Valentine's Day Recipes - Videos & Photo Story

Please sit down and have a glass of wine, and how about a tootsie massage? Kindly allow this Amorous Culinarian to hold your hand and guide you through a luscious menu of Valentine's Day Recipes.

Well, you are in the right place for a romantic read. If the following recipes look enticing to you then click on any name and you will be directed to my food blog recipe pages filled with tempting, tender prose, and pulse-quickening GIFs, photos, and video.

Let's set the mood with the most decadently sexy of confections, a Chocolate Covered Cherry. Here, I'll feed it to you, Mon'Amie....

Click on any photo or gif to see larger.

First up is a video of the Amorous Epicurean on the prowl for budget aphrodisiac ingredients to create a perfect romantic dinner date. Allow me to adjust your seat cushion -- there, lean back, and watch the show.

Shopping for a Romantic Recipe - VIDEO

You will want to start your romantic evening meal with an appetizer - a plump and pleasing Steamed Artichoke is the perfect dish to share with each other. Just swipe a steamed artichoke leaf into my creamy Ginger Mayo Dip and feed the tender petal end to your amour. Your appetite will surely build as you get to the delicately delicious artichoke heart. My Steamed Artichoke appetizer is just a tease.

Cooking & Eating an Artichoke - VIDEO

A lovely Pear and Spinach Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing looks good on the plate and will impress your true love with its lightness and fresh flavors.
And it's the perfect prelude to the main course.

I think Italian food is the sexiest of cuisines. Tender swirling ropes of pasta sliding through a rich creamy sauce will soften any hardened heart. Click on any recipe name below to see my luscious photos and read my tender prose.

There's nothing like a creamy, warm egg yolk stoking the fires of desire, and the Flirty Chef's  Spaghetti alla Carbonara is the perfect mood-setter. With the first bite, your date will swoon with pleasure. Sprinkling crumbled bacon over the pasta is gilding the lily, but sometimes you need to go all the way!

In my Spaghetti alla Carbonara Video below, I took a couple of cheap shortcuts. I used bacon bits, but you could substitute real bacon or kick it up a notch with sauteed pancetta. Also, freshly shaved Parmesan cheese will be more pleasing than the dried brand I used.

And finally, I added a blended raw egg -- for a more romantic presentation, just gently place the egg yolk on a mound of steaming pasta.

Oh, is it time for another sweet confection? Of course, I have more, the apple of my eye...

Would you like another glass of wine before you watch my Spaghetti alla Carbonara recipe video below? Oh, don't worry about driving - I'll call Uber for you.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe - VIDEO

There, wasn't that edifying? Staying on the creamy theme, I can also recommend my Fettuccine Alfredo.

It's pasta with butter and cream -- simple and direct. You could mix in some fresh steamed veggies like broccoli for color and crunch -- just see how easy it is to do by clicking here on my Veggies in Cream with Pasta.

For something lighter, lose the cream and serve my stripped-down pasta recipe of John Cassavetes Red Pepper, Olive Oil, and Garlic with Spaghetti. It's a spicy tongue-tingler any tough guy can knock out.

Of course, a Latin lover would challenge any Italian Casanova for Lotherio's scepter. And my Mexican Chicken Tinga spicy stew will send chills down the spine and tingle any lady all the way to her toes.

Chicken Tinga - VIDEO

What? Another? You really do have a sweet tooth, well, I do too, I think we are two peas in a pod.  Let's share this one...

Your love will fall under a lusty voodoo spell after sipping a couple of my homemade rum and sugar cane Cuban Mojitos. And if you and your lover are nursing a hangover the next morning, I have a hangover cure: a bowl of Pozole. It's a rich red broth of hominy, chiles, and pork.

Cuban Mojito - VIDEO

Black and white, yin and yang -- all inhibitions will drop with the sweet and sour flavors of my vegan Cuban Black Beans served over White Rice.

If you want to channel your inner domestic goddess, then tie on the apron, get out the potholders, and bring in a hot casserole dish of my luscious Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Cheese to the dining room table. Just check out the tempting short animated video below to see the yummy and gooey details.

Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Cheese - VIDEO

I have a recipe that will get any Lady Godiva off her high horse. Let's get tough guy Stanley Kowalski, but with a mushy heart. My chef nephew's Shrimp and Grits will take your date on a one-way streetcar to desire. All aboard to check out the video below of two lunkheads hanging out and cooking.

Shrimp & Grits - VIDEO

A close second to the most sensuous of nibbling is a tender fish fillet on rice or Sushi. Raw seafood will quicken a lover's pulse, and if you chase the sushi down with a few warm cups of sake, the temptation to stay the night may be overwhelming.

