Valentine’s Day Dinner

Watch this video and grab the shopping list below for a fun and easy Valentine’s Day dinner that you can cook at home for a date night with your sweetheart!

Ingredient List

Goat Cheese Appetizer

1 log Fresh Goat Cheese

1 can Tomato Sauce

½ cup Kalamata Olives (Lightly Chopped)

1 pc. Herbes de Provence Dry Herbs

¼ cup Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Baguette (or good quality Bread of your liking)

Braised Beef Shortrib 

3-4 each Boneless Beef Chuck Ribs (Country Ribs) 

1 large Sweet Onion

2 large Carrots

2 ribs Celery

½ cup Cooking Sherry

1 quart Beef Stock or Broth

1 bunch Parsley

1 Bay Leaf

4 large Parsnips

½ pound Butter

1 pound Brussels Sprouts

½ cup Pancetta (Diced)

1 pkg. Fresh Sage

Chocolate Caramel Banana Bread Pudding

1 loaf Banana Bread (you can buy or make yourself)

1 pkg Brownie Batter (follow recipe on box)

1 pkg. Soft Caramels

8 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream

8 oz. Sour Cream

Non-stick Pan Spray

Bananas (for Garnish)

Chocolate or Caramel Sauce (optional Garnish)

Instructions

Goat Cheese Appetizer

Form the goat cheese into small pucks slightly smaller than the container you choose to bake it in. Place a small amount of tomato sauce in the bottom of the container, then sprinkle a single layer of olives on the sauce. Add the goat cheese puck on top, then drizzle and fill the edges with more tomato sauce, leaving a bit of the white cheese exposed on the top. Sprinkle the top with Herbes de Provence, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake at 425 for about 8-10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately with a fresh drizzle of olive oil and some grilled crusty bread of your choice.

Braised Short Rib with Parsnip Puree and Pancetta-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

For the Beef

Season and sear the beef off on a hot pan until well browned on all sides. Reserve beef on the side. Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pan and saute just for a bit of color on the vegetables. Add the cooking sherry to deglaze and cook off the alcohol, about 1 minute. Add the beef stock, and the beef back to the pan, along with the parsley and bay leaf. Cover and cook in a 325 degree oven until beef is tender, about 2 hours. Remove from oven, place the beef on the side and strain out the vegetables. Add the liquid back to the pan and reduce until slightly thickened, about 3/4 of the way down. Press the cooking vegetables through a sieve until a rough puree is achieved and add to the beef sauce. Place the beef back in the sauce and set aside.

For the Parsnips

Peel and cut the parsnips into 1/4 inch half moons. Add the cut parsnips to a medium hot pan with 2 knobs of butter, a bit of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook on a medium/low heat until the parsnips are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add water to the pan just about halfway up the side of the parsnips and cover the pan. cook until fully soft, about 20 minutes more. Add contents of the pan to a blender and puree until smooth, checking the seasoning. Hold warm or make ahead and re-heat.

For the Brussels Sprouts

In a large non-stick skillet, add the pancetta and render until pancetta is golden brown and a good amount of fat has been released. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the butter and allow to golden brown, then add the sage leaves. The sage will POP, so be wary. Immediately add the halved, raw Brussels sprouts cut side down. Season with salt, and allow to cook over a meduim heat until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Continue to toss the sprouts until evenly browned on multiple sides, about 5-7 minutes more. Check seasoning.

Plating

Place a nice dollop of the parsnip puree on the plate. Place the well-sauced short rib on the puree, and finish with a nice pile of the Brussels Sprouts and pancetta tucked next to the beef.

Chocolate Caramel Banana Bread Pudding

For the Bread Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cube up the banana bread into medium dice, about 1/4 to 1/2 inches. Fold the brownie batter into the bread until fully incorporated and allow to soak for 10-15 minutes. Fill a greased ramekin or muffin tin with the bread mixture. Press a soft caramel into the middle and cover the hole with a bit more mix. Bake bread puddings for 15 to 20 minutes until desired doneness (less for gooey, more for firmer). allow to cool slightly before serving.

For the Whipped Sour Cream

Add heavy cream to a mixer and and whip until firm. Fold in sour cream with a rubber spatula and keep chilled until serving.

Plating

Place the warm bread pudding in the center of the plate. Serve a dollop of whipped sour cream next to the pudding. Garnish the top with a few sliced bananas and serve.

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