Ruby Cheesecake Mini Trifles

Ruby Cheesecake Mini Trifles
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Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and here I am with a pink dessert. And it makes me feel like a fraud. Every year, my brain is inundated with Valentine-friendly recipe ideas. This behavior would suggest that I’m a rabid fan of Love’s Day but honestly, it doesn’t get more than a shrug from me. I don’t hate it and I don’t love it. I am ambivalent. And yet, I love crafting date night menus. The romance of domesticity is my jam. So here is a very pink dessert in honor of a day I care very little about because I can’t help myself. These Ruby Cheesecake Mini Trifles feature a layer of blood orange jelly, brownie bits, and ruby chocolate cheesecake mousse topped with whipped cream, a blood orange segment, and a bourbon-soaked cherry. I may be iffy about the holiday but I am head over heels for these beauties.

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Loaded Baked Potato Croquettes

Loaded Baked Potato Croquettes
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I mentioned last week that my partner and I combine forces to make an at-home steakhouse menu every Valentine’s Day. Welcome to the sides portion of this year’s feast. These Loaded Baked Potato Croquettes are a riff on the classic jacket potato. These jumbo croquettes house a filling of baked potato flesh and a rich mornay sauce packed with cheddar cheese, scallions, garlic, shallots, and sour cream. This is everything you love and expect from a loaded baked potato in a golden, crisp format. 

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Portobello Steak Diane

Portobello Steak Diane
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My partner and I do an at-home steak house night for Valentine’s Day every year. This tradition was born after a less-than-favorable experience at a very expensive steak house. The following year, we decided to take the steak house menu into our own hands and have never looked back. Steakhouse classics are, after all, fairly simple to make. And no matter how expensive a ribeye is in the grocery store, it’s guaranteed to be cheaper than any steak you’d order off a menu. Each year we tinker with these classics and come up with fun alternatives. These dishes maintain the spirit of the traditional chop house but are unique to us and our tastes. Today’s Portobello Steak Diane is our first plant-forward riff and I am head-over-heels in love with it.

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Chicken Fried Oyster Mushroom Sandwiches

Chicken Fried Oyster Mushroom Sandwiches with Dill Pickle Slaw and Carolina BBQ Sauce
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January is almost over, but so is my patience for winter. And I don’t feel like I’m alone in this. This is the point when the realization of just how long the winter is, starts to kick in. Sure, one month is nearly done and dusted. But February is in the wings, and March and April can’t be trusted. Sure, they’re considered spring months, but their actions don’t always suggest that. All this is to say I am done with winter, but winter isn’t done with me. So bring on the comfort food! Today, that comfort food is this Chicken Fried Oyster Mushroom Sandwich with Carolina BBQ Sauce and Dill Pickle Slaw. It may not speed up winter, but it will make it slightly more delicious. 

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