My Sushi recipes are quite easy to do when you follow my directions. I even have a recipe for those averse to raw fish, a California Roll (in the hay) that's made with cooked fake krab, creamy avocado, and sliced cucumber. Seafood Rolls and Sushi are handheld bites meant to be shared with your true love.

California Roll -VIDEO

Hawaii is the destination for romancing the palate. Make your own romantic Hawaii-themed date night with my exotic Island classic: Lau Lau. It's a banana leaf-wrapped package of deliciousness.

Oh, look, honeybunch, I have one left. 

The aroma of slow-roasting pork, Hawaiian-style, will fill the kitchen and dining room, stoking the appetite of desire. Slowly unwrap the package of tender Lau Lau for your beloved. You won't need a Lei of plumeria flowers to steal a kiss when you serve my savory dish. So click here to see the luscious photos and easy-to-follow recipe text. And aloha to love.

Hawaiian-style Lau Lau

Of course, you can't have a romantic dinner date without sweets. And I have a simply delicious deconstructed dessert that I call Mini-Banana Puddings.

It's the perfect finger food to woo your loved one. All you need is to lay out some vanilla wafers and stack them with a spoonful of pudding and banana slices, finally topped with Hershey's Chocolate Kiss. You could also drizzle on any sweet topping like chocolate syrup, caramel, and other favorite candy pieces or sprinkles.

Pssst...don't let your date see this next video. Slip a Chocolate-Covered Cherry in your date's hand, and a heart may melt. I got the confections at my local 99c only Store. Go ahead and watch my cheap$kate video review and see how a five-count box for 99.99 cents rates on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best.

Chocolate Covered Cherries - VIDEO

After a ravenous night, you will need a replenishing morning meal. And the Don Juan Gourmand's palate-pleasing Fried Egg on Breadcrumbs with Asparagus will satiate any food lover.

It looks good on the plate, but be sure to make plenty, as your sweetheart will ask for seconds!

Another morning after a meal is my French-style Omelet. It's a labor of love that you may want to practice making a couple of times to get right. Like lovemaking, the more you do it, the better you get! And I have all the right moves a click away.

Here are a few more romantic entrees you can try (just click on any name): Chef Zakk's Tuscan Primavera - Cajun Style, Chicken Stroganoff, Julia Child's Crepes Suzette, Baked Chicken with Grapes, Shepherd's Pie, Portabella Crab Rockefeller, Coconut Crusted Fish & Mango Salsa, Pork Bourguignon, Vegas Eggs Benedict, French Cassoulet, Stuffed Poblano Chiles, and Roasted Mint Chicken.

My go-to confections purveyor is right down the street, and it's old school to the max, See's Candies. And they hand out free samples...Wow!

Finally, it's 99 Shades of Cheap! Allow me to leave you with my most outrageous Valentine's Day photo story called:

All items cost 99 cents.

Super Bowl Recipes - Touchdown!

Head to the end zone for a long pass of recipes from The Culinary Quarterback. Are you ready for Superbowl LV Sunday? The Fried Pig Skin Lovin' Chef has some tasty football food that will leave enough green in your wallet to buy an extra keg for your tailgate party. And be sure to click on any recipe name below to see my recipe of tasty text and yummy photo step-by-step illustrations.

Click on any recipe name to see the original recipe blogpost.

The NFC Conference Champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are up against the AFC Conference Champs, Kansas City Chief for Superbowl 55. My recipe list below has local food spins according to both cities. The lineup for the Buccaneers features seafood and Cuban food, and for the Chiefs it's all about the beef and pork!

So if you are looking for regular eats for your Superbowl Party, I got your halfback, I mean back. There are no fumbles in this recipe list! 99 Thanks go to my local 99c only Stores and Dollar Trees. Hey, I even find 99 cent deals at regular grocery stores and ethnic markets, so all the bases, I mean, the whole field is covered.

Let's get the Super Bowl LV Sunday party started. 

Both the Chiefs and Buccaneers fans will huddle around a pitcher....of rum and sugarcane kick-ass minty Cuban Mojitos. Viva la Rum!

My video recipe below will overthrow your tastebuds.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are all about seafood in the Big Guava. And boy do I have a cheap$kate sammie for you I call a Scallop Roll. This recipe is so scrumptious it was featured on the Huffington Post website! Click here to see the write-up. Lobster meat breaks the bank, while scallops are tender and a tasty cheap substitution I find in the frozen deli case. One small 4-ounce package is enough for a Scallop Roll or two.

