It’s nearly Valentine’s Day…the time when phone lines are buzzing with restaurant reservations for two. This year, why not skip the restaurant scene and cook at home with your loved one. Instead of sitting in a sea of other couples at a restaurant you can relax at home, play your favorite music—and cook together.
This recipe for lamb chops so simple, yet so elegant—making it perfect for Valentine’s Day. Experiment with herbs + spices you like and they’re sure to be a hit. The same goes with the roasted potatoes: use the herbs suggested, or ones you love. I believe recipes are best when you add in ingredients that suit your taste buds, so no need to follow exactly. But it’s certainly okay if you’re not one for experimentation, these recipes will certainly make a lovely, and hopefully, memorable Valentine’s dinner.
—Tracey Ceurvels
HERB ROASTED LAMB CHOPS
Ingredients
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 1 1/4-inch-thick lamb loin chops
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons herbs de Provence (or you may want to try Moroccan Beef Rub, for an exotic flair), or just enough to coat the chops
Make the lamb
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet. Salt lamb chops on both sides and brown, about 2 minutes per side. Then coat the chops with mustard and herbs de Provence (or Moroccan Beef Rub). Transfer skillet to oven and roast for about 10 minutes (for medium-rare). Remove from oven and transfer to platter. Allow chops to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
HERB ROASTED POTATOES
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
coarse salt + fresh ground pepper, to taste
3 potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed (but not peeled), cut into small cubes
Make the potatoes
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in large bowl. Stir to blend. Combine potatoes with spice mixture, tossing to coat. Transfer potatoes to rimmed baking sheet, making sure to spread into a single layer. Bake until brown and tender, about 40 minutes, turning potatoes halfway through cooking.
MINTED PEAS
Ingredients
About 8 or more sprigs of fresh mint
1 pound fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon of butter (or olive oil)
coarse salt, to taste
Make the peas
Remove the mint leaves from the sprigs and chop them. (Keep the stalks.) In a medium saucepan, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the mint stalks and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove the stalks. Add the peas and cook according to package directions. If using fresh peas, cook for about 8 or more minutes, until tender. Drain and then stir in the mint leaves and butter (or olive oil). Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
For dessert, you can’t go wrong with chocolate. I adapted this cake from an easy-to-make flour-less chocolate cake recipe inside the wrapper of Scharffen Berger Chocolate. With a dollop of fresh whipped cream, it’s divine.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I use Scharffen Berger, but you can certainly use another chocolate)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (same as above)
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 teaspoons of espresso (or coffee liqueur)
9 large eggs, separated (be sure the egg whites are at room temperature)
1 3/4 cups sugar
Make the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. In a double boiler, melt all the chocolate plus the butter stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool. Once cool, stir in the espresso (or liqueur).
In a large bowl (preferably stainless steel), beat the egg yolks with the sugar for about 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until peaks are almost stiff. Slowly fold the chocolate mixture in the yolk mixture, then fold in the egg whites until combined.
Add batter to the springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are cooked. (Don’t worry, the center will not be cooked, but this is what makes it gooey.) Serve with fresh whipped cream, ice cream, or a dash of powdered sugar.
Hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
NYC-based writer Tracey Ceurvels blogs about enjoying life through food and travel at The Busy Hedonist. She offers busy food lovers an easy + convenient dinner plan of fresh, seasonal dishes with weekly menus + shopping lists. Tracey’s articles about food + travel have appeared in The Boston Globe, Haute Living, PAPER, The New York Daily News, Time Out New York among other publications. Stay tuned for her iPhone App launching soon: iFoodShop: A Food Lover’s Guide to Shopping in NYC.
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Comments ( 1 Comment )
This is a wonderful home-made dinner that could melt a man or woman’s heart. It’s true that with the hustle and bustle of Valentine’s Day, it sure could have been challenging to get even an advanced reservation in good restaurants. Cooking your own dinner for two can be made memorable and creative with a little imagination and skill.
Tower Deli added these pithy words on Feb 23 12 at 1:07 am 
