And now, for all those romantic vegetarians out there, here’s a menu designed especially for you.
MON PETIT CHOU Chou Menu for Two
* Mini Tray of Grapes and Fancy Cheeses
* Parmesan Polenta with Saucy Rustic Vegetables
* Strawberry Mousse with Meringue and Chocolate-covered Strawberries
Okay, this menu may sound simple, and it is fairly simple to make, but it’s packed full of flavor. K2’s dad, who is the most meat-and-potatoey of meat-and-potato people we know, went back for seconds on the main course. We call that a job well done.
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Mini Tray of Grapes and Fancy Cheeses
For our cheeses we chose fresh mozzarella, sharp Vermont cheddar, and a petite wedge of brie because these are some of our favorites. You can team up any variety of cheeses for your tray – goat cheese, Havarti, Gouda, Jack, etc. There are so many great cheeses to choose from.
We recommend you stick to two or three cheeses at most and that you don’t do all strong or all mild because having contrasting flavors adds a nice variety to your plate. And you definitely want to pass on the more pungent cheeses, ‘cuz c’mon, this is supposed to be a romantic dinner; stinky cheese breath might not be the way to go (unless you like that, we’re not here to judge…though we might).
We paired our cheeses with purple grapes, mostly because the grocery store was out of green. If you haven’t tried them before (and can find them), you should check out champagne grapes. They are eensy and cute and very, very tasty. They have a nice crisp refreshing flavor and face it, they are just plain adorable! Yes, adorable grapes is our recommendation.
And finally, we tossed some pecans halves on the tray. The crunch they provide will add another layer of texture to your dish.
Grapes and cheese make for a nice light-tasting start to the meal. Here again we decided to bookend our dinner with lighter fare because of the heavy main course.
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Parmesan Polenta with Saucy Rustic Vegetables
We got two words for you – Yum Mee!
Parmesan Polenta
1 cup cornmeal (either white or yellow, we used white)
1 tsp salt
4 cups water
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (we used store bought, but you can upgrade)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
Dash of hot sauce (Texas Pete or Tabasco)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray
Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan (we used a glass one).
In a mixing bowl combine cornmeal, 1 cup of cold water, and salt.
Bring the remaining 3 cups of water to a rolling boil and stir in the cornmeal mixture.
Stirring constantly, bring the mixture back to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the cheese. Stirring frequently, let the mixture simmer for 20-30 minutes until it becomes very thick.
Spoon the mixture into the baking pan, spread out evenly then refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting.
If you want to experiment and change the flavor then change the seasoning. The recipe is pretty inexpensive and easy to make, so it’s a good one to experiment with. Have fun with it.
Saucy Rustic Vegetables
1 zucchini, rough diced
1 yellow squash, rough diced
1 carrot, rough diced
6 oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
14 oz can petit diced tomatoes, drained
11 oz can tomato puree (can use flavored)
1/2 -1 tsp crushed red pepper
Olive oil
To season – salt, pepper, marjoram, basil, oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning blend, and/or garlic salt
What do we mean by rough diced? It just means we’re not looking to win a beauty. We’re going for a chunky, hearty feel to the sauce so we don’t want everything to be the same size.
Reduce the tomato puree by letting it boil over medium-high heat. Leave it to reduce for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple minutes so the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan
In a deep skillet sauté the carrots with a dash of olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add in garlic, cook for another minute then add in the chopped zucchini and yellow squash. Continue to cook about 3-4 minutes over high heat.
You only want the veggies to cook slightly, leaving them al dente ("crunchy") makes the sauce a nice contrast to the softer, squoogier polenta.
Reduce heat to medium and add in diced tomatoes, artichokes hearts, tomato puree reduction, and crushed red pepper.
Season to taste.
Yep, we’re leaving that to you, training wheels are off. But don’t worry, doesn’t matter what spice combination you put in (from the list above), it’s going to be good. If you’re crazy about basil, chuck it in there. If you’re an oregano addict, then go nuts. Thyme, it’s on your side. Here’s where you can make this sauce your own and season it to your liking. If you are feeling a bit nervous about going it on your own, just take it in baby steps. Add just a bit at a time then taste it. Keep going until you find a flavor combo you like. We know you can do it, champ! (insert cheesy thumbs up here)
For all the non-vegs out there, you can meat this up with some Italian sausage or pancetta, but it’s still pretty filling without it.
Let the veggies simmer while you prepare the Parmesan Polenta triangles for serving.
Assembly
Cut the polenta into large triangles (right triangles, not isosceles or scalene, though you could probably make those work too). Only fry up what you plan to use, the boiled polenta will keep for several days.
In pre-heated skillet over medium-high heat, cook the polenta on each side for 3-4 minutes until it has a nice light golden color and is crispy to the touch.
Be careful when flipping the polenta and when removing from the skillet, the edges get a wee bit fragile (experience talking).
Set the triangle upright on your serving plate and ladle the saucy vegetables over and around the bottom. Top with shredded mozzarella or parmesan and serve.
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Strawberry Mousse with Meringue and Chocolate-covered Strawberries
Strawberry Mousse
True confessions – this is a genuine faux mousse recipe, but just as satisfying as the real thing.
2 vanilla pudding snack packs
4 oz cool whip (half a regular size container)
1/4 cup strawberry puree (fresh or frozen) or strawberry preserves
Mix until well blended well. Serves 4 (like you were only going to have one dessert).
Meringue
2 egg whites, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Pre-heat oven on to 375° – this is a must for this recipe.
Beat egg whites until the hold peaks then gradually add in the sugar.
Add in vanilla and continue beating until mixture is very stiff.
Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper.
Put meringue in oven, close the door, and turn oven off.
Leave in oven for several hours (at least 3-4) or overnight.
We used a decorator’s tip for making leaves to create the fern-like meringue. You can simply make drops or if you want something with more shape and don’t have a pasty bag, put the meringue mixture in a zip lock bag, snip off one corner and squeeze the mixture out to make puffy lines or squiggles or hearts. If you make shapes, just remember to handle gently because there is a bigger chance of breakage.
Chocolate-dipped Strawberries
We used Candi-Quik dipping chocolate, but you can use melt chocolate chips to dip your berries in.
We experimented and found that using frozen fresh strawberries is not the way to go. Yes, the chocolate hardens faster, but the strawberry becomes very squishy and not very delectable (though the chocolate coating is still very good).
Use wax paper or parchment paper to put your dipped berries on. They are easy to peel off the paper and you won’t have to pry them off a plate.
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And there you go, a little something for all our eaters out there. Hope this helps get those romantic idea wheels turning. Bon appetit!
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Roll the peanut butter mixture by the teaspoon into small balls and place on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the eyeballs.
