HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Take pleasure in simplicity this Valentine's Day by creating an easy and elegant dinner for two.
Scatter a rose petal path leading to a dining table lush with aphrodisiac fare.
Romance your paramour with a gesture from the heart, such as a line of poetry during dessert. It's as simple as that.
Alize Passion Fruit Liqeur is the secret to making this out of this world salad.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Alize passion fruit liqueur
- 3 tablepoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 Teaspoon salt
- 1/8 Teaspoon pepper
- 1 small head red leaf lettuce, washed
- 2 hearts of palm stalks
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Steps
- Whisk together liqueur, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Cut hearts of palm stalks into 1/2-inch slices and add to lettuce. Pour dressing over ingredients and toss to coat.
- Divide salad between 2 serving plates. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top and serve.
- Note:Hearts of palm are velvety white stalks and are usually canned and packed in brine. They be found in the canned vegetable section, typically next to the artichokes, of your local grocery store.
Try this easy and elegant recipe and add a splash of color to your plate.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. asparagus spears, washed
- 1 Cup fresh raspberries
- 1/4 Cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 1/8 Teaspoon white pepper
Steps
- Preheat oven to 450F (205C). Trim about 1/2-inch off bottom end of asparagus and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Using the back of a spoon, force raspberries through a sieve over a bowl to strain juice from seeds. Add oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to raspberry juice and whisk until combined. Pour mixture over asparagus spears and turn spears to coat.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes until spears are roasted. Remove from heat and arrange on a platter. Pour Raspberry Sauce over asparagus and serve warm.
This chicken roulade is a great gourmet main dish, and you don't have to be a chef to prepare it.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless half chicken breasts, fat trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Cup canned (marinated in water) artichoke hearts, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 Cup fresh grated Parmesan
- 1 Cup cooked instant couscous, unseasoned
- 1/2 Cup ground pistachio nuts
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon pepper
- 12 wooden picks, soaked in water
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350F (160C). Grease baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Pound chicken breast with a kitchen mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Rub remaining olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on chicken breasts.
- Mix together artichoke, garlic, Parmesan, couscous, pistachios, lemon juice, and, oil until combined.
- Mound 1/2 cup artichoke mixture along center, on underside of chicken breast. Wrap breast around mixture by pulling edges from long sides of breast up over mixture. Overlap edges of breast on top of mixture and insert a wooden pick to secure edges closed. Place chicken, wooden pick side down, on prepared baking sheet.
- Cook for 40 minutes until chicken center is no longer pink. Remove from heat and arrange on platter or individual plates.
Rich chocolate to spoil your sweetie.
Ingredients
- 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 2 eggs, pastuerized
- 1/2 Cup heavy cream
- 1/2 Teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 Tablespoon Kahlua
Steps
- Melt chocolate over medium-low heat in top of double boiler, stirring constantly. Cool 8 minutes.
- Beat sugar and eggs in medium bowl until mixture thickens and is pale yellow.
- Beat in melted chocolate, until incorporated. Add cream and beat until cream thickens.
- Dissolve espresso powder in Kahlua and stir into mixture until blended.
- Pour chocolate mixture into 2 to 4 stemmed glasses. Refrigerate uncovered until chocolate mousse sets, about 3 hours.
- Place glass on individual plates and serve cool. Store covered in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Centerpiece of Petals: While a bouquet of roses can capture one's heart, strewn rose petals can certainly play on the heartstrings. The average rose bloom yields about 25 petals and will fill a 4-inch square area on your tabletop. Create this plush pile of petals and add tea-lights for a simple table centerpiece.
Create a Walkway: Scatter rose petals from your threshold to the dining table to make your Valentine feel extra special.
Garnish with Petals: Accent food by placing petals on the rim of your dinner plates for a professional look at home.
Learn the meaning behind each color of rose and chose your colors wisely.
Create a Walkway: Scatter rose petals from your threshold to the dining table to make your Valentine feel extra special.
Garnish with Petals: Accent food by placing petals on the rim of your dinner plates for a professional look at home.
Learn the meaning behind each color of rose and chose your colors wisely.
You don't have to spend a lot of money to show someone you care. Try these gestures of love and we'll bet you get serious brownie points!
- Create a handmade Valentine card
- Feed your partner grapes
- Read an impromptu poem
- Learn a few French "love" phrases
- Illuminate every room with candlelight
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