Valentine's Day Menu, for all of you that want a romantic menu, here is what I will be making to my Valentine....
Cheese fondou with assorted dippers
Seafood Soup (Sopa de Mariscos y pescado)
Lobster Tail or shrimp Angel Hair Pasta with saffron wine cream sauce
Peaches with Mascarpone Cream and Brandy
Make your own or buy the cheese fondou at the store....I have a busy schedule too and sometimes I resort to this when I don't have time, so no guilt. Mix up your dippers, use sourdough bread, brocolly, grapes, or mushrooms.
Cheese Foundue
Cheese fondou with assorted dippers
Seafood Soup (Sopa de Mariscos y pescado)
Lobster Tail or shrimp Angel Hair Pasta with saffron wine cream sauce
Peaches with Mascarpone Cream and Brandy
Make your own or buy the cheese fondou at the store....I have a busy schedule too and sometimes I resort to this when I don't have time, so no guilt. Mix up your dippers, use sourdough bread, brocolly, grapes, or mushrooms.
Cheese Foundue
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cherry brandy, such as kirsch
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- Pinch nutmeg
- Assorted dippers
Directions
In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard.
Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy, mustard and nutmeg.Seafood Soup
2 boxes of fish stock (Kitchen basics brand is my favorite)
1 lb of white fish such as halibut or tilapia cut in cubes
2 tomatoes (grated with a box grater)
2 thyme leaves
1lb of mussels
3 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of white wine (chardonney will work great)
2 shallots or leeks cut thinly sliced
Season with salt to taste
Saffron (optional)
1 bay leaf (fresh bay leaf is best)
1/2 pound of shrimp (optional)
Preparation:
Sautee your shallots or leaks with butter and cook for about 7 minutes add grated tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes. Add fish stock and let it heat for about 5 minutes. Add fish and cook for about 5 minutes.
Wash mussels and make sure they are alive if they are open tap them to make sure they are alive. Take a 3 quart saucepan and add your mussels then pour the white wine and cook at medium high heat until they open. Add the mussels to the soup and reduce the wine in the pot for about 5 minutes. Add the wine to soup and season to taste.
Lobster Tail or Shrimp Angel hair pasta in Saffron Wine Cream Sauce
I know lobster tails can be expensive but just but one that runs about $14 dollars and then add more shrimp. Ideally on this recipe you would need two but one will give enough decadence to the dish and save you some money.
Ingredients:
2 lobster tails
1 lb of thin spaguetti or angel hair
2 cups of white wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of saffron
1 sprig of tarragon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 garlic clove minced
1 shallot minced
2 tablespoons of butter melted
Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
Preparation:
For the sauce:
Bring to a boil the white wine, shallot, shrimp shells, lobster tail shells, and tarragon sprig until the wine reduces to about 1 cup, remove shells. Add saffron and minced garlic cook for about 5 minutes then add cream and season to taste.
Season with salt and pepper and saute the shrimp until it turns pink and set aside, then season the lobster tails and season with salt and drizzle the melted 2 tablespoons of butter broil them in the oven for about 8 minutes be careful not to overcook. Slice on a biased and set aside.
Boil pasta with salt and oil if you are using angel hair to avoid it to stick. Once pasta is done add pasta to the sauce and place the lobster tails and shirmp over the pasta, garnish with parsley.
Cut peaches in half along seam. Remove pit from center. Marinate them in brandy for about 3 hours, mix honey with mascarpone cheese. Start with 1Tbs., mix, taste. If you desire more sweetness, add more honey. The consistency should be similar to a very thick whipping cream once honey is mixed in.
2 cups of white wine (chardonney will work great)
2 shallots or leeks cut thinly sliced
Season with salt to taste
Saffron (optional)
1 bay leaf (fresh bay leaf is best)
1/2 pound of shrimp (optional)
Preparation:
Sautee your shallots or leaks with butter and cook for about 7 minutes add grated tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes. Add fish stock and let it heat for about 5 minutes. Add fish and cook for about 5 minutes.
Wash mussels and make sure they are alive if they are open tap them to make sure they are alive. Take a 3 quart saucepan and add your mussels then pour the white wine and cook at medium high heat until they open. Add the mussels to the soup and reduce the wine in the pot for about 5 minutes. Add the wine to soup and season to taste.
Lobster Tail or Shrimp Angel hair pasta in Saffron Wine Cream Sauce
I know lobster tails can be expensive but just but one that runs about $14 dollars and then add more shrimp. Ideally on this recipe you would need two but one will give enough decadence to the dish and save you some money.
Ingredients:
2 lobster tails
1 lb of thin spaguetti or angel hair
2 cups of white wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of saffron
1 sprig of tarragon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 garlic clove minced
1 shallot minced
2 tablespoons of butter melted
Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
Preparation:
For the sauce:
Bring to a boil the white wine, shallot, shrimp shells, lobster tail shells, and tarragon sprig until the wine reduces to about 1 cup, remove shells. Add saffron and minced garlic cook for about 5 minutes then add cream and season to taste.
Season with salt and pepper and saute the shrimp until it turns pink and set aside, then season the lobster tails and season with salt and drizzle the melted 2 tablespoons of butter broil them in the oven for about 8 minutes be careful not to overcook. Slice on a biased and set aside.
Boil pasta with salt and oil if you are using angel hair to avoid it to stick. Once pasta is done add pasta to the sauce and place the lobster tails and shirmp over the pasta, garnish with parsley.
Grilled Peaches with Honey Mascarpone Sauce
3 each Fresh Peaches can be frozen also
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
1-2 Tbs. Honey
¼ cup Pistachios, chopped
½ cup Brandy
Method:
Preheat the grill.
Cut peaches in half along seam. Remove pit from center. Marinate them in brandy for about 3 hours, mix honey with mascarpone cheese. Start with 1Tbs., mix, taste. If you desire more sweetness, add more honey. The consistency should be similar to a very thick whipping cream once honey is mixed in.
Place peach slices flat side down on a hot grill. Let peaches remain on grill until they begin to soften a little around the edges. Check for good grill marks. Pick up and place flat side down again – this time at a 90 degree angle for good grill marks. Once the peach is warm and softened, remove and place on a plate.
Spoon a large dollop of the mascarpone mix onto the peach. Top with chopped nuts. Serve immediately.
I hope this menu helps you have a wonderful and romantic time with your loved one and hopefully it will fuel your love and ignite romance for each other.
Have a delicious day,
Muchos besos para todos, Happy Valentines day!!!!!
Oh! Delicious! I am making the fondue. It is almost the same recipe that I have but even more interesting with the dry mustard, nutmeg and lemon juice. I can´t wait! Thank you my super chef. I hope to go to CO to visit you with more time. I promise I'll do the dishes. Love you!
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