Love is in the air! A last minute crunch shouldn’t stop you from throwing a perfect night! Taking advice from Shania Twain and having a “Party for Two” at home is never a bad idea.
Everything can be catered to making the one you love feel special. From personalized music, printed out photo décor, cocktail attire, or even a pajama style valentine. The ideas are limitless.
Pair any of these cute meal ideas with your favorite champagne and you’re set to impress your love.
Appetizers:
“Tomato Soup with Cupid Croutons”
Directions:
- In 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium. Add onion and garlic; cook 10 minutes, stirring. Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, trim crusts from bread. With heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 4 hearts from bread slices; toast hearts. Stir bread scraps into soup.
- Remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in butter and sugar. In batches in blender or with immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve topped with heart croutons.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 c. lower-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4 slices white bread
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. sugar
“Beer Cheddar Fondue”
Ingredients:
12 oz. light beer
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp. Hot sauce
4 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. cornstarch
Cooked sausage
New potatoes
Bread cubes
Apple slices
Directions:
- Heat beer, Dijon mustard, garlic, and hot sauce in 4-quart saucepan on low; whisk in Cheddar cheese tossed with cornstarch until melted and smooth.
- Serve with sliced cooked sausage, cooked new potatoes, bread cubes, and apple slices for dipping.
Entree:
“Filet Mignon with Shallot Butter”
Directions:
- In 10-inch skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium. Add shallot and rosemary; cook 2 minutes or until shallot is golden, stirring. Add wine. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. In small bowl, combine butter and shallot mixture. Stir in parsley. Refrigerate.
- Wipe out skillet; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Heat on medium-high until very hot. Season steaks with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place steaks in skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn over; cook 3 minutes or until desired doneness (145 degrees F for medium-rare). Transfer to plate; let stand 5 minutes.
- To serve, top steaks with red wine–shallot butter.
Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small shallot
.13 tsp. dried rosemary
¼ tsp. dry red wine
2 tbsp. butter (no substitutions)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 beef tenderloin (filet mignon) steaks
“Caramelized Fig and Ravioli with Rosemary Brown Butter & Crispy Prosciutto”
Ingredients:
4 thin slices prosciutto
2 (9-ounce) packages fresh cheese ravioli
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 fresh figs, quartered through the stem
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto in a single layer and cook until curling and lightly browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Flip and let cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain. Do not wash the pan.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cheese ravioli according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, using the same frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the figs and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter browns and the figs have softened and caramelized a bit, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the ravioli to the frying pan. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water and simmer, tossing gently, until the sauce has thickened a bit and evenly coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving bowls and crumble the crispy prosciutto over each portion.
Dessert:
Chocolate covered strawberries, who can say no to such a timeless classic.