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Congratulations on your marriage and your desire to make this first Valentine's Day a special one. This celebration of course is geared toward flowers, gifts of the heart, chocolate and other sweets, and an emphasis on red often matched with white and pink colors. The indoor picnic on the floor is a good one as expressed by others. Candles and red roses are traditional and welcome...maybe even put a paper or candy heart on the outside of the door so he will see that before you even open the door. Your smile when you first see him will do much to set the tone.
Since I am not sure of your specific dietary preferences and restrictions, I won't offer any recipes for the main portion of the meal, but I do offer here a nice dessert. It is attractive with the red color of the berry sauce served on top. If you do consume alcohol, the sauce can be made with a berry liqueur as one of the components. When I make the sauce I like to use red raspberries and Chambord as the liqueur. It is not really difficult to make and can be made several hours in advance.
Good luck!
Puddings, Custards, and Molded Desserts 251 (Panna Cotta 01 - with Fresh Berry Sauce)
1 envelope (2½ teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
¼ cup whole milk
3 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
½ cup sugar
unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing
Fresh Berry Sauce (recipe below)
1. In small bowl, combine the gelatin and milk. Stir well and set aside to soften for about 5 minutes.
2. In saucepan, combine the cream and sugar, place over medium heat, and stir frequently until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in the gelatin mixture and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and the gelatin is completely
dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour into a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Immediately place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease six 6-ounce custard cups or timbale molds with butter. Pour or spoon the cooled cream mixture into the prepared containers, distributing evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or for up to 12 hours.
4. To serve, dip the bottom of a container into a bowl of hot water for about 30 seconds, then run a thin, flexible knife blade around the inside edges of the container. Invert a serving plate over a container, invert the plate and container together, and carefully lift off the container. Repeat with the remaining containers. Optional: Spoon sauce over the tops and garnish with berries.
NOTE: A pie plate may be used rather than individual custard cups and the sauce poured over the top or into a well formed in the dessert.
Fresh Berry Sauce
4 cups seasonal berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or berry flavored liqueur, to taste.
1. In a food processor or blender, puree the berries. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove seeds, if desired.
2. Add the sugar and lemon juice or liqueur to taste and mix well.
3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Yields 6 servings
What great ideas on this thread. If we weren't going out to dinner, I would definitely try a few.
To the OP, I was trying to think of something that would work in case either or both of you were vegetarian. Maybe fondue? Cheese with bread/veggies and chocolate with fruits/cake would be perfect for Valentine's Day with a great wine. You could feed each other little bites and it's minimal prep work so you could spend time with him instead of rushing about in the kitchen.
You could start the meal wearing a red dress and then change into something more comfortable for dessert.
Some form of Eggs Benedict and you can whip up a batch of meringue kisses with the leftover egg whites.
I would go with Emeril Lagasse on these--Whatever he says.
I just 'made a mistake' on probably both recipes--sigh--now have a very, very lemony hollandaise and who knows what is going on with the meringue kisses. We shall soon see, I suppose.
All because I didn't want to go to MacDonalds' for the egg McMuffin. Cursing myself. LOL. Tomorrow the lemony hollandaise will become a cheesy sauce for broccoli and cauliflower. Something I enjoy at the beginning of spring. Nuke the broc and cauliflower until it is green/hot and sauce it with a mustard/cheese sauce. Yum -Oh--as RR would say.
I want this day to be special. I want to make really nice lunch for my hubby. I was wondering what should I cook, how should I set the table and what to wear! I am feeling lost.
Any ideas how I can make this day special? What are you all doing on this day?
Willing to share a fave recipe for Valentines Day?
Does anyone have a favorite recipe for a main dish that you like to make for special occasions, such as Valentines Day or for dinner guests? Would you be willing to post it? My husband can't eat shellfish, so that rules a lot of yummy choices out. I checked my "go to" recipe site, but nothing jumped out at me.
Liguni with white clam sauce 1 lb linguini 2 cans minced clams 1 bottle clam juice Juice of 1 fresh lemon 6 cloves garlic minced 1 tsp Italian seasoning 5 tbsp olive oil divided
Boil pasta according to package directions In a large sauce pan saute garlic in 3 Tbsp olive oil for about 4 minutes on medium heat, add minced clams with juice, add lemon and cook an additional 3 minutes, add clam juice and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl, pour clam sauce over the pasta and toss well, drizzle with 2 more Tbsp of olive oil and toss again.
For guests I typically make either Spaghetti Pie or Lasagna in the winter. I prefer the Spaghetti Pie....here's my very easy recipe using canned spaghetti sauce with spices added. I've never had a guest which didn't go wild over this.
6oz spaghetti
2 tablespoons margarine
1/3 parmesan cheese (doesn't have to be freshly grated)
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 pound Italian sausage with chopped onion cooked with it
1 can Hunts Mushroom spaghetti sauce ( the cheap kind) plus one small can tomato sauce
1 cup low fat cottage cheese - I crush with a fork or spatula to smooth it and add 1 teaspoon parmesan cheese to the cottage cheese
4 slices of muenster cheese - I find this kind adds the best flavor but you could use mozzarella
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Add about 1/3 cup chopped onion (or more if you want) to the Italian sausage and brown and drain well. Heat the canned spaghetti sauce plus the one can of tomato sauce plus I add a few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, about 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, a shake of basil, 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley. (you can add spices to taste) Add the cooked sausage/onion to the sauce and let it simmer.
Boil the spaghetti with salt in the water and drain. Add black pepper and the margarine and let it melt. Add several pieces of hot spaghetti to the eggs to temper them....keeping adding more pieces of hot spaghetti to the beaten eggs until eggs are tempered .... then dump the eggs into the hot spaghetti and add parmesan cheese.
Put spaghetti mixture in a greased/sprayed large 10 inch pie pan (or use a small oblong casserole or 9 inch cake pan. Note....this is too much for a 9 inch pie pan.) Press the spaghetti up the sides of the pie pan and compress it in the bottom. Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti then top with pieces of the muenster cheese slices. Pour the heated spaghetti sauce and then top with the shredded mozzarella and any remaining muenster slices. Bake at 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with garlic bread and a small salad.
Note: I have used Del Monte canned spaghetti sauce before instead of Hunts. It's ok to use homemade sauce too but the canned is just the right amount plus for convenience I use the cheap canned and add my own spices and my guests never know the difference because they are too busy praising and wanting the recipe. This is what my hubby has asked for this week so I'm making it on Valentines Day.
Happy Valentines Day.....
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Best wishes to you both!
