Valentines Day

Happy Valentine's Day

If you don't want to spend a lot of money decorating for Valentine's day try these easy inexpensive ideas.  One pretty table decoration that's lovely is red tulips.  Find a glass cylinder that is large, then find one that is about an inch smaller that you can place inside the larger one.  Find some red hot candies or little red heart candies and fill in the space between both cylinders with the candies.  In the larger one, add water and fill it abundantly with red tulips.  Add an array of votive candles around the table and a sprinkling of red confetti. If you can find beautiful branches of spring blooms cut them off and place in gorgeous large glass jars, vases or other attractive containers.  I especially like the seafoam green color glass containers.  Clip the branches long using sharp pruners.  Make a vertical slit or two up into the end of each stem this allows water to reach the buds. These beautiful arrangements make your house look like spring just stepped inside your home .  When I lived in WA I would catch city crews pruning cherry trees and stop and take all the flowering branches I could fit in my car.  I would bring them in the house and have gorgeous delicate pink blooms everywhere.  Cherry blossom's look like pink snow.

"My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

The more I have, both are infinite."

William Shakespeare

I hope you enjoy the recipes for an enchanting Valentines Day dinner with your loved one.

Lets start with a Champagne cocktail; use one of the three recipes listed below, pour ingredients into a champagne glass and make a toast of celebration!

3 1/2 oz. Champagne
1/2 oz. strawberry liqueur
1 oz. pineapple juice

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4 oz. Champagne
3/4 oz. Creme de Fraise des Bois

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3 oz. Champagne
1 1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz strawberry liqueur

Pancetta with Goat Cheese and Pears 

12 thin slices pancetta

1 firm/ripe pear

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

freshly cracked black pepper

honey

Place pancetta slices on baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.  Transfer wire rack lined with paper towels and let stand for about 10 minutes.  Core the pear and cut into thin rings, arrange on serving platter.  Top the pears with pancetta and goat cheese, sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with honey.

Springtime Garden Salad

1 small Boston lettuce, torn in to pieces

1 cup mixed organic micro greens

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

2 pears, cored and chopped

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup Macadamia nuts

1 cup blackberries

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4  cup honey

2 tsp. scallions, finely chopped

2 tsp. Dijon

vegetable oil

1 Tbl. poppy seeds

In a blender combine the dressing ingredients (except poppy seeds) and stream in oil until combined to your taste (I like more lemon juice vs oil)  When combined, taste and if you want it sweeter add more honey and combine again.  Stir in poppy seeds. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour until chilled.  When ready to serve, add salad ingredients in a beautiful glass bowl or platter, and drizzle over dressing; serve.

Penne Pasta with Asparagus Pesto

1 lb. of asparagus, trimmed

3 cups baby spinach leaves

2 garlic cloves

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Penne pasta

In a pot of boiling salted water bring pasta to a boil to al dente.  Drain and keep warm in pot it was cooked in, drizzle with olive oil. 

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a saute pan.  Cook asparagus in boiling water for about 3 minutes, drain and refresh in cold water.  In a food processor, add the asparagus, spinach garlic, Parmesan and 3/4 cup of pine nuts.  Puree and with motor running drizzle in 1/4 of olive oil, if too thick add a little more oil.  Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. 

Toss the pesto with the pasta in the pot, remove to serving platter, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of pine nuts and shave some fresh Parmesan cheese over top.  Next, sprinkle some lemon zest over top of cheese.  Serve.

Swordfish with a Refreshing Fruit Salsa

2  (6 to 8 oz) swordfish steaks

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1 Tbl. olive oil

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbl. pineapple juice

Salsa

1 large juicy sweet orange, peeled and cut into small dice

1/2 cup fresh pineapple, cut into small dice

1/2 cup fresh mango, cut into small dice

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (add more if you like more heat)

3 Tbl. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. fresh orange zest

1/4 cup red bell pepper, cut into small dice

3 Tbl. fresh cilantro, chopped

In a bowl combine salsa ingredients, mix, cover and refrigerate.

In a glass bowl, combine orange juice, oil, cayenne and pineapple juice, whisk together.  Place swordfish in bowl and turn to coat well.  Marinate for about 30 minutes.

Heat outdoor grill and grill swordfish for about 12 minutes per side, season with salt and pepper.  To serve, place on platter and garnish with salsa.

"Love comforth like sunshine after rain."

William Shakespeare

Lemony Butter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a bowl of electric mixer beat butter and lemon zest until light and creamy.  Gradually add the sugar, beating well.  Next combine, the flour and salt and beat until well blended.  Remove dough from mixer and shape into a disk.  On work surface lightly dust with flour and roll dough into 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut out with heart shaped cookie cutter about 2-inch.  Place on parchment or silpat baking sheet and bake for about 12-14 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes then remove to wire racks.   Decorate with royal icing.

Royal Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbl. meringue powder
1/4 cup cold water
Food coloring paste

In a bowl of electric mixer using whisk attachment beat powdered sugar, meringue powder and cold water until glossy and stiff peaks form.  Tint icing with desired amount of food coloring paste and beat until blended.  Place a damp cloth directly on surface of icing to prevent crust from forming. 

Heavenly Strawberry Dessert

2 eggs, room temp (separate yolks and whites)
1/4 cup superfine sugar (or you can use powdered)
10.5 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped)
20 strawberries, cleaned and quartered
1/3 cup espresso
2 Tbl. rum
14 ladyfingers
Cocoa (unsweetened)
Chocolate shavings (both white and dark)

In bowl of electric mixer, beat egg yolks with sugar until yolks are pale and thick. Add mascarpone and beat until incorporated.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture, then fold in egg whites.  Next, gently fold in strawberries. 

In a small bowl, combine rum and espresso.  Quickly dip seven of the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture then place in bottom of glass serving bowl.  Spread half of the strawberry/cheese mixture over the ladyfingers.  Dip remaining ladyfingers into coffee mixture and place over cheese/strawberry mixture.  Spread remaining cheese over this.

Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours.  Remove from frig and sift cocoa over top, and garnish with chocolate and white shavings and extra whole strawberries.

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - for your love is more delightful than wine."

Song of Solomon 1:2

Bon Appetit

"And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love"

1 Corinthians 13:13