A Family Valentine's Day Dinner at Home in Hopkinton

With a little creativity, a delicious menu and fresh table linens, you can make a family Valentine's Day dinner special, even on a schoolnight.

Freshen up your table with a vibrant red or patterned table cloth.

Hint: Home Goods stocks a wide variety of Valentines linens (on sale right now.)

Delight your family with a fresh spray of flowers for a centerpiece and some red candles. You'll all feel like you are sitting at a fancy restaurant!

On colored construction paper, ask each family member to write a sentence or two about each other and why they are special. (Hide notes under dinner plates.)

There are hundreds of menu options for Valentine's dinner. Here is one that will satisfy the  carnivores, vegetarians  and chocolate lovers in your family.

Menu

Grilled, marinated steak tips, grilled giant Portabello mushrooms stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, crusty rolls, and flourless chocolate cake.

Wine pairing: Tercos, Malbec 2007 (Argentina)

Hint: You may wish to make a separate vegetable for the kids. Not all kids (including mine) have acquired the taste for Gorgonzola cheese.

 Prepare steak tips with your favorite marinade. Buy rolls and make or buy the flourless chocolate cake.  Visit www.dashrecipes.com for an excellent flourless chocolate cake recipe.

Here is the recipe for the stuffed mushrooms with sun-dried tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese:

Giant-Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

4-6 oversized Portabello mushrooms.

1 8-oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes (in oil or dried).

1 10-oz. package crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

olive oil

To prepare mushrooms, remove from packages, remove stems from the bottom, rinse with cold water and pat dry.

Lay mushroom cap flat on surface and carefully slice 1/4 inch off of the top, (so it looks like a hamburger bun). Flip bottom mushroom cap-layer over and layer sun-dried tomatoes.

Place crumbled cheese on top of the sun-dried tomatoes and place the other half of the mushroom cap on top. 

In a frying pan, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom, place mushrooms in pan and grill on medium heat for 10 minutes, (or until done). Gently flip mushrooms over and heat the other side until done.

Enjoy!