Happy Valentine’s day!!
I got married on February 14th, this was my husband’s idea, to get married on the most romantic day of the year.
Valentine’s is what you make it. You could make “stuff” in heart shapes all day. Or maybe you would choose typical “romantic foods” such as white wine/champagne & shrimps or oysters. A little note in a lunchbox or pocket could even be enough. I think it is a little boring with chocolate dipped strawberries or boxes. I love it, but it’s very predictable.
You can make your favorite food served in a romantic way. It’s really not all about what you eat, but how you eat it or how it was presented, you can spiff up any meal to make it romantic or sexy…
I cut rose petals into little hearts. You just fold them over and cut half a heart. They are really pretty and different.
Here is my Valentines 3 course dinner.
* Potato pancakes with caviar.
* Baked Lobster tails.
* Strawberry mousse.
Potato pancakes with caviar.
1 potato per person. Grated.
1 tsp of very finely sliced onion. White or yellow.
Butter & oil for frying.
Salt and pepper.
Directions;
Grate the potatoes. Add into a bowl, potatoes, onions, salt & pepper. Mix well with your hands.
Take a small handful of the potato mixture and squeeze out the liquid. Add to the cookie cutter in the frying pan. Pack it well into the edges. Fry on a very low heat so that they are cooked all the way through.
Serve with a dab of sour cream and caviar. I love white caviar, but you can use any kind you like. If you don’t like caviar, just use finely chopped onions. In that case, don’t add any onion in the potato mixture. Let the heart-shaped potato pancake rest on a bed of micro greens. Sprinkle your favorite vinaigrette around it. My favorite is a light walnut/raspberry vinaigrette. Decorate with a couple of pieces of chives.
Baked Lobster tails.
I lobster tail for 2 people. Cooked. (If you buy it raw, steam the tail for about 6-7 minutes in water, a sprig of dill and some salt. Let the tail cool in the liquid.)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese.
1 tbsp bread crumbs.
1/2 onion. (Or 2-3 shallots.) Finely chopped.
1/4 cup of white wine (or sherry.)
1 tbsp butter.
1/4 bell pepper (or zucchini). Very finely chopped.
2-3 tbsp finely chopped herbs. Use your favorite. Basil, thyme, dill or parsley….
1 tbsp mango chutney.
Splash of hot sauce (optional.)
Salt & Pepper.
Directions;
Melt butter. Fry the onions and peppers (zucchini). Add the wine & chutney. Let simmer down for about 5-10 minutes. Let the sauce cool down slightly.
Take out the meat from the shells. Cut into bite size pieces. Clean the shells.
Mix all ingredients together. Pour mixture into the shells. Sprinkle some of the breadcrumbs over the tails. Put the tails into an oven safe dish.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brow (cheese has melted.)
Serve with a salad or rice. I used some passionfruit & physalis as decoration since it is Valentines.
It is so much easier than one thinks to do fancy stuff.
To make a chocolate heart, take good dark chocolate. Melt it either in a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave (if using the microwave, look at the chocolate every 10-15 seconds, stirring ever so often.) Make a paper cone out of parchment paper. Pour in the chocolate. Note it is hot. Draw hearts on a piece of parchment paper. Turn the paper upside down on a flat surface. Cut of the tip on the chocolate cone. Start “tracing” the heart shape with the chocolate. Make sure the hearts are not totally solid. you would like for there to be some holes. It looks prettier that way.
Let them cool. If you are in a hurry, put them in the freezer to harden. Stick them in to the mousse. It is really beautiful.
Strawberry mousse.
Makes 4-6 servings.
1 envelope unflavored gelatin.
1 cup heavy cream.
1/4 cup powdered sugar (can be eliminated if the strawberries are very sweet. I don’t use sugar in my mousse )
1 tbsp of any kind of fruit or berry liquor. I used a wild strawberry liquor. (Optional)
Prepare the gelatin as per directions on the box.
Add the strawberry puree into the gelatin. Cool the mixture for about 30 minutes to thicken slightly.
Whip the cream separately. Make sure not to whip it too stiff. If using powdered sugar, add it into the cream gradually, beating constantly, until the cream is thick.
Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry and gelatin mixture. Pour into some nice looking glasses or dishes. Let the mousse chill in the fridge for an hour or until firm. Add the chocolate hearts and a sliced up strawberries for decoration. You can skip the hearts and just use strawberries for decoration, if you rather do that.
If you don’t feel like making a mousse, just serve a nice ice-cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet decorated with the chocolate hearts.
Enjoy.
