Valentine's Tradition--all red menu for the cafe--any ideas? (more)

S

schmellen

Enthusiast Member
every year I make the red menu, and am a little low on ideas. I know that I'll be making black & white beans on red rice, but that is the only inspiration so far. We usually price things between $4-$7, so I can't get too nutty.

suggestions, fantasy menues, all are welcome.

Thanks so much

JoSchmellen

 
Schmellen, I know I posted a recipe for my favorite dip Rouille (red garlic sauce) >>

when you were looking for vegetarian dips, but I can't find it. I think it might have been on the "other site." It's really good with red bell pepper strips and cherry tomatoes, and I'll post it again if you're interested.

Since you're on a budget, think radishes. If you can get crisp little baby ones, serve them with a few leaves intact with soft butter and sea salt for dipping. Or larger radish halves on buttered baguette slices with a little salt. Radish/Butter/Salt, in any format.

Back to red bell peppers, I posted another favorite, "melted" peppers, at post 493. Or quartered and stuffed with feta cheese (a la Julia Child: mix 1/2 cup feta (or goat) cheese with 1/3 cup sour cream and 1 egg yolk. Season with salt, pepper, Worchestershire and Tabasco. Quarter 2 bell peppers and spoon in the cheese mixture. Bake at 450* for about 15 minutes, until puffed and browned. Out of this world. You can do them with the mini bell peppers they sell at Costco and Trader Joe's--just eat the yellow and orange ones as you go, or stuff them for the staff dinner. Make a salad of roasted peeled red pepers with olive oil and garlic, or just grill red unpeeled bell peppers with a little olive oil and seasonings. Chiles rellenos could probably be made with red bell peppers or the ripe red equivalents of poblanos, if you can find them in February!

There are lots of recipes for stuffed tomatoes. I like them Provencal with just breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and olive oil.

Beet salad anyone? (Not very romantic, perhaps). Alton Brown had some wonderful beet recipes on a recent show. I think it was called "Beets Me." His recipes are posted at FoodTV.com, under the show "Good Eats."

Is chicken mole red enough? It's got chocolate to boot. The recent craze for chile-chocolate desserts would fit right in.

 
I have made this Madhur Jaffrey recipe so many times and it is so easy, but tastes complicated....

I just love this recipe. The marinade is quick to make the night before and it works great in big batches. It is totally succulent and you are supposed to dye it red. It is intensely flavorful, but definitely not spicy. It’s one of the recipes where you look at the list of ingredients and can’t imagine just how good it is. I think it must have something to do with rubbing the lemon and salt in the slashes of the chicken.

My husband requests it for his special meals, in fact I think I'll make this for us for Valentine's dinner.

Ingredients
1.25kg/2½lb chicken pieces (legs and/or breasts) skinned
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
For the marinade:
450ml/¾pt plain yoghurt
½ onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1-2 hot green chillies, roughly sliced
2 tsp garam masala
Red and orange food dye
lime or lemon wedges, to serve



Method
1. Cut each chicken leg into two pieces and each breast into four pieces. Make two deep slits crossways on the meaty parts of each leg and breast piece. The slits should not start at an edge and should be deep enough to reach the bone. Spread the chicken pieces out on two large platters. Sprinkle one side with half the salt and half the lemon juice and rub them in. Turn the pieces over and repeat on the second side. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the marinade: combine the yoghurt, onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and garam masala in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Optional add red and orange food dye. Strain the paste through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing through as much liquid as you can.

3. Put the chicken and all its accumulated juices into the bowl with the marinade. Rub the marinade into the slits in the meat, then cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature and set a shelf in the top third of the oven where it is hottest. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and spread them out in a single layer on a large, shallow, baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Lift the chicken pieces out of their juices and serve with lemon or lime wedges.





http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/tandooristylechicken_7235.shtml

 
Some ideas:

Main Dish:
Sweet Peppers With Pasta

Desserts:
Strawberry Charlotte Russe
Raspberry Fool
Strawberry or Raspberry Cream Pie

Appetizer or Side Dish:
Blue Cheese Broiled Tomatoes

Appetizer:
Bruschetta With Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese

Salad:
Curried Couscous Salad with Dried Cranberries

Let me know if you want any of these recipes.

 
Schmellen - try this link from the Today show

It shows an all-red menu from the restaurant "Fresco." You can even watch a video on it (there's an advertisement first on the video.)

I thought the "love tart" looked good. It's basically a ricotta cheese tart topped with roasted plum tomatoes. There's other options and recipes here too.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4244843/from/RL.4/

 
REC: Muhammara

This is inexpensive and especially delicious with Black Pepper Pita Toasts.

Debbie


MUHAMMARA

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

a 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
2/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses*
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
toasted pita triangles as an accompaniment

*available at Middle Eastern markets

In a food processor blend together the peppers, the bread crumbs, the walnuts, the garlic, the lemon juice, the pomegranate molasses, the cumin, the red pepper flakes, and salt to taste until the mixture is smooth and with the motor running add the oil gradually. Transfer the muhammara to a bowl and serve it at room temperature with the pita triangles.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

Gourmet
December 1993

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/10982

 
REC: Black Pepper Pita Toasts

2Here's the recipe and link, however, I think this was way too labor intensive. Next time I make them I will just sprinkle the chips with pepper so any leftover butter can be used again OR I may spritz with butter-flavored spray, then sprinkle with pepper. They were wonderful and we enjoyed eating them after the Muhammara was gone.

