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A Sweet (and Sexy!) Valentine’s Dinner
Love is in the air…
No, The Love Boat hasn’t been rebooted. (Yes, I’m showing my age there, thank you very much.) Valentine’s Day is this Saturday, and so people are beginning to lose their minds about chocolates and flowers and cards. But what if you could forget all those things and cook a romantic dinner for two, chock full of aphrodisiac ingredients to rekindle the flames?
In a former life, I was a chef who taught cooking classes on my days off, and every year, I taught a couple’s class all about cooking with aphrodisiacs. Bear with me while I slip back into my teacher persona.
There are three reasons that a food can be considered an aphrodisiac.
- The food is full of nutrients. When the body goes into starvation mode, the reproductive system is the first thing the body neglects in favor of more important systems. Foods like oysters, chile peppers, watermelon, and honey contain vitamins and minerals that affect the reproductive system.
- The food is rare or considered expensive. Caviar or saffron, anyone? If a partner can afford expensive foods, they must be able to support children. Or so our lizard brains tell us.
- The food looks like… well. Avocados grow in pairs. (In fact, the Nahuatl word that is the base for “avocado” means “testicle”.) There’s a reason that bananas are used to demonstrate condom usage. Cut figs are said to resemble lady bits. You get the idea.
So here are some recipes for an intimate dinner for two. Enjoy!
Roasted Asparagus with Romesco Sauce
Asparagus are packed full of vitamins and minerals, and they look quite suggestive. And you can eat them with your fingers. You can buy romesco sauce at Central Market or Whole Foods, but it’s easy to make and so much better than the stuff that comes out of a jar.
Ingredients
For the asparagus
1 bunch thin asparagus, wood stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the romesco sauce
1 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained
½ cup jarred Calabrian chiles, drained
8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ sherry vinegar
Directions
For the asparagus
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil.
Roast the asparagus for about 15 minutes or until the spears are just barely tender. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper.
For the romesco sauce
In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and turn off the heat. Stir the cloves for a minute off heat.
Add the red peppers, Calabrian chiles, almonds, and the garlic cloves to a blender or food processor bowl. Process to until smooth. While the blender or food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil from the skillet and the sherry vinegar, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste for seasoning. This can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for about 5 days.
To serve
Place the asparagus on a serving dish and pour the romesco into a bowl. Place both between you and your date and enjoy with your fingers.
Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Molasses
Roasting a rack of lamb and slicing it into ribs to be eaten with your fingers is a lovely Valentine’s main course. Lamb is luxurious and nutrient-dense, while pomegranates are full of vitamins and minerals that affect both the male and female reproductive system.
Ingredients
1 rack of lamb, frenched and trimmed (the butcher should be able to do this for you)
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (available at Whole Foods or Central Market
Pomegranate arils for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°.
While the oven is preheating, grate the garlic cloves into a small bowl. Add the Dijon mustard, rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and use to coat the rack of lamb.
Heat an oven-safe skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Place the rack of lamb in the hot skillet, fat side down. Sear for about 4 or 5 minutes or until a crust forms. Flip the rack and sear for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Put the whole skillet or pan in the preheated oven and roast the lamb for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the rack (not touching any bones!) reads 125°. This will make for the perfect medium rare lamb.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the lamb to rest for at least 10 minutes. To serve, slice the rack into chops and place on a serving plate. Drizzle the meat with the pomegranate molasses, sprinkle with the pomegranate arils, and serve. Be sure to use your fingers to eat!
Roasted Figs with Mascarpone and Honey
This is quite easy and definitely delicious! Figs are said to resemble the lady bits, while the lemon, nuts, and honey are packed full of vitamins and minerals. Be sure to feed each other.
Ingredients
6 fresh figs (available right now at Central Market)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1 tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling
8 ounces mascarpone (available at Central Market or Whole Foods)
½ cup roasted almonds or pistachios (both are full of those lovely nutrients that boost the libido)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Place the figs, cut side up, in a baking dish, and drizzle with the lemon juice, melted butter, and honey. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the figs are tender.
While the figs are roasting, stir the lemon zest into the mascarpone.
To serve, spoon the mascarpone into a shallow bowl (I use a pasta bowl) and place the figs over it. Sprinkle the nuts over the figs and drizzle with a little more honey.
