Valentine Dinner Ideas

If you're planning to cook up a storm for your sweetheart to celebrate Valentine's Day, you might search for red, pink-colored or heart-shaped dishes. You could start with heart appetizers, a heart-shaped pizza and finish with heart-shaped chocolate cookies. This might sound cheesy but I think whether the menu you've planned is simple or super complex, your sweetie will appreciate the effort that you put into it.

Romantic Dinner Menu for Valentine's Day

It's that time of year again. Valentine's Day is this weekend, and I’ve gone through the recipes I’ve published and put together a list for you in case you’re preparing a romantic dinner for your sweetie. I've included every kind of dish you could want to make, from soups and salads to main courses and desserts. The recipes I picked are relatively easy to make, so that you aren't stuck in the kitchen all evening.

So get out the candles, put on some nice romantic music, and prepare a delicious meal for the one you love. Joyeuse Saint-Valentin!

Chicken Skewers Glazed with Kiwi Chutney

Kiwi chutney helps bring chicken to life by infusing the meat with sweet, tangy and spicy flavors. It's an exotic and flavorful twist on what could otherwise be a boring chicken dinner. I served the skewers with raita (yogurt sauce) and some more of the sauce made from the kiwi chutney. For the vegetarians in the house, I deep-fried tofu cubes, placed them on skewers and brushed them with kiwi chutney. Everyone got to share almost the "same" meal, which is very rare in my home.

I got the jar of kiwi chutney pictured below from our friend Laura. It's just one product in a long line of lovely creations that she has shared with us. Laura makes an amazing French marmalade, flavored with French vanilla beans. I don't have the recipe for the marmalade, but last year, she was kind enough to share her recipe for making vinegar on Pham Fatale.

If you don't have a friend like Laura, or can't find kiwi chutney at your local market, you can always try using other sweet chutneys such as mango or tamarind. No matter what, you'll have a tasty new chicken dish to share with your family and friends.

Olive Tapenade Chicken Rolls

Olive tapenade is extremely versatile and can be used as a spread or filling in many different dishes. You can also use it in place of more traditional party dips such as hummus, guacamole, salsa or roasted bell pepper spread. In this recipe, I added goat cheese to the tapenade and used the mixture as a filling for chicken rolls. I served the dish with a mildly sweet carrot purée that makes an excellent foil to the savory flavor of the tapenade.

If it's not part of your culinary repertoire yet, you should definitely learn to prepare tapenade. It will open up a whole new world of easy to prepare, delectable dishes.

Veal Scallopini with Garlic Cream Sauce (Escalope de Veau Marsala)

 If you're looking for Valentine's Day dinner menu ideas, Escalope de Veau, sauce au vin Marsala should definitely be on your list. Veal steaks are slightly pounded, dredged in flour and pan-seared until golden. The real key to this dish is the rich and creamy garlic sauce made with Marsala wine. I know, garlic on Valentine's Day seems odd. But food that tastes great will set the mood, and what doesn't taste better with garlic?

I paired the veal with ratatouille, but if you'd prefer a starch, mashed sweet potatoes would make a great choice. The most important thing when preparing a romantic meal is to keep it simple. You don't want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen! Veal scallopini is a safe bet, brings the "wow" factor, and is delicious to boot.

** Note: I've gotten some questions about the thickness of the meat. In France, escalope de veau is usually at least 1-inch thick. I think that Americans are more familiar with the Italian version of the dish where the veal is pounded very thin.