Valentine's Day Dinner Pairing

Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb, Mandarin Orange Salad, Sauteed Asparagus paired with California Zinfandel

For Valentine's Day, I wanted to make my honey something really nice--and it turns out that this meal didn't take any time at all, it just takes a little prep work. In about a half hour, you can have a fancy meal that looks like you spent hours to prepare.

Wine Pairing

My boyfriend chose the wine for this meal since it was a special occasion--2006 "Captain's Reserve" Zinfandel from Rubicon Estate, Napa Valley. The dark, jammy, blue fruit really complemented the herb-marinated lamb, but there are many other pairing options available for this meal. I suggest a Bordeaux blend from either Bordeaux, France, or a domestic Bordeaux-inspired blend. Cabernet Sauvignon is always a safe choice with lamb too; it really accentuates the various marinade flavors as well as the juices from the meat. If you're celebrating something special, a great glass of bubbly (such as Brut Champagne) will start the meal off perfectly with the salad.

Herb Roasted Lamb Chops

2-4 Lamb Chops or Rack of Lamb, or however much you need (1 chop per diner is fine)
4 crushed garlic cloves
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (or a few sprigs)
1 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper

The night before, combine olive oil, rosemary leaves, and crushed garlic in a large freezer bag. Generously season lamb chops with salt and pepper, and place in the marinade. Flip the chops a few times every couple hours so the marinade sets in properly.

NOTE: these chops can marinate as little as one hour but the overnight marinade really made a great impact.

Dinner time: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. When heated, add the lamb chops and sear about 3 minutes each side. Immediately transfer the chops to the oven and cook about 10 minutes (for med-rare). Let sit 5 minutes, then eat immediately.

Asparagus
One bunch of asparagus (about 10 sprigs)
Olive oil
basil
garlic powder
seasoned salt
pepper


While the chops are searing, heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil in a separate skillet. Add asparagus; generously season with basil, garlic powder, seasoned salt (or just salt) and pepper. Cook until tender (I like them a little crunchy).

Mandarin Almond Salad

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com--it takes only about 15 minutes to make and is a great start to this meal. This salad would be great paired with a sparkling dry (Brut) wine.

1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp white sugar
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, oranges and green onions. Heat 2 Tbsp sugar with the almonds in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar starts to melt (it took a while for the sugar to melt for me but once it melted, it was done super quickly, so keep an eye on it and stir frequently so it doesn't burn). Let cool on a plate for 10 minutes.

To make the dressing, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, 1 tbsp sugar, red pepperflakes and black pepper in a lid-fitting container. Shake until sugar is dissolved. When ready to serve, toss the lettuce with the salad dressing until coated. Transfer into a serving bowl and top with the toasted almonds. 


Final Note--This made a really great meal--my boyfriend treated me to chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert and we paired them with a tawny port. I wish I had made a potato with this meal, however, since our wine was a little strong and we needed something to soak it up. At least serve some rolls or french bread with this meal. Enjoy!