How Was Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day was two weeks ago. Wow, has it been that long already? Are you still in love? We anticipated the day to honor those we love. We looked forward to spending time together. Were you attentive, and concentrating on the other and not yourself?

As you’ve probably figured out, Valentine’s Day isn’t meant to be the only day that we express our love, but rather a day that serves as a model for all the other days of the year. When you shared that a meal together that day, it was nice wasn’t it? And, you know, you probably went all out, more than you would on a “normal” day. Now, every day doesn’t have to be as “all out” as Valentine’s Day, but its spirit should certainly be infused into every other day. Remember that meal you had? How about trying that kind of special time once or twice a month?

However often you decide, a really nice way to have a meal is to not only sit down together but to also prepare it together. Instead of one sitting by while the other prepares it, why not enjoy the time preparing the meal together and then sharing the delicious results of your joint effort?

There’s certainly plenty of help available, Saveur and Taste of Home are just two websites filled with great ideas. Below, I’ve highlighted two recipes I found quite enticing.

Enjoy! And Happy Every Day!!

Grilled Skirt Steak With Herb Salad

This steak is seasoned simply with salt and pepper and served with a light herb salad with a whole grain mustard and honey dressing.

Ingredients:

1 lb. skirt steak

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. whole grain mustard

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 cup fresh dill sprigs

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup watercress

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Toss steak with 2 tbsp. oil, salt, and pepper and grill, flipping once, until charred on the outside and cooked until desired doneness, about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, whisk remaining oil, mustard, and honey; toss with herbs and fennel and serve with steak.

Strawberry Pillows

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup strawberry preserves

Directions:

1. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Divide dough into four portions. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. On a floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Place half of the circles onto ungreased baking sheets. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves in the center of each circle; top with remaining circles and press edges lightly with a fork to seal. Cut slits in the top of each cookie. Bake until edges are light brown, 7-9 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.