Valentine's Dinner {For Him}

~ national love day, also known as Valentine's day is celebrated tomorrow. restaurants of all kinds put out special menus, are completely booked with reservations and champagne bubbles grace every table top. but sometimes all you want to do is spend a romantic evening with your loved one in the comfort of your own home. we've put together a super easy three-course meal for you to follow for a special night in with your significant other ~

~ even if you aren't the most chef-saavy person, the menu we've put together is fool-proof. even the table top styling we've done is simplistic but makes a statement ~

~for him, we've put together a rustic table top with a decadent three-course menu that he is sure to love : 

 ~ we wanted to evoke the feeling of being in a log cabin, sitting around the fire with your special someone. some candles, a bit of nature, tree trunk plate chargers {a DIY btw!} and some heart-shaped stones are all the decor you need. we loved the idea of putting the table together on a plaid tablecloth with a some copper mugs and gold cutlery. it was the perfect amount of romantic rustic-ness ~

~ for a delicious appetizer that you will both love, put together a simple, melted brie in an oven-safe brie baker topped with some caramelized onion jam and slivered almonds. some sliced baguette and a delicious  and refreshing moscow mule bevvy is the perfect way to start a decadent meal ~

*recipe for baked brie*

1 brie of your choice {make sure it is small enough to fit in your brie dish and the more creamy {triple cream for example} the longer it will stay melted}

1 large onion

a few tablespoons of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

slivered almonds {can be omitted}

~ slice the onion into thin slices {not too thin otherwise they will burn quickly}

~ heat a non-stick pan with olive oil before placing the onions in the pan {make sure your pan is big enough to fit all the onions otherwise you'll have to do two batches}

~ with the temperature on medium-low, cook the onions down until translucent

~ add salt and pepper and some sugar to speed up the caramelizing process

~ turn down the temperature to low to cook down the onions until they're perfectly sweet {slow and low will give your the sweetest, most perfect caramelized onions}

~ once cooked, let them cool down {they will get warm again once atop the melted brie}

~ for the brie, simply cut the top rind to allow an air pocket {and bubbly brie to seep out}

~ place it in your brie dish and bake for at least 20 minutes for perfectly melted brie

~ top with caramelized onions and slivered almonds and enjoy with baguette wedges

 

~ for dinner, treat yourselves to a delicious meal of steak and potatoes with some veggies. We kept it simple: seared steak topped with herbed roasted garlic butter, fluffy mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus ~

*recipe for herbed roasted garlic butter*

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 garlic head {or 5 cloves of garlic }

herb of your choice chopped finely {we loved parsley for ours}

salt & pepper

saran wrap

~ roast garlic by placing garlic cloves in aluminum foil, topping with olive oil and salt & pepper. wrap tightly and roast for at least 45 minutes. you'll be able to smell the garlic scent waft through the kitchen 

~ while waiting, chop parsley finely

~ once out and cool enough to touch, soft your butter with a fork for easy working

~ squeeze out the roasted garlic into the butter,  add parsley and salt and pepper and mix together

~ tear a piece of saran wrap and place your flavored butter in the center

~ wrap the saran around the butter and roll the package until it is cylindrical in shape 

~ twist the ends tightly and place in freezer {if making ahead of time} or fridge for it to get cold

~ slice off a delicious piece and place it atop your steak while still hot. it will create a delicious sauce and flavor

~for dessert: skillet brownie with some creamy vanilla bean ice cream and slivered almonds. we switched up our bevvy to some sweet white wine garnished with mint leaves that paired well with dessert ~

*all Photography by Matthew Burditt*