Here is my suggested menu for Valentine's Day Dinner. Please note some people have alergies, and it is a good idea to check before you prepare.

This is the suggested menu in my article "A Valentine Night To Remember" [I'm sorry I am not allowed to give you a link to this article here, please see resource box]

• Chocolate Dipped Strawberries- great as an aphrodisiac- pre meal snack.

• Any great meal starts with an appetizer.

• An awesome drink to set the mood.

• My special recipe, this salad is very tasty.

• A simple salmon dinner for the main course, not that hard, you can do it guys.

• The most simple cheesecake recipe I could find, outside of boxed ones. Guys, she will appreciate the effort in the homemade one.

• After dinner drinks. I gave you two choices, but I recommend the coffee, you want to stay awake.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate
• 16 large strawberries
• kale- For decoration

Preparation

MICROWAVE chocolate in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

DIP strawberries into chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off. *note if strawberries are cold the chocolate sets quicker.

LET stand at room temperature or refrigerate on wax paper-lined cookie sheet 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Drizzle with additional melted chocolate, if desired.

Great Substitute: Substitute 1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Bittersweet Baking Chocolate or 4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate for BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate.

Kumamoto Oysters with Pineapple Vinegar
Chef Josh DeChellis of Sumile New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 1 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pineapple peeled and cored
• 2 cups junmai rice vinegar*
• 1 cup champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon green yuzu kosho*
• 1/2 teaspoon nori powder*
• 5 Kumamoto oysters

Method:

Grind pineapple through the fine die of a meat grinder into a glass vessel with an attachable lid with vinegars already inside. Close lid and shake like a salad dressing and then let stand for at least one day at room temperature.

Decant 2 tablespoons of vinegar off the top of pineapple cuvee and place into a small mixing bowl. Add yuzu kosho and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes; strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Add in nori powder and mix.

Open oysters with an appropriate oyster knife and place on a bed of shaved ice on a plate for final presentation. Spoon vinegar over the oysters and serve immediately.

Valentine Aphrodite's Love Potion

Ingredients:

• 4 Ice cubes
• 1 1/2 oz Fine Brandy
• 5 oz Pineapple juice
• 1 Maraschino cherry
• 1 Thin orange slice

Preparation:

Combine the ice cubes, Brandy, and pineapple juice and stir. Garnish with cherry and orange slice

Big Jim's Valentine Salad of Decadence.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of pealed steamed or boiled shrimp- small to med.
• 1/2 pound of seedless green grapes.
• 1 head of fresh lettuce.
• 1 jar of artichoke hearts.
• 1 shredded carrot.
• 1 Cup of sliced in half cherry tomatoes.
• 1/2 sliced cucumber

Place all ingredients into a large serving bowl, toss, and refrigerate.

Simple Salmon Supper

• 1 medium each: zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper, chopped (about 4 cups total)
• 4 skinless salmon fillets (4 oz. each)
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
• 2 cups MINUTE Brown Rice, uncooked

PREHEAT oven to 375F. Combine zucchini, squash and peppers; place in 13x9-inch baking dish. Place salmon over vegetables. Mix tomatoes and dressing; spoon over salmon. BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until salmon flakes easily with fork. Meanwhile, prepare rice as directed on package.

SERVE salmon and vegetables over rice.

Heavenly Valentine's Day Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients :

• 2 c Vanilla Wafers, Fine Crush
• 1 c Ground Toasted Almonds
• 1/2 c Butter, Melted
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 12 oz Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 c Milk
• 1 ea Env. Unflavored Gelatin
• 16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 c Sour Cream
• 1/2 ts Almond Extract
• 1/2 c Heavy Cream, Whipped
• 1 x Garnishes *

Preparation :

* Whipped cream and chocolate shavings (optional). In large bowl, combine vanilla waver crumbs, almonds, butter and sugar; mix well. Pat firmly into 9-inch springform pan, covering bottom and 2 1/2 inches up the sides. Set aside. Melt over hot (not boiling) water milk chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Set aside. Pour milk into small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over top. Set aside for 1 minute. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Set aside. In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and melted chocolate chips; beat until fluffy. Beat in gelatin mixture and almond extract. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared pan. Chill until firm (about 3 hours). Run knife around edge of cake to separate from pan; remove rim. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Makes 1 9-inch Cheesecake.

Cheesecake Tip: To easily cut cheesecake, take a long strand of plain dental floss, stretch it taut, and gently press it through the cake. When you reach the bottom of the cheesecake, simply pull the floss out from underneath.

After Dinner Drink 2 choicesKahlua Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 pt Vanilla ice cream
• 1/3 c Creme de cacao
• 1/3 c Kahlua

Preparation:

Combine ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Serve after dinner.

Or

Fireside Coffee for a Romantic Valentine's Day

Ingredients

• 2 c Hot Cocoa Mix
• 1 c Instant Coffee
• 1 ts Cinnamon
• 2 Non-dairy Creamer
• 1/2 Sugar
• 1/2 Nutmeg

Preparation:

Mix together the cocoa mix, instant coffee, cinnamon, creamer, sugar, and nutmeg.

* Note all the recipes are not my original creation, however the menu is. (credit was givin when recipe was used)