Posts Tagged ‘Valentine’s Day’

Valentine’s Day Menu: Dark Chocolate Mousse

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

This is the final course of our homemade Valentine’s Day meal.  And it really goes out with a bang.  It’s not your typical mousse, since you won’t find any eggs here.  Instead I used Greek yogurt to make it a little healthier (let’s face it, this meal was not light on calories, so we might as well make up for it a little bit ;) ), and also because with this method the dessert is literally made in minutes.  This mousse is so decadent you won’t miss the eggs. 

 

I’m sending this mousse over to Natasha of 5 Star Foodie for her 5 Star Mousse Makeover!

 

If you haven’t done so yet, head over to All Through the Year Cheer for our Valentine’s Day event! 

 

A Note on the Sweetness:  This mousse isn’t overly sweet, so before you serve it make sure to taste it so you can add more sweetener to taste.

img_5694-smallDark Chocolate Mousse

 

(Yield:  2 to 4 servings)

 

1 (3.5 oz) good quality semi-sweet chocolate bar (I like to use 60% cacao), chopped

1/2 c heavy cream

7 oz plain Greek yogurt

2 TB honey or other sweetener (or more to taste)

Strawberries for garnish (optional)

 

Strain the Greek yogurt in the fridge overnight to make it extra thick.  Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave and let it cool slightly.  Whip the cream and in a separate bowl, whisk together the cooled chocolate and honey, and then whisk in the yogurt.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture, being careful not to over mix (it’s okay if there’s some white spots left).   Serve garnished with strawberries if desired.

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Valentine’s Day Menu: Blush Pasta & Individual Beef Roulades

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Here’s the next part of our Valentine’s Day meal, the blush pasta and individual beef roulades.  (For the full recipe, see my post here.)  To finish off our Valentine’s menu, soon I’ll posting my recipe for dark chocolate mousse!  :)

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Valentine’s Day Menu: Strawberry Spritzers and Savory Strawberry Salad

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

First up in our fancy homemade Valentine’s Day meal are the cute little drinks and the salad.  The two are tied together through strawberry slices, which are perfect for Valentine’s Day since they look just like sweet little hearts. 

strawberrydrinkandsalad-smallThe Strawberry Spritzers are so easy to make that it isn’t even really a recipe…and for very little effort you get something that is absolutely adorable!  I made a caramelized onion dressing to serve with the salad (because I also use caramelized onion for the pasta and beef recipes), but you could make it even easier and use your favorite prepared salad dressing…I think anything with a balsamic vinegar base would be fantastic since the strawberry/balsamic combo is delicious!

 

With the drinks and the salad out of the way, stay tuned because I’ll be posting the recipes for blush pasta and individual beef roulades soon!  Don’t forget to check out All Through the Year Cheer…Brandy is hosting our Valentine’s Day event and she made some incredible looking cookies!  ;)

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Strawberry Spritzers

 

(Yield:  2 servings)

 

1 liter sparkling strawberry-flavored water (or any flavored sparkling water you like)

A handful of strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced

 

Pour the sparkling water into glasses and float the strawberry slices in the water.

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Savory Strawberry Salad

 

(Yield:  2 first-course servings)

 

1 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted

About 1 c strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced

About 3 c lettuce (I like to use red or green leaf), washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

Caramelized Onion Dressing (see recipe below; or you can use any dressing you like)

 

Caramelized Onion Dressing:

1/4 of a very large onion, thinly sliced

2 TB olive oil, divided

1 TB balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

 

To make the dressing:  In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium-high heat until the oil starts to ripple, then add the onion and a pinch of salt, and stir to coat the onion with the oil.  Cook until the onion starts to soften and turn color (stirring occasionally).  Lower to the heat to medium-low and cook (stirring occasionally) until the onion is a rich caramel color.  You can add a splash of water at any point in the process if the onions start to stick to the pan too much.  In a blender or food processor, puree the caramelized onion with the remainder of the dressing ingredients; add a splash of water to thin out the dressing until it reaches your desired consistency (it should have a creamy texture).

 

Arrange the lettuce on two salad plates then top with the strawberries, goat cheese, and walnuts.  Drizzle the dressing on top (you will have extra dressing).

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A Fancy, Homemade Valentine’s Day Meal (On the Cheap)

Monday, February 1st, 2010

For Valentine’s Day I wanted to do something special not only for my hubby, but also for all of my wonderful readers.  I don’t know how much you spend when you go out for a fancy, romantic meal for two, but I do know it’s not cheap…it’s not unheard of to spend upwards of $100.  When you can make your own fancy meal in about an hour for about a quarter of the price in the comfort of your own home, and at the same time do something special for your significant other, I think it’s definitely a win-win situation!  :)

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I decided to make a lovely romantic meal complete with drinks, a salad course, a pasta course, a meat course, and a dessert all for around $25 (the total came to $25.54, to be exact).  In the cost of the meal I included the cost of all unique items that need to be purchased (even though in a few cases we won’t use the entire quantity that we purchase – take the sundried tomatoes for example…we’re buying a small jar and only using 1/4 cup); however, I didn’t include the cost of pantry staples, such as oil, salt, pepper, honey, etc.  I based all prices on the cost at my local grocery store.

 

My menu and shopping list (including prices) are below to whet your appetite.  I’ll be making and posting the dishes this week so you’ll have all the recipes well before Valentine’s Day.  ;)

 

Also, be sure to check out All Through the Year Cheer…the very sweet Brandy is hosting our All Through the Year Cheer Valentine’s Day event!

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Strawberry Spritzers

 

Savory Strawberry Salad

(Goat cheese, walnuts, strawberries, & caramelized onion dressing on lettuce)

 

Blush Pasta

(Fettuccine tossed with goat cheese, caramelized onions, walnuts, & tomato-cream sauce)

 

Individual Beef Roulades

(With goat cheese, caramelized onion, & sundried tomato)

 

Dark Chocolate Mousse

 

Shopping List & Prices:

1 liter sparkling strawberry water (for drink)…$.79

1 pint strawberries (for drink, salad, dessert garnish)…$3.99

4 oz goat cheese (for salad, pasta, beef)…$3.49

1 very large yellow onion (for salad dressing, pasta, beef)…$.99

1/2 c walnuts, from the bulk bin (for salad, pasta)…$.75

1 lb fettuccine pasta noodles – you’ll use about 1/3 lb (for pasta)…$1.39

1 small jar oil-marinated sundried tomatoes – you’ll use 1/4 cup (for beef)…$3.99

2 thin-sliced beef cutlets (about 1/2 lb) (for beef)…$ 2.50

1 small head red or green leaf lettuce (for salad)…$.99

1 small jar tomato sauce – you’ll use 3/4 cup (for pasta)…$.99

1 c heavy cream – you’ll use 3/4 cup (for pasta, mousse)…$1.49

7 oz plain Greek yogurt (for mousse)…$1.59

1 (3.5 oz) good quality semi-sweet chocolate bar; I like 60% cacao (for mousse)…$2.59

Total:  $25.54

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