Tasty Tuesday ~ Nothin' Says Love Like A Valentine Dinner

 

I always enjoy Tasty Tuesday with Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!  I usually link up a previous post, but this week I thought I would actually post some recipes for you today - I'm going to share my Valentine's Dinner with you!

Jennifer at Savor the Thyme and Kelsey from The Naptime Chef were talking about how "Food is love" which is just what I thought of this Valentine's Day!  We don't usually do much to celebrate the day as we would rather do romantic sweet things year-round, but this year I thought it would be nice to express my love for my family in a simple way.  I decided to spend a good part of the day making an extra-special meal for my family.  I usually cook good dinners, but they are easy and simple.  The fancier dinners are reserved for company or holidays.  Why not make a fancy dinner for my sweet little family?  Here's what we had (it was actually mostly a repeat of what I made Christmas Day, but we all love it!):

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

 

This lasagna recipe is over at my healthier blog (Stop Eating All The Chocolates).

Festive Winter Salad with Walnuts and Apples

1 pkg any European-style salad mix (I used organic mixed baby greens)

1 thinly sliced tart apple (I use any variety apple I have on hand)

1 pkg (4 oz) Blue Cheese, crumbled (or Gorgonzola)

1 cup walnut halves

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (white balsamic keeps the salad prettier)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine salad, apples, walnuts and Blue Cheese.  Whisk together oil and vinegar; pour over salad.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss well.  Serve immediately.

Rosemary Asiago Rolls

 

8 frozen Bridgford Parkerhouse Rolls, thawed (I used Rhodes frozen rolls, can use homemade dinner roll dough too)

1/3 cup crumbled Asiago cheese

1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Lightly grease baking sheet.  Place thawed rolls on lightly floured board.  Top rolls with equal amounts of cheese and rosemary and knead lightly to mix in dough.  Brush rolls with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt.  Place on prepared baking sheet and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked and golden brown.

Powdered Sugar Pound Cakes with Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

I made our favorite Powdered Sugar Pound Cakes in my flower molds and combined them with the Chocolate Raspberry Ganache from the Chocolate-Raspberry Cookie Trifle recipe (melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, seedless raspberry jam, and a little half and half) - it was a delicious combination!

My family really loved and appreciated the extra effort that I put into our dinner.  I even got out the china to put it on and some goblets for our sparkling cider!

How do you express love with your food?  You can submit a Food is Love post through today (2/16) - stop by Savor The Thyme or The Naptime Chef for details and be sure to stop for Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam to check out all the delicious recipe links!

Have a terrifically tasty day friends!