Surf & Turf Splurge – Intimate Valentine’s Day Dinner at Home using Giant Match Ups

Have you ever thought about having an intimate Valentine’s Day Dinner at home? Sometimes it feels like ‘amateur night’ when we go out to a restaurant on a big holiday. We like to go out before Valentine’s Day, and then make things special at home on the actual day. Here’s a Surf & Turf recipe match up splurge for Valentine’s Day. This is an intimate dinner you can easily prepare and enjoy together.

Lobster Tails, ($5.99 each this week at Giant)

There are 3 ways to make the Lobster Tails and they’re all quick and easy. You can steam them, grill them or bake them. Here are a few tips from Help with Cooking:

Steamed lobster tails

Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of a pan and add salt.
Bring the water to the boil.
Insert a wooden skewer or cocktail stick down the length of each lobster tail. This will prevent them from curling up upon steaming.
Place the tails on a steaming rack placed inside the pan and cover with a lid.
Steam the tails for about 7 or 8 minutes, drain and serve hot.

Grilled lobster tails

Insert a wooden skewer into the lobster tails to prevent them from curling on boiling.
Prepare a large saucepan of salted water according to instructions above for boiling lobster tails.
Once the water has reached a fierce boil, drop the tails in and cook for 4 minutes.
Drain the tails and position them on their backs once they have cooled slightly.
With a sharp knife, split the soft top shell of the tail, lengthways down the middle, but leave the hard shell underneath in tact.
Pour some melted butter and lemon juice over the meat of the tails or brush a marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, salt pepper, garlic powder and paprika over the meat and place shell side down into a pre-heated grill.
Grill for approximately 7 – 8 minutes under a medium – hot heat or until the meat is opaque, no longer transparent and firm to the touch.
If you wish, you may turn the tails over half way through cooking.
Remove from the grill and serve hot with lemon, melted butter or mayonnaise.

Baked lobster tails

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Split the soft shell of the lobster tail in half lengthways with a sturdy knife.
Place the lobster tails on a baking tray and brush them with melted butter.
Bake in the oven for between 8 and 10 minutes.
Serve hot with lemon slices, melted butter or mayonnaise.

Ribeye Steak ($5.99/lb at Giant this week)

Use your favorite spices and broil or grill. We like to use Balsamic Vinegar and Kosher Salt…mmmm!

Steamed Asparagus ($2.49/lb at Giant this week)

Here are some tips for steaming asparagus in the microwave from Start Cooking.

Preparation:

Wash one bunch of asparagus under cool running water.
Trim away the bottom 1/3 of the stalk. The tip of the asparagus is very tender, but the further down you go on the stalk, the tougher it gets.
If you bend the asparagus it will naturally snap at the point where it goes from tender to tough (which is usually about 1/3 of the stalk).
Peel the stalks so that they are the same width as the tip. This ensures even cooking. Really thin stalks of asparagus do not need peeling.
Lay the asparagus two to three deep in a rectangular dish.
Add one Tablespoon of water.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Leave a small vent in the corner for steam to escape. (This also helps the plastic wrap from almost shrink wrapping itself over the asparagus. When that happens it’s a lot harder to remover the plastic wrap. (Be careful not to get burnt from the hot steam!)
Set the microwave on high heat and cook the asparagus about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. If you want your asparagus to be more tender, cook it for another 30 seconds or so.
Be sure not to overcook asparagus. Overcooked asparagus not only turns to mush, but it develops into a very unappealing shade of green.