Great Valentines Day Recipes

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
CHERRY SAUCE: 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Whipped cream in a can

Directions
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs; add milk, oil and lemon juice. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until the second side is golden brown. For cherry sauce, combine pie filling, extract and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To serve as shown in the photo, stack pancakes on serving plates and make a heart outline with whipped cream; spoon cherry sauce into heart. Yield: 4 servings (12 pancakes).

Ingredients
Perfect Pizza Dough Olive oil for coating or cornmeal for dusting
1 cup homemade or store-bought tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Muenster cheese

Directions
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Punch down the risen dough, knead it a few times to remove all the air, and divide it in two. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll one portion into a 12-inch round. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the crust--not too much, or else your pizza will become soggy. (A word on sauce: if you don't have time for homemade, spruce up a 14-ounce jar of store-bought by adding 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 1/2 tbsp. of dry red wine and 1/2 tsp. of dried oregano.) Top your pizza with half of the mozzarella and Muenster cheeses and garnish with the toppings of your choice. Bake 12 to 15 minutes; subtract a few minutes if you're using a pizza stone. When done, the crust will be golden underneath. Makes two 12-inch pizzas.

Ingredients
6 beef tenderloin steaks (1-1/2 to 2 inches thick and 8 ounces each)
4 tablespoons butter,
divided 3 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef consomme, undiluted
3 tablespoons port wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

Directions
In a large skillet, brown steaks in 2 tablespoons butter for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet into a 14-in. x 9-1/2-in. rectangle. Cut into two 7-in. squares (discard scraps). Place a steak in the center of each square. Lightly brush pastry edges with water. Bring opposite corners of pastry over steak; pinch seams to seal tightly. Cut four small slits in top of pastry. Place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Brush with egg. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Meanwhile, in the same skillet, saute mushrooms and shallots in remaining butter for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Combine flour and consomme until smooth; stir into mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in wine and thyme. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Serve with beef. Yield: 6 servings.

You want the strawberries to sit flat. So if they are a little wobbly with the stems left on, cut the green stems off the strawberries so they will stand upright when placed on your serving tray. With a small sharp knife, cut an"X" in each strawberry, cutting almost to the bottom of each strawberry. (The cut should be such that the strawberry will open up but not fall apart.) Gently, with your fingertips, spread each strawberry apart to make "petals". Set aside while you make the cream filling. In a medium sized bowl, whip the mascarpone cheese and whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip). Pipe the cream into the strawberries. If not serving immediately, cover, and place in the refrigerator until serving time.

Ingredients
1/4 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon plus
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
3/4 teaspoon rose water (kalustyans.com)
2 cups chilled rose wine
3 cups chilled seltzer Add to Shoppi

Directions
1. Lightly crush raspberries with sugar and rose water. Divide among 4 glasses. Stir in wine. Top with seltzer

To prepare this, place all the ingredients in a shaker and shake them along with the ice cubes. Similarly there are non alcoholic Valentine's Day drinks too like, Cranberry Spritzer. Preparing such drinks is very easy. One will simply need 1 cup cranberry juice, chilled 1 can (12 ounces) lemon-lime soda, chilled 1/4 cup orange juice, chilled 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled Ice cubes. Combining these one can make delicious Valentine's Day drinks.