6 minute read
THE WAY TO A HEART Kim Bayless shares her take on an elegant, tasty Valentine’s dinner
from 618 Hometown Magazine, February 2020
by Princeton Daily Clarion, The Hometown Register, Warrick Standard
heart THE WAY TO A WRITER: MONA L. WARRICK
Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year. If you plan to go out for dinner, hopefully you’ve already secured reservations at your favorite restaurant.
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Dinner reservations, for the most romantic of holidays, are often difficult to get. According to the National Restaurant Association, February 14 is second only to Mother’s Day when it comes to busiest days to dine out. That’s because few things are more romantic than a special dinner with your love.
But, why bother making reservations, dressing up, and going out when you can stay home and create a delicious dinner for two (with leftovers) for around $20? Sometimes staying in is the best idea. Kim Bayless, 618’s resident foodie, shares her take on an elegant, tasty dinner that can be prepped and served in under an hour. She also includes a decadent dessert that can be made ahead, it’s ready when you are!
While it looks impressive, the meal is easy to prepare. Gentlemen, want to really wow your significant other? Make this delicious meal! There’s no need to be intimidated. A quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a few fresh ingredients, and you’re ready to cook.
Bayless shares her homemade Fettuccine Alfredo, make ahead ready-to-serve salad, store bought French bread, and for dessert, Cocoa Cappuccino mousse. You can always serve the pasta with
another side, perhaps a green vegetable.
“There is no shame in purchasing items, such as bagged salad mix, to cut down on prep time,” said Bayless. “I love to cook and anytime I can find a time-saver, I’m on it!”
Always thoroughly wash bagged salads, regardless of the ingredients. Leafy greens, such as those in prepared salad mixes, are big offenders when it comes to food poisoning. Spinach harbors norovirus, a common stomach bug marked by vomiting and diarrhea… talk about a romance killer!
Bayless adds a few simple ingredients to dress up bagged salad mix, and tops the salad with a simple, homemade dressing. “I guarantee you will enjoy this meal as well as any meal you could order dining out,” said Bayless.
You’ll want to prep the salad first and place it in the refrigerator to chill. For Kim’s salad, you’ll need a 16 ounce package of ready to serve salad mix. Pick your favorite, and always check the use by date for freshness. You will need: one 11 ounce can of mandarin oranges, drained; one cup of shredded mozzarella cheese; eight bacon strips, cooked and crumbled; ½ cup chopped red onion; and ¼ cup sliced almonds.
For the dressing, you need: two tablespoons of vinegar, ½ cup oil of your choice; two tablespoons sugar; and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Directions: In a large bowl, combine salad mix, mandarin oranges, bacon, onion, and almonds. Reserve the cheese until you are ready to serve the salad. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. In a jar, combine dressing ingredients, shake well before serving. When you are ready to serve the salad, shake the dressing well, pour over salad and toss to coat. Then top the salad with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Now, we can begin preparing the Fettuccine Alfredo. You will need 12 ounces of uncooked fettuccine. Fill a large pan with water. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine for 11-13 minutes. If you enjoy your pasta al dente (firm to the bite), remove from heat at 11 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.
For the Alfredo sauce, you will need: ½ stick butter (four tablespoons); ½ cup grated parmesan; ½ cup whipping cream; two eggs; two tablespoons of fresh parsley. In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and blend in the parmesan cheese. Stir in the whipping cream; heat almost to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. It’s important to stir constantly so the sauce will not burn. Reduce heat. In a small bowl, beat eggs slightly and add slowly to mixture in the pan; stir constantly for five minutes. Stir in parsley. Toss with hot pasta. Serve immediately. If you like, you may add grilled chicken or shrimp.
Kim added shrimp for this Valentine’s meal. She placed fully cooked, frozen shrimp on a greased cookie sheet. Slices of lemon and Italian herbs were added to the cookie sheet. The shrimp were cooked in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Keep a close watch on the shrimp as they warm up quickly. When you place the shrimp in the oven, you should also warm the French bread. If desired, butter each slice and sprinkle with garlic salt. Either way, wrap the French bread in aluminum foil and place in the oven until the bread is warm and/or the butter has melted.
The pièce de résistance for this meal is the dessert! It’s fabulous. Kim prepares one of her favorites, the Cocoa Cappuccino Mousse. It can (and should) be prepared ahead of time and left in the refrigerator until after the meal.
For the dessert, you will need: one 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk; 1/3 cup cocoa powder; three tablespoons butter; two teaspoons instant coffee granules; two teaspoons hot water; two cups heavy cream, chilled.
Combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, butter and coffee (coffee granules dissolved in hot water) in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool.
Beat whipping cream in large bowl until stiff. Gradually fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream. Spoon into dessert dishes. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Garnish as desired. A nice garnish for this dessert might be a few espresso beans, or a nice, plump raspberry.
Chocolate is complemented by a variety of flavors.
Isn’t that easy? It’s delicious and looks wonderful once it’s plated. After dessert, there’s only one thing left to do, stream video and chill! Enjoy!
KIM BAYLESS, a native of Carmi, graduated from Carmi Community High School in 1978. She has a son and daughter-in-law Seth and Ally Owen, and is looking forward to the birth of her first grandchild in May. Kim works as a paraprofessional at Carmi-White County High School. She has a passion for food, cooking, gardening, canning, reading, and spending time with her family. Kim and Kirk live in rural Carmi.
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