Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Palmier

If you're planning on having a romantic meal on Valentine's Day, check out these adorable heart-shaped puff pastry appetizers. They're called palmiers. I've made a different version before with a traditional basil pesto, but today I decided to make them with sun-dried tomato pesto. Not only does it taste great, but the red color makes these little treats perfect for Valentine's Day.

Even though palmiers look really fancy, they are ultra simple to make. If you're in a real hurry, you can even use store-bought pesto. Don't worry, I won't tell.

Mushroom and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Mushroom and cheese stuffed chicken breast is a quick and easy chicken recipe for dinner. I used goat ricotta cheese, shiitake mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and lemon to flavor the meat. Chicken breast can be dry, so I marinated the meat and cooked the chicken for only 15 minutes. It's perhaps more of a roll than a stuffing, but either way, it's delicious.

My mother-in-law is an absolute creature of habit, and when we plan on cooking chicken, her preference is always poulet roti. Contrary to the stereotype, I love my mother-in-law dearly, so don't think I'm complaining, but it takes a miracle to get her to try new things. A couple of nights ago, we had some dinner guests and we had to come up with a main course. We had chicken breasts in the house, but no whole chicken. My mother-in-law was ready to go to the market to get a whole chicken, but I was able to convince her to give this recipe a try.

Given the time crunch, she grudgingly gave in and let me prepare the dish. When she tasted it, she asked me why I haven't made it before! I see a lot of stuffed chicken breasts in my future, and if you try this recipe, I bet you will too!

Yorkshire Pudding (Popover)

Yorkshire pudding batter contains very basic ingredients that I'm sure are already in your kitchen; eggs, milk, flour and oil (or fat drippings). The final product is greater than the sum of its parts, and there are few things more dramatic than a basket full of Yorkshire pudding.

Food has an incredible ability to evoke memories, and for me, Yorkshire pudding really takes me back in time to my childhood vacations in England. I stayed 2 years in a row at Tracy's house during Easter break in 1989 and 1990. It's been almost 20 years since the last time we met but we've kept in touch ever since. Tracy is an amazing cook, and I have fond memories of her delicious meals. A typical dinner would be roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, some greens and carrots and a wonderful banana mousse. Tracy, if you're reading, send my love to your lovely girls Emily and Alice!

Ricotta Pasta with Fennel

Ricotta pasta is ideal for cold winter days when you're in need of good comfort food. Ricotta is very mild, so I boosted the flavor with parmesan cheese and braised fennel. For extra protein, I added white beans and pine nuts. You can use any shaped pasta, but I happened to have some trottole pasta in the pantry so I went with that. I find the shape so cute; they are corkscrew curled rings with a center stalk. 

I usually make this dish with mascarpone, but after all the decadent holiday treats we've been eating, I was in the mood for something light. Even though the pasta isn't bathed in cream, it's not lacking in flavor.

Saffron Cauliflower Gratin (Gratin de Chou Fleur au Safran)

Saffron is not a standard addition to cauliflower gratin, but I've seen it used at several upscale restaurants in Paris. Gratin de chou-fleur is a very common French dish, so the addition of saffron creates a new dimension of color and aroma.

As a child, I remember being served this side dish quite frequently during the winter. Cauliflower may not be considered by some as a comfort food, but when it's cooked in a béchamel sauce and smothered in mozzarella cheese, it will make even the most die-hard cauliflower haters reconsider their position.