Enjoy!
Debbie in GA

BLACK PEPPER PITA TOASTS

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
8 pita loaves, each loaf quartered and separated to form 8 triangles

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small saucepan melt the butter with the pepper and salt to taste, brush the butter on the rough sides of the pita triangles, and bake the triangles on baking sheets in batches in the middle of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden.

Makes 64 pita toasts.

Gourmet
July 1993

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/12281

 
This really does sound delicious. I noticed that most of the reviewers..

cut the olive oil back to just 2 Tbsp from 3/4 cups. That's a huge adjustment. Thanks..if hubby ever comes home I'll give this a try.

 
Thank you so much! I LuV the swap oops I mean MiMi's!!!

roasted red pepper and chicken recipes sound awesome, well, everything sounds great. Last year I made a roasted red pepper feta soup that was all et up...
We are already doing chocolate strawberry shortcake (yeeha Plant City).
I have to get over my fear of radishphobia, and this may be the year.
I am also thinking of doing a sashimi tuna nicoise...
and apparently I have a date for Valentine's day (that never happens) so I have to be very prepared. Thanks again.

 
REC: Curried Couscous Salad With Dried Cranberries...

Here ya go - this is delicious.

CURRIED COUSCOUS SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:
1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous (10 oz box)
1 cup dried cranberries (4 oz)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2/3 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions/scallions (around 2)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 15 1/2 oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (I use a little less)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (around 2 1/2 lemons)
1 Tbsp grated orange peel (around 1 orange)
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1/3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 medium - medium/large garlic cloves, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine couscous, cranberries, green peas, and curry powder in large bowl.
2. Pour 2 cups boiling water over couscous mixture.
3. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Stir in green onions, basil, and chickpeas.

DRESSING:
1. Combine lemon juice and remaining ingredients in jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously.
2. Strain out garlic pieces.
3. Pour over couscous and mix thoroughly. Mix in salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Cover and chill for 1 hour, so flavors can blend.
5. Serve cold.

Adapted from Cooking Light

 
Hi Schmellen! We have made stuffed Strawberries in the past. I found the rec in Gails

If I can make the search work for me, I will look for the recipe....The other tried, true and fun thing we do for valentines day is make hershey kisses out of rice krispy treats...(I know I have posted this recently, but it is such fun!!)

We make the recipe, use a medium size funnel to make it look like a hershey kiss and then wrap in foil. (You could look for red foil...Wrapping paper foil perhaps?) Then have the long white paper, similiar to a hershey kiss with a note on it...

Very fun!

Regards,
Barb

 
A few ideas..... and Rec:

chicken cacciatore
a tomato-based soup (like cream of tomato) or soup containing tomatoes and/or red bell peppers
red beets in a salad or borscht
chili with or without beans, or cincinnati-style chili (chili served on spaghetti)
lasagne or lasagne rollups
manicotti or cannelloni with red sauce
any pasta, ravioli or tortellini with red sauce or red bell pepper in the sauce
chicken or cheese enchiladas with red sauce
tomato-sausage risotto
stuffed red bell peppers
grilled fish or shrimp with fresh tomato salsa
polenta lasagne (polenta layered with meaty or meatless red sauce and meltable cheese like fontina)
red velvet cake or cupcakes with pink-tinted frosting or white frosting with red sprinkles or red heart jimmies on top

Schmellen, if memory serves me from your past posts and if you’re still cooking on a George Foreman grill at your café, maybe something like this Grilled Scallops with Tomato-Onion Relish would fit the bill. Click on the link for recipe and photo.

And I can “heartily” (heehee) recommend this linguine with shrimp in a simple red sauce.

If I think of something else, I’ll pop back in. Have fun and Happy Valentine’s Day. :eek:)

Linguini with Shrimp ala Anita

First part:
1 28-oz. can Italian tomatoes (chopped) with juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic (big ones)
1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp. thyme,
bay leaf
salt
1 to 2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Second part:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 lb. medium shrimp

First part: Saute 2 cloves garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil, add tomatoes, and seasonings. Let simmer together a while, about 20 to 30 minutes or longer if desired, add Parmesan and let it cook in, about 5 minutes.

Second part: Saute the other 2 cloves of garlic in the other 1/4 cup olive oil in a saute pan, add shrimp and cook about 5 minutes. If sauce is precooked just heat through then add shrimp and olive oil mixture to tomato sauce and serve over hot linguini.

Pat's notes: I use fresh herbs and increase quantity

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105413

 
I knew I'd be back. How about a bruschetta with tomato topping, Here's one I like....

Pat’s notes: I personally prefer this recipe without the provolone. It's delicious!

Marinated Cherry Tomatoes over Warm Provolone

2 baskets cherry tomatoes (or combined gourmet cherry and pear tomatoes, red and yellow) (in a pinch I have used chopped Romas)
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
1 tsp to 1 tbsp truffle oil, optional
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Provolone Garlic Bread

4 to 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large thick slices, white french bread (I like to use Pugliese or any rustic type french bread)
4 slices Provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In 2 qt. casserole mix tomatoes, onions, parsley, rosemary, garlic, oils and vinegar. Cover and marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour, season with salt and pepper to taste. (Best if left to marinate until tomato skins start to burst slightly. Sometimes I halve or quarter the tomatoes instead of leaving them whole.

Combine olive oil and garlic, let stand 10 minutes. Brush 1 side of bread with the
garlic/oil. Broil until lightly browned. Set aside. Top with Provolone cheese if desired.

To serve, serve tomatoes on top of bread. Garnish with grated Italian cheese. Serves 4

 
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