Valintines Dinner For Two

Win the affections of your sweetheart with this mostly make-ahead Valentine's dinner.

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Pear Salad

The vibrant beets lend a pink hue to the pears, which sets the mood for Valentine's Day. You can prepare the salad earlier in the day and scoop it onto lettuce leaves just before serving. Canned beets will work in a pinch.

Ingredients2 beets (about 3/4 pound)

1 cup diced Asian pear or ripe pear

1/4 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash of salt

Dash of ground red pepper

2 curly leaf lettuce leaves (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.
Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in a small baking dish. Bake at 425° for 50 minutes or until tender. Cool. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Dice beets. Combine beets, pear, celery, and pistachios in a medium bowl. Combine juice and next 5 ingredients (juice through red pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over beet mixture, tossing gently to coat.
Serve at room temperature or chilled on lettuce leaves, if desired.

Yield2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Pan-Seared Scallops on Linguine with Tomato-Cream Sauce

A touch of cream gives the slightly tangy sauce a silky-smooth finish. Be sure to serve this dish with bread so you can savor every drop of sauce.

Ingredients 1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomato

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups hot cooked linguine

Cooking spray

3/4 pound large sea scallops

1/8 teaspoon salt

Chopped cilantro

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids. Return wine mixture to skillet. Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in tomato, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add linguine; toss well. Cover and keep warm. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro, if desired

Yield2 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup pasta mixture and about 5 ounces scallops)

Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings

Try not to chop the chocolate too finely so you'll have good-sized chunks to bite into. Hawaiian bread pudding is a soft, sweet bread found in the bakery section of most grocery stores. Leftovers are good for ham and Swiss sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread

2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate. Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.

Yield2 servings