Valentine's Day Menu

Many people go out to fancy dinners for Valentine's Day. To me there is nothing better than staying at home and cooking a delicious meal together. Here is a sample menu for Valentine's Day including a starter, main course, dessert and cocktail. Happy Valentine's Day.

Starter

Pan Seared Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Main Course

Moroccan Scallops with Eggplant Confit

Dessert

Chocolate Coconut Tart

Cocktail

Pomegranate Champagne

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

This weekend I enjoyed a couple rounds of golf in the hot sun. I did not play very well, not that I ever break 100, but regardless it was a fun day. The 19th hole was spent on my parents patio where we enjoyed a great appetizer of multigrain crackers with herbed goat cheese spread and topped with hot red pepper jelly. This was followed by grilled salmon skewers served with a shrimp and orzo salad.

The salad was certainly the highlight of the meal. My mother found this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, and has been the hit of many company gatherings. The fresh dill flavor is unbelievable, complimented with lemon juice, and feta. Not to mention larege roasted or grilled shrimps. You can eat the salad without the shrimp as well. Overall highly recommend trying this one out.

salt

olive oil

3/4 pound orzo pasta (2 cups)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts

1 cup chopped fresh dill

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced

1/2 cup small-diced red onion

3/4 pound feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 T of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully.

Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature before serving.

Tried, Tested & True....Take Two Grilled Blackened Scallops

Back in April 2008 I heard about this event called Tried, Tested and True hosted by Equal Opportunity Kitchen. I had every intention of participating in this event, but never got my submission in on time due to procrastination. So when I noticed that Gizmar of Equal Opportunity Kitchen was hosting Tried, Tested and True….Take Two, I was not going to miss the opportunity to participate again. This time there are prizes!! And the judge is Christine Cushing of Food Tv. How cool is that...although a little intimidating.

The purpose of this particular event is also to bring awareness to organ donation. Gizmar has therefore asked anyone to share an experience or story they had relating to this topic. I cannot say I have had much experience with this issue myself, but my cousin, who has kidney disease and whom requires dialysis, struggles with this everyday.

She was at one time on a list for organ donation and found out how the long this waiting list can be and how difficult it is to find a perfect match, as there is more to consider than simply blood type. It was determined that she would not be a candidate to receive an organ at this time and perhaps never would be. Learning about the desperation of needing a new organ, the long waiting list and the difficulty in finding the right match, definitely brings light the important of the issue and the need for more donors and more awareness about the issue. I am constantly inspired by her courage and positive outlook on life despite her daily struggles.

The Tried, Tested and True….Take Two is also to be a health-promoting dish. I would have to say that most of my dishes fit that description and hence this was not a huge leap for me. Whether it meets the other criteria for taste, inventiveness, ease of preparation, and visual appeal will be left up to the judge.

Considering that it is summer time I knew that I would likely be grilling something for this event and that I would include fresh market vegetables. While walking around the market for veggies, I found some really fresh looking scallops from the fisherman’s market. Knowing these are low in saturated fats and low in calories (about 26calories per scallop) I decided to use them for this event. Not only are they low in cals, but they are not your everyday meal (at least not for me) and hence thought it was a nice food to serve company. One of my new favorite dishes to make for company is Moroccan Scallops with Eggplant Confit, which is a beautifully looking dish to serve company. However, as noted above I could not resist the urge to use the grill.

I coated the scallops in my favourite blackening spice and grilled a bunch of asparagus, zucchini and cherry tomatoes on the side. This recipe is not only healthy but very quick and easy to make. I sort of went a little camera crazy.

Ingredients

12 medium to large scallops (6 per person)
blackening spice (recipe below or follow the link)
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and with the ends snapped off
1-2 T olive oil
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1 zucchini, sliced 1/2" thick

Blackening Spice

1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp oregano

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container for up to 2 mths. Makes 1/2 cup. In a small bowl add about 1/4 cup of the blackening spice. Add the scallops and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to cook, preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Divide the scallops between the skewers, threading them through the sides. I used metal skewers, but if using bamboo skewers make sure to soak them in water for 20 minutes prior to grilling.

