Valentine's Day Menu help....?!
Answers: Every year I make my husband a special dinner for Valentine's Day... I always try to make at least one new course. This year I had decided on making lobster bisque for the first course, since we have never made it, but now I cannot seem to find just the right thing to serve as a main course... would scallops be okay or should I mix it up? Any ideas would be wonderful... also any suggestions for sides to go with the main would be great.
Salmon would go well with lobster bisque- and this is impressive, but you can cook the sides ahead of time and heat up just prior to dinner- serve with a chilled white wine, candles, and
BLACKENED SALMON
? lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted in a skillet
6 fish fillets ? to ? inch thick
Seasoning mix: ( or by Zatarains or Tony’s creole seasoning mix)
3 tbsp. sweet paprika
3 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Onion powder
3 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Black pepper
1 ? tsp. Dried thyme leaves
1 ? tsp. Dried oregano leaves
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking stage and you see white ash in the skillet bottom (the skillet cannot be too hot for this dish), at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour 2 tablespoons melted butter in each of 6 small ramekins; set aside and keep warm. Reserve the remaining butter in its skillet. Heat the serving plates in a 250 degrees oven.
Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Dip each fillet in the reserved melted butter so that both sides are well coated; then sprinkle seasoning mix generously and evenly on both sides of the fillets; patting it in by hand. Place in the hot skillet and pour 1 teaspoon melted butter on top of each fillet (be careful, as the butter may flame up). Cook, uncovered, over the same high heat until the underside looks charred, about 2 minutes (the time will vary according to the fillet's thickness and the heat of the skillet). Turn the fish over and again pour 1 teaspoon butter on top; cook until fish is done, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining fillets. Serve each fillet while piping hot.
To serve, place one fillet and a ramekin of butter on each heating serving plate.
Buttered Noodles
1 package (12 ounces) dried egg noodles
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, preferably unsalted
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Cook the noodles in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until brown, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. Pour the butter over the noodles. Add salt, pepper and parsley; stir until well-combined. Serve immediately.
Green Beans Almondine
1 lb. fresh green beans
1/2 c. cooking oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 toe garlic, whole
1 c. sliced almonds
Wash and slice green beans 1 1/2 inches long. Toast almonds in oven until light brown. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, then place beans in ice water to shock them, and keep their color bright green. Refrigerate.
When ready to serve, cover the bottom of a skillet with cooking oil. Add garlic, then green beans and stir fry until heated through. Fold in almonds and serve.
One year I cut my steaks into heart shapes and cooked them. You could do that with any entre'.
Dessert
Chocolate covered strawberries
http://www.chocolate-playground.com/choc...
Chocolate trifle
http://www.chocolate-playground.com/choc...
Chocolate german cake
http://www.chocolate-playground.com/cake...
Scallops would be great. So would steak.
If you like Brussels sprouts, try this recipe from allrecipes.com. I made it for Christmas Eve dinner and my husband and I loved it. I used a large package of frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed them, then cut them in half. I've also done a similar recipe with fresh spinach. After you've browned the pancetta, add the rest of the olive oil and then a big bunch of fresh spinach. Stir to coat and let it wilt.
Jasmine's Brussels Sprouts
INGREDIENTS
3 cups water
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. They should still be slightly firm. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Slice the sprouts in half, and set aside.
2. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and pancetta; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add the remaining olive oil and Brussels sprouts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring until the sprouts are well coated with the flavor. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 more minutes before serving.
Have fun!