Monday, February 11, 2013

Valentines Day

 
 
 
So Valentines day is around the corner.  We celebrated early this year in our house due to an upcoming business trip, which worked out ok, turns out, so I can share the menu with you. Just in the event that you left everything until the last minute and you need some ideas. :)  Even if you are spending Valentines solo, there is no reason why you can not treat yourself to a good meal. 

I kept the table pretty simple with a few candles and some dried pomegranates that I already had.  Then I made it special by placing a photo of my husband and I on our wedding day on the table, it looks really cute if you have a nice frame and it gives you something to laugh and reminisce about.  Decorate with what you have laying around, and use candles.  If you have nothing else a simple table cloth, a candle, and some low lights will give you the feel that you are in a cute little restaurant.  Make sure you set the table ahead of time, that way you are not scrambling at the last minute to get it done.

On the menu is baked shrimp scampi with warm crusty baguette and a salad, followed by homemade tiramisu and chocolates.  You could quite easily make some angel hair pasta to go with this as well, this recipe makes plenty of garlic butter sauce to pour over.  This shrimp scampi is the same way they serve it in all the restaurants in France and Belgium.  You will think you have died and gone to heaven.  Drop your diet for the night.  You can start again in the morning.  And I promise to post some light recipes soon!
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
                                   
 


















Tiramisu
 
1  8 oz package of mascarpone cheese
1/2 of an 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of whipping cream very cold (chill bowl and beaters or whisk in freezer for 15 minutes)
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of strong coffee, with 1 tablespoon sugar, cooled
6 oz of fresh lady fingers from bakery section of supermarket or the crunchy ones from the international section of your grocery store (either works)
1/8 cup of cocoa powder for dusting the top
heart or other cut out for stencil from scrap paper (if you wish)
medium sized trifle mold or medium glass pie dish

Beat cream in chilled bowl with chilled beaters or whisk until fluffy, do not over beat or you will make butter!  Set aside.  Beat egg yolks and sugar together until smooth, pale and ribbons form when beater or whisk is lifted from mixture.  Beat in cream cheese, mascarpone and vanilla.  Gently fold in whipping cream.  In the glass dish that you are making the tiramisu, place a single layer of lady fingers covering the entire bottom, then slowly pour the coffee over the fingers until soaked through.  You can tell they are soaked through when they just begin to slow at absorbing the coffee.  If there is any that does not absorb, tilt the dish and turn until it flows around and gets absorbed.  Then, layer half of the marscapone mixture over, covering the lady fingers completely.  Layer one more layer of lady fingers and pour more coffee over them, again slowly (you may not use all of the coffee).  Layer last layer of marscapone cream, cover and place in fridge for at least 3 hours, up to overnight (may be made the night before you plan to eat it).  Once the tiramisu has chilled thoroughly, remove plastic wrap and place stencil where you want it.  Dust on cocoa powder through fine mesh sieve or powdered sugar shaker.  Carefully remove stencil.  Serve.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Baked Shrimp Scampi

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of large shrimp, deveined
5 tablespoons of butter cut into pats
4 large or 8 small cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 lemon, 1/2 zested and then cut into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional
Baguette and/or  1/2 pound of cooked angel hair to serve
medium sized glass baking dish

Preheat oven to 550 degrees or as hot as yours will go, but not above 550.  Butterfly shrimp by slitting just enough so they will lay more flat in baking dish (see picture above).  In a medium sized baking dish place garlic on bottom.  Add shrimp with the cut side down so they lay semi flat.  Sprinkle over salt, pepper and lemon zest.  Place pats of butter on top. Place in oven for 10 minutes or until all shrimp are pink and butter is completely melted and bubbling.  Top with parsley, serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top and crusty bread or angel hair and a simple green salad. Voila!

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