Valentine's Day is upon us once again and if you are wondering how your going to spend it, let me entice you to skip the restaurants and make a delicious, sexy meal right at home. Set the mood with some candles, a nice bottle of wine and some tunes in the background and you are well on your way to having the best at home date night yet. All that's missing is the food so let's get into it. Get ready to elevate your evening with a multi-course dinner with options for every budget!
Whether you're looking to splurge or show that special someone you care but on a budget check out the menu I've put together below. We start and end the journey together with same appetizer and dessert. Then you can choose your adventure for the entree. Will it be the grown & sexy option which takes some time and attention or the luxurious ballin on a budget quick meal? Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy and feel the love this Valentine's day!
Appetizer
Whipped Goat Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
5 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1-2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fig jam
2 tablespoons roasted pistachios - chopped
crostinis or pits bread
Directions:
Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, most of the honey, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and spread out.
In a microwave safe dish warm the fig jam for about 10 - 15 seconds. Spoon over the goat cheese.
Drizzle with remaining honey and top with the pistachios.
Serve with pita chips or warmed crostinis.
Entrees
Creamy Mushroom & Asparagus Ravioli - Ballin' on a Budget
This recipe was adapted from Woman's Day Magazine. I made a few tweaks to fit my liking and bring some more flavors to the dish. The cream sauce packs a nice tangy punch which is balanced nicely with the mushrooms and fresh asparagus.
Ingredients:
20 oz. pkg cheese ravioli
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 oz sliced shitake mushrooms
12 oz oyster musrooms, trimmed & quartered.
8 oz. asparagus, trimmed
2 shallots, finely chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 c. dry white wine
2/3 c. crème fraîche
2 tbsp. chopped chives
zest of 1/2 lemon
lemon juice to taste
parmesan cheese to taste
Directions:
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add half the mushrooms and cook, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining mushrooms.
Return skillet to medium-high, add asparagus and remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing until just tender, about 2 minutes; transfer to bowl with mushrooms.
Meanwhile, cook the ravioli per the package instructions. When done, drain and set aside.
Add shallots to the pan, season with ½ tsp each salt and pepper, and cook on medium until translucent. Add wine to the pan and simmer until reduced to about 2 Tbsp.
Stir in lemon zest and crème fraîche and lemon juice.
Toss with the vegetables. Spoon over ravioli and sprinkle with chives and parmesan cheese.
Wine Braised Oxtails - Grown & Sexy
Listen, the time that this recipe takes is well worth it, trust me! I wish I could claim this recipe as my own since it is so good, but alas it is a NY Times recipe. The only changes I made were to the amount of ingredients since I didn't want 8 servings. I also served it up with some garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans. Alternatively, you could serving it over egg noodles as well, so even more choice for you!
NOTE: note: this takes at least 2 hrs to marinate the oxtails and then 3-4 hours to cook, but again, worth it!
2nd NOTE: I suggest marinating the oxtails over night so that you can save a bit of time on the day you want to eat.
Ingredients:
2½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more as needed
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
~2 ½ pounds beef oxtails, patted dry
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled, trimmed and sliced lengthwise ¼-inch-thick
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
1 stalk celery celeriac, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
½ tablespoon tomato paste
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ bottle (325 milliliters) dry red wine
½ cup beef or chicken stock
2 parsley sprigs, plus ¼ cup chopped parsley leaves
1 rosemary branches
1 bay leaves
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper and allspice. Add oxtail to bowl and rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat an 8-quart Dutch oven, or a heavy soup pot with a lid, over medium-high heat. Add oil and warm through. Add as many oxtail pieces as you can fit in a single layer without overcrowding the pot. Sear, turning occasionally, until the meat is uniformly golden brown all over, including the sides. Transfer meat to a plate; repeat until you’ve browned all the oxtail.
Add shallot to the pan drippings and cook over medium heat until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add carrot and celery root and cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and two-thirds of the garlic (save the rest for garnish) and cook 1 minute.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour wine and stock into pot. Bundle parsley sprigs, rosemary branches and bay leaves with kitchen twine and drop into pot. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook over medium heat until liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
Return oxtail to pot and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook, turning oxtails every 30 minutes, until meat is fork tender, 3 to 3½ hours.
Transfer oxtails to a plate. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices and discard (there will be a lot of it). Toss oxtails with remaining pan gravy. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. In a small bowl, toss together chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Scatter mixture over oxtails
Dessert
Strawberry Mousse w/ Chocolate
Ingredients:
3/4 pound fresh strawberries, stems/leaves removed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
chocolate sauce to drizzle
chocolate dipped strawberry for topping
Directions:
In a blender or food processor add the sliced strawberries and the sugar and puree. Remove 1/2 a cup of puree and set aside.
In a cold bowl add the heavy whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in the larger portion of the strawberry puree to the whipped cream.
Divide the 1/2 cup of puree between 4 serving glasses. Carefully place the strawberry mousse on top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but can be longer if desired.
When ready to eat, drizzle chocolate sauce over the top and serve with a chocolate covered strawberry.
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