Good Morning.
Tomorrow is either a really good day, a tolerable one, or a crummy one. It's spectacular if you have a significant other - an attentive, interesting one - manageable if the strays get together and have dinner to forget that they're strays, and yucky if you're alone and probably not by choice. This group includes people who have lost a partner to death, divorce, or someone else. With that
cheerful opening I offer a menu for those who celebrate V-Day the best that they can, regardless of circumstances. Wear something red at the very least.
We begin with a Passion. It's basically a Cosmo with tequila. This amount will make one large cocktail or two small ones.
2 oz. tequila, gold or reposado, your choice
3 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. Rose's lime juice
2 oz. Grand Marnier
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with lots of ice, shake, and strain into one or two stemmed glasses. Garnish with a slice of lime or a flower.
For a snack to go with the Passion, we suggest Red Hot Popcorn.
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups red hot cinnamon candies
8 cups popped popcorn
Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the butter, corn syrup, and candy in a pot on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for five minutes. Do not leave the stove. Pour the syrup over the popcorn in a large bowl and mix well. Spread the coated popcorn onto the baking sheets and bake in a 250 degree oven - not 350 - for about half an hour.
For dinner we begin with a salad with several ingredients, some of them red.
4 cups salad greens, your choice
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
6 strawberries, sliced
10 raspberries
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, your choice
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
Croutons, optional
1/2 cup vinaigrette. Make your own and get a good bottled one. I like Girard's Champagne Vinaigrette.
Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl, toss with the dressing, and top with croutons if desired. Serve on chilled plates.
For an entree we have a surf and turf, this time scallops and lamb chops.
6 sea scallops
Dash of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of paprika
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
In a large skillet, melt half the butter on medium high heat. Add the scallops and sear for two minutes per side, no more. They should look golden. Remove them to a plate and keep warm.
Add the rest of the butter and saute the garlic for a minute or two until tender. Add the sherry and the herbs. Stir the liquid until slightly reduced. Put the scallops back in the skillet and coat them with the sauce. Each person gets three apiece. That means there are two of you.
Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction
4 lamb chops
3/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
In a bowl, combine the herbs and salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the chops on both sides. Place them on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. After fifteen or twenty minutes, heat the olive oil in a large skillet until medium high and sear the chops for about 3 1/2 minute per side for medium rare if the chops are about 3/4 inch thick. Put the chops back on the plate and keep warm. Add the chopped shallots to the skillet and cook until starting to brown. Stir in the vinegar, scrape up any bits, and add the chicken broth. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half.
This will take five or six minutes. Stir in the butter, pour over the chops, and serve. Each person gets two.
For a sinful side, we like Cream Cheese and Chive Mashed Potatoes.
2 large Russet potatoes or 4 smaller ones
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. Half and Half
Dash of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of garlic powder
2 tbsp. chives
Scrub and peel the potatoes. Cut them into cubes. Place them in a pot filled with cold water. Bring the pot to a gentle boil and cook the potatoes for twenty minutes until tender. Drain
and return to the pot. Add the cream cheese, butter, Half and Half, and seasonings. Mash them with a fork to break them up. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the chives by hand and serve.
Finish off dinner with Irish Cream Mousse.
4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1 tbsp. Bailey's
1 cup whipped cream
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and cool. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and stir in the melted chocolate and Bailey's. Fold in half of the whipped cream. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mousse into individual glasses and garnish with the rest of the whipped cream for serving. Shave some chocolate on top if desired or do the mint thing as
pictured.
This is a caloric, heavy meal. Make adjustments or eat the whole thing and have a cup of soup tomorrow.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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