I promised you a Valentine’s Day meal idea for your sweetheart, and here it is – a shrimp and pasta dish built for two. Even if you don’t cook on MOST days, making a special meal on Valentine’s Day is a lovely treat. Cook together if you can – so fun.

Get those shrimp marinating ahead of time and thread them onto the skewers before you start everything else because the rest of this dish is really quick to assemble.

You’ll want a great bottle of champagne or a crisp white wine chilling to pour while you’re whipping  up the sauce and plating the dishes. I like a few asparagus spears tossed in there, too. (Hint: they can grill right along with the shrimp!)

And don’t forget to have some great dark chocolate on hand for dessert. No Valentine’s Day meal would be complete without it.

Shrimp Scampi Linguine
adapted form All Recipes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For the shrimp:
1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
ground black pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Wooden skewers

For the linguini and sauce:
6 oz. of whole grain linguine
1/2  stick unsalted butter
1 lemon (juiced)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
splash of white wine

Directions:

For the shrimp and pasta:
1. In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, fresh parsley, garlic, and black pepper together. Add the red pepper flakes if desired.
2. Add the shrimp and toss till coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, and heat the grill.
4. Cook linguini according to package directions. While it’s cooking….
5. Grill shrimp skewers until opaque, turning once (usually 2-3 minutes). Set aside.
6. Drain pasta and set aside.

For the sauce and assembly:
1. Saute butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, vegetable oil, and red pepper flakes with a splash of white wine till fragrant and bubbling.
2. Toss sauce with linguine and place the grilled shrimp on top. Sprinkle with additional chopped parsley.
3. Enjoy with your special someone.

True confession. Valentine’s Day is one of my most favorite days of the year. It’s not that I do anything particularly romantic (sorry, honey) – it’s just all that red and pink cuteness! I adore the decorations, the store displays, the homemade valentine ideas (God bless you, Pinterest), and especially the chocolate creations that are positively encouraged on the 14th.

So as we head into Valentine’s Day, here’s an adorable idea that will make your kids and your sweetheart equally happy. These are not exactly health food, but you won’t care. Enjoy, my loves.

PS – Next week – a romantic dinner menu idea just in case you’re in need of one for Valentine’s Day! I’ll post it on Thursday so you have time to shop….

Hidden Heart Cupcakes
adapted from Food Network

Yields: 6 jumbo cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Horizon strawberry milk, at room temperature (I KNOW, right?)
6 whole strawberries, hulled
For the frosting and topping:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, for garnish

Directions:

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Ideally, use a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan. Line the pan with cupcake liners. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Then, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer (medium-high speed) for about three minutes. Slowly add in the eggs and the vanilla while continuing to beat the mixture. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly alternating adding in the the flour mixture and milk.
4. Fill the muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
5. After the cupcakes cool, use a paring knife to cut a cone shaped piece of cake out of the top of each cupcake (abotu the size of the strawberry), stopping 1/2″ from bottom. Insert the strawberry, then cover with a small piece of the removed cake. See photo.

Frosting:

1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder together and then split it in half.
2. Add the butter and ¼ cup of the cream to one of the halves and beat on medium-high speed.
3. Add the remainder of the sugar-powder mixture and ¼ cup cream and beat again until fluffy.
4. Frost the  cupcakes and top with half of a strawberry.