Weekly Romance and Recipe Round-up

Happy Easter! 

As usual I am bringing you all my posts from this week in one convenient place. 

Enjoy this week's round-up!

Weekly Romance and Recipe Round-up:

Herb-Crusted Salmon

Romantic Tip: Plan a romantic trip and you'll find that half the fun is in the planning.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

Romantic Tip: Pamper your love by warming bath towels in the dryer for a few minutes.

Italian Sausage Lasagne Cups

Romantic Tip: Make a "Why I Love You" list of your love's best qualities and jot down in a simple, handmade birthday, anniversary or just an ordinary why I love you card.

Gorgonzola Garlic Bread

Romantic Tip: At the mall, each take $20 and plan a time and place to meet later. Then split to find secret romantic or seductive items for a special evening like Candles, Oil, Chocolate.

French Bread

Romantic Tip: Take a trip to a winery. Don't forget to take the tour and buy a bottle for reminiscing at a later date.

Banana Bread

Romantic Tip: Put a note on the remote. "Leave the TV off, Come, turn me on," It will be the start of a special evening.

Herb-Crusted Salmon

When is the last time you took a vacation? Look, we all need rest. I know so many people that dream their whole lives about taking a romantic vacation, but they never do it. It is time to get out a vacation jar and putting something in it every week. I don't care if it is jut $5. Nothing keeps your love alive more than time away from it all. 

Romantic Tip: Plan a romantic trip and you'll find that half the fun is in the planning.

Now on to today's recipe... My husband and I are trying to eat more fish. On a walk, I recently discovered a fresh fish market full of locally caught fish. I was so happy! They even have lobsters swimming around live. I know these kind of markets are all over the place, but this one is in walking distance of my place, so I couldn't be more pleased! I get exercise and my fresh fish in one trip. This is a heart healthy recipe that tastes like it must be bad for you, but it isn't. I served it with a quinoa side, but it would also be great with a brown rice. 

Herb-Crusted Salmon
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 skinless salmon fillets, (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine parmesan cheese, parsley, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir until coarse crumbs form. 

Stir Dijon and lemon juice together.

Place salmon on prepared sheet; season with salt and pepper. 

Spread top of fillets with Dijon; 

top with cheese herb crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. 

Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 11 to 13 minutes.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

Sometimes it is the little things in life that make all the difference. Who doesn't like the little things? There is a reason why the song "These are a few of my favorite things" has always been so popular. I try to think of little things that I like, and in turn I do them for my sweetie pie. One small task you can do is grab their towel while they are in the shower and put it in the dryer for a minute or two. Handing them a nice fluffy warm towel will make them smile. 

Romantic Tip: Pamper your love by warming bath towels in the dryer for a few minutes.

I like to send my Man off to work with a full belly. My husband loves Steel Cut Oats for breakfast. The problem is, they usually take ages to cook. Not anymore! A few minutes in the evening turns into a healthy stick to your ribs breakfast for my man.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal for two

2 cups boiling almond milk
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Optional Add ins:
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup applesauce
Stevia
Brown Sugar

You will need 2 mason jars.

Add 1 cup boiling almond milk, 1/4 cup steel cut oats, and salt.

Cover with lids and shake. Let stand overnight. If you can, give them a shake or two when you think about it. 

The next morning, shake, remove lids and add optional add ins. Stevia, applesauce, Fruit. Heat in microwave for 5 minutes, OR reheat over the stove for 5 minutes.

Top with optional brown sugar, Stevia, Fruit... whatever you like!

Italian Sausage Lasagne Cups

 

I find myself thinking a lot of all the reasons I love my husband. I realized the other day that I don't really share with him that often the reasons I love him so much. So I decided it was time I wrote down all the reasons and gave them to him. 

Romantic Tip: Make a "Why I Love You" list of your love's best qualities and jot down in a simple, handmade birthday, anniversary or just an ordinary why I love you card.

Now on to today's recipe... My husband LOVES these lasagne cups. He said; "By the way you can make these anytime you want". So another A+ from the hubby! These are simple to make and they reheat really nicely too!

Lasagne Cups Recipe

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage cooked and drained

1 cup Marinara 

4 oz of Philadelphia Cream Cheese 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp chopped chives

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup mozzarella cheese

6 Lasagne noodles

Basil for garnish

For the cheese filling- stir cream cheese, minced garlic, chopped chives, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Set aside. 
For the pasta- Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta sheets 2 minutes less than package directions and drain. Place pasta on greased baking sheet until you are ready for assembly.
Cook your meat and drain it. 
For assembly- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
 Cut your noodles in half. Make a cross over each cup in a muffin tin. Push the cross down to make a "cup".

I find it easiest to use every other hole in the muffin tins. 
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of meat into the bottom of each cup. 

Add 2 TBSP Marinara sauce

Next add 1 TBSP Cream cheese mixture.

Top with 2 TBSP mozzarella and 1 TBSP Parmesan.

Finally top with chopped Fresh Basil.

Repeat this process until you have used all your noodles
 Bake for 25-30 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. 

Serve hot. 

