Valentines day dinner help.

[MellyO]

Hi ladies, I need some ideas for my valentines day diner. I am making a 3 course meal. I'm starting with broccoli and cheese soup, for the entree I'm making spinach and Gouda stuffed pork hops. For the side I have fingerling potatoes, but I have no idea how to make them. I also don't know what kind of dessert to make. I would love to make a black forest cake, or something of the sort. Ideas? Thank you! :)

[Dabberdoo]

That sounds awesome.  I have no idea on the fingerling potatoes.  I've never heard of that before. 

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds kosher or rock salt
• 2 quarts water
• 2 pounds small fingerling potatoes, cleaned
• 4 tablespoons butter, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper, optional
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives, optional

Directions

In a large pot, combine the salt, water, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pot to a cooling rack and let stand for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve as is or with butter, pepper, or chives.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/perfect-fingerling-potatoes-recipe/index.html

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small fingerling potatoes
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 500 degrees F.

Spread potatoes out on a cookie sheet. Scatter garlic over potatoes. Coat lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/roasted-fingerling-potatoes-recipe/index.html

[Dabberdoo]

• 6  lb.  fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
• 1/3  cup  olive oil
• 2  tsp.  sea salt or salt
• 1  tsp.  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  recipe  Aioli Sauce

add ingredients to list

directions

1.

Scrub the potatoes. Cut any large potatoes in half or thirds lengthwise. In a very large bowl combine the potatoes, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat the potatoes.

2.

If roasting potatoes with turkey, add potatoes in single layer to roasting pan with turkey for the last 1 hour and 10 minutes of roasting. Place any extra potatoes in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Place baking pan on another oven rack and roast potatoes for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until potatoes are tender and browned. Serve potatoes with Aioli Sauce (see below). Makes 12 (1-cup) servings plus leftovers.

3.

Aioli Sauce: In a medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until mixture is well combined. Serve with Fingerling Potatoes (see above.)

test kitchen tip

If not roasting potatoes with turkey breasts, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide potatoes between two 15x10x1-inch baking pans. Roast as directed above.

Make-ahead Tip: Aioli Sauce may be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Cover and chill in refrigerator until serving time.

http://www.recipe.com/fingerling-potatoes/

[Kathleen69699]

Quoting Dabberdoo:

That sounds awesome.  I have no idea on the fingerling potatoes.  I've never heard of that before. 

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
4. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
5. Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Forest-Cake-I/

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups kirsch
• 2 (15-ounce) cans dark sweet pitted cherries in heavy syrup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Frosting and Garnish:

• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, shaved

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and 2 teaspoons of the butter together over medium-low heat. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip, beat the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the warm milk mixture. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a small mixing bowl. Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend thoroughly until smooth. Repeat with the other half. Add the vanilla and mix gently. Grease 2 8" round pans with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Pour the cake batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until the cake springs back when touched, about 15 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes, then gently flip it out onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Let cool completely.

For the filling: Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Stir in 1 cup of the kirsch and stir to mix. In another saucepan over medium heat, bring the cherries to a boil in their syrup. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup kirsch and add to thecherry mixture. Whisk until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, carefully cut each cake horizontally in half to make 4 layers. Brush the tops of all the layers with equal amounts of the sugar syrup. (You will not need all of the syrup.) Let the liquid soak into the layers for about 30 minutes. Place the bottom layer on a large cakeplate. Spread 1 cup of the filling evenly over this layer, then top with a second layer of cake. Spread 1 cup of the filling evenly over it. Repeat the same process with the third layer and another cup of the filling. Top with the fourth layer.

To Finish: Sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a medium size bowl. Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer until incorporated. Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and the boiling water and mix until smooth. Let cool. Combine the cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and the sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, whip until soft peaks form. Ice the sides and top of the cake evenly with the chocolate frosting. Spoon the whipped cream over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the chocolate shavings. Slice and serve the cake.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/classic-black-forest-cake-recipe/index.html

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients:

• 1 dark chocolate cake mix (or your own from scratch)
• 1/4 c. kirsch (cherry brandy)
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 16 oz. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
• Maraschino cherries, drained, optional, for garnish
• milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish

Preparation:

Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.

Make cake, following package directions. Bake cake, as directed, in two 9-inch layer cake pans.

When cool, sprinkle kirsch over both cake layers.

Chill electric beaters and large mixing bowl; beat cream until it thickens slightly, gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until thick enough to hold its shape.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assemble cake; place one layer on serving plate and spread its top with 1/2-inch thick layer of whipped cream and strew the cherries over the cream leaving about 1/2 inch margin around border of cake with no cherries.

Set other layer on top of cherries and spread top and sides of cake with remaining cream, shape whipped cream into decorative swirls on top.

With fingers, gently press chocolate curls into cream on sides of cake.

Garnish top with drained maraschino cherries, if desired, or with a few remaining chocolate curls.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/chocolatecakes/r/blbb541.htm

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1-3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup 2% milk
• CREAM FILLING:
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 tablespoons half-and-half cream
• CHERRY FILLING:
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) pitted tart cherries
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 6 drops red food coloring
• CHOCOLATE FILLING:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• FROSTING:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate curls, maraschino cherries and fresh mint

Directions

• In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat the oil, egg yolks, 1 cup sugar and melted chocolate. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with milk.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
• Pour into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
• In a large bowl, beat cream filling ingredients until smooth; cover and refrigerate. For cherry filling, drain cherries, reserving juice. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar and cherry juice until smooth. Add cherries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in extract and food coloring. Cool completely.
• In a small bowl, beat chocolate filling ingredients until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.
• To assemble, cut each cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with 1/2 cup cream filling. Place 1 cup cream filling in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a 1/2-in. triangle in one corner of bag. Make a rim of filling 3/4 in. high around outer edge of cake.
• Make a second rim 2 in. from edge. Spoon cherry filling between rings. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Spread chocolate filling over second cake layer; place over cherry filling.
• Spread remaining cream filling over third layer; place over chocolate filling. Top with fourth layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls, cherries and mint. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Black-Forest-Cake

[Dabberdoo]

Ingredients

• 1 package (9 ounces) chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat the cake mix, water and egg on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Pour into a greased 9-in. springform pan; place pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 350° for 23-25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; fold in whipped topping. Spread pie filling over cake; top with cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove sides of pan. Yield: 6-8 servings

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Black-Forest-Cake-2