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Over 40 best romantic Valentine's Day dinner ideas including fresh seafood recipes, tender chicken dinner, comforting creamy pasta, and so much more! | aheadofthyme.com

40 Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas


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  • Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 plates

Description

Over 40 best romantic Valentine's Day dinner ideas including fresh seafood recipes, tender chicken dinner, comforting creamy pasta, and so much more! One of my favorite Valentine's Day recipes are Surf and Turf Steak and Lobster Tails.


Ingredients

  • 2 lobster tails (4 oz. each)
  • 1/2 cup melted butterdivided
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsleyfinely chopped
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlicdivided
  • 2 rib eye steaks (1/2 lb. each), 1-inch thick, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Bake the Lobster Tails

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F or set to broil on high.
  2. Using scissors, cut a slit in the lobster shells along the center to the tail, leaving the tail base uncut.
  3. Open up the shell slightly and run your fingers throughout the inside the shell to detach the lobster meat from the shell. Grab the meat with your fingers and lift it up through the split shell, squeezing the shell back together and letting the meat rest on top of the shell.
  4. Make a shallow cut along the center so the lobster meat can easily soak up the wonderful butter garlic lemon juice.
  5. Rinse the lobster tails under cool water and gently pat dry with paper towels. Place the lobster tails on a baking sheet.
  6. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, lemon juice, parsley, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Stir well and brush a generous amount on the lobster meat.
  7. Bake the lobster in the oven at 425F for 10 minutes (or broil it on high for 4-5 minutes) until the lobster is firm and opaque and its internal temperature reaches 140F. Occasionally check for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer. You can also check by running a knife through the meat to check if the meat is firm and opaque. Checking the meat prevents overcooking, which results in a chewy and rubbery texture.
  8. Remove the lobster from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to retain the heat and keep it moist. Set aside for assembling.

Cook the Steak

  1. Transfer the steaks out of the fridge 20-30 minutes prior, to bring them to room temperature. This helps the steak cook more evenly.
  2. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel, and then season all over with salt flakes and black pepper.
  3. Brush olive oil over a grill pan or skillet and heat over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. The oil will shimmer and sizzle when it's hot and ready. Place the steaks on the grill and cook for 1 minute, then rotate it 90 degrees to create criss cross grill marks and cook for another 1 minute.
  4. Add the remaining butter and minced garlic in the grill and baste the steaks by repeatedly pouring the melted butter and garlic mixture over the steaks with a spoon. Tilting your grill slightly will assist with basting.
  5. Flip the steak and repeat the step above. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 F for medium doneness. For medium rare, the target temperature should be 135 F.
  6. Remove the steaks from the grill pan and cover with aluminum foil to keep them moist. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes. Resting after cooking helps the juices redistribute into the meat as the internal temperature continues to rise a bit while resting.

Serve

  1. Assemble the steak and lobster on a plate with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Pour the remaining garlic butter from the grill pan over the steak.

Notes

Plan your menu ahead of time. You can prepare some of these delicious recipes in advance, and store them in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator. Some can even be made further ahead and frozen, according to recipe directions.

Prep your ingredients. If you aren't able to make something ahead, then prepare as much as you can in advance — whether that means chopping ingredients for a salad, making a sauce, or assembling a casserole and storing in the refrigerator until it's ready for the oven.

Set the table. Set the table early with fancy plates, flatware, glasses, placemats, and napkins to make Valentine's Day dinner even more special.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Various
  • Cuisine: American