V for Valentine (Creamy Chicken, Creamy Potato Stew, Creamy Dessert, and Creamy Looking Drink)

My SO got me a bouquet of flower for Valentine's Day, but we couldn't dine out. But no worries, it was more special to celebrate at home IMO, with home cooked meals, and Monopoly hahaha.

All recipes resulting in creamy goodies as they are using either sour cream, heavy cream/whipping cream, condensed milk, etc.

Step 1: Creamy Chicken

I try to be exact, but honestly, most of the time I don't really use measurement when cooking, just a little bit of this, a little bit of that, adjusting the flavor.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast, about 6 of them, halved

About 1/3 c flour

Enough salt, a little ground black pepper, and a pinch of Hungarian paprika powder

1-2 tbsp grated cheddar cheese (grate using the thinnest spikes of the grater)

Enough butter

Mix all dry ingredients, coated chicken, and fry using butter. Place chicken into a baking sheet.

About 1/2 can of condensed soup of chicken

About 1/2 can of evaporated milk

Hungarian Vegeta powder, a pinch of garlic powder, and pepper to taste (if you cannot find Vegeta powder, you can use salt, or any flavoring powder, just to make the flavor a bit richer)

Mix and heat ingredients in a pan, then pour onto chicken. Bake at preheated 350 F for 20-25 minutes, covered

A small plate of grated cheese (grate with the largest spikes of the grater)

Take out pan, take off aluminum foil that was covering the chicken, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes (or until cheese melted).

Step 2: Creamy Potato Stew

This is a Hungarian dish that is knows as krumplifozelek. My SO fav. And since he was/is sick for Valentine's Day, I prepared this on purpose.

Again, no exact measurement, just a bit of this and that

About 8-12 medium large potatoes, skinned, cubed

Enough water

2 bay leaves

Half onion

A pinch of salt

Bring this to boil

Meanwhile, chop the other half of the onion, mix it with sliced of garlic. Since I didn't have enough of fresh garlic, I added a little garlic powder as seen on the picture. Once the pot is boiling, add this mixture into the pot and stir. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Once potatoes are tender, make roux by heating up a little oil/butter/margarine. Add in enough flour, stir fast, then add in hot water. This will give you thick paste. Pour in roux into the pot, stir to combine.

Once stew is getting thick, add in Hungarian paprika powder, and stir to combine, then add in enough sour cream.

Step 3: Strawberry Trifle

A simple dessert and yet oh so good.

For the cake

1 pound butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy (until lighter yellow). Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy (until butter is white). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow yolk disappears. Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Batter should be smooth. Stir in extracts. Pour into a greased and floured pan (can be as shown, can be 10 inch tube pan, can be loaf pan too). Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the cream part, you can use pastry cream, custard, or pudding, either made from scratch or from box.

You can also use strawberry jam, strawberry puree, strawberry pudding, strawberry pie filling, either made from scratch or from box/jar, or even store bought.

And lastly, don't forget to whip heavy cream/whipping cream for topping and slices strawberry for decoration.

All you have to do is crumble the cake, top with cream, followed with strawberry filling, repeat layers, then top with whipped cream and decorate.

Step 4: Happy Soda

This is a known Indonesian fun drink called Soda Gembira. Quick and easy and delicious.

Pour a sum of sweetened condensed milk on bottom, followed with syrup (preferably any syrup that the color is red. Here I used Cocopandan syrup, but you can use raspberry syrup, etc. The syrup usually the thick type, however if you cannot find any of those, you can use Torani flavoring syrup, again preferably the red ones). Then pour on top club soda and ice. Voila. You are set.

NOTE: I tried substituting the soda part with sparkling wine and/or Martini Asti. Doable, but I feel guilty to Martini Asti hahaha Expensive and good as it is.

Step 5: A Touch to the Table

As I served the Valentine dinner in front of TV (yeah we are romantic like that hahaha), since SO was/is sick, I let him dine in front of TV, which was a bit relaxing than the dining table, I used a small table and it was rather plain, so I grabbed one of the flower from his bouquet and placed it on table to make it nicer.

Happy Valentine's Day all~~