Valentine's Day Recipes

Breakfast: Valentine Pancakes with Maple-Raspberry Sauce

Make breakfast special with these heart-shaped buttermilk pancakes topped with a sweet ane easy-to-make raspberry-maple sauce. Other than tasting great, they can also be made ahead a reheated for an any-time treat.

Ingredients

Pancakes:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/3 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Maple Raspberry Sauce:

• 3/4 cup seedless red raspberry jam
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

Cooking Instructions

1. In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.
2. Make a well in the dry ingredient. In the well add the buttermilk, egg and butter. Stir to moisten. It will not be smooth.
3. Grease and heat griddle over medium low heat. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle Cook about 1-2 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the top of the pancakes. Turn and cook about 1-2 minutes more or until just cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. With 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut pancakes into hearts.
5. For sauce: In medium microwavable bowl cook raspberry jam with maple syrup on high; stir to combine. Continue to heat in 30 second intervals, stirring to combine, until raspberry jam is melted

Make-Ahead

Pancakes can be made ahead, cooled, then wrapped well and frozen up to 1 month.

Tips & Tricks

Reheat frozen pancakes in toaster. Reheating them this way they will have the very thin, crunchy layer on the sides of the pancakes.

A microwave can also be used to reheat frozen pancakes. Reheating them this way the pancakes will have a uniform soft texture.

Recipe from Kaboose

Dinner: Romantic Meat Fondue

The Meat

Choose a tender cut of beef such as tenderloin (recommended) or sirloin. The more it is aged the better. Meat should be cut into ¾ inch cubes and have all fat and sinew removed. Plan for six ounces of beef per person.

Meat Fondue Recipe

You can use your crock pot or fondue pot.

INGREDIENTS
Beef tenderloin or sirloin
Oil (vegetable, canola, peanut etc.)

DIRECTIONS
1. Trim fat and sinew from beef and cut into ¾ inch chunks. Blot with paper towel and put in refrigerator while oil is heating. 2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer to fondue pot. Do not overfill the pot. About half full works best.
3. Spear a chunk of beef with fondue fork and place in hot oil. Cook until beef is done to your satisfaction (approximately 30 seconds for rare, 45 for medium-rare, and 1 minute to well done).
4. Remove from fork and transfer to plate (fondue fork will be very hot). Eat with sauces of your choice. 
Serve with green salad, steamed vegetables or rice.