Romantic Dinner Recipes For The Ones You Love
The day of love – Valentine’s Day – is right around the corner! It is our pleasure to present to you the requisite romantic dinner recipes to create a meal that the ones you love will, well, love.
No, we have not compiled the most impossible recipes ever, just recipes that will, when served, show that person or persons you love that you have been thinking about them. After all, that is what romance is truly about – just doing something special for someone you love.
Of course, for those interested, we don’t wish to ignore the other side of romance that entangles the mysteriousness and giggly feelings that come with love, so the romantic dinner recipes chosen are some that might help boost these emotions, too. We can’t guarantee down what path, romantic or otherwise, these recipes will lead you and the loves of your life, but a Sensuously Smooth Avocado Soup, Tender and Titilating Scallops with Lemon Grits and Salaciously Seductive Chocolate Eclairs should, at the very least, make for a great Valentine’s Day meal. With the addition of a little champagne, you will be good to go. The award for “Most Romantic” is in the bag! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Valentine’s Day – Romantic Dinner Recipes
Romantic DInner Recipes – Avocado Soup
Creamy Avocado Soup
2015-01-26 05:11:24
Serves 4
A creamy and delicious avocado soup that is simple to make. Plus, with a little creativity, it can be made it can be made in a variety of international cuisine styles. This is certainly one of those easy avocado recipes.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
599g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 542
Calories from Fat 410
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 48g
74%
Saturated Fat 16g
79%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 25g
Cholesterol 66mg
22%
Sodium 1022mg
43%
Total Carbohydrates 30g
10%
Dietary Fiber 15g
60%
Sugars 8g
Protein 6g
Vitamin A
33%
Vitamin C
50%
Calcium
9%
Iron
9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados (3/4lb avocado flesh hold back a little for garnish)- Haas is best
- 1 medium sweet onion (about 1/4 lb)- like Vdalia
- 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 cup of cream or fat free greek yogurt
- 1 lime
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 oz. fresh cilantro
- avocado oil (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the avocado and remove the seed.
- Peel the onion and quarter.
- Finely chop the cilantro.
- Place the onion and avocado into a blender. Add the greek yogurt or cream. Squeeze in the juice of the lime.
- Bring the stock to a simmer. Carefully add the stock to the blender and blend until smooth about 1 minute. Make sure the top of the blender cap is open slightly so steam does not build up. Hold the blender cover down firmly with a dish towel.
- Pass through a fine sieve (optional, but makes a nice luxurious soup). Cool completely.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve cold or at room temperature.
- Garnish with diced avocado, cilantro and drizzle with avocado oil.
Vegan or Vegetarian Option
- Use soy cream or other cream alternative or skip it all together. Be sure to use vegetable stock.
- The can be made ahead. Store the soup in the refrigerator with cling wrap touching the surface to avoid any dis-coloration.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Romantic Dinner Recipes – Scallops with Guanciale and Lemon Grits
Pan Roasted Scallop with Guanciale and Lemon Basil Grits
2015-06-30 09:41:01
Serves 4
A delicious twist on the classic shrimp and grits
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
444g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 453
Calories from Fat 260
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 29g
45%
Saturated Fat 14g
70%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 96mg
32%
Sodium 1101mg
46%
Total Carbohydrates 21g
7%
Dietary Fiber 1g
5%
Sugars 7g
Protein 27g
Vitamin A
14%
Vitamin C
19%
Calcium
19%
Iron
10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
For The Scallops
- 16-20 large sea scallops (depending on appetites)
- 1/4 lb of guanciale or pancetta
- Salt and Pepper
For The Grits
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small bunch of basil
- 1 cup of instant grits
- 2 cup of milk
- 2 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth or fish stock
- 1/4 cup of mascarpone
For The Scallops
- If the side muscles are attached, remove them from the scallops. Pat the scallops dry.
- Cube the guanciale into a small dice.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the guanciale. Cook the guanciale until it is golden and just crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove the guanciale from the pan and drain on a plate lined with a piece of paper towel.
- Reserve about 1 tbsp of the fat from the guanciale, leaving it in the pan. Discard the rest. Heat the pan over medium high heat. When the fat is hot and a scallop sizzles when it is placed in the pan, add the scallops and cook about 2.5 minutes. Flip the scallops and cook an additional 2.5 minutes. The scallops should be golden brown on the top and bottom and milky white inside. The flesh should also be firm.
