How to set up a fun Valentine's Day brunch for the ones you love, using loads of flowers, pantry ingredients & some store bought staples.
When I had the idea to put this brunch together, my goal was to design a menu with recipes that are extremely approachable, to add a few fun little heart shaped dishes into the mix, and to decorate the table with loads of flowers. I know that we all have a lot going on, and while Valentine’s Day is cute, no one has tons of time to spend on it, especially if you have little ones running around. The nice thing about this menu is that you can pick and choose which recipes you want to make, or you can make them all. Several of them only require 5 or 6 ingredients – like the jam filled heart puff pastries and maple-sherry breakfast sausages.Â
This menu and these recipes feed 4 to 6 people. Several of these recipes are posted independently and a few were just too simple to post. I’ve included links to the recipes with printable pages and detailed instructions for the others below. I’ve also included links to buy a few of my favorite items.
menu
Breakfast Pizza with Over Easy Eggs, Ham, Asparagus & Fontina
Beet Cured Gravlax with Dill Crème Fraîche
Churros Waffles with Chocolate Ganache & Strawberries
Berry Jam Filled Puff Pastry Hearts with Cream Cheese Frosting
churro waffles with chocolate ganache & fresh strawberries
To make the delicious churro waffles with chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries, start with either your favorite frozen, store bought waffles (I recommend buying Belgian waffles if you can), or you can use your best waffle mix and your own waffle maker to make the waffles before coating them in cinnamon and sugar. Here’s the recipe:Â
Churros Waffles:
4 to 6 frozen Belgian waffles, or fresh waffles from your waffle maker
½ cup melted, salted butter
¾ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Chocolate Ganache:
1½ cups dark chocolate chips
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Ganache: Heat the heavy cream and chocolate in a small saucepan, whisking until smooth. Alternatively put them in a ceramic bowl and microwave until melted and smooth – heat in 1 minute increments to ensure that you don’t overcook the chocolate.Â
Waffles: dip each waffle into the melted butter, then coat both sides in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Divide the waffles between plates and top with the chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries.Â
Beet Cured Gravlax with Dill Crème Fraîche
The beet cured gravlax may seem daunting, but it couldn’t be easier. You really just need two main things: a nice piece of salmon and patience – 2 days to be exact. Here’s the recipe:Â
Gravlax:
1½ pounds good quality raw salmon filet, skin and bones removed
2 large beets, peeled and grated on a box grater
¾ cup sugar
½ cup kosher salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
Dill Crème Fraîche:Â
1 8oz container crème fraîche
3 tablespoons chopped dill
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Gravlax: Mix all of the curing ingredients together. Place the piece of fish on a large piece of plastic wrap, rubbing half of the cure over the top. Flip the fish over and and rub the remaining cure onto the other side. Wrap it very tightly in the plastic wrap. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet, or put it in a small baking dish. Top the fish with a plate and then put a large soup can or a jar of pasta sauce on top. Refrigerate the fish like this for 1 day. After one day flip the fish over, place the plate and weight back on top of it and refrigerate it for another 24 hours. Before serving unwrap the fish and gently rinse most of the cure off. Pat dry before thinly slicing. Serve with dill crème fraîche and lemon wedges.Â
Dill Crème Fraîche: mix all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until serving if needed.Â
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