Cooking For One? This Valentine's Day Menu Is Perfect For Solo Diners

Whether you're dealing with a recent breakup or loving the single life (or, perhaps, in a long-distance relationship) this Valentine's Day, celebrating solo can be a challenge. Even if you're perfectly happy to spend the evening in the company of Number One, the simple fact is that most Valentine's Day recipes are designed for two people (or a gaggle of Galentines). If you're cooking for one this Valentine's Day, we have just the menu for you: This decadent culinary itinerary features individual Beef Wellingtons and two solo-portioned dessert options from New York Times chefs. Keep scrolling for the best gift you can give yourself this Valentine's Day.

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Valentine's Day Recipes For One: Individual Beef Wellingtons

Yield: 2 servings

Time: 50 minutes, plus 1 hour's chilling

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (5-ounce) filets mignons, each about 1 1/2 inches thick
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ cup medium-bodied, acidic red wine, such as cabernet franc or pinot noir
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold (half of a 17.3-ounce box)
• 1 large egg

Preparation:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil. Generously season the filets mignons with salt and pepper, and sear until the surfaces on the top, bottom and rounded sides are no longer raw, about 2 minutes total. Transfer the steaks to a plate, reserving the oil in the skillet. Brush or spread the Dijon mustard all over each filet mignon and refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.
2. Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and no longer watery, 10 to 12 minutes. Be patient: The mushrooms will first release some water; then, once that liquid evaporates, the vegetables will start to brown. If the vegetables are sticking before they can brown, lower the heat or add a little water to the pan.
3. When the mushrooms are deeply browned, reduce the heat to medium and stir in the herbes de Provence, honey, wine and cream. Let the liquids bubble up and reduce until the mixture is thick and jammy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small dish and refrigerate until cool.
4. To assemble the Wellingtons, cut the puff pastry sheet in half (it doesn’t matter which direction). Use a rolling pin or empty wine bottle to evenly roll each sheet into an 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Mount a filet mignon-size circle of the chilled mushroom mixture in the center of each rolled-out sheet, evenly dividing the mixture between the two pastry pieces. Top each mound of mushrooms with a filet mignon.
5. Carefully bring the edges of the puff pastry up and over the steaks, stretching the dough if needed to completely cover the meat. Twist the tops of the dough to seal the filling, as if you’re making dumplings. You want an even, uniform layer of pastry, so trim any overlapping dough as you go. When the tops are nicely sealed, flip the Wellingtons over, seam side down, and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan. You can use your hands to gently tighten each Wellington into perfectly smooth spheres. Refrigerate to chill completely before baking, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.}
6. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small dish, whisk the egg until homogenous and, using a pastry brush or your fingers, evenly coat the entire outsides of the chilled Wellingtons with the egg. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. The internal temperature of the steak should read 120 degrees for medium-rare (it will continue to cook as it rests)
7. Transfer the Wellingtons to serving plates. Let them rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe by Eric Kim for The New York Times Cooking.

Valentine's Day Desserts: Peppermint Brownie Cookies

Yield: 12 cookies

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• •4 ounces/113 grams semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (¾ cup)
• ½ cup/42 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
• ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar
• ½ packed cup/107 grams dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
• 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
• ¾ cup/90 grams all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup/41 grams crushed peppermint candy

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Put chocolate and ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa powder in a small heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly but not browned, and pour over the chocolate. Without stirring, let the mixture sit so the residual heat can melt the chocolate thoroughly while you whip the eggs and sugar.
3. Put the eggs, both sugars and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pillowy and the sugars have begun to dissolve, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. If any solid pieces remain, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second bursts until everything is melted.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the peppermint extract and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then add the flour and remaining ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa, and mix on low until a few streaks of flour and cocoa remain. Use the spatula to finish folding in the dry ingredients to avoid overmixing. The dough will be looser than traditional cookie dough but not as thin as brownie batter.
6. Use a ¼-cup cookie scoop or measuring cup to scoop 12 (2-ounce) balls of batter onto the prepared sheets and bake. After 10 minutes, take the sheets out of the oven and bang them once on the counter to create a craggy surface and dense texture. Sprinkle a bit of crushed peppermint candy in the center of each cookie and return to the oven for another 2 minutes.
7. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies will keep for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe by Vaugh Vreeland for The New York Times Cooking.

Salted Margarita Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Time: 45 minutes, plus 2 hour's freezing

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
• About 40 saltine crackers (from one 4-ounce/113-gram sleeve)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

• 2 teaspoons lime zest plus 1/2 cup juice (from about 4 limes)
• ¼ cup tequila (preferably blanco)
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• Flaky salt, for finishing

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter (or use the wrapper from your stick of butter). Line the buttered pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. (This will help you pull the bars out of the pan easily.)
2. Prepare the crust: In a food processor, pulse the saltines until ground like coarse sand. (Alternatively, place them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.) It’s OK if there are a few larger pieces. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt, and pulse a few more times until all the crumbs are evenly saturated (or mix to combine in a medium bowl). Pour the mixture into the lined pan, press into an even layer and freeze for about 15 minutes.
3. After the crust has chilled, bake it until fragrant and golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. 4. While the crust cools, make the filling: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add the tequila lime mixture to the yolk mixture, whisk to combine, then pour into the prepared crust. (It’s OK if the crust is not yet completely cool.) You may be tempted to prepare the curd earlier, but don’t do so more than 10 minutes before baking, as the lime juice will start to thicken it, which could affect the bake.
5. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until the curd is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. 7. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then freeze for at least 2 hours.
6. After freezing, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with flaky salt, cut into 16 bars and serve right away. Store leftovers in the freezer. Cheers!

Recipe by Vaugh Vreeland for The New York Times Cooking.

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