Anyone can make reservations. Show your Valentine you’re #obsessed by staying home and setting the table for two (don’t forget the tablecloth, candles and mood music!). The key: Pick a recipe that requires a little extra TLC, and use high-quality ingredients. We asked a few of our favorite foodies what they’ll be cooking up to show they care.
Appetizer
The Foodie: @HusbandsThatCookAdam and Ryan are two husbands that cook opens in a new tab together in a small kitchen in a house on a hill in Eagle Rock, California. Finalists for the 2016 Saveur Blog Awards for Best How-To Blog, their site is filled with a variety of delicious, quick and easy vegetarian home-cooked entrees, sides, breakfasts, drinks, and snacks.
The Recipe: Bruschetta with Sautéed Mushrooms and Gruyere
Note from Adam and Ryan: “Watch carefully as you broil, because the cheese can go from perfectly melty to burned in a matter of moments.”
Makes 10 to 12 slices.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves (10g) garlic, minced
1/2 pound (226g) mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (6g) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 to 12 slices of baguette
6 1/2 ounces (184g) gruyere cheese, sliced
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Freshly-ground black pepper, for garnish
Red pepper flakes, for garnish
Place the olive oil and garlic in a large deep skillet, and set over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the mushrooms, tossing to coat and cook evenly. Cook 6 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened. Add the salt, pepper, and parsley, toss to coat and remove from heat. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. While the mushrooms are cooking, place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and preheat the broiler. Lay the slices of cheese over the bread, and broil with the oven door open for about 3 minutes, watching carefully. When the cheese is bubbly and browned, remove the sheet from the oven. Place the slices on the serving plate, and top each slice with a generous spoonful of the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Serve hot.
Prefer a vegetarian option for your main? Check out this Ricotta Cavatelli opens in a new tab from Adam and Ryan.
Main Course
The foodie: Molly SieglerAs a classically trained chef with a political science degree, Food Editor Molly Siegler puts her food fascination to work, heading up the creation of recipes and other food-focused projects for Whole Foods Market. (See Molly's cooking videos and subscribe to our You Tube channel opens in a new tab.)
The recipe: Herb-Roasted Lobster and Steak opens in a new tab
Note from Molly: "Cut the recipe in half if you’re cooking for two, so you have room for dessert."
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided
2 (4- to 6-ounce) shell-on lobster tails, thawed and cut down the middle with kitchen shears
2 (12- to 14-ounce) dry-aged rib-eye or New York strip steaks
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a bowl, stir together butter, parsley, chives, rosemary, oregano, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Spread 1 teaspoon of the herb butter over meat on each piece of lobster and place, cut-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until just cooked through and opaque in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, season steaks all over with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of the herb butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook, flipping once, until deeply browned and medium-rare (about 130°F) or to desired doneness, 8 to 10 minutes total. Top each steak with 1 tablespoon of the herb butter. (Reserve remaining butter for another use.) Let steaks rest for 5 minutes and then serve alongside lobster with lemon wedges.
Dessert
The foodie: @LoveandLemons
Jeanine Donofrio is the creator of the blog Love and Lemons opens in a new tab, which features fresh, seasonal recipes (often finished with a squeeze of lemon!). She is also the author of The Love and Lemons Cookbook opens in a new tab and lives with her husband Jack in Austin.
The recipe: Valentine’s Molten Chocolate Cakes opens in a new tab
Note from Jeanine: "The cakes are best right out of the oven, so for Valentine’s Day we usually just bake 2 and store extra batter in the fridge for up to two days. Adjust cook time for the leftover (chilled) batter accordingly."
Makes 6-8 cakes.
1 stick + 3 tablespoons butter (Non-dairy Earth Balance works fine, too.)
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao recommended)
3 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup all purpose flour (we’ve also used spelt)
Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over the stove or place a glass bowl on top of a (smaller) saucepan filled with a little boiling water. Once your chocolate is melted, let it cool to room temperature before adding the mixture to the eggs. (Pop it in the fridge for a few minutes if you want). With an electric mixer whisk the eggs, then slowly add the sugar, then the chocolate mixture, and gradually add the flour. Mix until smooth. Pour into a greased muffin tin, filling muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until the middle puffs up, but the cake inside is still underdone. Remove from the oven and place the muffin pan on a cookie sheet. Place another cookie sheet on top. Hold it all together and gently (but quickly) flip it so the muffin tin is now upside down. Carefully lift up the muffin tin, give it a shake and a tap to get the cakes to drop down. Serve with a scoop of ice cream.
For more Valentine’s Day ideas, check out our handy gift guide opens in a new tab.
