A number of years ago, my husband and I discontinued dinner out on Valentine's Day, opting instead for a cooking at home. It's a great time to splurge with a wonderful entree and a rich chocolate dessert - after all - it IS Valentine's Day! You can include the kids - or wait until they've gone to bed - and enjoy a bottle of wine while you eat dinner by candlelight. Take the time to set a pretty table, and make a simple, but delicious meal, such as the one highlighted in this week's blog. You won't be getting home late, you won't be stuffed, and you won't be exhausted when you head back to work the next day.
Last Valentine's Day, Food Snob stopped at the local grocery store to buy a Valentine's Day card, and sitting by the check-out, packed in ice, was a display of wild-caught, frozen lobster tails. Food Snob hadn't decided on her Valentine's dinner menu yet, but the lobster tails sparked her interest, and she purchased two tails for dinner later that evening. For those of us that aren't lucky enough to live by the coast, a lobster tail is a viable option, and at about $6 for a 4 to 5 ounce tail, lobster is affordable. Food Snob's husband, who grew up on the east coast and LOVES lobster, always wants TWO lobster tails. Even if you serve a family member two lobster tails, you will be paying a lot less that eating lobster out!
Food Snob grilled the lobster tails, brushed them with a little melted butter, and served them with rosemary smashed potatoes and baked asparagus spears. Since it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without chocolate, she topped off the meal with chocolate lava cakes, served hot from the oven with vanilla ice cream.
Food Snob breaks all the rules on Valentine's Day and prepares a menu that does not meet her usual low-fat, low-calorie standards. After all, Valentine's Day is a special evening - a night to splurge - within reason, of course. Instead of serving the lobster tails with drawn butter and dipping each bite, Food Snob brushes the tails with butter before serving. This technique will save you and your sweetie TONS of calories while sacrificing little in flavor. The chocolate lava cake, which is very rich, is served in smaller portions so that you can enjoy its rich flavor without overdoing on the calories.
Lobster tails have been on sale in Denver everywhere this past week, as they usually are the week before Valentine's Day. Food Snob, taking a friend's advice, found fresh asparagus on sale at Sprouts this week for $1.60 a pound. The ingredients for the smashed potatoes and the chocolate lava cakes are sitting in your pantry right now. You can put this dinner together in about 45 minutes after you get home from work - and less if your Valentine helps you. What are you waiting for? It's time to cook!
Valentine's Day Dinner Menu - serves 2, but can easily be doubled
Grilled Lobster Tails with Butter and Lemon
Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
Baked Asparagus
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream
Put two 4 - 5 ounce lobster tails in a plastic freezer bag and thaw them in cold water while you prepare the lava cakes.
Chocolate Lava Cakes - makes 4 small servings - save 2 for another day
Butter four 5-ounce ramekins. (If you don't have small ramekins, use two larger ramekins and SHARE the dessert.) Dust the ramekins with flour.
In a small bowl, combine:
one whole egg plus one egg yolk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until light yellow (about 2 minutes). In a small microwave safe bowl, combine:
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons canola oil
Cover and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. Allow to cool slightly and add the chocolate to the egg mixture along with:
1 Tablespoon flour
Stir together and divide the batter between the four ramekins. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and set aside for later.
Baked Asparagus - serves 2
Wash and trim:
1 bunch asparagus (I prefer fatter asparagus to the skinny asparagus - if you use skinny asparagus, your cooking time will be shorter)
Dry the asparagus thoroughly with paper towels. Line a large, rimmed baking pan with foil, spray lightly with cooking spray or with an olive oil mister. Place the asparagus on the pan in a single layer. Drizzle with:
2 teaspoons olive oil
kosher salt - to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Using your hands, coat the asparagus spears evenly with the olive oil and the salt - set aside for later.
Rosemary Smashed Potatoes - serves 2
Scrub but do not peel:2 medium sized yukon gold potatoes
Cut in quarters, lengthwise. Slice potatoes in about 1/4 inch slices. Place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam over boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from steam and allow to drain.
In the bottom of a sauce pan, over medium low heat, add:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, or the leaves from one large sprig of fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Cook the rosemary and garlic in the olive oil for about a minute until fragrant - but do not let the garlic brown. Add the steamed potatoes to the olive oil mixture and use a hand-held potato masher to "smash" the potatoes. The mixture will be thick, so you can add a small amount of non-fat greek yogurt, or some half-and-half, to help the potatoes come together. Since it was Valentine's Day, Food Snob went for the half-and-half! Just a tablespoon or two . . . then add kosher salt or sea salt and some pepper to taste. Keep warm while you cook the remainder of the meal.
Grilled Lobster Tails with Butter and Lemon
Before preparing the lobster, preheat your oven to 500 degrees - you will be baking the asparagus in the oven once it is hot.
Now that the two lobster tails are completely thawed, use a scissors and cut the lobster shell lengthwise down the under side. Pry the shell open and remove the lobster tail. Check inside the tail and if you see any black stuff, wash it out. According to my internet research, the black stuff is part of the lobster's intestinal tract. If one of my readers knows better, please inform! Once the lobster is washed, dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Coat the lobster lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Coat a grill pan or frying pan lightly with oil (you can also cook the lobster on your outdoor grill - if you can see what you are doing at night - brush with oil or coat with cooking spray before grilling your lobster). Heat the grill pan over medium high heat until smoking.
Before putting your lobster tails in the pan, put the asparagus in the preheated oven. If the asparagus are skinny, you will need to check them in about 3 minutes - if they are larger, you will need to check them in about 6 minutes. You want the asparagus to be tender-crisp. Larger asparagus will be done about the same time the lobster is done - remove from the oven and keep warm.
Place the lobster tails in the grill pan and grill on one side for about two-and-one-half minutes to three minutes, depending on thickness. While the lobster is grilling, melt in the microwave:
1/2 tablespoon butter
Turn lobsters over and grill another two-and-one-half minutes to three minutes. Lobster tails will be firm. Remove tails to a warm plate; brush the tails with the melted butter.
Serving the Meal
Food Snob likes to plate her dinners, particularly for a special occasion. Divide the smashed potatoes between two plates. Top each mound of potatoes with a lobster tail, drizzle with any juices. Place asparagus spears on either side of the lobster tails. Add a lemon slice and serve.
Before sitting down to dinner, turn your oven down to 450 degrees. After you've enjoyed your lobster tail and your glass of wine and are ready for dessert, pop the chocolate lava cakes into the oven and set your timer for 6 minutes. The lava cakes will bake while you are clearing the table and making coffee.
Check the cakes after about six minutes - you want to remove the cakes from the oven when the outside edges have raised and are "set," but the center is still sunken. If the outside is not set, cook a minute or two more. If you overcook, the cake will not be "molten." Remove the cakes from the oven and let rest a minute or two until you are ready to serve.
Invert the cakes onto individual plates, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Next week: Food Snob just developed a new recipe for a quick and tasty chili - it is delicious made with ground turkey, ground bison, or grass-fed beef. It's perfect for a cold February day, can be made in about 45 minutes, and serves 8. You can enjoy it for dinner and again for lunch later in the week!
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