Valentine’s Day: Love Is in the Air…and In the Kitchen!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and make your other half fall ‘head over heels’ in love from the comfort of your own kitchen!

I thought that once romance came into my life, I would look forward to Valentine’s day. Giant stuffed animals, flowers, and a fancy dinner were my daydreamers’ notion of that day. Then, I snapped out of it and realized I had become blinded by the ‘over-commercialization’ of yet another holiday. Yes, I became THAT person that said, “I prefer you show me your love the rest of the year instead of just one day a year!”

BUT After marriage, I realized the importance of pinpointing one specific day, February 14th, for romance. On our first Valentine’s day, while my husband worked 85-hour shifts every week during residency in New York City, we found it extremely hard to accommodate a romantic date night. After we did, it just felt crowded and overrated, JUST BECAUSE it was Valentine’s Day. The essence and purity of the food and environment that surrounded us somehow did not feel special. 

After some reflection, I woke up the next morning and made it my task to set up our tiny dining room and cook the most romantic dinner I could think of. Of course, with a limited budget and my lack of cooking skills, I had to get a bit creative. Please note that my first year of marriage was actually the first time I was in charge of keeping my husband and myself fed and alive! 

My creativity led to New York’s #1 favorite…PIZZA! Don’t judge… it’s the effort that counts, and I made my own dough and customized my toppings.

After that day, I promised myself to gift my husband an “over the top” home-cooked dinner every Valentine’s Day.  

Through our 11 years of marriage, we’ve lived in Chicago, Puerto Rico, New York City, Dayton (Ohio), and Pensacola. All completely different places with different local and amazing products to help me build my “fancy dinners.” 

Now that we are at the height of the Covid 19 pandemic staying home for dinner is highly likely for many. Therefore, I encourage you to support your local businesses by ordering take-out or buying their products to cook at home.

Here are a few EASY to prepare ideas for an at-home dinner on Valentine’s Day

Surf

The easiest dinner to put together!

You can find more recipes at Pensacola = Seafood 

Accompany any of these with simple oven-roasted vegetables and angel hair pasta with herbed butter or mashed potatoes.

Steamed Lobster: Purchase freshly steamed and ready to serve at Joe Patti’s. They also offer all the fun utensils and bibs to crack into that shell with your love.

Shrimp Cocktail: You can get them freshly steamed at Joe Patti’s or use frozen. Hang them on the ledge of a martini glass and fill it with store-bought cocktail sauce, horseradish, and a lemon wedge.

Sushi: Make a Japanese themed dinner using a coffee table as your dinner table and putting cushions on the floor to sit on. Plate your food nicely on a wood or glass cutting board.

• Order it from your favorite sushi restaurant.
• You can find sushi-grade tuna and salmon at your local fish market. Slice it thinly and serve as sashimi (with wasabi and soy sauce).
• ‘Romantic sushi making’: Buy a sushi kit and make your favorite rolls. It is easier than you think and so much fun!

• Oven-baked whole red snapper: It only takes 18-20 min at 450 degrees.

  

• Pan-seared snapper fillet: It takes around 3-6 minutes on each side!

Turf

• Pork tenderloin: Use your favorite seasoning and bake for 30 minutes at 400F.

  

• NY Strip steak: Grill or pan sear – it only takes 3-6 minutes per side on High.

• Lamb Chops: Pan seared 4-6 minutes per side.

• Duck Breast: Preferably pan-seared to medium 3-7 minutes. 

 Light Dinner and Sides

• Charcuterie Board: I aim for 3 types of meat, 3 kinds of cheese, 3 vegetables, fruit, butter, bread, crackers, and 2 pickled items. The sky is the limit!

• Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus: Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

• Caprese Salad: with Balsamic reduction (store-bought)

Oven-roasted Vegetables: Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Seared Scallops over fresh greens: Sear scallops for one and half minutes per side.

Dessert

To end your special dinner date at home on a high note, purchase your DESERT from a local business. We have wonderful pastries, cakes, and sweets in Pensacola… Go out and support them!

Since February 14th is on a Sunday this year, consider making  BRUNCH instead of dinner. There are no rules on what you can serve, and you have some extra time to give it your personal touch. In the end, what’s most important is not what you eat but who you eat with…

Feliz Día de San Valentín

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

For more questions or ideas, comment below and follow me: @frommykitchentotheworld