Valentine's Day Dinner

Yesterday, was the big day of LOVE!  To be honest, the hubby and I do not go all out on this "holiday".  He got me flowers and a little gift -

Oooo, Roses!

And I told him that I would make a yummy fantastic dinner and dessert.  I did not tell him until he came home yesterday that the recipe for dinner was totally new.  So we might be up a creek without a paddle if I messed this up royally.  Luckily, I was not disappointed.  I actually tried out the Crockin' Girls prescribed recipe for this very occasion.

Slow Cooker Tilapia with Garlic Cream Sauce and Asparagus

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tbsp. garlic, minced
¼ cup parmesan cheese
4 - 6 tbsp. lemon juice
½ - 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
4 - 6 tilapia filets, thawed or frozen
1 bundle asparagus
4 - 6 foil, about 12 inches in length
1 box wild rice, cooked

Steps:

1. Mix the mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning together in a bowl.

2. You will need a piece of foil per filet. Divide the asparagus into equal amounts per fish.

3. Place a spoonful of cream sauce onto the foil packet. Place the fish filet on top. Put another spoonful of sauce on top of the filet. Then place the asparagus on top of the filet.

4. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish, and then the ends of the foil to form a packet. The fish and asparagus should be completely wrapped in foil.

5. Place the packets in the slow cook stacked on top of each other. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours if fish is thawed or HIGH for 3 hours if fish is frozen. Serve over rice.

The Final Product:

My recipe is slightly different from the Crockin' Girls original, in that I added our family favorite Penzey's Italian Herb Mix to the Sauce.  I tasted the sauce before creating my packets and it just needed a little something extra.  My fish was starting to thaw, so I put it on HIGH for 2 and a half hours.  What I found, when I opened the slow cooker up, was the packets on the bottom were a bit more well done that I would have liked.  So next time, I think I will rotate the packets at the halfway mark for more even cooking.

And for dessert, I chose to make some Zeppoles.  I whipped out the deep fryer, some peanut oil, and mixed the dough ingredients about 15 minutes before we were going to sit down to eat.  This way the dough could rise while we were enjoying our meal.  The recipe for the Zeppoles comes the fantastic Sopranos Family Cookbook. 

Zeppoles

Ingredients:

1 cup water, warm
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
peanut oil
confectioners' sugar

Steps:

1. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water in a measuring cup. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep heavy saucepan or deep fryer. Heat the oil until the temperature reachers 375 on a deep-frying thermometer, or a drop of dough slipped into the oil sizzles and turns brown in 1 minute.

4. Drop the dough by tablespoons into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Cook the zeppole until golden brown and puffed, about 2 minutes. Remove the zeppole with a slotted spoon and drain them briefly on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Put the zeppole in a paper bag, add the confectioners' sugar, and shake them well until coated. Serve immediately.

The Final Product:

I didn't realize until yesterday that it had been over 2 years since I made zeppoles.  They were fantastic.  They always take me back to New Jersey and church fairs or state fairs or...you know, really any fair.  They are not the same as elephant ears or funnel cakes.  They are .... oh goodness, just YUMMY!  And yes, between the hubby and I, we devoured all of those zeppoles.  This is just one of those recipes I am so glad I learned how to make - it transports me back home wherever we happen to be stationed.

So all in all, we had a nice Valentine's Day evening in.  It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside when you look across the table and see

the two loves of your life.  I wouldn't have it any other way.