Are you planning a romantic evening at home this Valentine’s day, with sexy music playing in the background, soft lights and great food? If so, then why don’t you try some of our Valentines Day food? Choose from a selection of recipes which will melt any person heart. Don’t forget keep the meal light because you don’t want to be too full when its time for your real romance

BAKED OYSTERS AND SPINACH

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds fresh spinach, rinsed well and left wet
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1 quart shucked fresh oysters
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried


Directions:

1. Place the spinach in a large saucepan, cover, and steam over moderate heat for     about 5 minutes or until tender.

2. Drain the spinach, refresh under cold water, squeeze dry, and chop finely.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, Gas mark 6. In a large skillet, heat half the butter,     add the onion, and sauté over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

4. Add the spinach, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cream. Stir well and cook over moderate     heat for about 3 minutes, stirring in a few bread crumbs if necessary to thicken the     mixture.

5. Add the oysters and dill and stir well. Spoon the mixture into a well-buttered baking     dish, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, dot with the remaining butter, and bake for     10 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Ingredients:

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as morels, cèpes, or shiitakes
7 cups defatted chicken broth (canned or homemade)
1/4 cup tawny port
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1-1/2 pounds fresh white mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, and coarsely chopped
Reserve 8 whole mushroom caps for garnish
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup full (or whipping) cream
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

Directions:

1. Rinse the wild mushrooms well in a strainer under cold water to remove any dirt. Place     the mushrooms in a bowl.

2. Bring 1 cup of the chicken broth and the port to a boil and pour over the mushrooms.     Let the mushrooms soak for at least 1 hour.

3. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and set aside. Strain the liquid through a     double layer of cheesecloth.

4. Melt the butter in a heavy soup pot over low heat. Add the onions and cook until     wilted, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, increase the     heat to medium-low, and cook to bring out their flavor, stirring occasionally, for 15     minutes.

5. Add the remaining 6 cups chicken broth, the allspice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil,     reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add half the reserved     wild mushrooms with all the soaking liquid. Cook, partially covered, 15 minutes     longer.

6. Puree half of the soup in a food processor or blender and return it to the pot. Add the     remaining wild mushrooms along with the cream. Heat another 10 minutes to warm     the soup through.

7. Julienne the reserved mushroom caps and garnish each serving with the julienned     mushrooms and snipped chives.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1-1/2 cups canned asparagus, drained and 1/4 cup of the liquid reserved
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
11-12 ounces lobster chunks (frozen or canned is fine)
1 can condensed cream of asparagus soup
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh parsley sprigs, thin cucumber slices, and halved Spanish olives for garnish
Crisp crackers and thinly sliced brown bread for serving

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the onion over low heat until soft. Place     the sautéed onion, canned asparagus, 1/4 cup of the asparagus liquid, the gelatin,     and lobster in a blender or food processor and puree.

2. In a large pot, heat the soup and cream cheese together over low heat, stirring until     smooth.

3. Add the pureed ingredients, mayonnaise, and salt to the soup mixture and cook over     low heat until heated through but not hot. Pour into an oiled 2 quarter mold and chill     until set.

4. Unmold onto a chilled platter, garnish with parsley sprigs, cucumber, and olives, and     serve with crackers and brown bread.

Descriptions:

1. Preheat oven to at 350° Gas Mark 4. Wash and stem mushroom capsand set aside.     Gently scrape the filament from the caps and chop the stems.

2. Combine mushroom pieces with dry ingredients and mix well. Add vermouth and stuff     the caps.

3. Place the margarine and water in a baking dish. Place stuffed mushrooms in pan and     bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cherry sauce
1 8 ounce can black bing cherries
2 tablespoons Burgundy wine
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pinch salt


Directions:

Preparing Cherry Sauce:

1. Drain juice from cherries. Combine juice with wine, sugar, cornstarch and salt, mix     thoroughly. Bring mixture to a boil until sauce thickens. Add the drained cherries.

2. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, paprika, and brush with butter. Bake for 30     minutes at 325°F gas mark 3 or until cooked and tender.

