Valentine's Day is a day known for romance, but it's also known for food as well. Romantic dinners are frequently part of a Valentine's Day celebration, but dinner is not the only option for a romantic meal on Valentine's Day. Even breakfast, when the menu is planned properly, can be a romantic Valentine's Day meal.
Breakfast
Start your Valentine's Day breakfast with some sweet items. Instead of using chocolate, use the natural sweetness of fruits. Top pancakes or waffles with fruit. Fill crepes with fruit and sweetened cream cheese. You can use eggs in your Valentine's Day breakfast and make them sweet by baking a mixture of eggs and crushed vanilla wafers, and topping the baked egg with fruit such as strawberries.
Appetizers
Create small snacks for lunch, or as appetizers to go with your Valentine's Day dinner, by using a combination of sweet and savory items. Fry shrimp, but for sweetness add coconut to the batter. Make spicy stuffed mushrooms to add heat to your meal. Use a stuffing that includes jalapeno peppers instead of red or green peppers, along with Italian seasoning and crushed Ritz crackers.
Dinner Entrees
Your Valentine's Day dinner can be a filling dish such as a pasta dish made with shrimp, tomatoes, pasta and melted cream cheese.
For something on the lighter side, consider a stuffed chicken breast dish. The chicken breasts can be stuffed with vegetables such as tomatoes, spinach, onions and peppers. If you want to have something to bind these items together, add stuffing to the chicken breasts.
If beef is your preference, beef tenderloin steaks can be combined with a risotto that has cheese and vegetables. Or choose a cut of beef such as a New York strip steak, or a filet mignon.
Beverages
The color of red is commonly associated with Valentine's Day, so mix up a red drink. Punch can be made red using fruit juices such as raspberry, cranberry or red grape juices. Include fresh fruits as well, and can add alcohol, if you choose. For those who want an alcoholic drink, make a cosmopolitan using cranberry or pomegranate juice.
Since Valentine's Day is a cold day in many parts of the country, a hot after-dinner beverage is an option. Consider a rich version of hot chocolate with cinnamon added, for a little bit of spice after your meal. Coffee can be combined with Kahlua liqueur for an after-dinner drink with a little kick.
Dessert
Some people consider dessert to be the best course of the Valentine's Day dinner. Make a dessert that allows you to share time with your partner while you fix it. If you don't have a fireplace, use canned heat such as Sterno to make s'mores. Roast marshmallows over the flame. Place one on a graham cracker. Add a chocolate square, and top if off with another graham cracker for a simple, fun Valentine's Day dessert.
Tags: Valentine dinner, with fruit, your Valentine, chicken breasts, combined with, cream cheese