- Season with salt and pepper if needed. Be careful as the guanciale could be salty!
- Set the scallops aside and tent with foil to keep warm.
For The Grits
- Zest the lemon with a microplane or small grater making sure to get only the zest and not the bitter pith. Slice the lemon in half
- Finely chop the garlic.
- Wash and finely chop the basil
- In a medium pot, heat the butter over medium low heat. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and let it cook slowly until it is soft and fragrant.
- Add the milk and stock and bring it to a boil. When the liquid boils add the grits, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until thickened and tender. (Follow the manufacturer's instructions and liquid suggestions.)
- Whisk in the mascarpone cheese.
- Add the lemon zest and basil to taste.
- Season with salt and pepper.
To Serve
- Scoop the grits into a bowl.
- Top with scallops and pieces of guanciale.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice over the scallops.
- Serve hot.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Romantic Dinner Recipes – Chocolate Eclairs
Chocolate Eclairs
2016-01-28 06:31:30
Yields 12
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
143g
Yields
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 355
Calories from Fat 169
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19g
29%
Saturated Fat 11g
55%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 172mg
57%
Sodium 124mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates 38g
13%
Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
Sugars 25g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A
12%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
13%
Iron
6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
For The Pastry
- 1 cup of milk
- 4 tbsp of butter
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 1 cup of flour
- 4 eggs
For The Chocolate Filling
- ½ cup sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp of flour
- 2 tbsp of corn starch
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 4oz of chocolate (70% cacoa)
- 4 tbs of butter
For The Glaze
- 4oz of chocolate (70% cacoa)
- 2 tbsp of corn syrup
- 2 tbsp of heavy cream
- Sprinkles (optional)
For The Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium pot, add the milk, salt, sugar and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- When the mixture is boiling and the butter is melted, pour in all the flour at once and stir with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to low. Keep stirring until the mixture comes off the side of the pan and comes together as a dough - about 1 minute. Keep stirring for another minute to cook the floury taste from the dough.
- Turn off the heat.
- Add one egg directly into the pot stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate the egg into the dough. After the egg is added, the dough will be clumpy and sticky, but will come back together when the egg is fully incorporated. Repeat this step until all the eggs are incorporated and the dough is a thick paste. A hand mixer can be used to incorporate the eggs instead of a wooden spoon.
- Let the dough cool and transfer it to a pastry bag with a 1inch plain or star piping tip. A plastic bag with a corner cut off and a piping tip inserted can also be used.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Make 4 - 5 inch lines of pastry dough on the baking tray.
- Bake the pastry in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until they are deep golden brown and have puffed up. They should sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove the eclair pastry from the oven and using a small paring knife make small slits at each end to let extra steam escape. These slits will also be used to fill the eclairs.
- Let the eclair pastry cool completely.
For The Pastry Cream
- Rough chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl.
- In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla (or vanilla bean and seeds) to a simmer.
- In a heat proof glass bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch until the mixture is thoroughly mixed and pale in color.
- If using, remove the bean from the milk and slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Place the mixture back into the pot and, stirring constantly, slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil 1 minute. (It must boil for it to thicken! Don’t worry about making scrambled eggs as the starch and flour will stop this from happening.)
- Remove from heat, pour the hot pastry cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is incorporated. Stir in the in butter. Allow the filling to cool stirring occasionally to stop a skin from forming. If there are lumps, push the pastry cream through a fine sieve.
- When the pastry cream is completely cool, transfer it to a pastry bag with a 2 inch pastry piping tip. A plastic bag with a corner cut off and a piping tip inserted can also be used.
- Insert the filling tip into the end of an eclair pastry (through the knife slits) and squeeze to fill with cream. Fill each eclair from both sides to ensure there is cream throughout.
For The Glaze
- When the eclairs are filled, make the glaze.
- Chop the chocolate. Place the chopped chocolate, corn syrup and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl. Place the heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Begin to whisk the mixture when the chocolate starts to melt. When the ingredients are all incorporated and the chocolate is fully melted, remove it from the heat.
- Dip the tops of each filled eclair in the glaze. If needed, spread the glaze with a butter knife.
- Sprinkle the glazed eclairs with sprinkles.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
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