn't too bad. Of course, I'm sure the crowds got insane after we left, but we apparently did pretty good of hitting a slower time of day.

But if I had to choose to go out or stay in for a "valentines dinner", it would be stay in...hands down.

[Mrs. Chipotle]

I'm considering penne with vodka cream sauce this year. With homemade bread and a special dessert. Maybe a creative and tasty appetizer too.

That's not super fancy, but the husband will probably like it better than anything, so it's all good.

[Angewl_73]

We usually head out earlie then dinner time. Like shortly after the kids get out of school. lol Get there before dinner time before the crowds get bad.