3. Place chicken in a medium size ovenproof serving dish and cover with sauce.Have     table set, candles lit, all accompaniments on table, and turn off lights when ready to     flambé. How to flambé: Pour 1/4 ounce of brandy over dish and place in middle of     table. Using long wooden matches, ignite chicken breast. When flame goes out and     liquor has burned off, you are ready to serve.

    Serve with seasonal vegetables.

LOBSTER WITH RED WINE RISOTTO

Ingredients:

For the risotto:

1 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup port
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely minced
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1 cup chicken stock, boiling
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the sauce:

1 cup chicken stock, boiling
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ground white pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 (1- to 1-1/4-pound) Maine lobsters, steamed, shells removed, tail split, and meat cut into bite-size pieces
Shaved Parmesan, for garnish
2 sprigs chervil, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a nonreactive saucepan set over high heat, bring the red wine and port to a boil,     reduce the heat, and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

2. Set a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, and cook the shallot,     stirring, for 2 minutes.

3. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the reduced wine and simmer until     all the liquid is absorbed.

4. Gently stirring while cooking, add about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock at a time,     cooking until all the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice is al     dente. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

5. To make the sauce, pour the hot stock into a blender and start blending on low then     gradually increase the speed to high. Slowly add the olive oil the sauce will look white     and creamy. Add the cheese and mix just until blended. Season to taste with pepper.     If the sauce is too thick, add a little more hot chicken stock.

6. To finish the dish, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add     the lobster meat and about 2 tablespoons water. Cook just until the lobster meat is     warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Serve this in warmed large, flat soup bowls. Place a mound of the risotto in the     center, spoon a little of the creamy sauce around the risotto, place the lobster on     top, and garnish with shaved Parmesan and a sprig of chervil.

Directions:

1. Boil the lobster in water to cover for 10 minutes. Cool.

2. Peel potatoes and cut in quarters lengthwise. Place in a pan, cover with water and     bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes,     or until soft. When done, remove from heat but do not drain.

3. Meanwhile, with kitchen scissors, remove meat from claws and tail of lobster. Place     entire lobster shell in a 3-quart saucepan. Add 3 cups of cold water and bring to a     boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Drain broth in a sieve set over a bowl. Discard shells. Return broth to pan. Boil until     liquid is reduced by half. Measure out 1/2 cup.

5. Dice lobster meat very fine. In lobster pan (do not wash), melt butter over medium     heat. Add lobster and green onions. Saute for 3 minutes to flavor the butter. Set     aside.

6. Drain potatoes and return to pan. Shake over medium heat to evaporate any     remaining water. Remove from heat. Add the 1/2 cup lobster broth, salt and pepper.

7. Mash by hand with a potato masher until fairly smooth. Add enough of the cream to     produce a fluffy texture, mashing until smooth.

8. Taste potatoes and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add the butter, lobster     and onions mix thoroughly.

Fruit Hearts

Ingredients:

1 pack (270g) Filo Pastry
2oz Butter - melted 50g
2oz each Demerara sugar and chopped roasted hazelnuts - combined together
1 x 250g tub crème fraiche
225g 8oz fresh strawberries
Ready made strawberry or raspberry coulis icing sugar to dust.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 5 Have ready a baking sheet lined with     baking paper.

2. Layer up three sheets of Filo pastry by brushing each lightly with butter

3. Mix the sugar and chopped roasted hazelnuts into a bowl sprinkle on top, brushing     and sprinkling the top layer as well.

4. From the Filo stack cut nine heart shapes using a pastry cutter, place on baking     sheet and bake for approx. 8 minutes until pastry is golden. Repeat with remaining     pastry and nut mixture and allow to cool.

5. Just before serving layer up 3 hearts with crème fraiche and a few of the sliced     strawberries, drizzle with coulis. Repeat with remaining shapes and serve dusted with     icing sugar.To make your own coulis, puree 100g fresh strawberries in a food     processor or liquidiser, Sieve out pips if desired and then combine with 100g sifted     icing sugar.