Rachael Ray says her V-day will be a three-day: “My husband John and I always just stay home and cook and we love our dog as much as we love each other so we stay home and have a threesome. A three date.”
Originally posted on February 13, 2008 @ 11:43 pm
Does Rachel Ray have a man in her life? I was just wondering because I have not heard or seen anyone linked to her romantically. In any case, it does not really matter because she has some awesome ideas for a romantic dinner come Valentines. Here is my pick for the main course – Pan-seared Scallops with Pesto and Tomato:
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 plum tomato, finely diced
4 large scallops
Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil leaves until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, cheese, garlic and lemon juice. Turn the machine back on and add 3/4 cup of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. Place the pesto in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
2. In a small bowl, combine the tomato and shredded basil and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium- high heat until almost smoking. Add the scallops and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a plate. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the pesto on each scallop and arrange the tomato and basil around the scallops. Serve immediately.
This serves two and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. And if you have huge appetites – just double the ingredients!
Originally posted on February 3, 2011 @ 9:17 am
A Valentines Dinner would not be complete without dessert and for me, this dessert should be something chocolate. Call it traditional. Call it mushy. I don’t care. I have to have chocolate on Valentine’s Day! So here is my pick from Rachel Ray’s ideas for the day of love – Chocolate Fondue:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
Two 12-ounce bags semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dried apricots, for dipping
Gala apples, cored and sliced, for dipping
Pretzel rods, for dipping
Marshmallows, for dipping
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa powder with 1/2 cup water and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the milk and sugar and bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla and cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.
2. Serve the fondue warm with the apricots, apples, pretzel rods and marshmallows for dipping.
There’s nothing like good old chocolate fondue to top off a romantic evening. Imagine having a very satisfying meal together. How much more romantic can you get than this – a cozy conversation while dipping fruits and marshmallows into a sumptuous chocolate fondue? You can’t get any better than that, really. The rest of the evening is up to you. Happy Valentines everyone!
Note: If you do not like the fruits mentioned above, you can always find some other fruits that you prefer. Try bananas or strawberries.
Originally posted on February 10, 2011 @ 9:17 am
