Valentine’s Day Recipes
Heartbeet Salad
2 1/2 lbs beets, trimmed (you can also use canned beets, trimming them into the shape of a heart, skipping the first part of this recipe)
3 tbl olive oil
1 tbl lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz arugula
4 oz lettuce mixture of your choice
1 tbl fresh chives, snipped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap beets in a large piece of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Let cool slightly and then peel and slice 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1 inch heat cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible from each slice.
In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the arugula and lettuce, toss together. Mound the salad on a plate, placing the heart-shaped beets on top of each mound of salad. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce
1 tbl butter
1/2 cup minced white onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbl chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup port wine
1 tbl vegetable oil
4 filet mignon steak (1 1/2 inch thick)
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. Stir in the beef broth, scraping any onion bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the port wine. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside. This may also be made ahead of time, and reheated.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over high heat. Sear steaks quickly on both sides until brown, then place the whole pan into the oven. Roast steaks in the oven for about 15 minutes for medium rare, with an internal temperature of 145 degrees. You may adjust this time to allow the steaks to finish just below your desired degree of doneness if medium is not what you prefer. Remove from the oven and place on a baking sheet. Stir together the bread crumbs and blue cheese. Top each steak with a layer of this mixture.
Preheat the oven’s broiler. Place steaks under the preheated broiler until the cheese topping is browned and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with warm port wine sauce. Mashed potatoes are a perfect side dish for this recipe.
Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce Dressing
4 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup olive oil
14 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp oriental chili sauce or Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Blanch broccoli florets in hot salted water for about 3 minutes. Refresh in a bowl of iced water and drain. Whisk peanut butter with remaining ingredients in a bowl until vinaigrette is formed. Add broccoli, toss and serve.
Carmel Apple Pork Chops
4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbl brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbl unsalted butter
2 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tbl pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Place a medium dish in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.
Fresh Tomato Risotto
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
3 tbl chopped fresh basil
1 tbl olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves. minced
8 cups (or less) chicken broth
1 tbl olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Combine the tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. Heat 1 tablespoon olive in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute or until a white dot is visible in the center of each grain, stirring constantly. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute or until almost absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup warm chicken broth and cook until the broth is absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 6 cups broth 1 cup at a time, cooking until it is absorbed while constantly stirring.
When 6 cups of the broth have been added, add the broth 1/2 cup at a time and test the rice. Rice should be tender but still firm when done. You may not need all 8 cups of broth. The total cooking time should be about 30 minutes.
When the rice is done, stir in the tomato mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella cheese and pepper. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.
Tomato-Cream Penne with Vodka
2 (28oz) cans peeled whole tomatoes, drained
2 cups 2% evaporated milk
2 tbl olive oil
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbl vodka
1 lb dried penne
freshly ground black pepper
Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the evaporated milk and blend until combined. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet, making sure there is enough room to hold the tomato mixture. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two, making sure that the garlic does not turn brown. Ad the tomato mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally. Don’t be concerned if the sauce turns a bit foamy, this will disappear as it thickens. If the sauce starts to sputter, turn down the heat.
After about 15 minutes of simmering, add the salt, basil and oregano, crushing them between your fingers as you add them to bring out the flavors. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the penne to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. While the pasta is cooking, the sauce will have turned orange and should have reduced by about half. If it has not reached this much, continue to simmer for about 5 minutes or more. Stir in the vodka and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ladle over the penne in shallow bowls.
Cedar Planked Salmon
3 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tbl rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tbl grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (2 pounds) salmon fillets, skin removed
Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water. Soak longer if you have the time. In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger and garlic. Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. Place the planks on the grate. The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little. Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade. Cover and grill for about 20 minutes. Fish is done when you can flak it with a fork. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.
Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze
2 (4 oz) filet mignon steaks
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkles with salt to taste. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan and cook for 1 minute on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover and cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turned the meat over. Remove steaks to two warm plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each and serve immediately.
Chicken in Champagne and Mushroom Sauce
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbl olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tbl butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup champagne (or other sparkling white wine)
1 cup whipping cream
In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken breasts in this mixture, one at a time, and arrange them on a plate. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook quickly until lightly browned on each side, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. You may have to do this in two batches. The chicken should be browned but not cooked through. Remove to a clean plate.
Add the butter to the skillet, then dump in the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated. Pour in the champagne, stir around to dissolve any crusty bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the whipping cream. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the mushroom sauce, lower the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread or steamed rice to soak up the velvety sauce.
Filet Marsala
4 (6 oz) filet mignon steaks
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbl butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season steaks to taste with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fillets until browned on both sides, then place into oven and cook to desired doneness, about 13 minutes for medium-rare.
Meanwhile, melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in mushrooms and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the Marsala and allow to come to a simmer before adding the balsamic vinegar. Summer until reduced by half, then remove from heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the sliced green onion. Ladle the sauce over steaks to serve.
Pasta With Asparagus
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 oz angle hair pasta
1 tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Saute asparagus in the pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and mushroom slices; cook 3 minutes more. Drain pasta and transfer to a serving dish. Gently toss pasta with asparagus mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan and crushed red pepper.