In a roasting dish add the cleaned asparagus, cherry tomatoes and zucchini. Add 1-2 T of olive oil and add the ground black pepper. Toss to coat.

Method

Place the vegetables in a non stick grill pan and place on one side of the grill, leaving room for the scallops on the opposite side. Grill the veggies for about 8-10 mins, tossing occassionally.

After the vegetables have been on the grill for 2-3 minutes add the skewered scallops. Grill the scallops on both sides for about 4 minutes per side. The scallops should look golden brown on both sides and opaque in the center.

If serving to company you can serve individual plates. Or place all the asparagus and vegetables on a large serving platter and lay the skewers on top of the asparagus and let company serve themselves.

Serves: 2

Other Recipes:

Moroccan Scallops with Eggplant Confit

Mmm Canada...Spicy PEI Mussels in Wheat Beer

On Tuesday July 1, 2008 Canada will be celebrating it's 141st birthday. To celebrate I decided to join the food event Taste Canada, hosted by Confessions of a Cardamom Addict. For this event she is asking bloggers to write about what Canada tastes like to them - savoury or sweet. Confessions of a Cardamom Addict is hosting the savoury side of Canada and Jennifer of Domestic Goddess is hosting the sweet side of Canada.

Canada is known as a melting pot of different cultures, races and religions. Such diversity has brought so many great culinary delights to this nation. The days of going out to your traditional St. Hubert's (a traditional Quebec/Ontario restaurant) are far gone. Today going out for dinner can be a all day ordeal trying to figure out if you are in the mood for japanese, chinese, korean, italian, african, greek, indian, thai, english pub fare, mexican etc....

When it comes to Canadian food there are so many foods to think of from coast to coast and season to season (not to mention all the beer & wines). Rather than going through them all I will tell you what Canada Tastes like to me in my region.

I grew up in a small town in Ontario on the border of Quebec (near Ottawa and Montreal), thus some of my meals growing up were traditionally french- canadian. As a kid I remember eating Habitant French Canadian Pea Soup with grill cheese sandwiches, Poutine from the local frie stand with squeaking St. Albert's cheese curds, Montreal Smoked meat sandwiches, tourtiere/meat pie, butter tarts, and my all time favourite strawberry shortcake.

My background is not really known, but we figure my dad's ancestors were from England and my mother's from Italy. So there is a mixture of english-italian living in a french-english community. My husband's roots are thought to be from Ireland & Belgium before settling in French Canada. To this day they continue on with many of their traditional meals of pancakes with maple syrup, pate a rague, creton, peameal bacon and sucre a creme.

Now that I am living in the nation's capital, Ottawa, Canada taste's like Beavertales after skating on the canal; pints of a local cold brew (Clocktower) on a patio in the hot summer sun; a Poutine from Elgin Street Dinner (ESD). It tastes like local fresh berries from the Byward Market, tomatoes & cucumbers from my dad garden, backyard bbq's and my favorite - corn on the cob.

Canada Day itself use to make me think of partying in the capital in the Byward Market and on Parliament Hill. These days Canada Day is symbolic for cottaging with friends, bbq and beer and that is exactly what I will be doing. So as I will not be around to blog have a

HAPPY CANADA DAY, EH!!!

Tonight I was going to make a traditional backyard bbq with burgers or a beer butt chicken. But with the rain, I decided to stay indoors and make Steamed PEI mussels from LaPointe's Fishmarket in the Byward Market with Mill St. Wheat Beer, brewed at the Mill St. Brewery in Toronto. The flavor and aroma of this dish in incredible. I believe my husband found this recipe from Bobby Flay. I kind of went crazy on the pics!

Spicy Mussels in Wheat Beer

3 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried curshed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt

1 wheat beer (2 cups) - Mill St. Wheat
1 lemon sliced
1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 lbs fresh mussels, cleaned
1 medium to large chopped and seeded tomato
Serve with crusty whole wheat italian bread.

Heat the stove to high. Heat oil in large pot and add onion, cook until soft. Add garlic, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Add wheat beer (or use a white wine), lemon slices and 1/4 cup of parsley, bring to a boil.

