Let's Get Mushy!

It's a Valentine's Day tomorrow, so it is appropriate for a "seasoned" chef like me to consider cooking something special for my one and only. I wanted to honor Matet for being my friend, my lover, my partner in life. 11 years ago, on a Valentine's Day, I asked her to marry me, and what a journey we've had so far! So with my heart filled with gratitude and overcome by all the mushy feelings, I decided to make something extra special :)

To begin with, here are two simple recipes for a Valentine's Day breakfast in bed for your loved one.

Dish # 1 - Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

Serves 6 Time to Prepare 20 min Cooking Time 10 min

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup raspberry puree
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
butter
confectioners' sugar for dusting
nutmeg, for topping

In a bowl, whisk milk, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon into the beaten eggs until well blended. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together raspberry puree and cream cheese until smooth. Make 'sandwiches' by cutting each slice of bread in half and spreading raspberry-cheese mixture in the center, then top with the other half.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet or griddle. Dip bread into egg mixture, coating thoroughly. Cook until well-browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and nutmeg. Serve immediately.

My experience: I am proud to say I made this all by myself. Cinnamon did not seem to dissolve in the mixture, so I used a blender to get it right. The rest was piece of cake. :)
Our verdict: Very soft, it melts in your mouth if you eat it immediately. Very very very good! Mmmmm!

Dish # 2 - Berry Smoothie

Serves 3 Time to Prepare 5 min

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 
  
• Place the milk, berries and sugar in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add ice cubes; cover and process until smooth.

My experience: I forgot to put in the strawberries! So this turned out to a "raspberry smoothie" instead.

Our verdict: Great with Dish # 1! Perfect for breakfast!

OK, now let's head into the main dish for that special dinner! This is a winner! By far, the best dish I've ever made.

Dish # 3 - Champagne Chicken

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 10 min Cooking Time 45 min

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup champagne
• 
  
• Lightly dust chicken breasts with flour and a little salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, lightly brown chicken breasts to a nice golden brown in olive oil. Once browned on both sides, add mushrooms and champagne. Cook over medium heat, champagne should boil a little, for approximately 1/2 hour. When chicken is tender, transfer chicken to a platter.
• Pour cream into skillet. Simmer about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over chicken breasts. Serve.

My experience: This was very easy to prepare. I loved how champagne smell filled the kitchen. The sauce was superb. Tastes soooooooo good! The chicken absorbed much of the champagne and was very tender. What a great dish! Wow!!!

Our verdict: First word out of Matet's mouth after she tasted it, was "Magnifico!" Well, if my wife can speak Italian (?) out of the blue, trust me when I say, this was an extraordinary dish! :)

Finally, a refreshing fruit salad to finish off the meal.

Dish # 4 - Creamy Fruit Salad

Serves 8 Time to Prepare 15 min

• 1/2 (20 ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
• 1/2 (15 ounce) can sliced peaches, drained
• 1/2 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 medium tart apples, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup cold fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

In a large bowl, combine the fruit; set aside. In another bowl, whisk milk, orange juice concentrate and pudding mix for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add sour cream; mix well. Fold into fruit. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

My experience: I did not find vanilla pudding mix in the grocery. So my cream mixture turned out a bit too watery. Something thicker would have been better. Oh well :)

Our verdict: Nice to have some fruits to finish off the day.

So, Valentine's Day special was quite special. Now, let's get mushy, baby!