A spicy Valentine's meal

The traditional Valentine’s dinner is surf and turf- lobster and steak. This year, switch things up for a change and add some extra excitement. You can make this meal for yourself or your friends if you’re single. If you have a significant other and you really want to show some love open a jug of wine and suggest cooking together. Even if you can’t cook and the meal doesn’t turn out just right, it won’t matter if you make all the right moves in the kitchen!

Valentine’s Menu

Hot Broccoli & Cheese Dip

Beet Salad

Shrimp & Crab Medley

Grilled Lamb Chops with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Strawberry Almond Shortcake

Pair with a Scottish ale or Cabernet.

I recommend making some things in advance or the day before including the beet salad, shortcake bread and lemon yogurt sauce.

 HOT BROCCOLI CHEESE DIP

Ingredients:

8 ounces of softened cream cheese

1 cup of sour cream

1 envelope Good Seasons or other Mild Italian Salad Dressing Mix

10 ounces chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup (divided) shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or mild)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and Good Seasons Mild Italian Salad Dressing Mix with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
3. Stir in broccoli and ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Spoon mixture into 9-inch aluminum pie plate or ovenproof crock.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with crackers. Makes 3.5 cups.

BEET SALAD

Ingredients:

8 medium sized beets, (stems and roots trimmed to 1 inch and washed)

1.5 cups walnut halves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard,

¼ cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper (to taste)

¼ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons corn oil

4 heads of Belgium endive (halved lengthwise)

juice of 1 lemon

2 ripe pears

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley

6 ounces Roquefort cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Individually wrap beets in aluminum foil, and bake until completely tender, about an hour to an hour and a half. Remove from oven.
2. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and cut the beets into ½ inch cubes. Set aside.
3. While beets are cooking, toast walnut halves in the same oven on a small baking sheet for 10 minutes. Cool, then chop coarsely and set aside.
4. Whisk together Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste) in small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and corn oil, whisking constantly until thickened. Set aside.
5. Cut the halved Belgium endive strips into ½ inch pieces crosswise, on the diagonal. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with the juice of 1 lemon.
6. Peel and quarter pears; discard the cores. Slice thinly and place in the bowl with the endive and toss gently to coat well with the lemon juice.
7. Add the beets and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).
8. Add Dijon and red wine vinegar dressing, and flat-leaf parsley; toss well.
9. Gently fold in Roquefort cheese, broken into large pieces.

Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH LEMON YOGURT SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

8 rib lamb chops

1 ½  teaspoons coarse salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Mint sprigs (optional)

1. To make yogurt sauce: combine yogurt, lemon juice, paprika, and ground cumin in small bowl and set aside in refrigerator.
2. Heat a grill (indoor or outdoor) to medium heat. Sprinkle lamb chops with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
3. Serve with yogurt sauce and mint sprigs for garnish (if desired).

SHRIMP AND CLAM MEDLEY

Ingredients:

1 pound medium shrimp

1 pound cockles or small clams

1 tablespoon Cajun spice

2 tablespoons Karo syrup

12-16 ounces roasted red peppers

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
2. In small bowl, mix Cajun spice with Karo syrup. Generously rub over shrimp and marinade for 15 minutes.
3. Place roasted red peppers in blender with ¼ cup water and puree until smooth. Pour into small bowl and stir in cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Sauté’ shrimp and cockles or small clams (at the same time) 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through, stirring frequently. Sauté’ cockles/clams until all are open.
5. Brush puree over shrimp and sprinkle with a pinch of finely chopped cilantro to garnish.

Serves 4.

STRAWBERRY-ALMOND SHORTCAKES

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 cup buttermilk, milk or heavy cream (divided)

1 quart of strawberries

¼ cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup sugar

Whipped cream

Assorted berries

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and set a rack in the middle level.
2. To prepare dough, combine in mixer: flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Mix on low speed (with paddle attachment if you have one) for 1 minute.
3. Cut butter into 12 pieces and add to mixer. Continue to mix on low speed, scraping down bowl and beater several times, until mixture appears as fine crumbs.
4. Add ¾ cup buttermilk, milk or heavy cream and mix until a soft dough forms.
5. Scrape dough out into floured work surface and fold over on itself several times. Pat dough out ½ inch thick into a 6x9 inch rectangle, and cut with a floured round 3-inch cutter. Place 6 biscuits on prepared pan and brush with remaining milk, heavy cream  or buttermilk. Add sliced almonds to tops of biscuits and sprinkle liberally 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until well risen and deep golden.
6. To make strawberry sauce: rinse, remove tops, and slice strawberries, and combine with 1/3 cup sugar.
7. Split hot biscuits and place bottoms on dessert plates. Top with strawberry mixture and a generous spoonful of whipped cream, cover with tops of biscuits. Garnish with more cream and assorted berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc).

Makes six servings.