Add mussels. Cover pot and cook until mussel shells open, stirring once, about 6 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open. Using spoon, transfer mussels to large shallow bowl. Boil broth in pot until reduced to 1 cup (about 3 mins). Season with pepper and salt. Pour broth over mussels and sprinkle with the tomatoes and remaining parsley.

Skating on the Rideau Canal on Valentine's Day....Mmmm Beavertails.

Moroccan Scallops with Eggplant Confit

Moroccan cuisine has an abundance of wonderful flavors including cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cayenne, paprika, anise, sesame, black pepper, allspice, caraway, cloves, coridander and many more. The combination of any of these ingredients are sure to make a delicious dish. Staples are usually chickpeas (hummus), pita and couscous, whereas main dishes are typically hearty stews made with lamb, chicken and vegetables. Although Moroccan's do eat fish, seafood such as scallops are not your typical Moroccan meal.

Scallops are a great combination with the wonderful Moroccan spices as they readily absorb these flavors. This particular recipe is taken from the LCBO's Food & Drink magazine (Spring 2007 issue). I have been wanting to make them for awhile, mainly because I thought the presentation looked pretty. When I tried this dish I knew immediately that it would be one of my top 10 meals to cook for company. Not only is the presentation nice, but the flavors of the scallops and the eggplant confit is amazing. The cayenne and ginger add a good amount of heat to the dish, and the lemon zest provides one of the most balancing compliments I've tasted in a dish. Each bit has a heat followed by that subtle lemon freshness. I served this dish over whole wheat couscous.

1 medium eggplant
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 cup chopped white onions
1 T chopped garlic
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 T lemon juice
2 T chopped chives
12 large scallops
2 T unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut strips of skin from eggplant to make a striped effect. Cut eggplant into ½-inch-thick slices. Brush with 2 T oil, season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes turning once or until browned. Remove from heat and cool. Cut into ½-inch (1-cm) dice.

Combine ginger, paprika, cumin, cayenne and lemon rind. Heat remaining 2 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add half of spice mixture and cook another 30 seconds.

Add eggplant and tomatoes, stir together, reduce heat and cook slowly for 25 minutes or until mixture is very thick and tasty. Stir in lemon juice and chives and season with salt and pepper. Reheat when needed.

Sprinkle scallops with remaining spice mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Scallops should be opaque in the centre.

Boil 1 cup of water. When water comes to a boil, add 1 cup couscous and remove from heat and stir. Let sit for 5 min.

Spoon 1 scoop of couscous onto serving plate, then spoon eggplant mixture over couccous and then top with scallops.

Serves 4 (3 scallops per person).

Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

Well I have missed a few posts this week due to a combination of having a weekend of wedding festivities and being sick. Last night I had plans for stuffed portabello mushrooms, but being vertical was a difficult task, so I postponed making anything exciting. But today I felt better and was able to walk around the market for some fresh air and local food inspiration.

Much of my inspiration and motivation for cooking comes from great local fare. A few days ago I was hanging out at my favorite local pubs - The Manx. If you are from downtown Ottawa, you've likely heard of this small basement bar which is known for great beer, food and service. The other night I ordered the crab cakes, a dish I had yet to try there. They were like all their food mouth-watering.

This dish inspired me to make my own. Most of the recipes I found on the web were pretty similar. In the end I used a great recipe from Kevin's Closet Cooking. I adapted his recipe slightly to include some lemon juice and red pepper. Can't say they look as great as his, but they tasted delicious.

1 lbs crab meat
3/4 cup bread crumbs (panko)
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 T lemon juice
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
3 T mayo
1 tsp grainy dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T oil
1 T butter

In a bowl mix together all of the ingredients but the oil and butter. Cover and refridgerate for 1 hour. Then form the crab mixture into patties - makes about 8 dinner sized cakes, if making for an appetizer could get about 16-20 out of the mix.

In a skillet heat the oil and butter over med-high heat. Once melted, place the crab cakes in the skillet and cook each side for 4 mins. Serve immediately.

Crab cakes are traditionally served with tartar sauce, remoulade sauce or mango salsa/chutney. I made a lemon dill dipping sauce with low fat sour cream, grainy dijon mustard, dill, salt and pepper. The dill was not mature enough so the dill flavors were lacking a bit in this dip.