Valentine’s day is upon us! That wonderful holiday of love. A day to do something for that special person in your life. A day to spend a fortune on an expensive dinner from that high-end restaurant recently reviewed in the Boston Globe. All that pressure from every jewelry, card and candy company across the nation. Who have been advertising non-stop for months just to get you to buy a gift from them.
Of course it’s always the intention that counts. I have nothing against celebrating Valentine’s Day that way, but I find in these times of poor economy, unemployment and exuberant prices, the stress of trying to impress can be quite overwhelming. So why not make that special someone a wonderful, if not less pricey, homemade treat by turning your dining room into a gourmet “home restaurant”?
This idea can be somewhat intimidating, but with a little planning and a few great recipes you too can make a romantic, memorable Valentines’ Day for your special someone.
The first and most important thing to remember when planning an at home Valentines dinner is: don’t over think it! Trust your instincts and remember, it’s the thought that counts and your valentine will be thankful that you even thought to make something. Over thinking a dish is a sure fire way to ruin it!
I remember one memorable Valentine’s Day my boyfriend at that time decided to make me dinner. After a bit of research and a good amount of advice from his roommate, he decided to make Chicken Piccata with pasta and broccoli. For those of you who may not know, Chicken Piccata is a dish made from thin chicken cutlets with a lemon caper sauce. He took to the kitchen that evening to make me an “amazing dinner!” I was not, however, allowed to enter the kitchen at that time under any circumstances and was soon cloistered to the living room to watch TV.
An hour later, and a bit of cursing coming from the kitchen, dinner was served. And by served, I mean a plate was given to me while sitting on the couch. I tasted the chicken, which looked good, only to find that it tasted something akin to lemon sweet tarts. Did I mention it’s the thought that counts? I dutifully ate bite by bite, trying to be the good little girlfriend. After all he had taken the time to make this for me. I watched him take a bite, grimace and look at me. I smiled and ate another fork full.
“What do you think?” he asked me with a hopeful look on his face.
“It’s….good,” I replied taking one more mouth puckering bite.
He gave me one very skeptical look and told me it was terrible. “Not terrible,” I replied, “Just a little too lemony.”
Both plates were promptly whisked away and thrown in the sink. Papa John’s Pizza was called without a second thought. He apologized over and over again, to which I assured him it was all OK. Soon after the pizza arrived, my boyfriends roommate showed up and asked why we were eating pizza. Both of us looked at each other, laughed and told him it was in the kitchen. He went to investigate and a “Wow” was all that was needed to describe the reaction to the Lemon “Sweet Tart” Chicken.
Upon remembering this holiday memory, I feel it necessary to assure you that Chicken Piccata is one of my favorite chicken dishes. I would like to share with you a very easy, and fairly inexpensive Italian Valentine’s Day Dinner including this elegant, yet simple chicken dish.
Tasty Teasers
Proscuitto wrapped Asparagus with shaved Parmesan
Main Event
Chicken Piccata with Fettuccini
Sweet Endings
Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta with Berry Compote
Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus
¼ pound Proscuitto or Serrano Ham (this can be found in most supermarket deli’s)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Wash the asparagus. Take each stalk and break off the bottoms. To do this simply hold each piece by the middle and end. Bend it and the end will snap off. This break is where the woody fibrous bottom meets the tender tops. Discard the ends.
2. Make bundles of 4-5 pieces of asparagus. Wrap each bundle with one piece of proscuitto.
3. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and add the bundles. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook each bundle until the proscuitto has tightened around each bundle and the asparagus is bright green. The texture of the asparagus will still be a little firm. If you like it a little softer, just lower the heat to medium and cook it a little longer.
4. To finish, serve two bundle on a plate in what ever fashion you like and drizzle about a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fresh cracked black pepper over the asparagus.
Chicken Piccata
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 pounds chicken cutlets
1 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fettuccini
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dip into flour, turning to coat; shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add the chicken; cook until lightly browned and opaque throughout. Transfer to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, cook fettuccini in boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Toss with 1 tablespoon butter; season generously with salt and pepper. Add some reserved pasta water if necessary. Cover to keep warm.
4. Into skillet, pour wine and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high, stirring to loosen browned bits, until liquid has reduced to 1/3 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; swirl in remaining tablespoon butter until melted. Add capers, and season with salt and pepper. Divide chicken and linguine among serving plates; top chicken with sauce.
Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta
(this makes 4 large panna cotta or 8 small)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup honey, plus more for serving
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Place cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. With a paring knife, split vanilla bean lengthwise; scrape out seeds, and add to cream along with empty pod (if using vanilla extract, add to yogurt mixture in step 4).
2. Bring cream to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cover pan, remove from heat, and set aside to steep, at least 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl, and sprinkle gelatin over water; set aside to soften, at least 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, honey, and salt until combined; set aside.
4. Return cream to a boil. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in softened gelatin until dissolved. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into yogurt-honey mixture; mix until combined.
5. Divide mixture among eight 4- to 6-ounce ramekins. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
6. To serve, unmold each panna cotta from its ramekin: Run a paring knife around the top inner edge of ramekin, then dip bottom of ramekin in a bowl of boiling water for 10 seconds. Invert ramekin onto serving plate. Holding ramekin tightly to plate, shake firmly to release panna cotta. Drizzle with honey and compote before serving.
Berry Compote
1 cup frozen berries
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons triple sec or other orange liquor
1. Combine indgrediants in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat. All the liquid from the berries will come out and make a sauce. Keep cooking, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by half.
2. Serve warm over the panna cotta.
Again, remember to just relax and don’t sweat it. Your valentine will surely appreciate a homemade dinner no matter what it is! Also think about allowing your sweety to help out in the kitchen. Cooking a meal together can be a fun and romantic experience. Enjoy!
