The Walkers: From the very start . . .

You stole my heart! So the card from Jeremy read. Overall, I prefer a pretty low key Valentine’s Day. I don’t expect expensive jewelry or other nice things- I really think it’s more about spending time with the person you love.

Time is what I wanted- time is what Jeremy gave me. We planned to make a special Valentine’s dinner. It might not seem like much, but that’s a pretty big sacrifice for Jeremy. He doesn’t really like to cook that much, but he knows much I absolutely love it!

Jeremy picked all of our recipes for our V-day feast. On the menu: cumin tomato, avocado salad, shrimp linguine, butternut squash macaroni, asparagus and strawberry mascarpone mini-cupcakes.

Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Lime, and Toasted Cumin Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks, or 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ripe large Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
Toasted Cumin Vinaigrette, recipe follows
2 cups arugula leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
Gently mix the tomatoes, avocados, onions, arugula, and half of the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Check for seasoning and add more vinaigrette, if needed. Sprinkle the cumin and cilantro over the top and serve immediately.

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, honey, cumin, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oils until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Do not use a blender to make this vinaigrette.

Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened

2 egg whites

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 box white cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Special equipment: 4 mini muffin tins and 48 mini muffin paper cupcake liners

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill the mini cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.