Valentine’s Day Recipes

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and around this time of year stress levels are high.  But before you panic about what you are going to get that special someone, relax and take a deep breath.  Maybe instead of getting them a traditional box of assorted chocolates or a teddy bear you should consider treating them to a romantic dinner.  Create memories and share stories, do something that will linger in their memory for years instead of collect dust on their shelves. 

Now you may be thinking, “When will I have time to plan an extravagant meal with everything else I have going on?”  No problem, below I’ve compiled some main entrée and dessert recipes that will make this Valentine’s Day a day to remember.  (These are also great for friends celebrating the freedom of being single, or even for families celebrating being together.)

 If you don’t want to just jump right to the entrée you can start off your meal with a simple salad or some biscuits.  Adding things like cheese crumbles, vegetables, and pecans to the salad will spruce it up, and if you feel up to it you can make your biscuits by hand (but don’t feel like you’re cheating if you just buy them from the store).  Just remember, you want them to leave room for your tasty meal and delicious dessert.

Entrees

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

Prep time: 30 min

Bake time: 25 min

4 Tbs. butter or stick margarine, melted

2 Tbs. milk

1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives or parsley

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 cups cornflakes cereal or 1 cup if crushed

3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

½ tsp. paprika

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 ¾ pounds)

1. Heat oven to 425º.  Grease rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
2. Mix 2 Tbs. butter, the milk, chives, salt and garlic powder.  Mix cornflakes, parsley and paprika.  Dip chicken into milk mixture, then coat lightly and evenly with cornflakes mixture.  Place in pan.  Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbs. of butter.
3. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Two-Mustard Chicken

Prep time: 6 min

Bake time: 35 min

½ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup coarse-grained mustard

¼ cup honey

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

(about 2 ½ pounds)

1. Heat oven to 375º.
2. Grease rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.  Mix mustards and honey; spread on both sides of chicken.  Place in pan.
3. Bake uncovered 25 to 35 minutes or until juice is no longer pink when the centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Beef Stew

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 3 hr 30 min

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into ½ pieces

1 medium onion, cut into eighths

1 package (8 ounces) baby-cut carrots

1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (10 ½ ounces) condensed beef broth

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

¹/₃ cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves (optional)

¼ tsp. pepper

12 potatoes (1 ½ pounds), cut into fourths

2 cups sliced mushrooms (5 ounces)

1.      Heat oven to 325º.

2.      Mix all ingredients except potatoes and mushrooms in ovenproof 4-quart Dutch oven.  Cover and bake 2 hours, stirring once.  (Or can substitute Crock Pot and cook on High).

3.      Stir in potatoes and mushrooms.  Cover and bake 1 hr. to 1 hr. 30 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender.

Winter White Lasagna

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 ½ pounds fresh sweet or hot Italian chicken sausage

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

4 Tbs. butter (1/2 stick)

4 Tbs. all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups chicken stock

generous dash of nutmeg

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

4 cups shredded Italian Four Cheese blend, or shredded provolone

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the meat is crumbled and golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper, put aside.
3. While meat is browning, place a large sauce pot over medium heat and melt butter.  Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook it for about 1 minute, stirring.  Whisk in the milk and chicken stock and bring the sauce to a bubble.  Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then simmer until it thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Assemble the lasagna by ladling a small amount (about ½ cup) of the sauce into the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish.  Lay 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce and top them with about 1/3 of the sausage-mushroom mixture.  Top with about 1 cup of the sauce and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  Make 2 more layers, by repeating the previous steps.
5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Desserts

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Prep time: 20 min.

Bake time: 40 min.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 Tbs. baking cocoa

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup milk

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts (if desired)

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup baking cocoa

1 ¾ cups very hot water

Ice cream if desired

(If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt)

1. Heat oven to 350º.
2. Mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 Tbs. cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a ungreased square pan 9x9x2 inches.  Mix in milk, oil and vanilla with fork until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Spread in pan.
3. Sprinkle brown sugar and ¼ cup cocoa over batter.  Pour water evenly over batter.
4. Bake about 40 minutes or until top is dry.  Cool 10 minutes.
5. Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes.  Top with ice cream.  Spoon sauce from pan onto each serving.

Chocolate Mousse

Prep time: 25 min.

Chill time: 2 hr.

4 large egg yolks

¼ cup sugar

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1 package (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 ½ cups whipping (heavy) cream

1. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored.  Gradually beat in sugar.
2. Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart sauce pan over medium heat just until hot.
3. Gradually stir at least half of the hot cream into egg yolk mixture, then stir egg yolk mixture back into remaining hot cream in saucepan.  Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not boil).
4. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled.
5. Beat 1 ½ cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl on high speed until stiff.  Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream (don’t stir or it will loose its lightness).  Pipe or spoon mixture into dessert dishes or stemmed glasses.  Refrigerate covered until serving.  Can top with fresh fruit or chocolate curls for a special touch.

Tiramisu

Prep time: 30 min.

Chill time: 4 hr.

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbs. light rum or ½ tsp. rum extract (optional)

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1 package (3 oz) ladyfingers (12)

½ cup cold prepared espresso or strong coffee

2 tsp. baking cocoa

*can substitute chocolate milk for coffee

*can substitute vanilla wafers for   ladyfingers (if desperate)