The Creative Kitchen | Cooking Light: Friday Night Valentine's Dinner for Two

Mom and Dad need time alone sometimes! Prepare a casual romantic kid-free dinner for two with these delicious recipes from our friends at Cooking Light.

Posole with Turkey and Heart-Shaped Chipotle Gorditas

A gordita, which means “little fat one” in Spanish (no offense intended), is a thick corn tortilla. In this recipe, we used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make sweet designs – perfect when creating this dish for someone special. Also, because gorditas are more practical to make in larger quantities, this recipe makes enough for two meals.

Ingredients

Gorditas:
2/3 cup masa harina or cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced seeded, canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
Cooking spray
Posole:
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound turkey tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chile)
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare gorditas, combine first 4 ingredients. Stir in water, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and chipotle chile. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a sharp (1 1/2-inch) heart-shaped cookie cutter into 12 gorditas. Place gorditas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; discard any remaining dough. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Reserve 6 gorditas for another use; refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
To prepare posole, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Combine turkey and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, tossing well to coat. Add turkey mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup broth and 1 tablespoon flour. Add broth mixture, remaining broth, hominy, and poblano chiles to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Remove 2 1/2 cups posole for another use; refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Arrange 6 gorditas on top of posole in pan; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Spoon 1 1/4 cups posole into each of 2 bowls, and top each serving with 3 gorditas. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Karen Levin, Cooking Light
JANUARY 1999

Chicken with Prosciutto and Tomatoes Over Polenta

Lightly breaded chicken thighs are seasoned with sage and white wine, topped with a tomato mixture, and served over polenta. Time-saving tip: while the chicken cooks, prepare the polenta.

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) chicken thighs, skinned
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups water
1 cup chopped seeded peeled tomato
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 very thin slices prosciutto or ham, cut into thin strips (about 1/4 cup)
Sage sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Sprinkle the chicken with sage, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side. Add wine; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 180°.
Place the cornmeal and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a 1-quart casserole. Gradually add water, stirring until blended. Cover. Microwave at high 12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan. Add tomato to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in juice and prosciutto. Spoon polenta onto plates, and top with chicken. Serve with the sauce. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.

Leslie Revsin, Cooking Light
MAY 2001

Bistro Roast Chicken

The French know a thing or two about romantic cooking. This Paris-inspired menu is the perfect example featuring Steamed Mussels, Bistro Roast Chicken, Pommes Frites with Chives, and finishing with a decadent Fudgy Espresso Soufflé.

Ingredients

2 chicken leg quarters (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 whole garlic heads

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.
Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Loosen skin from thigh and leg by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Combine basil and next 5 ingredients (basil through pepper). Rub herb mixture under loosened skin. Place chicken on a broiler pan. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone.
Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil; place on broiler pan with chicken. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450° (do not remove chicken from oven). Bake 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 180°. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.

Karen Levin, Cooking Light
JANUARY 1999

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.