Stay at Home Valentine's Menu Ideas

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  How about skipping the sitter and the restaurant this year, and having a special dinner at home?  You could serve the kids their dinner, candlelit, of course, so they can celebrate the holiday with you, then go for a little romance after their bedtime.  But what to serve?  

Appetizer

Oysters (of course! These are said to raise libido...) or

Baked Brie in (optional) Flaky Crust with Grapes or Cranberry-Apple Sauce

Wrap brie in croissant dough and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Bake the same if you omit crust.

To make cranberry-apple sauce, boil bag of cranberries and 3 cut, cored, and skinned apples with a cup of chicken stock. Lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.  

Slice croissant crust on brie open crosswise, then add cranberry sauce (or other fruit compote, or preserves) in center.  Dip with hard crackers like Melba rounds.

Salad

Caesar or Spinach 

Main

Grilled Steak (grass-fed and with sea salt - grill on hot BBQ for 4 minutes per side) or

Spicy Baked Shrimp

combine:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T chopped fresh parsley

2 t soy sauce

2 t honey

pinch cayenne

Pour mixture over 1/2 lb. lg. uncooked shrimp, deveined, shelled. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, covered.  

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with sourdough bread.

Dessert

Fruit Salad or

Coconut Fudge

2 c almonds
1 c coconut oil
1 c honey
1 c cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

Mix in food processor. Mush in parchment paper lined pan. Refrigerate if you want it more solid (at least 20 minutes).

Serve with fresh berries.

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