Valentine’s Day: A Night In
Valentine’s Day. Some of you are excited. Some of you are pretending it doesn’t exist. And many of you are already pre gaming for Valentine’s Day: Single and ready to finish 3 bottles of wine with the rest of your single friends. No matter what you’re doing, it is going to be acknowledged. If you have a spouse/partner, or are celebrating with your family or a group of friends, this year, staying in and cooking a meal can be a more intimate and loving experience. Sure, it’s nice to treat yourselves out to a nice expensive dinner in clothes that you would wear to a funeral, but think of this option before you make those reservations. Check out our simple Valentine’s recipes below, and of course, complete with wine pairings.
Pesto Salmon
Ingredients:
- 2 fillets of Salmon
- Lemon juice
- Pesto
Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Layer a piece of tin foil to cover a baking sheet. Place the salmon fillets on the sheet with the skin facing the foil. Squirt some lemon juice onto the fillets, followed by salt and pepper. Layer a generous amount of pesto to the fillets. Cook for 20 minutes, and there you have it! This can be served with a numerous amount of sides – pasta with pesto sauce, spinach salad with tomatoes, or baked rosemary potatoes with asparagus. Your choice! Pair with: Wicked Sauvignon Blanc
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients:
- 3 Eggpant, sliced thinly
- 2 Eggs
- 4 cups Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
- I Jar or 2 cans of Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 package Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- Dried Basil
- 1 box of pasta of your choice
Directions: Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Dip each eggplant slice in the egg, and then into bread crumbs, covering both sides. Place on baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, on the second side adding the red sauce mozzarella cheese. Add sauce to the pasta. Serve the eggplant over the pasta, add more sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. Pair with: Wicked Cabernet
Pan Seared Strip Steak
Ingredients:
- 2 12 oz lean grass fed New York Strip Steaks
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 Sprigs Thyme
- 2 Mashed Garlic Cloves
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Directions:
Let the steaks sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Add olive oil to a large cast-iron skillet, swirling to cover the pan. Heat the steaks for 3 minutes on each side until brown at high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, add butter, thyme, and garlic to the pan, basting steaks with the butter constantly, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes. Save any excess butter to pour over the steaks when serving! Sautee some spinach and make some mashed potatoes (I always do instant) for the side. Pairs With: Wicked Merlot
Roasted Whole Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Whole 2.5 lb Chicken
- 1 Large Onion Peeled & Quartered
- 3 Shallots, chopped
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, Unpeeled
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Butter, Softened
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
Directions: Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Pierce the lemon several times with a fork and place inside of the chicken. Place onions, shallots, and garlic around the chicken. Pour olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Butter the chicken and line with the thyme sprigs. Bake 20 minutes in the oven or until golden brown and the meat is no longer pink. Serve with rosemary potatoes, mashed potatoes, or anything you want! Pairs With: Wicked Pinot Grigio
Prepping the meal and dining in the privacy of your own home is a great and memorable bonding experience that I’m sure you’ll always remember. Bon Appétit!
This entry was posted in Lifestyle, Recipes and tagged chicken, pasta, Recipes, salmon, steak, valentines day, Wicked Wine, Wine. Bookmark the permalink.