If you are thinking of a cozy night at home rather than a night out for Valentine’s Day, here are some of my top picks. No reservations are necessary for a romantic stay-at-home dinner!
Think of starting with a soup, especially this rich and creamy Balthazar’s mushroom soup. Serving a first course helps to set the tone for a slow-paced, quiet, and special evening of romance.
Here are several of my favorite main course dinner options suitable for vegetarians or the one-pot meal chef or an Indian-style colorful and exotic main.
Chickpea and spinach curry is loaded with flavors and color and intensified with a zing from spicy peppers, roasted cumin and coriander seeds, and aromatic ginger.
Choosing a one-pot meal, such as poulet a la bonne femme, will give you and your partner a little more time for romance on Valentine’s day. You can even cook and assemble this meal the day before and then just pop it in the oven for an hour before serving. More time for lingering in front of the fireplace or over that special glass of wine to celebrate the occasion.
Poulet a la bonne femme is a traditional French recipe with delicate new potatoes, mushrooms, and chicken flavored with smoky bacon pieces, thyme and green onions. The chicken produces its own natural juices as it bakes. These juices trickle down and penetrate all of the ingredients in the pot, steaming the potatoes, flavoring the onions and mushrooms, and blending with the other seasonings.
Tikka masala marinates chicken breasts in yogurt and spices and then gently simmers the chicken in a creamy tomato spiced sauce. I like to serve the tikka masala with steamed basmati rice and warm naan. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro.
This will definitely add a pop of color to your Valentine’s day menu!
Beet and orange salad, shows off its bright flavors and colors for valentines day. This tasty salad is the perfect accompaniment to any of these main courses for your Valentine’s day dinner.
And for the grand finale, dessert! Last year I shared my best chocolate recipes with you for Valentine’s Day. This year, I am proposing a couple of fruit-based desserts. The crepes with caramelized apples or an apple tart tatin should satisfy your sweet tooth. I love the simplicity of these desserts, each with warm apples swimming in a buttery caramel sauce served with either vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped chantilly.
Bon appétit and Happy Valentine’s day from the Sur le Plat kitchen!
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