What is your Valentine’s Day style? Will flowers arrive today from your Valentine and you will suddenly panic that life has been so busy that you still need to figure out plans for tonight? Planning for weeks can be great, but we all know that sometimes the simplest last-minute plans can be the best!
I’ve mentioned before that my husband believes in showing love all year long and not just on one specified day. So… going out to dinner on one of the busiest nights of the year isn’t exactly his cup of tea. Over the years with all of our kids’ activities, our family Valentine’s Day dinners together are some of my favorite memories! Decorating a festive table and serving up one of our favorite meals makes the day perfect for us! I thought I’d share a Valentine’s Day menu that you can fix tonight if you still need some inspiration!
MENU
Charcuterie Board
Caesar Salad
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Baked Apples
I love putting together a pretty Charcuterie Board to munch on as we prepare dinner. There are so many options and I love to make it different each time. A simple wooden cutting board can be your base and pick a few of your favorite cheeses and meats to start with. Brie and cheddar are often favorites. There are also some wonderful dairy-free cheeses by Daiya and Follow Your Heart. Salami and prosciutto are good choices to go with the cheese. Then I start adding fun additions like Marcona almonds or other nuts, apricots, figs, olives, artichokes hearts, fig jam, hummus, and several kinds of crackers and veggies. Add your favorites to make it special!
CAESAR SALAD
Caesar Salad is my husband’s specialty! His recipe is one that his dad passed on to him and it’s absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce washed, dried and torn into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 packet equal or Truvia
- Several dashes tobacco
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 3 anchovies or 2 tbsp anchovy paste
- 2 shakes Worcestershire
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt & pepper
Croutons
- French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- In a medium pan, heat oil and garlic. Brown bread pieces on all sides until golden. Place on paper towels to drain any excess oil before putting on salad
- In a wooden bowl, chop up anchovies until very small. Add egg, vinegar, garlic, Worcestershire, lemon, equal, Tabasco and salt & pepper. Whisk together. Add Parmesan cheese and then oil and mix together. It should be runny.
- Toss with romaine and top with homemade croutons.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tsp fresh crushed garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 Tbsp sugar or Truvia
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- In a bowl, mix either ground beef/turkey with Italian seasoning. Spray a pan with nonstick spray and preheat oven to 350. Form meat into balls and place on pan. Cook for 12 minutes.
- Place remaining ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Drop meatballs in, then turn down and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Use your favorite spaghetti noodles, or I like to use zoodles! Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Baked Apples
- 4 apples cored
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp sugar or substitute
- 1/4 cup cranberry juice
- 2 Tbsp raisins
- 2 Tbsp crushed pecans or walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place apples on a baking dish. Mix raisins, nuts cinnamon and sugar and distribute evenly into each apple.
- Pour juice evenly in center of each apple and bake for 45 minutes.
Expressing and receiving love means so many different things to each of us. Respect is so important to me. I respect that my husband doesn’t need to have one day to express our love and doesn’t really fancy all the hoopla that goes with the day. Enjoying a delicious meal made together is our definition of a perfect evening!
