How to stage and prepare a successful Valentine’s Dinner for two.
Think through the details of your evening. How will you decorate? What will the table look like? What will you serve?
Your romantic mood starts with the decorations. If you’re crafty, you might make a heart shaped wreath or a collage of pictures and mementos of your relationship. Go to pinterest.com for great ideas. Or visit a party store and purchase ready to use items.
The table is most important. Use your crystal glassware, best dinnerware and silver. Use lots of candles and don’t worry if they are mis-matched, the more variety the better. Place the candles around the perimeter of the table to give a soft, even light.
Be generous with flowers. Red roses are always appropriate and a single rose placed across each plate is a nice touch. Avoid placing flowers in the center of the table. You want to look at each other, not a flower arrangement.
On the day of the dinner, get an early start. Prepare the table and as much of the food as practicable before the dinner. The last thing you need is to have to spend your evening in the kitchen.
Choose recipes that are easy to prepare beforehand. With the menu below, much of the work can be done early. The salad and potatoes can be prepared
before dinnertime. Steaks can be seasoned and marinated. The champagne chilled and ready. Serve champagne and invite your valentine into the kitchen to finish the potatoes and steaks. Since you have done much of the work before, the two of you will enjoy completing the meal together.
Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two
MENU
Cabernet Sauvignon
Caesar Salad
Beef Tenderloin au Sauce
Twice Baked Potatoes
Chocolate Mousse
Beef Tenderloin au Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 beef tenderloin steaks, 4 to 6 ounces each
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons bourbon or good quality brandy
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon assorted multicolored peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup whipping cream
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat until hot. Sprinkle tenderloin steaks with salt and pepper. Sear tenderloin steaks on both sides in skillet. Remove from skillet, and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat (leave door just a bit ajar) 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer registers 140° for rare or 150° for medium rare (160° for medium). Add bourbon to drippings in skillet; bring to a boil over medium heat, and deglaze pan, scraping browned bits that cling to bottom. Add minced garlic, peppercorns, basil, oregano, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add whipping cream; bring to a boil, and cook 6 to 7 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Remove from heat; Spoon sauce over steaks.
Twice Baked Potatoes
2 russet potatoes
Olive oil
. cup sour cream
. cup milk
2 tbsp butter, softened
. cup crumbled blue cheese
. cup of chopped chives
. tsp of salt
Bake the potatoes in the microwave, 10 minutes on high heat. The
skins of microwave potatoes aren’t very crispy, so you might rub a
little olive oil on them and finish in the oven, 10 minutes at 400.
Allow the potatoes to cool to the touch. Slice the top third lengthwise
off each potato. Use a spoon to scoop out the insides. Leave
about . inch of potato on the skin.
Place the scooped out insides,
sour cream, milk, cream and
butter into a large bowl. Mash
with a potato masher. If you want
a creamy texture, beat with an
electric beater. Take care not to
overbeat. Mix in a portion of the
bleu cheese, chives and salt. Save
some to sprinkle on the top after
cooking. Spoon the fillings into
the potato shells.
Heat the oven to 350. Place the
filled potatoes on a roasting pan
and bake 15 min or until heated
through. Serve and enjoy!
