Melting Pot

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day yesterday I loved all of the comments on my chocolate covered strawberry pancakes post  !

After years of doing the “traditional” Valentines day thing  which often consisted of a fancy, overpriced dinner at a crowded restaurant and a dozen roses I wanted this year to be different. I wanted something a little more laid back and intimate so instead of going out I decided to bring one of my favorite restaurants, The Melting Pot, to my own kitchen. I planned for weeks, found the perfect fondue pot, put together the most amazing menu and after our evening last night every last second of my work paid off, it was perfect. We sat by candle light dipping everything from pears to filet mignon, to bananas, enjoying every second of our time alone together. The night began with a delicious garlic, herb and cheddar fondue in to which we dipped pears, apples, bread, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Garlic Herb and Cheddar Fondue

adapted from The Melting Pot

Ingredients:

1 1/2 block (11 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded (I used a combination between extra sharp yellow and white cheddar)

3 T whole wheat pastry flour

1 C beer (I used coors light)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

6 T green goddess sauce (recipe below)

1 tsp Melting Pot garlic and wine seasoning (optional)

1 tsp pepper

Directions: Toss cheese with flour in a bowl. Place another bowl over a saucepan with water to create a double boiler. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat. Add beer and garlic to the bowl stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add in half of the cheese and stir until melted then add the remaining cheese a little at a time continuing to stir. Once cheese is melted stir in green goddess sauce and ground black pepper. Pour into a warm fondue pot and keep warm over low heat.

After nearly devouring the cheese fondue we moved on to the main course, assorted meats and vegetables cooked in a Coq ua Vin broth.

Coq au Vin Cooking Style

adapted from The Melting Pot

Ingredients:

3 3/4 C warm water

1 1/2 C burgundy (I used this)

3/4 C thinly sliced mushrooms

1/4 c chopped scallions

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 rib finely chopped celery

1 med carrot chopped

3 T onion finely chopped

2 T sea salt

1 T pepper

Directions: Whisk ingredients in a bowl until combined pour into a fondue pot and bring to a rapid simmer over medium high heat.

We cooked chicken, shrimp, filet mignon, and salmon along with a variety of vegetables in the broth and topped them off with garlic herb aioli, herbed butter, and green goddess sauce. The broth kept the meats so tender and juicy they just melted in our mouths.

Dutch loved the giant plate of meat so much he asked me to take a picture of him holding it haha..

I marinated both the chicken and the filet earlier that day to give them even more flavor.

Balsamic Marinade

adapted from The Melting Pot

Ingredients:

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1/2 T brown sugar

1/2 T soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1/2 lb beef cubed

Directions: cook vinegar over medium heat in a sauce pan 10 to 12 min or until reduced. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, and honey, let cool and add beef. Marinate 8-24 hours!

Garlic Herb Marinade

adapted from The Melting Pot

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 T chopped parlsey

1 tsp basil, dried

1 tsp salt

1 lb chicken cubed

Directions: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until warm, add garlic, remove from heat and let infuse for 15 minutes. Let cool and combine with the rest of the ingredients, add chicken and marinate 4 hours. Also a good marinade for seafood!

Green Goddess Sauce

adapted from The Melting Pot

Ingredients:

3/4 c softened cream cheese

1/2 c unsweetened original almond milk

1/4 c sour cream

1/4 c chopped parsley

2 tbsp minced onion

Directions: Combine ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth.

After an incredible appetizer and entree fondue we took a mini break and Dutch surprised me with another gift (the vita-mix was my early valentines day gift).

He went out and got everything we need to make a light box! I’m soo excited we are Dutch is building it for me tonight! Finally no more crappy lighting on my pictures

Dessert was dark chocolate fondue with an assortment of fruit for dipping.

Dark Chocolate Fondue

adapted from The Melting Pot

Ingredients:

10 oz dark chocolate (we used 90%)

5-6 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Directions: Combine chocolate and cream in a double boiler over a pot of boiling water and stir until melted. Pour into a warm fondue pot and serve.

The food was amazing and the no stress laid back evening was even more perfect than I had expected. This was by far the best Valentines day I have ever had (I think Dutch agrees) and I cannot wait to try to outdo myself next year

I’m off to get some work done for school before spinning class @ 6 tonight have a lovely Tuesday!