Posted February 12, 2015

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, do you have a home cooked meal planned? We are here to help! We have planned out a romantic four-course meal for you!

Baby Arugula Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 cups tightly packed baby Arugula
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup Vigo Feta Cheese, crumbled
  • 1 pint Grape tomatoes
  • 1 cup cucumber slices
  • 1 cup candied walnuts
  • 5 ounces Alessi Pear Infused White Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 ounces grape seed oil
  • Alessi Sea Salt, to taste
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

Mix Vinegar, corn syrup, honey, salt and pepper in a mixer. Add oil slowly until incorporated, then refrigerate.

In a large bowl, place the Arugula and 1/2 cup of vinaigrette. Add the rest of ingredients and toss well.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, drained and trimmed
  • 3 teaspoons Vigo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
  • Alessi Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons Alessi Pine Nuts
  • 2 tablespoons Vigo Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss asparagus with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in single layer on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Add the remaining olive oil, breadcrumbs and lemon juice and mix. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over roasted asparagus and serve.

Pork Tenderloin with White Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients

  • 1 4oz package Alessi Porcini Mushroom Soup
  • 2 pounds pork tenderloin
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground Alessi Peppercorns
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup Alessi White Balsamic Vinegar, divided
  • 1 8oz package Alessi Funghi Porcini Risotto

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.  

Bring 3½ cups of water to a boil. Add porcini mushroom soup and whisk while boiling for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, sprinkle pork with flour then roll in peppercorns to coat evenly.  In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sear pork loin until browned on all sides, then transfer to a baking dish. Add balsamic vinegar to saute pan to deglaze and pour liquid over pork.

Spoon cooked soup over pork. Bake until internal temperature at the thickest part has reached 145. Meanwhile, cook risotto according to package directions.

Let cooked pork rest 5-10 minutes before slicing into 1” thick slices. Serve pork with risotto and spoon porcini mushroom gravy over pork and risotto. 

 

Olive Oil Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup Vigo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2/3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Alessi Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease loaf pan.

Using a mixer, combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time then add olive oil and milk. Mix until a thin batter is formed, being careful not to overblend.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk. In batches, slowly add to liquid ingredients and mix until combined. Pour batter into loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour until cake has risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before using a knife to loosen edges and remove from pan. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and butter. Drizzle over cake and let harden.

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