It's coming and there is nothing we can do to stop it...

Well everyone, one of the most dreaded/most looked forward days of the year is coming up this weekend, depending on which team you are playing for this year. This day, is Valentine’s Day. So today I am going to post a simple menu for Valentine’s Day next Sunday. These recipes are very simple and easy to make. Tomorrow I’m going to post a more advanced menu for anyone who is feeling adventurous :) It’s not that the recipes tomorrow are that much harder than the ones today, they are just more time consuming. Today’s menu is great because it can be paired with red wine, white wine, and best of all, champagne!!! So, here we go!!

Appetizer
Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Ingredients
- ½ lb prosciutto
- 1 bunch asparagus
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- Grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Trim off the woody ends of the asparagus.
Tip: A quick way to do this is to hold the asparagus by both ends and bend until it snaps. Where the asparagus breaks is usually where the tough, woody end starts. Now just line up the rest of the asparagus with the one you snapped and cut them all at that length
3. Once the asparagus is trimmed, wrap then individually, or in a bundle, with prosciutto, line them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, and salt and pepper. Gently roll them in the pan to coat.
4. Roast the asparagus under the prosciutto begins to crisp, usually about 8 minutes. The prosciutto is already cured, so you don’t’ have to worry about it cooking through.
5. Place on a platter and lightly sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan, if desired, and serve!

Salad
Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad

Ingredients
- 1 bulb fennel, halved and cut into ½ in wedges
- 5 slices pancetta
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 5 oz mixed salad greens
- Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together fennel, pancetta, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the ingredients on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until the pancetta is crisp and the fennel is caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, place the salad greens, crumbled pancetta, and caramelized fennel. Toss the salad with the Red Wine Vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired. Yields about ½ cup.

Entrée
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Cook Time:25 min Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions
1. For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a small handful of salt and the linguine. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover.

FYI: You do not have to add olive oil to the pasta water. This does not help the pasta to not stick together. Whoever started that cooking rumor wasn’t thinking clearly, since water and oil do not mix, the oil just settles at the bottom and then washes down the sink when you strain the pasta.

2. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes max (the shrimp with continue to cook once removed from the pan, and you do not want to serve rubbery dry shrimp, believe me). Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm.
5. Add wine and lemon juice to the pan and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

Dessert
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
prep time 20 min

Ingredients
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Directions
1. Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)
2. Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.
3. Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.