Valentine’s Day Dinner For Two

It’s almost Valentines day again. The perfect opportunity to enjoy a delicious home cooked meal with your significant other, partner or best friend. We have put together an absolutely scrumptious 4 course dinner for two (with left overs), that will save you some money and definitely get you some brownie points (just sayin).

Starters

These two starters are amazing. A hot delicious onion soup with a gooey cheesy garlicky piece of bread on top. Starter two is a savory treat of stuffed jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon. Believe me, if you are looking to impress someone special, these two starters will get you there! Use the soup as your first course and follow that up with the stuffed shrimp. The shrimp is perfect for sharing.

Delicious hot baked onion soup
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Baked Onion Soup
Hot flavorful soup topped with a delicious garlic toast smothered in cheese and baked to a gooey perfection.
Author:
Cuisine: Bermuda
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 4 servings
Prep time: 
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Ingredients
  • 2 large sweet onions sliced
  • 2 large white onions sliced
  • 5 cups beef stock
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsps fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ cup white wine (sauvignon blanc)
  • 4 tbsp flour or cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup gruyere cheese shredded
  • ½ cup white cheddar shredded
  • 4 slices of toasted garlic toast
Instructions
  1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the onions and butter and olive oil.
  2. Simmer onions and butter over medium heat stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and transparent.
  3. Add in the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the flour/cornstarch and mix it throughly until it coats the onions.
  5. Add in the the cooking wine and let simmer for about 3 minutes.
  6. Reduce the heat to low and add in the beef stock.
  7. Cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  9. Spoon the soup into individual oven safe dishes and top with a piece of garlic toast and a good helping of cheese.
  10. Set the oven to a high broil.
  11. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and put them into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
  12. remove from the oven and serve hot.
Shrimp stuffed with sundried tomato and spinach wrapped in bacon

 

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Stuffed Shrimp wrapped in Bacon
Shrimp stuffed with a savory cheese and herb combination and wrapped in salty bacon strips.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 1 serving
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Ingredients
  • 4-5 shrimps of bacon cut in half
  • 5 raw jumbo shrimp cleaned
  • ½ bar of cream cheese
  • ½ cup spinach leaves
  • ½ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil julienned.
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ½ shallot minced
Instructions
  1. Combine cream cheese, garlic, shallot, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Slice open the shrimp with a pairing knife from the back side of the shrimp.
  3. Use a teaspoon to scoop some of the cream cheese mixture in between each shrimp.
  4. Take a slice of bacon and wrapped the shrimp to keep the stuffing in.
  5. If necessary use a small toothpick to keep the bacon wrapped onto the shrimp.
  6. Place the shrimp on a cooking sheet and set the oven to a high broil.
  7. Put the shrimp in the oven for 7-10 min.
  8. Serve hot

Main course

This Mediterranean Style Beef Wellington is a complete show stopper. It does however, require some time to prepare but I promise it is worth it. This main goes well with almost any side dish. It’s very delicately compiled and absolutely beautiful when it’s complete (again brownie points!!!).

Beef Wellington cooked to perfection

 

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Mediterranean Style Beef Wellington
This combination of savory tender beef , black olive tapenade and flaky pastry will make your taste buds dance with joy.
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4 servings
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Ingredients
  • 2 lbs of beef tenderloin
  • 1 sheet of puff pastry
  • 1 cup of black olive tapenade
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 4 slices of prosciutto
  • 1 egg yolk
Instructions
  1. Season the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper.
  2. Add a bit of cooking oil to a hot pan and sear all sides of the tenderloin.
  3. Remove the tenderloin from the pan and brush it with the dijon mustard while hot.
  4. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile spread the tapenade onto a paper towel and allow some of the oil to drain from it.
  5. Lay some plastic wrap down on the work space , then lay the prosciutto out and spread the tapenade across the prosciutto.
  6. place the beef at the end of the prosciutto and slowly roll it into a log keeping it tight using the plastic wrap.
  7. Wrap the end tight and place it in the fridge for about an hour to set .
  8. Lay another piece of plastic wrap on the work space and sprinkle with a little flour. Lay the sheet of pastry.
  9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  10. Unwrap the beef and roll it into the pastry. Use the plastic to make sure the log is tight.
  11. Unwrap the plastic and place the loaf onto a baking sheet.
  12. Using a paring knife you can make a light pattern in the pastry. (optional)
  13. Brush the pastry with egg yolk and bake fro 35-40 minutes (medium)
  14. Remove from the oven and let rest on a cutting board for 10 to 12 minutes before cutting.
  15. Slice and serve hot.

 

DESSERT

At the moment I am in love with panna cotta! It’s such a light and versatile dessert. With a four course meal light dessert is probably best, especially if you’ve got plans after dinner. When I decided on this dessert I was thinking hmm dessert or a coffee sounds like a good ending. So I came up with this idea for an Irish Latte Panna Cotta (I’m also addicted to Nescafe Irish cream latte’s). I know it might sound crazy but just trust me, its amazing. Finished off with a little chocolate sauce and I’d say we just sealed the deal!


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Irish Latte Panna Cotta
Delicious panna cotta flavored with Iris Latte and topped with chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 4 servings
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 bottles of double cream
  • ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 package Irish latte powder (I use nescafe singles)
  • 2½ gelatine sheets
  • chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries for topping
Instructions
  1. In a sauce pan combine milk, sugar and double cream over medium heat and allow to melt down for about 7-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
  2. Add in the vanilla and latte powder.
  3. Mix together until all the latte powder is dissolved.
  4. Remove from the heat.
  5. In a separate bowl combine cold water and gelatine sheets and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
  6. Squeeze access water from the sheets and put them into the pan with the panna cotta mixture and stir until dissolved.
  7. Pour the mixture equally between four dessert bowls and refrigerate for four hours to set.
  8. Before serving cover with chocolate sauce and strawberries and serve.

Additional Valentine’s Day Dinner Essentials

There are a few other essentials you will need to have to make this dinner special.

  • Special Occassion Dinnerware- The Dinner Party collection bye Miss T at Home is offering 4 beautiful dinnerware sets to choose from to make your dinner table sparkle and shine! This Valentines day  rent a set of dinnerware from $40- $45 per set!  Rent your set here.
  • A beautiful bottle of wine (don’t forget the cork screw)
  • A small floral arrangement for the table
  • unscented candles to add the perfect lighting to your dinner

All of these recipes are easy and delicious and can help you to created an unforgettable and inexpensive homemade dinner for two. ENJOY!

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