Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day(2008)
From 101lifeStyle.com

Valentine's Day Recipes:

Valentine's Day Dinner Recipes:

Valentine’s Day Appetizers(Contd.):

6.Cheddar Cheese Fondue(4-6 Servings):
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter; 1/4 cup flour; 1 (8 ounce) can beer; 1 teaspoon Accent seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard; 1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce; 2 cups cheddar cheese;
Method:
Mix a teaspoon or so of the flour with the cheese. Melt butter in a saucepan. Mix in flour. Gradually add beer, then Accent, salt, mustard and worcestershire sauce. Stir occasionally until sauce thickens and comes to a slow boil. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve with bread cubes, veggies and whatever else you love with cheese.

7.Baked Brie Pastries With Artichoke and Prosciutto(6 Servings):
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 9 squares (8 ounces, 1/2 package approx); 6 ounces brie cheese (without rind); 1 cup finely chopped marinated artichoke hearts; 2 tablespoons chopped basil; 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3 dashes fresh ground pepper, to taste; 1/2 cup chopped prosciutto, ends (1/2 cup chopped thick-cut proscuitto); 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese;
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you have frozen puff pastry, allow it to thaw. Cut the sheet into 9 squares. Push the squares into 9 of the spaces a lightly sprayed muffin tin. In the food processor, whir enough artichoke hearts to make 1 cup of them when they are very finely chopped. In a bowl, combine the artichoke, basil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Place about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon brie in the bottom of each puff pastry in the muffin tin (note: brie is much easier to cut when it is very cold). Add about 1 1/2 teaspoon of the artichoke mixture on top of the brie (use up all of the mixture). Top each with the chopped prosciutto and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving (the brie will be very hot). Makes 9 appetizers, about 6 servings since some people will have two.

8.Southern Belle Cucumber Sandwiches(65-75 servings):
Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers; 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened; 1 tablespoon chopped frozen chives; 1 tablespoon hidden valley ranch dressing mix; 2 loaves white bread; 1 bunch fresh parsley;
Method:
Peel and cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and sprinkle the cavities liberally with salt. Place the cucumbers on a rack in a glass dish, cover, and let drain overnight. The next day rinse the cucumbers to remove excess salt, and press between paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Chop the cucumbers and put into a food processor. Blend for 10 seconds. Chop the cream cheese into cubes, and add to the cucumbers along with the chives and salad dressing powder, and blend until smooth. Cut the crusts from the bread and use a cookie cutter to cut shapes out of each slice. I use a heart-shaped cutter that is 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches. You can usually get two sandwiches out of each slice of bread. I freeze the scraps to use for bread crumbs, or I feed them to the birds. Spread the cucumber filling on each slice and place into an airtight container separating layers or sandwiches with waxed paper. Refrigerate for an hour or more. Place on a serving platter and garnish each sandwich with a snippet of fresh parsley.

9.Sauteed Shrimp Salad with Ginger-Cilantro Dressing(8 servings):
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cilantro or Italian parsley, plus additional for garnish (about 1/2 bunch, stems removed); 1 clove garlic; 1 tablespoon pickled ginger; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon chili oil; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; salt & freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 lb medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined (tails left on, about 16); 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 or 3 limes); salt & freshly ground black pepper; 3 large tomatoes; 3 avocados, pitted,peeled,and diced into 1/4 inch pieces; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces;
Method:
Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor and blend 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl and blend 15 more seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Cook shrimp 3 to 4 minutes, until just pink. Add garlic and lime juice and cook 30 more seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and refrigerate until ready to use. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Using a small, sharp knife, make an X on each tomato. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Immerse tomatoes in boiling water 10 to 15 seconds, just until skin loosens. With a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes and drop into ice water. Peel skin; cut tomatoes in half and discard seeds. Dice into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside. Put avocado in a medium bowl and gently toss with lemon juice. Loosely pack 1/2 cup avocado into a 3-inch round cookie cutter, top with 1/2 cup tomato, and then add 1/2 cup cucumber, gently pressing each layer with a spoon. Carefully remove cutter. Repeat on each plate, and refrigerate until ready to use. (Alternate method: Gently mix salad ingredients and mound on plates.) Drizzle each tower with dressing, and add 2 shrimp. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

10.Pancakes Filled with Spinach(6 servings):
Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh spinach or frozen spinach; 2 ounces butter; salt, black pepper,grated nutmeg; 1 ounce flour; 1/2 pint hot milk; 4 ounces grated gruyere cheese;
Method:
Press the cooked spinich, chop finely and toss over a medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes until dry in 1 oz butter. Add the seasoning and a pinch of nutmeg. In a second pan, melt the remaining butter, work in the flour, add milk, and cook until thick, stirring briskly. Add the spinich and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in two thirds of the cheese, correct the seasoning, put a tablespoon of filling centrally on each pancake, roll up and place in a buttered ovenproof dish. Cover with remaining sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese, reheat and brown under a hot grill.

Back To Recipe Index

Valentine's Day Main Dishes