Having paid way too much for more than a few very mediocre Valentine’s Day dinners, this year, we decided to do Valentine’s Day dinner at home.   I really wanted to go to Minibar over at Café Atlántico, but getting a reservation there on February 14th is slightly less likely than getting shot in the ass by Cupid himself and the fact that Courtney forgot to call didn’t help our chances.  I highly recommend this recipe, it feels very gourmet but it’s not hard at all to make!

Romesco Roast Salmon over Pumpkin and Olive Grits

From Healthy. Delicious.

Ingredients
Serves 2
Prep Time:  10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

• 2 (6 oz) Salmon Filets
• 2 Tablespoons Romesco (see recipe below)
• 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 1/2 cup Quick Cooking Grits
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 cup Mixed Olives (Kalamata, Nicoise, Spanish Queen, etc), pitted and chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Black Pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slather each salmon portion with 1 Tablespoon of Romesco and place on a baking sheet. Roast the salmon for 10-15 minutes, or until it is cooked to desired level.
2. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan set to medium-high heat. When the stock comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and add the grits and the pumpkin. Cook, stirring frequently, until a thick porridge has formed – about 5 minutes. Stir in the olives and season with black pepper and salt to taste.  Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese.
3. To serve, spoon half the grits onto each serving plate. Top with a portion of roast salmon.

We enjoyed it with this very Valentine's Day appropriate Chocolate Box Shiraz that Mike & Winifred gave us for Christmas!

Romesco Sauce:

Yes you can also used store-bought Romesco, if you want to be a cheater!

Ingredients:
Yields approximately 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes 

• 1 (approx. ½ pound) Tomato
• 2 cloves Garlic, separated
• 2 Tablespoons slivered Almonds
• 1 Roasted Red Pepper
• 1/4 cup stale Bread Cubes or unseasoned croutons
• 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place the tomato slices and one garlic clove on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tomato is soft and caramelized, but not browned.
2. Add cooked tomato, garlic, almonds, bread and vinegar to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, continuing to process the sauce, until the oil has been incorporated and you are left with a thick sauce.

Lila's Valentine's Day dinner!

Single Serving Warm Chocolate Mocha Melting Cakes

Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Serves 2

• 2 tablespoon plus 4 tsp cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons spelt flour (or white, or even peanut or coconut flour)
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 packets Splenda
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
• 6 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Unsweetened coconut

Mix dry ingredients (through Splenda) thoroughly.  Add wet ingredients and mix well.  Transfer into two small bowls or coffee mugs and top with coconut.  Microwave for 60-90 seconds and enjoy!