Valentine's Day Dinner

Ciao all! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I know that some of you might be trying to figure out what you are going to do with that special someone. Well, nothing says love and romance to me like a warm, home cooked meal made straight from the heart. I think that making a beautiful dinner for someone is one of the best ways to say I love you. Not only is it thoughtful, but it can be far less expensive and less stressful than trying to plan a night out on the town when everyone else is doing the exact same thing. And so this year, I encourage you to mix it up by creating a romantic atmosphere with fantastic food right in your own home. Nicole and I thought it would be nice to give you all some menu suggestions for this Valentine’s Day. Nicole is going the elegant French route, while I am of course going the heavily romantic Italian route. Both routes are wonderful, but if you’re feeling like Italy is the way to go this V-Day, then here’s the menu for you.

Course 1/Starter: Sweet and Tart Spinach Salad. This salad combines baby spinach, tomatoes, red onions, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette that is light and sweet, yet wonderfully tangy and dynamic. It’s perfect for the first course of a romantic Italian meal. The red tomatoes, onions, and cranberries add a traditional color to this holiday as well as that lovely sweet touch from the balsamic vinaigrette. This will get your dinner started on the right note.

Course 2/Main Course: Individual Manicotti Gratins. This dish actually has a wonderful love story behind it. After my mom and dad had been dating for awhile, it came time for them to cook for each other. A lot of women go for a roast chicken or a big steak when they cook for a man for the first time, but not my mom. No, my mom stuck to her Italian guns and made these Individual Manicotti Gratins. They are all the rich and comforting flavors of my family’s lasagna, but in a neater and more elegant form. Individual dishes of ricotta and parmesan stuffed manicotti shells between layers of my family’s famous meat sauce and topped with mozzarella and more parmesan cheeses, then baked to perfection. How does that not say romance? It’s baffling to think, my mom made these dishes over 30 years ago for my dad, and they are still together. If that’s not insurance, I don’t know what is ;)

Course 3/ Dessert: Chocolate Amaretto Pudding Cups. This is a dessert that I came up with that you can whip up in less than 10 minutes and make it look like a dessert a 5 star restaurant might serve. It’s basically an Amaretto (Italian almond liquor) whipped cream that is weighed down by chocolate sauce to make it more like a pudding. I crumble Amaretti cookies at the bottom of martini glasses, spoon in the pudding, and crumble more Amaretti cookies on top for added crunch. They aren’t too heavy, which is perfect after a dish like Manicotti, yet they satisfy your sweet tooth and have that little special something from the Amaretto for your special someone. These little Chocolate Amaretto Pudding Cups are the perfect way to finish your romantic Italian dinner.

Viola! There you have it, a romantic Italian dinner for 2. Inexpensive and simple, yet elegant, and most of all, thoughtful. Take this holiday and show someone how much love them by putting your heart into this food. I wish you all the happiest of Valentine’s Days! Bon Apetito mi amores!

Sweet and Tart Spinach Salad-

Ingredients:

 ½ a bag baby spinach

2 roma tomatoes, large diced

1 small red onion, sliced

1 handful dried cranberries

1 handful walnut halves

1 handful crumbled feta cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Store bought Balsamic Vinaigrette

In a salad bowl, combine all the ingredients on top of the spinach except the Balsamic Vinaigrette. When ready to serve, pour in your desired amount of dressing and toss.

Individual Manicotti Gratins-

Ingredients: For the sauce:

1 small onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

¼ pound ground beef

¼ hot Italian sausage

1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can tomato puree or tomato sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the filling:

7-8 oz. part skim ricotta cheese

4 oz. frozen spinach, thawed

2 handfuls grated Parmesan Cheese

1 large egg

For the Manicotti and the finishing touches:

4-6 Manicotti/Cannelloni shells (I use 2 shells a person, but boil a few extra in case I rip 1 or 2)

Salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 handful grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 basil leaves, chopped

For the sauce, in a large pan or a pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Sprinkle with about ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper and stir together. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and carrots are tender and onions start to brown slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Add the beef and sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break up into small pieces and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the crushed tomatoes, the tomato puree/sauce, and tomato paste and stir together. Add the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and allow to cook for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

 For the filling, strain the spinach and squeeze the excess liquids out. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, parmesan, and the egg. Stir together making sure to break up the egg completely until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

For the manicotti, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the manicotti/cannelloni shells and a drizzle of olive oil. Boil for 7-8 minutes. Either carefully strain or fish out the shells with a slotted spoon or strainer. Place the shells in a bowl of water so they don’t stick together.

Place your gratin dishes on a baking sheet and grease them with butter. Cover the bottom of each dish with meat sauce. Using a small spoon, stuff each manicotti shell with the ricotta-spinach mixture until filled up to both sides. Place 2 stuffed shells in each gratin dish side by side. Cover completely with meat sauce. Cover the top layer of meat sauce with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with the chopped basil and additional parmesan and serve!

Chocolate Amaretto Pudding Cups-

Ingredients:

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons Amaretto liquor

3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

8 Amaretti cookies

In a medium bowl, combine the cream, powdered sugar, and Amaretto. Using a hand held mixer, whip all together until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Pour in the chocolate syrup and whip together until the chocolate is incorporated and has colored the pudding.

Crumble a few Amaretti cookies into the bottom of Martini glasses. Spoon half the pudding into each glass. Crumble more Amaretti cookies on top of the pudding and garnish with 1 full cookie. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

P.S. Singles out there without plans for the day of couples? Invite your friends over and make these recipes, they can all easily be expanded! Have fun and eat well this V-Day no matter what!