Another Valentine's Day message ❤️
This one is about delicious food though, so you should definitely open it.
It’s Valentine’s Day! And I’m going to talk specifically to the people who want to treat themselves today. If you’re cooking for two, or more, please feel free to scale these recipes up! However, I will not be doing that math for you. Because making something intentional and delicious just for yourself, on a holiday created to celebrate shared romance, feels special. And this Valentine’s Day, I want you to feel special!!
I’ll be making myself these mustard potatoes, to go with some raclette. Nothing says feast for one like a mini raclette maker, tiny candles, melty cheese, and a pound of potatoes. For just over a year now, I’ve gotten into the habit of treating myself to a raclette night every Monday. It’s intentional, it’s something I can look forward to and plan my weekly cooking/shopping schedule around, and it’s given me the chance to perfect my potatoes and experiment with adding things like leeks or bacon. If you don’t have a personal raclette maker, this is what I’m talking about—I highly recommend you get one if you love cheese!!
Let’s remember, today is also a Monday. So a three-hour cooking feast and clean-up mission is probably not in the cards for you (and it certainly isn’t for me). In that case, you could take advantage of making something that’s stinks up your kitchen, while still being delicious and special. In that vein, get some try these fried brie bites. They’re smelly, but they’re a speedy thing to make, and so so tasty.
Another Valentine’s Day quandary: breaking out the bubbly when you’re just one person. Prosecco for one creates an age-old dilemma—you’re the only person in the house, but you really want to treat yourself to some bubbly alcohol without wasting your money when it goes flat. Well I say, go buy the Prosecco! And once you’ve poured yourself a glass, pour another into some rice flour batter and dunk in some mushrooms and make these Prosecco-battered mushrooms. They’re like beer-battered tempura veggies, but with a really nice lightness from the rice flour and a tangy sweetness that comes from the Prosecco.
Whatever you end up doing on this Valentine’s Day, I hope it’s special and meaningful to you in some way! But why stop at Monday? Take this intentionality with you throughout the week. It’s February, it’s cold, and I feel like I’m getting into a cooking rut. So I want to use this week to experiment with new ingredients and find some new flavors, and I hope you join me! Go buy something at the grocery store or market that you’ve never cooked before, and go searching for some new recipes to make with it.
Finally, leaving you with a picture of my valentine this year, Rory. He’s snuggly, he loves to sleep as much as I do, and he’s sort of a foodie himself (as evidenced by the food all over his face). ❤️
❤️ Valentine’s-inspired recipes ❤️
You can also find all of these through my main page, or in my Recipe Archive!
Mustard potatoes
Time: 45 mins | Difficulty: 1/5 | Recommendation: Weeknight dinner
These potatoes are heightened by some jammy onions and a big dollop of dijon mustard added right at the end. You can use any type of potato you want, but I like to use fingerling potatoes when I can find them—they don’t have too much starch, so they hold their shape really well and have a lovely buttery flavor. I also recommend using a flavored mustard like basil, herbes de Provence, or sun-dried tomato! If you do, I think it’s best to still add some classic country-style Dijon as well. You can also add leeks, mushrooms, or bacon to this! It’s just a great base for anything, really.
Ingredients:
Potatoes, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Butter
Salt, pepper, chili flakes
Country-style Dijon mustard
Method:
Melt a good amount of butter in a pan, with a touch of olive oil to prevent burning.
Add in the potatoes (it’s ok if they’re still a little wet from washing them, it will help them steam). Coat well with the butter, then cover the and cook until they’ve softened, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the cover from the pan and continue to cook, stirring often, until the potatoes have browned nicely and gotten all crispy.
Add in the onions and cook until they get soft and a bit jammy.
Add salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
When the potatoes and onions look done, turn off the heat, and add in the mustard. Stir it all around well and let it sit for a few minutes before eating, if you can…
Prosecco-battered mushrooms
Time: 45 mins | Difficulty: 3/5 | Recommendation: Dinner, snack, or make to share
This recipe uses about a cup of Prosecco, so there’s plenty left for you to drink but you can still feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. The rice flour-Prosecco batter creates these really light, crispy mushrooms that would go great with rice, noodles, or just by themselves. I paired them with a red chili dipping sauce that’s tangy and spicy and a little sweet.
Ingredients/Tools:
1 cup rice flour
1 tsp of cornstarch
1 cup or so of Prosecco
Salt
Mushrooms (I used shiitake and oyster mushrooms)
Vegetable oil
A heavy-bottomed pot
Metal slotted spoon
Method:
Slice up your mushrooms so they’re long and thin.
In a big bowl, mix your flour and corn starch and salt. Slowly pour in your Prosecco, adding more or less until the batter is nice and runny.
Add your mushrooms and stir to get them well-coated.
Heat up about an inch deep of vegetable oil in a pot. Test the heat with a tiny drop of the batter, then add in your mushrooms a few at a time. Fry them until the batter is golden brown, then drain on a paper towel.
For the dipping sauce, mix red chili paste, tamarind sauce, soy sauce, and water, to taste.
Fried brie bites
Time: 30 mins | Difficulty: 2/5 | Recommendation: Dinner, salad topper, or snack
Fried brie is so delicious. I had this for the first time in a salad in Ireland—I’ve fried so many types of cheese, and had never thought to do brie. Turns out it’s a delicious combination of salty, gooey, and crispy! Try these!!
Ingredients:
Brie cheese
An egg (or two, depending on how much cheese you have), whisked
Breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
Method:
Chop the brie into 1-inch triangles.
Put the egg in one bowl and the breadcrumbs with a touch of salt in another. Dip a brie triangle in the egg, then roll it around in the breadcrumbs. Then go back into the egg and back into the breadcrumbs. Place the brie bites on a p
Place the brie bites on a plate and stick them in the freezer until they’ve hardened.
Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan or skillet. When it’s really hot (test with a little bit of egg mix), drop in some of the bites and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
New recipes on my site
Below is a collection of some of the new recipes I’ve added to my site! You can get the full recipe by clicking on the title, or check them all out in the Recipe Archive tab.
Tandoori cauliflower
Time: 1 hr | Difficulty: 1/5 | Recommendation: Dinner, snack, or to share
These cauliflower bites are so delicious and so easy! I love a recipe you can just whip up and shove in the oven. If you don’t have tandoori powder (though I highly recommend you get some), you can replace with chili powder and turmeric and cumin, or curry powder. Enjoy these with some yogurt on the side, or some chutney!
Arugula, garlic, and parmesan biscuits
Time: 1 hour | Difficulty: 2/5 | Recommendation: Weekend breakfast + leftovers
These biscuits are so flaky!! The key is the buttermilk, and the folding process—you create layers and lamination by literally stacking the dough on top of itself. The bottoms get crispy and the middles stay nice and fluffy, and you can open them up and add things like bacon, cheeses, more greens, even an egg maybe! I also added parmesan to the top, near the end of the baking process, but you can skip that if you don’t want cheese! The arugula here adds a nice, green pepperiness, and the garlic gives it a really good kick. Also, they’re made with buttermilk, but if you don’t have buttermilk, just add a teaspoon and a half of lemon juice to half a cup of milk, and let it sit and sour for a little bit. This makes 9 biscuits.
Mashed potato balls
Time: 30 mins | Difficulty: 2/5 | Recommendation: Lunch or snack
Ever end up with too many mashed potatoes left over from Thanksgiving or another holiday?? Try rolling them into a ball and frying them! It’s a delicious snack or meal, and could also work as a game day appetizer or snack to share. You could also make mashed potatoes from scratch specifically for this—just sure it’s cold when you’re shaping the balls, so they hold their shape.