Cook International is an organization that helps to provide food for those in need. They are now asking people to cook their favorite Valentine’s Day dish and send them a photo of the finished product they can share on social media.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s time to start planning your menu for this year. Make sure you have a few of these Valentine’s Day recipes in your back pocket.
Note from the editor: This is a guest post by Sasha Martin.
While dinner and a movie on an ordinary Friday night is wonderful, Valentine’s Day should be something special. Looking back over the years, the dates that stick out in my mind are the ones that sparked interesting conversations, provided unique experiences, and were full of surprises. So forgo the packed eateries this year and take your beloved on a globe tour with an at-home dinner date.
So, what exactly are you saying? Do you lack the financial means to transport your girlfriend from Rome to Timbuktu? Then, via “stovetop travel,” offer her a worldwide experience. You may offer your special someone a lovely dose of both culture and amore without ever leaving the house by preparing a lunch that includes a dish from each of the world’s continents. There’s also no jet lag!
The following international recipes taste delicious and are easy to make. Whether you prepare part or all of this sampler-style dinner, you’ll have lots to chat about and plenty of opportunities for romance while you cook together. This Valentine’s Day, staying in could be the nicest trip you’ve ever had.
Let’s go on a continent-hopping adventure.
South America is the first stop.
Begin your evening with a Bolivian Avocado Salad. Bolivian ingredients were used to make this dish. Simply cut the avocado in half and remove the pit, then stuff with tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and vinaigrette. Your taste senses will be stimulated by the creamy avocado and tangy tomatoes. What’s the greatest part? The filling may be made ahead of time. Pull the filling from the fridge and stuff the avocado together when she arrives. Salad de Avocado Boliviano
Ingredients:
1 avocado, halved and pitted, to taste minced red onion 1 sliced small tomato 1 fresh parsley sprig, chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper 2 tsp vinegar
Method:
1. Combine red onion, tomato, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 2. Scoop tomato mixture into avocado halves just before serving. If desired, any leftovers may be piled on the side. Allow to cool before serving.
Asia is the next destination.
Bring her to East Timor (Timor-Leste), where entire tuna are caught and sold right on the beach. While native fisherman coat the whole fish with garlic, butter, and salt, you can make your own version of this meal by brushing tuna steaks with homemade garlic butter and searing on an indoor grill. Finish with a dusting of coarse, crispy sea salt on your Tuna from Timor-Leste. Thinly slice and serve with rice or salad. Make the garlic butter mash the day before to save time.
Timorese Tuna
Ingredients
2 steaks of tuna 2 tablespoons butter 1-2 garlic cloves, coarse sea salt (to taste)
Method
1. Preheat the grill to medium high on an indoor or outdoor grill. In a small bowl, melt the butter and garlic. Brush both sides of the tuna with a generous amount of the sauce. 2. Sear each side for 2-4 minutes. Serve with rice or mixed greens.
Europe is the third stop.
Instead of flying across the globe, you may eat Ofto Kleftiko–Roast Lamb with Cinnamon and Ground Coriander after just two minutes of preparation and two hours of slow roasting in the oven. This traditional holiday dish is created in Cyprus, where the meat is firmly sealed within a porcelain casserole. By firmly wrapping the lamb in foil and setting it in a conventional saucepan, you may reproduce this wet atmosphere. This is perhaps one of the easiest and tastiest ways to consume lamb. Kleftiko, of course.
Ingredients:
2 lamb shanks, each weighing around a pound a half teaspoon of cinnamon 1 teaspoon coriander powder 4 bay leaves, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Lay out two squares of aluminum foil, one on top of the other, and insert one lamb shank on each square. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with cinnamon, coriander, salt, and pepper. Incorporate the rub into the meat. Wrap each lamb shank securely in foil with two bay leaves. 3. Bake for approximately 2.5 hours in a covered casserole. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before unwrapping foil. Serve right away.
Oceania is the fourth stop.
Make a batch of Damper Bread from Australia for this part of the journey (rather like a dense biscuit). Damper Bread is a rustic, macho dish that is traditionally baked over campfires in the outback. It’s also delicious with butter.
Australian Damper Bread
Ingredients:
flour (four cups) 1 teaspoon of salt a quarter cup of baking powder 1 1/4 cup milk 1/8 cup sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. 2. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk until a firm dough forms. 3. Press the dough into the pan. Using a sharp knife, score the dough in a grid pattern. 4. Bake for 20 minutes to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve right away.
North America is the fifth stop.
Find her happy place in Canada, where maple syrup improves everything. If you’re making Grandpa’s Maple Dumplings, an extraordinarily irresistible treat created by boiling dough balls in maple syrup, feel free to bump elbows in the kitchen. When you have maple syrup, who needs a deep fryer? Serve with vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm.
Ingredients for Grandpa’s Maple Dumplings:
(This is for the dumplings.)
1 pound of flour 1 and a half teaspoons of baking powder sprinkle of salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter 1/3 gallon of whole milk
(To be used as a cooking liquid)
1/2 gallon maple syrup 1/2 gallon of water
Method:
1. Bring the maple syrup and water to a low simmer in a saucepan. 2. In the meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter. Drizzle in milk until you have a wet dough. 3. Roll into balls and put into the maple syrup mixture carefully. Allow to boil until the balls float and are fully cooked. Take cautious not to allow the water to boil. Serve with vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm.
Africa is the sixth stop.
After all of the excitement, relax with a cup of White Coffee. Despite its name, this famous North African beverage contains neither caffeine or coffee. In fact, it has a strong resemblance to tea. Although White Coffee may be made with any number of spices or essences soaked in hot water, a dash of rose water is the most fitting for Valentine’s Day (available at Indian markets). And, to be honest, sharing a rose with your loved one is about as romantic as it gets.
Ingredients in White Coffee:
16 oz. boiling water sugar cubes with 2 tsp rose water
Method:
Fill teacups or mugs halfway with boiling water. Per cup, add around a teaspoon of rose water. To taste, add sugar cubes. Enjoy while it’s still hot!
Bonus:
Put create a mix CD with music for each destination on your gastronomic tour if you really want to go all out. It’s perfect for listening to when you’re cooking or dining. After the night is done, give her the CD as a memento of her journey across the globe. She’ll be talking about it for the rest of her life.
Put create a mix CD with music for each destination on your gastronomic tour if you really want to go all out. It’s perfect for listening to when you’re cooking or dining. After the night is done, give her the CD as a memento of her journey across the globe. She’ll be talking about it for the rest of her life.
Sasha Martin is preparing a meal for each nation in the globe (from A to Z) in order to assist her family eat a better and more diversified diet and to promote global respect and understanding. Global Table Adventure has all of the recipes, information, and meal evaluations.
All images courtesy of Keith and Sasha Martin of Global Table Adventure and are used with permission.
The “traditional valentine’s day food” is a meal that can be made for any occasion. The meal typically consists of red and white meat, vegetables, and bread or pasta.
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