Valentine’s Day is here. That means everyone is scrambling to think of the perfect gift. We all know that diamonds are a girls best friend, so one can never go wrong there. But we rarely consider, what a man’s best friend is, well, besides the four-legged kind.
Since the beginning of time, the way to impress a man, or better yet the way to a man’s heart has always been through his stomach. As the author of the cookbook, Cooking For Your Man, I should know! Few gifts really touch the soul like the gift of a home-cooked meal.
This Valentine’s Day I’m spicing things up with a Regional Mexican meal that is insanely delicious, indulgent and healthy at the same time. For starters, a Modern take on the old standby Shrimp Cocktail. The shrimp are roasted briefly in a hot oven and served with a spicy, tangy Salsa Verde. It’s the perfect way to get your palette ready for the main course. Feel free to set the mood by feeding each other!
Organic Chicken is seared to crisp perfection, then finished in the oven so it stays succulent and juicy. It’s paired with a Hominy Puree that is creamy, yet light and has the most intense corn flavor. More hominy is roasted until it pops for a homemade version of Corn Nuts that is so ridiculously good you’ll want to make extra to snack on! The piece de resistance of the main course is the Mole Poblano. My short-cut version is made in the style of Puebla, but my version takes no time to make. That’s only 5 hours less than the traditional version. It’s spicy, savory, sweet, smoky, and silky smooth.
We put a spoonful of hominy puree on the plate, top it with our crispy chicken, ladle a good helping of mole onto the chicken, and top the whole thing with a traditional garnish of julienned radish, shards of red onion, and cilantro leaves. For added crunch, sprinkle a few “corn nuts” on top.
No Valentine’s dinner would be complete without chocolate! French Macaroons are all the rage these days. And, guess what? You can make them in advance! Yeah! They are divine. Feather-light dark chocolate almond cookies are sandwiched between a rich, creamy orange dark chocolate ganache. It’s the perfect ending to an absolutely delectable meal. The best part is that almost every course can be made in advance, which means YOU can have it all! A meal that people will think you slaved over and a romantic night to boot! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Fresh is Fabulous!
For these recipes and more, check out Yolanda’s website here.
Shrimp with Salsa Verde
Chicken Mole Poblano
Hominy Puree
Chocolate Macaroons
