What is your Valentine's Day Menu?

[vweyel12]

I want to make a special dinner for my valentine but am uninspired! We are trying to eat well and lose weight but I want to do something special. What are you doing???

[cherylopal]

DH has been dieting too-

I'm making jambalya. no bread or dessert but we will have champers before and I'll at least have wine with dinner. DH does't have too many fave special dishes so its hard to well, make something special. He does love jambalaya and I haven't made it in a while.

[erin elizabeth]

My Valentine's dinner is tomorrow night. I am making the Pasta Rustica with Chicken Sausage that Canice has poster on this BB from a Williams and Sonoma cookbook. Salad and bread to round out our early dinner and then we are off to see In the Heights. Might stop by fire after for dessert--we'll see!

[Cooking Waco]

That's what I am making, which brings me to a question. There are no Indian food markets in Waco and I can't find Madras curry paste anywhere. I found a recipe for curry paste, it requires turmeric and ghee. Is there a reasonable substitute for turmeric? Can I use olive oil with any success instead of making ghee? I am flat broke and I have all the ingredients except those two! Thank you.

[Cooking Waco]

vweyel12: Martha Stewart has a Valentine's menu for two on MSN. It looks interesting. Starts with a ravioli soup and moves on to stuffed chicken breasts. Looks like a time-saver if you'd rather spend more time celebrating than cooking.

[ssusan]

I made a crab dip with low fat sour cream and added some non fat Greek yogurt instead of mayo. It has fresh horseradish, a little dijon. Then I'm doing a surf and turf. I am going to grill these little steaks, thick and lean, and grill a few shrimp. I'm also going to grill some asparagus. Baked potatoes.

For dessert I bought dark chocolate which I am going to melt and dip strawberries.
Should be good I hope.
-Susan

[veschke]

That's what I am making, which brings me to a question. There are no Indian food markets in Waco and I can't find Madras curry paste anywhere. I found a recipe for curry paste, it requires turmeric and ghee. Is there a reasonable substitute for turmeric? Can I use olive oil with any success instead of making ghee? I am flat broke and I have all the ingredients except those two! Thank you.

There really is no sub for turmeric that I know of. I would use a neutral veg-type oil instead of olive oil (though if you have butter, it's quite easy to *make* ghee).

[sage611]

We had ours yesterday. It was a family dinner with the 5 of us, and I told my sweeties how much I love them.
We had Shrimp Scampi, tomato casserole, broiled grouper, roasted asparagus with lemon zest and parmesan cheese, a loaf of artisan bread, and Red Velvet cake.
It was a nice time.

[golden1225]

I volunteer at a local cooking school as an assistant to the chef. Our Valentine's Dinner (last night and tonight) consists of:
Smoked Salmon and Apple Carpaccio
Risotto with Lobster and Sauace Armoricaine
Filet Mignon with Shallots and Cognac (served with potato hearts and steamed carrots)
Molten Chocolate Cakes (served with vanilla ice cream & a strawberry fan

While the risotto was to die for, my favorite is the smoked salmon/apple dish. So light and refreshing!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

[Chocolate Rose]

If you need some inspiration, Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year. We're going to have Chinese at home tonight. Thank goodness for Costco!

[MealsMadeWLove]

Try cream dory with curry and boiled in coconut oil. Its really yummy, and healthy too!

[mkc]

I'm making a stuffed flank steak that we've done before and really liked. We'll probably just have salad or a baked sweet potato on the side since that's what's in the house.

DH made the batter for some of Bob Blumer's molten chocolate cakes this morning, to be baked tonight. The recipe is similar to Roy's Chocolate Souffle, which we really like and DH wanted to try Bob's version.

Michelle

[mcgee]

I'm making one of DH's favorites: Persian Meatloaf. Serving Pommes Anna on the side.

[CookinginMO/KS]

DH normally makes surf and turf so here is what we are having:

Chopped Blue Cheese Salad
Ribeyes
Lobster with drawn butter
Baked Potatoes
Asparagus
Creme Brulee with Tuxedo Strawberries

Yikes, I had better head to the gym in the morning. Happy Valentines Day everyone!

[donleyk]

We had a butternut risotto that I added fresh spinach to and salmon.

[Tashakcooks]

Parmesan and Sage crusted Pork
Fontina and Mascarpone baked pasta
Individual Chocolate Souffles

Overall it was pretty good.

[Canice]

Fontina and mascarpone baked pasta?? Mmmmm. Can you point me toward a recipe?

[hollysmom]

In keeping with the holiday, we had leftover chinese food that we brought home from a Chinese New Year/Housewarming party.

Scott wasn't home, so just me and the girls.

SSM

[mcgee]

Fontina and mascarpone baked pasta?? Mmmmm. Can you point me toward a recipe?

Found this: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/re...ipe_id=1545737

[Canice]

Thank you! I never seem to tire of messing around with baked pasta and cheese

[mcgee]

Thank you! I never seem to tire of messing around with baked pasta and cheese

My husband would love it if I could make a good baked pasta and cheese but it's the one thing I just can't get right. Well, there's probably more than one....

[Tashakcooks]

That's the recipe. Just a tip it didn't seem to have enough flavor, I would add some onion, garlic and parsley if I ever make it again.

[Canice]

I wondered about that since "regular" fontina doesn't have a lot of flavor anyhow. But mostly I'm looking for inspiration since I've started improvising these things.
Dang, now I know what I want for dinner!