Cooking Lite - What foods make for a Great valentines day dinner? Names and recipes please!?

What foods make for a Great valentines day dinner? Names and recipes please!?

Posted on Sep 26, 2010 under Cooking Light Desserts

I’m not going to have much money come valentines day, but what I AM going to have is LOTS of food, time and some cooking skill…

My plan is to make a nice dinner for my girlfriend (Whom I’ve had the blessing of being with these last 3 years) since I can’t really afford to buy her jewelry or take her out on a date the way I feel is proper…

So instead, I figure pouring my sweat and care into a nice romantic dinner would be nice as well.. I think that taking the time to set up and cook a nice dinner shows alot more love and care than just going out to some restaurant anyway… That, and I the both of us generally prefer home cooking

Any good tasting, romantic foods and recipes (Including desserts) Are much appreciated, along with any advice on how to set up the dinner..

So far, I’m going to have it nice and dim in the room, with some candles to light things, and probably some pampering before/after we’re done eating…

Any Suggestions?
liking these so far!

Thanks guys, keep it up!

p.s. "Supra" wasn’t a typo….

4 Comments so far »

Tacy - said
September 26 2010 @ 00:16
Aw, that’s nice,
Well, this is amazingly delicious and VERY easy to make;
5 teaspoons olive oil
4 shallots, diced
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
1 pound bacon, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package fettuccini pasta
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Serves 6.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallots until softened. Stir in onion and bacon, and cook until bacon is evenly browned. Stir in garlic when bacon is about half done. Remove from heat.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta, then return it to the pot.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cream, and shredded Parmesan. Pour the bacon mixture over the pasta, then stir in the cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
^^^^^^^
Along with that you can make a yummy garlic toast or Caesar salad.
This is a good recipe for Caesar salad;
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup mayonnaise
5 anchovy fillets, minced
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups day-old bread, cubed
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
Serves 6.
Mince 3 cloves of garlic, and combine in a small bowl with mayonnaise, anchovies, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the remaining 3 cloves of garlic into quarters, and add to hot oil. Cook and stir until brown, and then remove garlic from pan. Add bread cubes to the hot oil. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Remove bread cubes from oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with dressing, remaining Parmesan cheese, and seasoned bread cubes.
^^^^^^^^^^
And as for dessert, a lot of things go great with that: tiramisu, ice cream, panna cotta, chocolate cake , muffins, etc…
Enjoy !
Bear - said
September 26 2010 @ 00:16
U r the superman! Keep it up!
Find out what her favorite dishes are and cook some of that. I suggest choc cover strawberries for dessert or possibly fruit and bottle of whip cream (hint hint) ! Get a bottle of wine or tasty sparkling juice or water for drinking.
Dress like you are going on a date, ie take a shower, do ur hair, and wear ur colonge. Also tell her the date will be more fancy so she can dress up too and look super pretty!
I think that’s very cute of you and would prefer this any day over a resturant date. Maybe get one rose and place it on the table. A few DVDs for later in the evening? If you really wanna be Super Super man a cute card/love letter could only be the cherry on top!
PS I think I should get you in contact with my husband! LOL!
JennyP - said
September 26 2010 @ 00:16
Well, half your battle is done, sweet man! Congratulations on being in touch with your sensitive side and wanting to prepare a loving and romantic evening for you and your lady! Here are some ideas for a cost-effective menu that you might enjoy:
Menu I:
Crackers with cheese (get a nice chunk of brie or a Spanish Manchega) Some cold crisp grapes are a good addition.
Chicken breasts stuffed with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, bread crumbs, thyme, and bacon and served with a white wine dijon reduction. (Make a pocket in the thickest part of the breast. Mix together chopped artichoke hearts (reserve liquid), feta, crumbled bacon, thyme, and bread crumbs. Add white wine to bottom of pan, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake additional 15 minutes. Remove breasts from pan and deglaze pan with 1 cup wine. Add reserved artichoke liquid, a tablespoon of dijon mustard, and a tablespoon of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cook until liquid is reduced and thickened.
Wild Rice Pilaf (there are some good boxed ones you can use)
Fresh asparagas (steam crisp tender and serve with melted butter and lemon zest)
Chocolate dipping sauce with strawberries, marshmallows, and cubes of poundcake. (heat 1 cup heavy cream until it almost boils. Pour over 1 cup chocolate chips. Add 1 T corn syrup and stir. Let chips melt.) Stir to make sure all are melted. Serve warm or cool.
Menu II:
Appetizer: Large Prawns (you’ll only need about 6-8), cocktail sauce
Grilled london broil (season with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, minced garlic and grill until medium rare (about 7 minutes on each side)let rest for 10 minutes and cut on the bias.
Caesar salad (pre-packaged is decent and cheap)
Baked potatos with butter, sour cream and chives
Chocolate lava cakes (get the mix)
Menu III:
Appetizer: Crostini made with baguette slices, topped with brie, carmelized onions, and drizzled with honey. Broil to warm cheese.
Pork Roast: rub roast with a mixture of 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper. Place in baking dish and bake uncovered for 1 1/4 hours (depending on how big). Add white wine to bottom of baking dish as it dries out. Remove from oven and deglaze pan with white wine. Add dijon mustard and 2 T orange marmalade (or cherry or raspberry). Bring to a boil and scrape up all the dried pieces in pan. Reduce by half. Spoon over slices of meat.
Au Gratin Potatos: use the boxed variety, but add a little blue cheese or smoked gouda and sour cream to enhance the flavor.
Chopped salad: with baby lettuces, add sliced ripe pears, candied walnuts, feta or goat cheese, and a sprinkling of Champagne vinagrette.
Spice cake with cream cheese frosting
disapprovingrabbit - said
September 26 2010 @ 00:16
you’re so sweet! i always think of italian pasta dinners when i think of romantic – plus they’re easy to make & relatively inexpensive. my 2 favorites are fettuccini alfredo and eggplant parmesan, served with garlic bread & a nice salad. for dessert, nothing beats a good cheesecake in my opinion! hope this helps, have a lovely valentine’s day!