A Romantic Meal for Two Baked Shrimp Toast
Veal Chop and Ratatouille with Herb Butter
Celery and Octopus Salad
Strawberry Cheese Cake
Click on the Titles for each dish below to access Recipes
Baked Shrimp toasts
This recipe is from Gourmet.com. Shrimp toasts are traditionally fried, but our version of this classic Asian appetizer is baked, so your guests won’t have to worry about messy, oily fingers.Makes32 hors d’oeuvres .
Veal Chop & Ratatouille with Herb Butter
Recipe Below
Strauss Free Raised Veal is a healthy beef alternative that is lower in
fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Full of authentic flavor, the way
all-natural, pasture-raised veal should be. Strauss products can be
found in Whole Foods Market and AllenBrothers.com
Celery & Octopus Salad
We end the meal with a light, palette cleansing salad. Another recipe from Gourmet.com, this dish was Inspired by a salad of grilled octopus, celery, fresh chiles, and candied lemon peel that food editor Melissa Roberts. enjoyed at The John Dory restaurant, in New York City. She set about making a more accessible version for the home cook. This lively take is full of crunchy celery, parsley leaves, olives, and lemon zest. Using canned octopus packed in oil allows the whole thing to come together in a flash. Click on the title above for the recipe.
No Bake Strawberry Cheese Cake
From Women’s Day, this recipe is made in no time and with little fuss, leaving you more time with your loved one and less in the kitchen. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Strauss Free Raised® Veal Chops
with Ratatouille and Herb Butter
prep time: 45 min • cook time: 45 min • serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 veal rib chops (12 oz each)
- kosher or sea salt, to taste
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil for veal chop marinade
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided – for sautéing
- ½ med onion, med dice
- 1 sm red pepper, med dice
- 1 sm green pepper, med dice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sm zucchini, med dice
- 1 sm yellow squash, med dice
- 1 sm eggplant, med dice
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 tbsp basil, julienne (thinly chopped)
- 3 med yellow potatoes, boiled and quartered
- Herb butter ingredients
- ¼ lb unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp chives, minced
- 1 tsp basil, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- kosher or sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Herb Butter Directions
Take softened butter, place in bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Set aside.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180º (for holding).
- Remove veal chops from refrigerator 1 hour before grilling – for best results, grill meat at room temperature.
- Season chops with salt and pepper.
- Coat chops with ½ cup olive oil, marinate for one hour while veal comes to room temperature.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Heat sauté pan over medium heat. Add half of the olive oil (¼ cup), heat oil, add onions, peppers and bay leaf.
- Cook until onions are translucent, 7 minutes.
- Add zucchini and squash, cook 5 minutes.
- Heat another sauté pan, add remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Heat oil, add eggplant and cook until golden brown. Add to other vegetables.
- To the vegetable mixture, add minced garlic, halved tomatoes and quartered potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add basil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside, in low-temperature oven at 180º until ready to serve. (Ratatouille can be prepared a day in advance-bring to temperature over low heat)
- Place marinated chop on grill, cook over medium-high on each side for 6-8 minutes or to preferred temperature. (Recommended internal temperature 140º.) See Website for alternative Cooking Options.
- Place some of the ratatouille on warm plate, lean veal chop over ratatouille. Finish with pat of herb butter. Serve and enjoy!
