Valentine's Day Dinner Menu Cooked From Your Authentic Pizza Oven

Valentine's day is just around the corner. It's the perfect time to start planning for your Valentine's day dinner menu! Surprise your beloved with sumptuous dishes amidst a romantic ambiance in your very own backyard or outdoor kitchen space.

We are featuring delicious, homemade recipes from some of our dear Authentic Pizza Oven customers, who enjoyed a wonderful time cooking, baking, and eating with their loved ones on V-day.

One thing remains true in all their experiences: Their authentic wood-fired pizza oven doubled the excitement and taste with its unique ability to add flavor to a dish - and create loving memories close to your heart.

For Starters…

1. Valentine's Day Heart Shaped Lobster Tails

Wood fired lobster tails, blistered tomatoes, and fresh herb.

Ingredients:

• 4 Oz butter 
• 1 T chive 
• 1 tea basil 
• 1/4 tea sage 
• 1/4 tea garlic 
• S&P to taste 
• Lobster tails

Directions:

1. Split lobster tails down the middle 
2. Curl thickest part of the tail to itself and pin with a toothpick 
3. Lightly oil, salt, peeper 
4. Same seasoning for cherry tomatoes 
5. Roast tomatoes close the the embers 
6. Roast lobster tails close to embers 8 minutes 
7. In a small pan:

• 4 Oz butter 
• 1 T chive 
• 1 tea basil 
• 1/4 tea sage 
• 1/4 tea garlic 
• S&P to taste 

For the Main Course…

2. Valentine's Day Heart Shaped Pizza

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 30 minutes not including proofing

Ingredients:

• 1 packet platinum instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon or 1/3 of a 2 ounce block (so .66 ounces of cake yeast)
• ~350 grams of water or 1 1/2 cups * If using the same day, use warm water (105-115 degrees F/40-46 degrees C). * If fermenting overnight in the fridge use cold water
• 10 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoon olive oil
• ~475 grams or 3 – 3 1/2 cups 00 Pizza flour or any high gluten bread flour, plus extra as needed
• 8 grams (1.4 teaspoon) sea salt

Directions:

1. If using Active Dry yeast, you need to proof it first. Proof the yeast by pouring the yeast into the water in a bowl of your stand mixer and gently stir until the yeast dissolves. 

*Cake yeast you may have to break up with your fingers. If using      Instant Yeast, you do not need to proof it. Just add the water and yeast to the bowl and skip to step 3.

2. Let the yeast and water stand until foamy, about 5 minutes*. If using cold water, just mix and move to the next step as the yeast won’t quite bloom with cold water.

3. Once the yeast has bloomed (if you’re using cake or active dry yeast), add in the flour and fit your mixer with a dough hook. Mix on low just until loosely combined.

4. Add in the salt while the mixer is running, stopping if need be to scrape down the sides. After 3 minutes of mixing, drizzle in the oil.

5. Mix until a soft, smooth elastic ball forms; ~ 8-10 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be wet/tacky to the touch. If need be add a tablespoon of flour or so to help combine. If it’s too dry, you may need to add a few tablespoons of water.

6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a very lightly floured surface. Give it a few kneads to form the dough into a smooth ball tucking the ‘ends’ underneath.

7. Allow the dough to rest, covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, using very lightly floured hands, knead the dough gently by hand just to smooth it out and divide into smaller portions.  If using the same day, divide the dough in half, shape as balls, and put in 2 separate bowls (covered) and allow to rise until doubled in size; about 60-90 minutes. 

*If you’re placing in the fridge, divide into 2 equal-sized balls, and place in 2 bowls covered with plastic wrap (just be sure it has enough room to rise) and refrigerate (covered) for 48-72 hours. The slow cold rise will help build the flavors. 

8. Coat the pizza peel with bench flour to shape the pizza. If desired, coat parchment with bench flour, shape the pizza and then transfer the shaped pizza to the pizza peel. Before putting it into the oven (remove the parchment)

Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

For Dessert Options…

3. Valentine's Day Strawberry Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 loaf cut into cubes
• 9 large yolks
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp table
• 2.5 heavy cream
• 2.5 milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups sliced strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat Pizza oven to 300
2. In an extra-large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt.  
3. Whisk in milk and cream until well mixed (2 minutes).  
4. Add bread cubes, Strawberries and toss to coat.  
5. Transfer mixture to a buttered 13 by 9-inch baking dish and let stand, occasionally pressing bread cubes in custard, until cubes are thoroughly saturated, about 30 minutes.  
6. Place the baking Dish in the pizza oven as far from the coals as possible.  
7. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.  
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes
9. Serve.

4. Valentine's Day Chocolate Raspberry Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough 

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 2/4 cups 00 Caputo or pizza flour (all purpose will also do)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/3 cups warm water

Toppings

• Chocolate chips of your choice (nutella is a good substitute) 
• Raspberries or strawberries

Directions:

1. Whisk warm water and sugar in a bowl, then sprinkle dry yeast in.  Set this aside, approx. 10 minutes until it gets foamy.  
2. Stir in olive oil.
3. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.  Make a space in the center of the flour bowl and pour in the water and yeast mixture.  
4. Flour a clean surface and remove the dough from the bowl and start kneading until it's smooth and elastic.  Approx 5 minutes.  You may need to dust with more flour.
5. Form into 2 balls. Brush the inside of 2 large bowls with olive oil, add a ball of dough to each and turn to coat with the oil. 
6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until doubled in size. (approx. about 1 hour, 30 minutes)
7. When ready, form into a pizza shape.  

For the toppings:

1. Take the desired amount of chocolate chips and place in a glass or microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for no more than thirty seconds to just make them slightly melted so they stick to the dough.
2. Dust plenty of flour on your pizza peel, add chocolate chip mix and put in the oven for no more than 2 minutes.
3. Remove chocolate pizza from the oven and decorate with sliced strawberries, raspberries or the fruit of your choice.

 WARNING: Delicious!

5. Wood-fired Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Check out Red Maximus Prime Arena Portable Pizza Oven.

Directions:

1. Preheat your woodfired oven to approx.  375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. 
4. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Put the cookie sheet into your pizza oven for approximately 8 minutes but check frequently after 5 minutes.  
6. Let stand on a cookie sheet for two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

And now for some romantic tablescapes in your own backyard...