Sunday Supper {Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu}

We are traveling back from the Disney Social Media Celebration today and one thing I can guarantee I won’t be doing is cooking a fine meal.  Ha!  I’m guessing it will be Sonic or Willy’s for this fam tonight.  However, I HAVE been planning our big Valentine’s Day dinner feast and wanted to share all of the details and recipes.

All of these other than the first starter are tried and true.  I love them so much, in fact, that this meal is going to count as a grand finale of sorts for one of the items on my 40×41 bucket list: Learn to make one AMAZING dish and hone a recipe that I can pass down for generations (kind of like a signature dish).  Except I’ve learned to make a whole meal over the last two years!!!  We’ve shared it with friends, supper clubs, family and more.

The one new item is the Herb Coeur a la Creme.  I saw Ina make it a couple of years ago and even bought the heart shaped coeur a la creme dish a few years ago.  I can’t wait to try this one out!!  It seems super fancy :-)

 

Without further ado, here are all of the recipes…

Herb Coeur a la Creme

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add the cream and then the scallions, dill, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk until firm.
  • Line a 6-inch coeur a la creme mold or a 6-inch sieve with a few layers of cheesecloth, allowing the excess to drape over the sides. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cheesecloth and smooth the top. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the creme. Suspend the sieve over a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
  • When ready to serve, discard the liquid that has collected in the bowl and invert the creme onto a plate. Serve chilled with crackers and a small knife.

Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers
Source: Ina Garten

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¹⁄8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 14 tablespoons (13/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, 1/2-inch-diced
  • 5 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar, grated
  • 1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (I used chipotle chili pepper as it was the only thing similar I saw at Publix.)
  • 3 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
  • Fleur de sel or sea salt

Place the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheddar, jalapeño, and chipotle chili powder and pulse again. With the food processor running, add the ice water all at once. Continue pulsing until the mixture begins to form a ball. Dump the dough onto a floured board and roll it into a 14-inch log. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Cut the dough in 3/8-inch-thick slices (should make 32-34 crackers). Place the crackers on the prepared sheet pan, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with the fleur de sel. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.


Mustard Marinated Flank Steak
Source: Ina Garten

1 (2-21/2 pound) flank steak
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus additional to taste, divided use
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided use
1/3 cup chopped shallots (2 shallots)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Place steak flat in a large nonreactive dish such as glass or porcelain. Using the tip of a sharp knife, lightly score top of steak diagonally in a large crisscross pattern to make what looks like 1-inch diamonds across steak. This allows the marinade to penetrate into meat.

In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk together wine, olive oil, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in shallots and garlic. Pour marinade over and under steak until it’s completely coated. Scatter tarragon on top. Cover dish with plastic wrap and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Half an hour before serving, remove steak from refrigerator and heat a charcoal grill with a layer of hot coals (you can also set a gas grill on medium-high heat). Sprinkle steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Discard remaining marinade.

Grill steak for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Place steak on a clean plate, cover tightly with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice steak thin cutting diagonally across the grain.


Truffled Mashed Potatoes
Source: Ina Garten
Note: I adapted the recipe to use white truffle oil, rather than truffle butter

2½ pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes
1½ cups half-and-half
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large, deep saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, heat the half-and-half and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. (I just put mine in the microwave for 2 minutes).  With a hand mixer, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up. Slowly beat in most of the cream, oil, parmesan, 2½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and beat until the potatoes are thick and smooth.

Note: You can find the truffle oil at Whole Foods or Amazon


Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core
4 ounces pancetta, 1/4-inch-diced
1/4 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan, including some of the loose leaves, which get crispy when they’re roasted. Add the pancetta, olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss with your hands, and spread out in a single layer. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked. Toss once during roasting. Remove from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot.

Note: If brussels sprouts don’t look good, I buy two bags of the microwave steam kind in the freezer section.  I thaw the in the microwave and then proceed with the recipe as stated.  Also, I usually sub bacon for pancetta because I always have that.  And sometimes I just leave the meat out all together, especially when serving with steak.


Chocolate Cassis Cake
Source: Ina Garten
For the cake:
Baking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons crème de cassis liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons crème de cassis liqueur
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To serve:
2 (1/2 pints) fresh raspberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup crème de cassis liqueur
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round spring form pan with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray it again with baking spray.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder, cassis, and vanilla and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until pale yellow and triple in volume. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and carefully but thoroughly fold them together with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until just barely set in the center. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then release the sides of the pan. Invert the cake carefully onto a flat serving plate, remove the parchment paper and cool completely.

For the glaze, melt the chocolate and cream together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Off the heat, whisk in the cassis and vanilla. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and spread over just the top of the cake.

Fifteen minutes before serving, toss the berries gently with the sugar and cassis. Cut the cake in wedges and serve with the berries on the side.


I shared my table setting a few days ago and smile every time I walk past it!!  You can see all the details in this post >> Valentine’s Day Dinner Tablescape

Most of these recipes came from Ina’s Foolproof cookbook.  I am a HUGE fan and love all of her cookbooks, but if I had to choose only ONE cookbook to use for the rest of my life this would be it.

I’m not going to officially cross this one off the list until I’ve served the feast.  I think I’m more excited than ever before about cooking dinner!!

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UPDATE:  See how our dinner turned out HERE!

Foolproof Cookbook by Ina Garten
affiliate links used

Valentine’s Day Dinner Tablescape  |  How to Make Tissue Paper Peonies Video

Everything Valentine’s Day  |  Sunday Suppers

Adventure is Out There {40×41} Bucket List

DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED

8 thoughts on “Sunday Supper {Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu}

  1. Good morning, Amanda! Your Valentines Day menu looks amazing. I love Ina Garten, too, especially her “Cooking for Jeffrey” shows. My daughter received her Cooking for Jeffrey cookbook for Christmas. Can’t wait to see your delicious dishes on your beautiful tablescape! Have a great day! xoxo

  2. Every single thing sounds delicious! I can’t wait to hear how the Coeur a la Creme comes out. That’s something I’ve never made and sounds divine! ? xo

    1. Me too!!! I’m going to make it tomorrow. I’d never even heard of it until I started following Ina. She makes a dessert version too.

    1. Totally serious! I’ll make the cake and apps Monday and also marinate the steaks. We love cooking together and always celebrate Valentine’s Day at home with a big yummy meal.

  3. Thank you for sharing this delicious dinner menu and recipes. I, too, make the Brussels sprouts recipe often and it is one of my faves. Sometimes I sprinkle pine nuts over the top for added crunch when I serve them. I look forward to trying the other recipes you posted and I hope you will post pictures of the dinner when you make it!

    1. You know, I read this yesterday and meant to do that!! Then I forgot. I know I’ll make it again and can’t wait to try with pine nuts. I have some in my freezer!

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