At-Home Date Night Recipes

Marinated Herbed Burrata

Creamy burrata meets bright capers and aromatic herbs in this beautiful appetizer. Serve with a fresh baguette and a glass of bubbly for a romantic appetizer this Valentine’s Day.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fresh burrata, or 2 medium balls
• ½ cup Private Selection Garlic Infused Oil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup baby capers, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
• Dash of coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine fennel seeds and rosemary in a mortar and pestle and roughly crush. Place the burrata balls on a rimmed serving plate.
2. In a small skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the crushed fennel, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and capers. Cook until fragrant, but be sure not to burn any of the herbs or the garlic.
3. Remove from heat and pour over the burrata. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, removing the cheese and bring to room temperature 30 minutes prior to serving.

Easy Lobster Bisque

So decadent, yet so easy to make. This Lobster Bisque has a rich and creamy broth and is topped with succulent lobster chunks cooked in garlic butter. Don’t skip the fresh herbs – they lend so much flavor to this bisque!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 lobster tails
• 4 Tbsp. Harris Teeter Salted Butter, divided
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, minced, divided
• 1 Tbsp. Harris Teeter Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. Harris Teeter Chicken Bouillon Powder
• ½ tsp. Harris Teeter Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Harris Teeter Tomato Paste
• 3 Tbsp. Harris Teeter All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ¼ cup dry white wine
• 4 cups lobster stock (recipe in Directions)
• 1 cup Harris Teeter Heavy Cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Fill a large stock pot with water and a large dash of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Add the lobster tails and cover the pot. Let boil for five minutes and remove the lobster tails when they are bright red. Reserve the liquid that the lobsters cooked in.
3. Once the lobster has cooled slightly, remove the meat from the shells. It helps to cut down the back of the tail with scissors and pry the shell apart.
4. Set the meat aside and place the empty shells back in the water. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook at a simmer for an additional 15 minutes to enrich the stock flavor. Set aside.
5. Heat the 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in a second large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, bouillon, cayenne pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Mix in four of the minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the tomato paste and cook to coat the veggies. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and cook, until all white has disappeared.
7. Pour in the wine and loosen any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half. Pour in four cups of the lobster stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a stick blender. Return to medium-low heat and pour in the heavy cream.
9. While the bisque is cooking, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant. Add in the chopped lobster tail and season with salt and pepper. Cook until just warmed through.
10. To serve, mix handfuls of the lobster into the bisque, reserving some to top each bowl. Garnish with extra herb leaves.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Skip the long plane flight and enjoy this classic Italian dish from the comfort of your own home. Serve this Bucatini all’Amatriciana with lightly dressed greens and a Chianti Classico for a romantic at-home dinner.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 1 ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-24 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups beef stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. Private Selection Bucatini
• Fresh Parmesan, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large, deep skillet, fry pancetta over medium low-heat until golden. Add crushed pepper and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant. About 2 minutes.
2. Pour in the tomatoes and beef stock. Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, then fold the pasta into the sauce.
4. Serve, garnished with freshly grated Parmesan.

Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cakes

Treat your sweetheart to a rose-shaped mini bundt cake for Valentine’s Day. Incredibly moist and with rich chocolate flavor, your loved one will be swooning!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time:45 minutes
• Yield: 12 mini bundt cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups Harris Teeter All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Harris Teeter Sugar
• 1 cup Harris Teeter Vegetable Oil
• 1 tsp. Harris Teeter Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. Harris Teeter White Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Harris Teeter Vanilla Extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Harris Teeter Buttermilk
• 1 oz. red food coloring
• Garnish: powdered sugar, chocolate fudge, strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease mini bundt pans thoroughly with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix eggs with a whisk, then add oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and food coloring. Whisk until smooth.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and beat on medium high until well combined.
4. Fill bundt cake liners up two-thirds. Bake them in the preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Remove to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool five minutes before gently tapping each bundt cake out of the pan.
5. Dust with powdered sugar immediately before enjoying, and serve with chocolate fudge and strawberries, if desired.