Avocado Salsa-Valentine's Day,

 

   1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
    2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
    1 red bell pepper, chopped
    1 small onion, chopped
    5 cloves garlic, minced
    1/3 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    3 tablespoons cider vinegar
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    4 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced

• PREP 30 mins
• READY IN 8 hrs 30 mins
•  
• In a large bowl, mix corn, olives, red bell pepper and onion.
• In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the corn mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
• Stir avocados into the mixture before serving.

Valentine's Day- Shrimpcargot

     1/4 cup butter
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    6 peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb)
    6 mushrooms, stems removed

    2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

• PREP 15 mins
• COOK 15 mins
• READY IN 30 mins
•  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat the butter and garlic in a skillet over medium heat until the butter begins to bubble. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they just turn pink, about 3 minutes. Place one shrimp into each mushroom cap, and place into a small baking dish. Spoon the garlic butter into the mushroom caps, and sprinkle each with a pinch of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.

Winter Fruit Salad-Valentine's Day

 

3/4 c. sugar
3 star anise
1/2 fresh vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
8 dried  apricots, halved
4 dried figs, quartered
4 2-inch long pieces lemon zest (peeled with a vegetable peeler)
Juice from the same lemon
3 Bosc pears
1 Granny Smith apple
Seeds from half a pomegranate

Fill a medium saucepan with 4 c. water. Add the sugar, star anise, vanilla bean and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and cook until all the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool for 5 minutes and then stir in the figs and apricots. Let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, core the pears and apple (and peel if you like). Slice thinly lengthwise, place in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.

Once the syrup with dried fruit has cooled, pour it over the apples and pears. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it overnight in the refrigerator.

The next morning, using a slotted spoon, ladle the fruit into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve. Remove the vanilla beans (you can rinse and save what is left of them for another use) and lemon peels if you wish, or leave them in for decoration.

Note: Syrup can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a day or two. Hot syrup can be poured over the dried fruit and kept in the fridge for a day or so. Prepared salad keeps in the fridge for a day or two, but is best fresh.