Gorgonzola Garlic Bread

Sometimes life comes at you fast and before you know it, it has been too long since you have had a romantic seductive evening with your love. Blame time, money, stress,
Romantic Tip: At the mall, each take $20 and plan a time and place to meet later. Then split to find secret romantic or seductive items for a special evening. Like Candles, Oil, Chocolate.
Now on to today's recipe:
Back when I was always in a time crunch, I would buy the store's pre-made garlic bread. The thing is, it was always too salty and left me wishing for better. As time went on, I realized it hardly takes any time at all t make tasty garlic cheese bread at home that is full of perfect flavor. 

This one is our favorite.

Gorgonzola Garlic Bread

adapted from Thibeault's Table

1 loaf french bread

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese

2 to 4 cloves garlic

parsley

salt

pepper

fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Optional: Basil or Oregano

Cream the butter with the Gorgonzola cheese.Mince garlic and add to cheese mixture. Add chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. If using the basil or the oregano add now as well. 

Leave loaf whole, but cut slices so that the loaf stays together. 

Spread cheese mixture in between each slice and reshape loaf. 

Wrap in foil. Place in 400°F oven for 10 or 15 minutes and serve hot.

French Bread

 

I get a lot of emails asking about date ideas. One of my biggest suggestions is taking a trip to wine country. If you don't have a wine country in driving distance, then go to a local wine shop. They do tastings too! The wine loosens you up for a romantic day together. 

Romantic Tip: Take a trip to a winery. Don't forget to take the tour and buy a bottle for reminiscing at a later date. Now on to today's recipe...

The other day I needed to make some cheese garlic bread for my husband's dinner and I didn't wan't to walk to the store for bread. No worries, I  just make the loaves myself. I kept one and gave the other to one of my neighbors. This recipe makes 2 loaves of french bread.

French Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water, divided
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups white all-purpose flour or bread flour
cooking spray
corn meal for sprinkling on baking sheet

Dissolve yeast in 1 1/4 cups warm water with a tablespoon of sugar. Allow to activate for 5-10 minutes or until foamy.

While the yeast is activating, in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer add the salt, and 3 cups of flour. Add the activated yeast/water/sugar mixture. With the paddle attachment in place, turn mixer to low to blend all of the ingredients.

Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and mix the ingredients for about 15 minutes. Turn mixer off and allow sponge ingredients to rest for another 10 minutes.

The sponge will begin to rise. Turn mixer back on for a few seconds, just long enough to deflate the sponge. Turn mixer off again and allow the sponge to rise for another 15 minutes.

Change the mixing attachment to the dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of white flour to the sponge and mix on a low speed to allow the flour to be incorporated.

Add another 1/2 cup white flour if needed. Dough should get to where it doesn't stick to the bowl.

Allow the mixer to knead the dough until smooth and elastic. If your mixer cannot handle the dough, then turn the dough out onto a floured counter top and knead until smooth and elastic. Be careful not to incorporate too much flour. You do not want the dough to be stiff.

Gather dough into a ball. Place in an oiled or greased bowl; turn over once so that lightly oiled surface of dough is facing up. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until almost double in bulk. 

While dough is resting, prep the baking sheet. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray or use a very light coating of oil. Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal. Set aside.

Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times to release the large gas bubbles formed by the yeast.

Working with your hands (or a rolling pin if you need it) break the dough into two pieces. Push the dough balls into 2 rectangles about 10 inches long and 8 inches wide. This does not have to be exact. 

Starting at one end, roll the dough up into a loaf. Pinch the seam closed. To help form nice ends on the rolled up dough, fold a few inches of each end towards the seam and pinch closed.

Turn the loaf over with the seam side down. With both hands, gently give the loaf a more elongated and uniform shape as needed by squeezing and pulling gently. The loaf should be about 10-inches long. Repeat with remaining ball of dough.

Place the shaped loaf onto the the prepared baking pan. Leave space on all sides of the loaves for rising. Cover with damp towel and allow to rise for about 45 minutes or until nearly double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F. 

With a sharp knife, preferably a bread knife, make 4 or 5 slashes 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep diagonally across each loaf. Use a light hand with the cutting so that the loaves will not collapse. 

Place baking pan in the oven. Then add a second small baking dish filled with hot water.  This will make steam which will help to crisp the crust. Close the oven door and bake the bread for 35 minutes or until the bread has a medium golden brown color and sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from oven and place the loaf on a cooling rack to cool.

Banana Bread

So many people we know watch way too much TV. We watch it too, make no mistake, but we limit our time to no more than 2 hours an evening. I still think that can be excessive, and most the time it only ends up being on an hour, after we are finished with our time together and are getting tired. When the TV is on, there is not much else that goes on. Maybe working on the computer, or playing computer games, but not much happens between us. So we started to limit our TV time. Instead we play games together, go on walks, read, and spend more time making romance. You should give it a try. 

Romantic Tip: Put a note on the remote. "Leave the TV off, Come, turn me on," It will be the start of a special evening.

Now on to today's food...

I love bananas. I always end up with 1 or 2 over ripe ones. Once they get too ripe I don't like them. Except they are perfect for banana bread! This is my favorite go-to recipe without nuts. If you are a nut lover, don't be afraid to stir them in. We like it nut-less =).

Banana Bread
Adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Prepare your loaf pan by spraying with non-stick spray.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. 

Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. 

Add the dry ingredients and whisk just until blended.

Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. 

Bake the bread on the middle rack until the top is brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 55 minutes. 

Transfer the bread to a rack and cool slightly. The bread may be eaten warm or cold.