Valentine’s Day is usually associated with candle lights, flowers and a lavish dinner date. So, why not try something new this time around. While your spouse expects you to have made reservations for a dinner date or cocktails at a roof top lounge, why not surprise them with breakfast in bed. This romantic breakfast will need some planning and preparation. Therefore, stock up all the required ingredients and accessories beforehand itself. Try to prepare as many things you can the night before, have the crockery and glasses out and put the champagne to chill. Notch up the romance quotient of this meal by presenting it on a chic platter with fresh flowers and or the TV remote with a recording of the game he missed this week.
You could go with French toast, topped with whipped cream and fresh berries of the season, or opt for eggs in any of their trusted variants – the sunny side up, scrambled, omelettes or the more elaborate, En cocotte or the middle eastern Shashouska. Throw in some smoked salmon or cheese of your choice and you will be well on your way to earning some major brownie points.
If your partner has a sweet tooth, then a breakfast of muffins, scones and madeleines with the perfect cuppa joe, plus an array of jams and some clotted cream to go with it, would be perfect. If you are a planner of sorts, then a breakfast parfait can be easily assembled the previous night. Alternatively, you can also whip up some pancakes or waffles if you wish.
Some freshly squeezed orange juice accompanied with a bubbly will just be the cherry on the icing.
Here is a simple recipe for an easy Valentine breakfast.
Pain Perdue: Stuffed French toast
Ingredients:
Filling
1 package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup toasted, chopped Hazel nuts
1 tbsp orange zest
1 large loaf of unsliced Bread
Batter
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of milk
2 tbsp of butter for frying
Method:
1. Blend the cream cheese, nuts, sugar and orange zest in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Cut the bread loaf into 1-inch slices. Then make a slit in the middle up the side to form a pocket. Place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture into each bread pocket and lightly press to close around the filling and keep aside.
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl with a fork and add vanilla extract and milk. Mix again to combine everything together. Dip each filled bread pocket on both sides into the egg milk and vanilla mix briefly.
4. Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Place the bread in the pan, and fry on both sides until golden brown; about two minutes on either side or until golden brown.
For the berry sauce:
A handful of frozen berries
A handful of fresh berries roughly chopped
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of water
Method:
1. Mix together the frozen berries, sugar and water in a saucepan and gently heat.
2. When little bubbles begin to form on the edges of the pot, add the roughly chopped fresh berries and continue to cook till the mixture boils. Decant and keep aside till cool.
3. Serve hot with mixed berry sauce.
Image courtesy: Shutterstock
More On >> World Cuisine