  Scallop Roll

I love BBQ and so do Kansas City footballers. And the local BBQ sauce is tomato-based just the way I like it, too. If you have a fave BBQ sauce recipe then use it - Out here in L.A. we have Newman's Own that was carried in my local Dollar Tree - talk about a big score!

A baked Rack of Ribs is easy and extra succulent the 99 Cent Chef way. All I do is season them with a dry rub or coat in a fave BBQ sauce, wrap in foil then bake for 3 to 4 hours until fall-apart tender, that's it. You can smoke them your way once they are baked tender like I do right here. My recipe below uses Pork Spareribs, but meaty Beef Ribs can be used as well.

Serve the Rack of Ribs with a classic but simple Potato Salad or Coleslaw.

King crab rules on the East Coast. Now I can't afford to use crab in my recipes, but I've found that imitation crab does the job for this Bottom Feeder Chef. Krab, or imitation crab, is a cooked fish blend that has the texture and taste of lump crabmeat. It may not be for the pescatarian purist, but I've grown to love it.

 Fake Crab

I offer to my Buccaneers comrades the mighty Krab Louis Salad made with fantastic fake krab of course. The king of salads also has asparagus, plus cheap iceberg lettuce, tomato, a hard-boiled egg and topped with Thousand Island dressing. Of course, use real lump crab...if you can afford it!

Another Coastal fan favorite is a California Roll. Like a stadium wave, this Tampa Bay spin on Japanese sushi has traveled to grocery deli cases all around the country. And I substitute cheap imitation crab so you will save big bucks on usually expensive crab meat.



Another meaty meal is a big bowl of Kansas-style Chili. Simple is best and if a hot bowl of Homemade Chili and a mug of icy cold beer are what you crave on game day then you've come to the right place.

What's great about Chili is it can be made a day or two ahead and reheated on the stovetop at low heat the whole gameday! Go ahead and add a can or two of black, pinto or red beans to the chili pot at the end of cooking for a more filling chili bowl. I like to top mine with chopped onion, shredded cheese, and crunchy Fritos Corn Chips!

Anybody can make a Hot Dog right? If you have a fave Kansas City frankfurter, set out the toppings while the weenies steam or saute and let the grandstanders build their own. Here is a favorite of mine in the video below. I use chili from the can and sauerkraut from a jar -- use what you got or can easily get.



If the game day is foggy and cold in Tampa Bay, then throw another log on the fire and gather in front of the big screen with a steaming bowl of my cheap$kate Clam Chowder. Buccaneers fans will throw off their warming blankets, peel off their gloves, and line up for a big bowl. And serve it in a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough bread for extra points!

You gotta serve BBQ Pork if you are a Chiefs fan, right? I have the perfect recipe for you, a succulent and smoky BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich recipe. I usually just add pickle and sliced onion, but my Homemade Coleslaw goes on it, too or as a side dish. My recipe is easy and cheap to make, of course. Just check out the video below or click here to see all the tasty recipe details.



Also, you can start with a reverse flea-flicker of a recipe called, Carnitas. Hours of braising reduce a pork shoulder to a tender and succulent Mexican-style taco filling. I even throw in the pigskin for extra flavor. Carnitas are what I order for late-night noshing at a taco truck. And it's a self-serve time saver when you set up a taco bar.



Weave through the living room backfield with a pile of Mexican Carnitas Tacos (slow-cooked pork) and you'll be lucky to make it through without being sacked!

I love Cuban food and so do Floridians. If you haven't tried it before you can get your backfield in motion and drum up a succulent Cuban Roast Pork. It's marinated in sweet orange juice and sour lemon juice. In some ethnic markets, you can get sour oranges and make this pork dish more authentic.

Cuban Black Beans are now my favorite beans. And my recipe is a 3 point conversion of flavors with bell pepper, vinegar and sugar. Make some white rice, too and you have a delicious halftime meal with a hunk of Cuban Roast Pork.

Fried Plantains are a sweet or savory side. Plantains are sweetest when black, and savory when yellow/black. Any way you fry them they are delicious.

And here are more recipes for Game Day, just read on and click on your faves, some familiar and some, like the next one, uniquely a 99 Cent Chef game changer.

Serve my most outrageous Hot Dog recipe, a the LA Street Dog -- a freeway pileup of flavors that make an end-run around any foot long out there.



Of course, simplest is best and I like a hot dog with just mustard and pickle relish. One trick I learned watching local wiener wranglers work and that is to steam the bun like I show below.

When your guests rush through the patio gate, have a bowl of Chips and Salsa to greet them. Now you can just set out a jar of cheap Pace Chunky Salsa or go for extra points with my Mango Salsa Recipe.

