Valentine's Day...the Way We Wish THEY would Do It!

Romance is a foreign word to some of our men, so this holiday is not often exactly what we women hope for.  Back in 2007, I decided to make some of our Valentine's Day wishes come true.  Unfortunately, I don't really have any photographs from this dinner (didn't know about blogging back then), but I wanted to share the yummy recipe of the main dish I served in case any of you want to craft a homemade dinner for your special someone.

Easy Mixed Grill

(taken from Better Homes and Gardens)

2  3-to-4 ounce beef tenderloin steaks (cut 3/4 inch thick)

1  sweet Italian sausage link, cut in 1 1/2 to 2-inch slices

4  jumbo shrimp, 16 to 20 per pound, peeled and deveined

4  6-inch wooden skewers

1/4  cup fresh lime juice or lemon juice

2  cloves garlic, minced

2  tablespoons olive oil

2  tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1  recipe Herbed Ketchup (see next recipe)

Place meats and shrimp in resealable bag set in shallow dish.  Soak skewers in water.  In bowl, stir together lime juice, garlic, olive oil, cilantro, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper; pour in bag; seal.  Marinate in refrigerator up to 2 hours, turning occasionally.  Drain; discard marinade.  Thread 2 shrimp on each of the 2 skewers.  Thread sausage on remaining skewers.  For charcoal grill, place sausages on rack of uncovered grill directly over medium coals.  Grill 15 minutes or until juices run clear and no pink remains, turning frequently.  Grill steaks 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning once.  Grill shrimp skewers 2 to 3 minutes per side or until shrimp are opaque.  Place steaks on platter.  Add cilantro sprigs.  Remove shrimp from skewers; place atop each steak, forming a heart shape.  Add sausage kabob.  Serve with Herbed Ketchup.  Serves 2.

Herbed Ketchup

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

2 cloves garlic, quartered

1/4  teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in small food processor bowl. Cover; process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape sides.  Cover and chill.  Use within 2 days.  Makes 8 (1 tbl.) servings.

Decor:  The decor was simple for this dinner.  A red tablecloth with white cloth napkins and my fine china.  I had a vase of single red roses as the centerpiece and gave each guest one as they departed along with a chocolate rose. (Flowers and chocolate = happiness!)

To top off the night, I decided to present each girl with a gift most women hope for on Valentine's Day...jewelry.  I bought a light blue box for each girl, wrote "Tiffany's" on top, and tied it with a white ribbon.  Inside, I put a ring pop!! The girls got a kick out of this.  The surprising thing was 2 weeks later, my boyfriend (now hubby), actually proposed on Valentine's Day!