This Valentine's Day, I would like to touch on a few interesting traditions out of the past:
It was once believed that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's
Day, she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a
poor man and if she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
The love seat was first made to seat one woman with her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, the couple could sit together - but not too closely!
In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart."
How do I say "I love thee?" With a delicious meal and a romantic
setting, of course! This meal is simple to make but very tasty. The chicken
has a yummy, sweet flavor. The baked potatoes are over the top! The salad
ingredients are a bit unusual but delicious together. The Lava Cake is
a knock-off recipe of a very popular restaurant.
SWEET MUSTARD CHICKEN BAKE
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a shallow baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir or whisk together the honey, mustard, butter and
pepper. Place chicken in the baking dish and pour honey mustard sauce over
them.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, basting frequently with the sauce, until chicken
juices run clear.
Servings: 4
ULTIMATE TWICE BAKED POTATOES
- 4 med/large baking potatoes
- 6 slices bacon
- 4 tbsps butter
- 1/2-1 tsp salt
- 1/2-1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2-2/3 cup whipping cream
- 1/2-2/3 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar
- cheese, divided
- 6 green onions, sliced, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick potatoes with fork; wrap in aluminum
foil. Bake in oven for 1 hour.*
Meanwhile, cook bacon on the stovetop or in the microwave until crisp;
crumble and set aside.
When potatoes are done, allow them to cool for about 10 minutes.
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the pulp into a large bowl;
save skins. To the potato pulp, add butter, salt and pepper; mash. Add
whipping cream and milk until proper consistency. Add 1/2 cup cheese and
half of the green onions. Mix until blended and creamy. Spoon mixture into
the potato skins. Top each skin with the remaining cheese, green onions
and bacon. Bake for another 15 minutes or heat in microwave until potatoes
are heated through and cheese is melted.
Cook's Note:* I microwaved the potatoes. Check your microwave instructions
for cooking time. This recipe takes longer than anticipated so I would
recommend making the potatoes 1-2 hours early and then heat them in the
microwave before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
ALMOND-ORANGE TOSSED SALAD
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 8 cups (4 cups) iceberg lettuce, torn and (4 cups) romaine,
torn
or - 8 cups green leaf lettuce, torn
- 1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cubed (optional)
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps cider vinegar
- 2 tsps minced parsley
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients;
shake well. Refrigerate.
In a small skillet over medium-low heat, cook sugar, without stirring,
for about 10-12 minutes or until melted. Add almonds; stir quickly to
coat. Remove from heat; pour onto waxed paper to cool.
In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce and romaine or green leaf
lettuce, oranges, avocado, celery, onions and almonds. Right before serving,
drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.
Yield: 8 servings
LAVA CAKE
- 1 box (18.25 oz) chocolate fudge or dark chocolate cake mix
- 1 bottle hot fudge topping
- 8-10 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 1 bottle shell chocolate topping
Make cake batter following directions on the box. Grease/spray 8-10 cups
of 2 large (Texas size) muffin pans. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into each cup.
Bake for 27-35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of a
cake comes out clean. Turn all of the cakes out of the pans and let them
cool.
The cakes will be served upside down so you may have to slice a bit of
the top off the cakes to help them lay flat when inverted. (A serrated
knife works best for this.) After you've inverted all of the cooled cakes,
use a small, sharp knife to cut out a 1-1/2-inch diameter cylindrical chunk
in the center of each cake. The hole should be about 1-1/2-inches deep.
After slicing straight down into the cake in a circle, scoop out the cake
with a small spoon. This is the secret compartment where the hot fudge
will be.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of fudge into each of the holes in the cakes.
If the fudge topping is too thick, just add a little bit of hot water and
stir before filling the cakes. Store the cakes in a sealed container in
the refrigerator.
When serving, heat one cake at a time in the microwave for 40-45 seconds
on high or until the fudge topping is hot. Remove the cake and let it rest
for about 30 seconds. Then place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of
the cake. Pour a coating of shell topping over the ice cream and serve.
Yield: about 8-10 desserts
BETH'S BONUS ONLINE RECIPE:
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 1 box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix
- 1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 4 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or mini morsels
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips. Beat for 4 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake in greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan for 50-60 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or top with chocolate glaze.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
- 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tbsp soft butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2-4 tbsps milk
In a small bowl, combine sugar, cocoa and butter, Add vanilla; add milk gradually to achieve desired consistency and stir until smooth.
"Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile
accident, a tight girdle,
a higher tax bracket, or a holding pattern
over Philadelphia."
- Judith Viorst
May God's wisdom and understanding fill your home with a spirit of peace and love in 2008!
For more great recipes, visit our past issues then click on Culinary Corner.
Please direct any questions or comments you may have regarding Culinary Corner to: bethoover@aol.com.
© 2008 Good News Tucson™
