Love feast: a home-cooked meal with a lot of heart

This Valentine's, skip the overpriced, overcrowded restaurants (any foodie will tell you it's the worst night of the year to eat out) and whip up this romantic dinner for two right in your own kitchen. Set the mood with a heart-shaped swirl of sour cream in a smooth red pepper soup. A make-ahead strata and quick, crisp-tender broccoli raab let you spend more time over candlelight and less over a hot stove. Cap off the evening with creamy individual cheesecakes (and why not a glass or two of bubbly?), and you've got a five-star dining experience--minus the wait for a table.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

menu

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Broccoli Raab with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins

Spinach-Mushroom Strata

Mini Cheesecakes with Mango-Raspberry Sauce

MINI CHEESECAKES WITH MANGO-RASPBERRY SAUCE

Serves 2

These individual cheesecakes wowed us with their simplicity and their flavor. Have both the egg and the cream cheese at room temperature before you use them to ensure a smooth texture.

Mango-Raspberry Sauce
1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed
1/4 cup mango-apricot nectar or
    orange juice
1 Tbs. sugar

Mini Cheesecakes
6 oz. fat-free or low-fat cream
  cheese, softened
3 Tbs. fat-free condensed milk
2 Tbs. mango-apricot nectar
  or orange juice
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 round sugar cookies, such as
  Pepperidge Farm Sugar Cookies

1. To make Mango-Raspberry Sauce:
Puree all ingredients in blender until
smooth. Strain, and set aside.

2. To make Mini Cheesecakes: Preheat
oven to 325F. Coat 2 6-oz. ramekins
with cooking spray. Beat cream cheese
with electric beater until smooth.
Add condensed milk, and blend until
smooth. Add nectar, egg and vanilla,
and beat just until smooth.

3. Set 1 cookie in bottom of each
ramekin. Fill ramekins with cream
cheese mixture. Place ramekins in
9-inch square ovenproof dish, and add
hot water to come halfway up sides of
ramekins. Place dish in oven, and bake
35 to 40 minutes, or until just set.

4. Remove from water bath, and set
on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Transfer
to refrigerator, and chill 4 hours, or
up to 2 days. Serve cheesecakes with
Mango-Raspberry Sauce.

PER SERVING: 338 CAL; 19G PROT: 6G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 53G CARB; 122MG CHOL; 560MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 42G SUGARS

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ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP

Serves 2 * Vegan

Your sweetie will never guess this soup was made with ingredients you already had in your pantry.

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
12-oz. jar roasted red peppers,
  drained and rinsed
1/2 cup canned, diced fire-roasted
  tomatoes
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. vegan sour cream

1. Heat oil in pot over medium heat.
Add onion, and saute 5 minutes,
or until softened. Add garlic, and
cook 1 minute more. Stir in peppers,
tomatoes, sugar and 1 cup water.
Simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat,
and stir in vinegar. Transfer mixture to
blender, and puree until smooth. Season
with salt and pepper.

2. Whisk sour cream with 1 tsp. water
until smooth. Transfer to small plastic
bag. Close bag, and snip small hole in
one corner. Ladle soup into bowls.
Squeeze sour cream mixture into heart
shape in soup, and serve.

PER SERVING: 101 CAL; 2G PROT; 3. 5G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 17G CARB; 5MG CHOL; 530MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 11G SUGARS

SPINACH-MUSHROOM STRATA

Serves 2

This entree can be put together a day ahead and refrigerated--just let it stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more
  for brushing
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
  (about 3 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
  (about 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. chopped thyme
2 Tbs. sherry
5 oz. spinach (about 4 cups)
2 1/2 cups cubed French bread,
crusts removed
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable
  broth
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease
2 12-oz. souffle dishes or 1 9-inch
glass pie plate. Heat oil in nonstick
skillet over high heat, and add
mushrooms. Saute 5 minutes, or
until browned. Add garlic and
thyme, and cook 1 minute. Stir in
sherry, and cook 1 minute more,
or until liquid has evaporated.
Season with salt and pepper, and
transfer to bowl.

2. Return pan to high heat. Add
spinach and 1 Tbs. water, and cook
1 minute, or until spinach wilts.
Season with salt and pepper, and
place in colander. Press out all
liquid, and chop. Toss spinach and
bread with mushrooms.

3. Whisk broth and egg in small
bowl. Pour over bread mixture, t
and add cheese, stirring until bread c
has absorbed all liquid. Spoon into
prepared baking dishes, and press
down lightly. Bake 40 minutes,
or until browned and bubbling.
Let stand 10 minutes so strata
will set, then serve.

PER SERVING: 321 CAL; 18G PROT; 14.5G TOTAL FAT (5G SAT. FAT); 31G CARB; 126MG CHOL; 700MG SOD; 4G FIBER; 3G SUGARS

BROCCOLI RAAB WITH PINE NUTS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Serves 2 * Vegan 30 minutes or fewer

The bitter taste and crunchy texture of broccoli raab--a leafy green that's a favorite in southern Italy--are the perfect complement to rich, cheesy entrees like Spinach-Mushroom Strata.