Make a simple chopped Pico de Gallo salsa or get a package of dried chiles for an intense Ancho and Red Chili Salsa. I also like a tangy Salsa Verde made with green tomatillos.

All football fans love Pizza on game day. You can avoid the long lines at Domino's or Shakey's Pizza and make your own cheaply with my recipe that uses pre-made cooked pizza crusts from the Dollar Tree store.

What's great about making Individual Pizzas, is everyone can add the ingredients they favor. I like anchovies and an egg on mine -- I know no one else would order that one!

Just set out a stack of individual store-bought pizza crusts and bowls of pepperoni, shredded cheese, black olives, fresh basil leaves, cooked Italian sausage, a fave jar of marinara sauce -- you get the picture. And it only takes 10 minutes or so in a hot oven and they are done! Click here to see how I make them.



Next to pizza and hot dogs, Fried Chicken is a favorite finger food and no one fries chicken better than this Cheap$kate Game Changer.

I've come up with a crunchy coating that will empty the bleachers and have fans storming the kitchen! Get Superbowl Sunday going with my Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe, or use my special flour and spice mix for regular bone-in chicken pieces. Fry up a batch of chicken to handoff when the coin is tossed to start the game.



Bring more Southern flavor to your kitchen, no matter what State you are in. Fans will take a half-time break and huddle around your cast iron pot of my fragrant and spicy Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya and Cajun Gumbo.

 Mom's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

In Louisiana, we put a dollop of Cajun Potato Salad on our Gumbo. If you don't believe me just check out the video below.

Or go straight up the middle with a tray of Teriyaki Spam Musubi. This Hawaiian specialty combines good old American canned spam with Japanese sushi. And does it really work? My easy-to-follow recipe will have your guests eating out of your hands...down!

While everyone's watching the pre-game show send in any of my delicious sideline sides and appetizers, including: Bacon Wrapped Dates and Brussels Sprouts, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Deviled Eggs, Portabella Mushroom Fries, Sweet Fried Plantains, Ceviche with Avocado and Black Beans, and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

Football zealots are not just meat-eaters, but potato fanatics too. I like mine grilled, how about you? Well, I got Grilled Yellow and Orange Sweet Potato recipes for you to try.



And just click here to see my Veggie Frittata recipe that will feed all your hungry team players (go ahead and add some ham pieces to fill out the frittata.)

Start Super Bowl Sunday with a couple of omelet recipes, including my French-style Cheese Omelette



And, everyone will huddle around sandwich plates of gooey, cheesy Patty Melts, hearty Meatball Subs, Homemade Deli Pastrami, Falafel Pitas, and steaming Sloppy Joe's.

If you're looking for one-pot meals, so you don't miss any action on the field, just check out my Pork Bourguignon, French Cassoulet, Chicken Tinga Stew,  Mr. Patti's Red Beans & Rice, Baked Pasta with Cheese and Cauliflower, Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken, Shepherd's Pie, or Sausage & Sauerkraut with Beer recipes.

Baked Lasagna with Ground Chicken

 Looking for a sneak-play recipe? How about a different twist on Buffalo Wings with my African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings? This original recipe features chicken legs, but you can substitute wings.

Tired of stale, soggy stadium hot dogs? I have a great and easy Corn Dog Recipe made with Vienna sausages -- but you can use regular wieners. Your hungry guest will not be offsides dipping these crunchy coated pig skins into my tasty Honey-mustard Sauce.

Since you have the fryer going you might as well make a batch of my Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for dessert. They're as light and airy as the Goodyear blimp.

So get your backfield in motion and click on any of my tasty treat names above to watch an instant reply of recipes from my blog. Your guest will be cheering you on -- from their cheap seats!

Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos With Zak - Video Recipe

And now for a brief moment of levity with a tasty recipe, of course. With the Super Bowl right around the corner, you'll want to try my latest Outre Entree, Swamp Chef Nachos!

My nephew Zak lives in Gonzales, Louisiana where my Mom is, too. He has worked in the restaurant business off and on since high school, so he has good taste and he approved my latest recipe, especially after indulging in a bit of puffery, of the cannabis variety...hmmm, maybe that had a bit of influence?

And Swamp Chef Nachos? It is a similar recipe to regular Nachos, with the main difference of adding Crawfish Tails! 

This seafood spin is easy enough to substitute with cheaper small bay shrimp if you don't have access to a one-pound package of cooked Crawfish Tails.

Click on any photo or GIF to see larger.

This recipe video starts simply enough, just a walk in the neighborhood and a chance meeting.

