My Valentine's Day Menu
L is for the way you look…
at this heart shaped themed dinner! Whether you’re cooking them for your SO, your friends, your family, or even yourself these comfort dishes will win over even the coldest of hearts…
o is for the…
Way they’ll say “Oh! That’s delicious!”. The French Martini is perfect because it’s sweet and the acid from the pinapple really pairs well with the cheese on the pizza. If cocktails aren’t your thing, don’t worry, you can grab this amazing bottle of Italian wine, Unlitro, that will make you feel as though you got your pizza straight from Rome. And If alcohol isn’t your thing, mexican cokes are always a great choice. Just be sure to garnish them with a lime to give it all those fancy feels.
V is for very very…
Easy and tasty Caesar salad with heart shaped croutons that will actually make you want to eat your veggies. Caesar salad and pizza is such an iconic duo! How symbolic for Valentine’s Day?! I found the recipe for the dressing and croutons from good ‘ol Martha Stewart. So you know it’ll be tasty!
E is for even more…
deliciousness coming your way. Pizza! The ultimate love food. All your favorite toppings, crispy crust, and maybe even a little dipping sauce! What makes this pizza even better? It’s in the shape of a heart! There are a few ways you can get your heart-shaped pizza. I went with the easiest way and baked a frozen pizza, then used a cookie cutter to make it a heart. The trick for that too is to wait for it to cool before you use the heart cutter. You can also order from Papa John’s on Valentine’s Day for a heart-shaped pizza or get raw pizza crust from your local pizzeria and shape it into a pizza! Viola your very own heart pizza!
LOVE…
is eating dessert, at least for me it is. And I’m serving up a Coffee Panna Cotta, in addition to some heart shaped chocolates. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
1 ½ cup of half & half
½ cup of brewed coffee
⅓ cup of sugar
2 tbsp of finely ground coffee
1 packet of gelatin
Chocolate shavings
Strawberries
Hardware
Small stockpot
Whisk
Coffee Filter or fine strainer
Mixing bowl
6 martini glasses or ramekins (mason jars work for travel)
A small sheet tray
Saran wrap
Instructions
Get your ground coffee and wrap it up in a filter and tie (this is the best way to make sure no ground coffee makes it into your end product)
In a stockpot, heat up your half & half and sugar. Add the ground coffee pouch on high heat while stirring to break the sugar down. When it comes to a simmer take it off the heat. You will want to dip the coffee bag to agitate and impart more coffee flavor (the longer you keep the bag in the more coffee intensity).
In your mixing bowl, add the packet of gelatin and brewed coffee (make sure it’s cooled). Let it sit for a minute. Add your hot mixture into the mixing bowl and whisk. Then add it back into the pot. Turn the heat back on to medium-high heat and mix for 1 minute. Let your mixture cool before transferring it into your serving glassware.
Pour the mixture evenly into the glassware and cover it in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (this time will vary depending on the amount of mixture your put into your glassware). Add chocolate shavings and a strawberry for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
