Trying to impress your significant other this Valentine’s Day? Then you’d better get organized in the kitchen! The Hernando Sun has some tips for you on how to create a romantic atmosphere and cook a delectable Valentine’s dinner at home to make it an occasion worth staying in for.
The secret to a flawless romantic dinner for two is preparation. To set your romantic scene, lighting is of the utmost importance. Candles are the obvious choice. Use lots of pink or red votives, tea lights, taper or pillar candles, they’re all perfect. Scatter rose petals on the dinner table or mantelpiece. If you don’t have fresh petals, make some from colored paper. Heart-shaped candy also looks good on the coffee table.
Playing some relaxing music that you both love is sure to set the perfect mood. Create a song list in advance and make sure you have enough music loaded to last a few hours, so you won’t be messing around with the music in the middle of dinner.
Now the scene is set and all the courses are ready with very little attention required, until just before serving. Now it’s time to open the wine and enjoy each other’s company.
Halloumi Salad
The ingredients for this yummy salad are:
6 oz. Halloumi cheese
bundle of arugula
Some watermelon chunks
4 oz. French green beans
Toasted pita bread
Mint leaves
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Fire up the grill to the high setting and lay a single layer of the halloumi on a baking tray. Grill for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Mix the watermelon, beans, and mint together with the lemon juice and olive oil, season to taste, then layer on plates with the slices of halloumi. Drizzle with a little more oil if you like and then serve with warm pitas.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel
Anything wrapped in prosciutto is certain to be delicious but with a pork tenderloin, it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner entree.
It’s easy to prepare and ready to serve fresh from the oven in about an hour and a half.
The ingredients for this are:
Pork tenderloin for two
4 fennel bulbs
1 Red onion
Dijon mustard
Fresh thyme
Cut the fennel bulbs and red onions into wedges. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in the oven for about 5 minutes.
Brush the pork tenderloin with Dijon mustard and sprinkle with thyme. Wrap the prosciutto rashers around the pork, overlapping the rashers until completely covered.
Heat a skillet and cook the pork over medium to high heat until golden brown (about 4 minutes) and then flip and cook the other side. Nestle the pork among your vegetables and roast until cooked inside (10 to 15 minutes). Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Decadent Chocolate Mousse
For dessert, chocolate mousse is the ultimate chocolate fix! It’s easy to make and is rich and creamy, yet light and fluffy. The perfect end to your romantic Valentine’s Day dinner at home.
The ingredients are:
4 oz. of best baking chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Eggs
Sea salt to season
Cream of tartar – ¼ tsp.
Sugar (to taste)
Slowly melt 4 oz. of top-quality chocolate and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Let it cool for a bit. Mix in two room temperature egg yolks, a little sea salt, and the cream of tartar. Whisk the remaining egg whites and add sugar to taste until soft peaks form. Then gently fold into the chocolate mixture. That’s it! Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. A lovely way to serve the dish is in pretty stemmed glasses with a dollop of whipped heavy cream and some leftover chocolate shavings.
