Valentine's Day is also my sister's birthday, so it's a family birthday dinner day for us. I decided on a South-of-the-Border theme for this year's dinner. All the recipes are easy to fix. They look impressive, like you've spent a lot of time in the kitchen, but are so easy and simple to prepare. All they need is a little ingredient-chopping time. So feel free to take any or all of the components of the dinner below, from appetizer to cocktail to dessert, to make your own Valentine's dinner for your sweetie, and they'll be dazzled with your 'kitchen love'. For the full dinner, the flavor theme follows through from the orange and citrus in the shrimp cocktail appetizer to the orange-caramel sauce in the dessert. And, the citrusy components in the appetizer and cocktail go well with the pico flavors of the spaghetti sauce.
Loaded Shrimp Cocktail
LOADED SHRIMP COCKTAIL
Serves 4
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 each lime and orange
22-24 medium cooked shrimp
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/3 English cucumber, seeded & chopped
1/2 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup cocktail sauce
1/4 cup V8 juice
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 avocado, chopped
1. Zest orange and place in large glass bowl, set aside. Place juice of lime and orange in another glass bowl. Add shrimp and lightly toss to coat with the juices. Set aside and let marinate at room temp while fixing other ingredients.
2. In bowl with orange zest, add onion, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, cocktail sauce, V8 juice, horseradish and lime juice. Add shrimp and mix ingredients. Place each serving in a martini glass and top with chopped avocados. Add a lime wedge to serve.
Papaya Margarita
PAPAYA MARGARITA
Makes 1
1.5 oz good quality tequila
2 oz papaya juice
1 oz triple sec
.5 oz fresh lime juice
1. Add all ingredients to ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain into crushed ice-filled glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Spicy Pico Spaghetti
SPICY PICO SPAGHETTI
Serves 4
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 jar salsa
1/4 tsp ground cumin
juice of 1/4 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain and reserve, keep warm.
2. Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos, cook and stir about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and salsa. Turn up heat to medium-high and heat to boiling, then lower heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Mash a few of the diced tomatoes with a potato masher. Add cumin, lime and salt and pepper.
3. Add spaghetti to sauce and toss, coating well. To serve, place portion in individual pasta bowls, top with cheeses and green onion slices. If you desire, top with chopped avocado and a dollop of sour cream.
Bananas with Orange-Caramel Sauce over ice cream
BANANAS WITH ORANGE-CARAMEL SAUCE
Serves 2
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
2 bananas
2 Tbsp sweetened flaked coconut
1 Tbsp sliced almonds
1 pint vanilla bean ice cream
1. In a small saute pan over medium heat toast the coconut and remove to a bowl. Toast the almonds in the same pan and remove to another bowl. Set aside, reserve to top the sundaes.
2. Heat butter in saute pan and add brown sugar. Stir until melted, about 3 minutes. Add zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine and cook about 3 minutes longer. Add orange juice and stir to combine. Turn heat to lowest setting.
3. Peel and slice bananas on the bias. Add to the sauce and stir just to coat. Place a couple of scoops of ice cream in serving bowls. Top with the banana-caramel sauce. Top with toasted almonds and coconut. Serve immediately.