 And who should the Swamp Chef run into but his nephew Zak and his English Mastiff and Lab mix,  Marshall. I bet you can't guess what I'm walking...well you'll have to watch the video!

 If you have been following my food blog then you may remember my nephew Zak. We have collaborated on a couple of recipe videos when I visited him in Louisiana. Click on the recipe names to see our earlier collaborations. Chef Zak's Cajun Style Tuscan Primavera Pasta and Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash (his Mom Brenda, my sister, makes a nagging appearance at the end of the video.)

To quote Zak : "Uncle Swamp Chef for the win, these Cajun Nachos are lit."

You know what Nachos are, right? Happy Hour food at its best. Usually, Nachos are tortilla chips covered in melty cheese, pinto beans, and sometimes taco-style ground beef. A final topping is chopped onion and tomato, or chunky salsa.

My Cajun Nachos are seafood briny and cheesy. I also use a can of Cajun Red Beans.

The overall flavor is like a gooey seafood enchilada, with more crunch from the tortilla chips. 

The Red Beans are a tasty touch and add extra heft to fill you up with veggie protein. Red Beans are a nice substitution for typical Mexican-style Pinto Beans. I picked a local Gonzales, Louisiana brand that has a creamy bean sauce. 

But you can get the same result by heating up regular Red Beans from the can. Add half of the bean broth and as it gets warm just crush a dozen beans or so. Stir with the bean liquid to make a thick sauce, kinda like Mexican refried beans. You can add more or less bean liquid until you reach the desired creaminess. Of course, just whole beans from the can without a creamy sauce will work as well.

Canned beans are easy to find, even Red Beans. If you want to experiment try Black Beans. Regular Pinto Beans are cheap everywhere. Chili With Beans are second best!

I used a mild shredded white queso or cheese. Any favorite cheese is fine, like cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterrey Jack. I get mine cheap at Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores. I start with a pound of shredded cheese but add as much cheese as you like.

Regular corn Tortilla Chips are cheap enough and you can get hefty servings with just one 8-ounce bag.

Of course, the hardest thing to find is a one-pound package of cooked Crawfish Tails. And while not cheap I gotta break my 99-cent rules sometimes. It's okay to use cheaper small cooked Bay Shrimp. Since you are just heating up Nachos, everything is cooked.

I finally top Cajun Nachos with Creole Seasoning and Louisiana Hot Sauce. These last ingredients are optional and it's okay to use any Hot Sauce if you can take the heat! 

As the oven heats up add tortilla chips to a baking pan or dish and layer on the goodies. Pop it in the oven and when the cheese is melty then my Cajun Nachos are ready to eat! Since all the ingredients are cooked you are just heating it up.

My Swamp Chef Cajun Nachos has it all, maybe too much of a good thing, well it's up to you to decide if it's all too much.

Cajun Nachos - Video

Play it here, video runs 5 minutes, 35 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces to 1 pound of peeled Crawfish - Small bay shrimp are an easy substitution. Of course, you can add any cooked protein like ground chicken or beef.
• 1 can Red Beans - about 16 ounce can. Mash some beans for a creamy sauce.
• 1 pound Cheese - I used white "quesadilla" shredded cheese. Okay to use any melty type like yellow cheddar or white Monterey Jack cheese, even Velvetta. 
• 1 package of Tortilla Chips - about 8 ounces. I used half-yellow and blue chips for color. Add enough to make 2 or 3 layers of chips in the baking dish or tray, kinda like a lasagna.
• 2 Green Onions chopped - optional for a colorful garnish and extra flavor.
• Louisiana Hot Sauce - optional. To taste, okay to use any favorite hot sauce. Add as little or as much as you can handle.
• 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning - optional, and okay to add less, as it's quite salty, like tortilla chips.

Directions

Layer chips on a wide baking dish or pan. I pile on enough for 2 or 3 layers.

Next top with red beans and half the cheese.

Add a layer of crawfish tails or bay shrimp...and more cheese!

Finally, sprinkle on Cajun Seasoning, and drizzle a little Hot Sauce (these steps are optional.)

I add extra cheese on top to keep the crawfish tail meat from drying out. I used white shredded cheese, but okay to use easy-to-get cheddar cheese. You can shred or just slice it, or break it into smallish chunks. Add as much cheese as you can afford, it's up to you.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Since crawfish are cooked (or almost cooked,) all you are doing is heating up the beans and melting the cheese.

When the cheese is melted and beans heated through, remove from oven and top with chopped green onions, this gives the dish a vibrant green and white color with a little extra veggie crunch. I've had this without green onion, too.

Serve hot with a cold beverage of your choice!