Valentine's Day Dinner

Happy Valentine's Day! This weekend, Lon, his fiancee Carolyn, and I came home. Lon and Carolyn went to look at places for their wedding reception and I just came along for the ride. I made a yummy Valentine's Day Dinner for the family. I made Stuffed Chicken Valentino and Fettuccine Alfredo with Tomato Bruschetta. For dessert I made Strawberry Cream Cake and Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (homemade, of course). Everything was really good. These recipes are fun to make and delicious too.

Stuffed Chicken Valentino

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or garlic salt, basil, and oregano)

1 (6 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained (or just roast some red peppers and onions together)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil 

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice a chicken breast in half lengthwise, leaving the halves attached on one side: opened and laid flat, the chicken breast should resemble a butterfly. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound flat. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken breasts. At one end of each breast, place 3 strips of roasted pepper (and onions). Top with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll each breast up, starting on the side with the peppers and cheese. Insert a toothpick in each roll to prevent unrolling. Place in prepared baking dish. Season rolls with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Set oven to broil, and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, slice to display the colorful filling, and serve. 

Alfredo Sauce

1 stick butter

2 T. cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil

*Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add in the cream cheese and stir until soft. Whisk in the heavy cream. Stir until warm (on medium heat). Whisk in the cheeses until they are melted. Add the seasonings to your liking. Simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Serve over Fettuccine noodles, chicken, shrimp, etc. (Beware: once you try this Alfredo sauce recipe, you will never use another again).

Strawberry Cream Cake

1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (65º to 68ºF)

¾ cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted cake flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and position an oven rack in the center. Line the muffin pan with paper liners or coat the pan with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray.
2. Cream the butter with the sugar: Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium until very light—almost white—in color, 4 to 5 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape down the bowl with the spatula.
3. Add the eggs: Beat the eggs and vanilla in the small bowl to blend. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding the next. About halfway through, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then resume adding the eggs. Scrape down the bowl again.
4. Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately: With the fine-mesh strainer, sift the cake flour, baking soda, and salt into the medium bowl and whisk together. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half the sour cream; repeat, then finish with flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand, if necessary.
5. Bake the cakes: Portion the batter into 9-inch round cake pan. Leave 1/4 inch at top to allow for expansion. (Note: you will have extra batter, I just made a mini cake with mine). Bake for 15-20 minutes. Check every so often and make sure a toothpick comes out clean when it is placed in the center. After baking, cool cake for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and put a on serving plate.
6. Serving: Slice the cake in half (horizontally). Place whipped cream (homemade is the best) on the middle layer and on top. Place strawberries on top of whipped cream. For this, I sliced up strawberries and stirred in 2 T. sugar, and then let set for a few minutes.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream 

2 1/2 cups half and half

8 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

4 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

20 crushed Oreo cookies

1. Heat half and half until very hot (not boiling), stirring often.
2. Mix egg yolks and sugar until well blended and slightly thickened, very gradually blend in hot half and half.
3. Add mixture to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until steamy and bubbles form around edge, stirring constantly. Do not boil.
4. Once hot, pour into a large bowl and stir in whipping cream, vanilla, and salt.
5. Cover and chill thoroughly.
6. Add to ice cream maker per your manufacturer's instructions, stir in crushed Oreos during last stage of freezing. (Note: this is the best ice cream you will ever eat, I am not kidding...)