Take your sweetheart on a journey to the Mediterranean with my Valentine’s Breakfast in Bed menu!

VALENTINE’S BREAKFAST IN BED

If you want to have a fabulous Valentine’s Day morning enjoying Breakfast in Bed, then a little pre-day “prep” is necessary.  Don’t worry!  You can split up the preparations, and start up to 3 days before Valentine’s Day, so there’s no stress with this romantic menu.

My Valentine’s Breakfast in Bed spread includes three fabulous recipes that I know you and your sweetheart are going to love!

• Double Raspberry Champagne Cocktails (to start things off right!)
• Spanish Baked Eggs with Cayenne Candied Ham
• Tropical Fruits in Cardamom Spiced Syrup

 

MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES ARE MANDATORY FOR MORNING ROMANCE

All three of these recipes are fast, easy and can be prepped ahead of time for quick Valentine’s morning assembly.

You can make the Cardamom Spiced Syrup up to 3 days in advance.  And the ingredients for the Spanish Baked Eggs can all be done the day before.  I’ve also given you 2 great tips from my professional catering days to make your Valentine’s cocktail assembly speedy.  It’s just that simple!

 

HOW WILL YOU SERVE YOUR ROMANTIC VALENTINE’S BREAKFAST IN BED?

I would also spend a few moments planning on how you’ll be serving your Valentine’s Breakfast in Bed.  Will you be using a breakfast tray?  Or maybe it will be “picnic-style” right on the bed itself. (I’d lay down a pretty table cloth or throw first though!)

Here’s a few ideas to help you bring a little more Valentine’s Day romance into your morning!

• Use Valentine’s colored linen napkins wrapped in red/pink/white ribbons
• Throw some Valentine’s confetti on your breakfast tray or bed  (it won’t hurt if you roll on them, I promise)
• A bud vase with a single rose is always a lovely touch!
• Spell out “I LUV YOU” in Valentine’s candies 
• Use dried rose petals to decorate your breakfast tray
• Serve breakfast in bed dressed in an apron…

 

While your Spanish Baked Eggs are cooking, you’ll spend a few minutes getting your breakfast tray ready.  It’s just a matter of reheating the Cayenne Candied Ham and plating up the Tropical Fruits in Cardamom Spiced Syrup.  Then you’ll assemble 2 fabulous Double Raspberry Champagne Cocktails, and head back into the bedroom.

 

SPANISH BAKED EGGS WITH CAYENNE CANDIED HAM

Mediterranean ingredients blend into flavorful individual casseroles perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. 

Topped with Cayenne Candied Ham cubes, Spanish Baked Eggs with Cayenne Candied Ham is one tasty tapas-style morning treat.

It’s a breeze to have all the ingredients for these delicious individual casseroles all set to go in the refrigerator.  You’ll be all ready to break a few eggs, surround them with your prepared ingredients and pop them in the oven. 

This is definitely a “romance-friendly” recipe!  Let’s check out what’s next.

THE RECIPE CARD FOR SPANISH BAKED EGGS WITH CAYENNE CANDIED HAM IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.

 

TROPICAL FRUITS IN CARDAMOM SPICED SYRUP

When you’re having breakfast in bed, you don’t want to be fussing in the kitchen that morning.

That’s why this recipe for Tropical Fruits in Cardamom Syrup is such a great breakfast choice.  The beautifully flavored syrup is gently scented with cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg, and can be made up to 3 days before serving.

If you have the fruits prepped the day before, they can spend the night macerating in the scented syrup.  When you take the fruit out of the refrigerator in the morning, you’ll have a divine breakfast fruit salad to enjoy.

Now, do you know how to supreme citrus fruits for this kind of recipe?  If not, let me show you my simple method!

 

HOW TO SUPREME CITRUS FRUITS

Though the white pith and membrane of citrus fruits are edible, they’re also quite bitter. For recipes like my Tropical Fruits in Cardamom Spiced Syrup, you’ll want to supreme the grapefruit, removing the sweet flesh from its pith. 

Here’s my technique for making citrus supreme slices:

• Trim top and bottom; set cut side up. Slice lengthwise between flesh and peel, following fruit’s contour; remove peel and pith.
• Hold fruit over bowl to catch juice. Slice lengthwise between 1 segment and the membrane until you reach the center of the fruit.
• Make a similar slice on the other side of the segment. Use the knife blade to remove segment. Repeat.
• Once all segments are removed, squeeze juice from membrane into the bowl. Discard membrane; reserve juice for another use.

 

Now you know how to supreme citrus of all kinds, including oranges and grapefruits.  But of course, you can always purchase prepared grapefruit slices at the grocer’s.  I won’t tell!

 

TROPICAL FRUITS IN CARDAMOM SPICED SYRUP

Here the super simple recipe for this fabulously easy and delicious breakfast dish!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cardamom pods or 1 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 pink grapefruits
• 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
• Fresh mint for garnish

 

CARDAMOM SPICED SYRUP INSTRUCTIONS:  

• Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir to combine, and continue to cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear. 
• Add spices, stir to combine. Let simmer for 3 minutes, turn off heat, let cool with spices in pot. 
• Once syrup is cool, remove whole spices and discard.  Pour spiced syrup into a tightly covered container/mason jar and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

 

SALAD ASSEMBLY:

• Combine cooled syrup with fruit pieces in a deep bowl to keep fruit submerged in liquid. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before serving.  Garnish with fresh mint if desired.

 

DOUBLE RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

Here’s a fast and fabulous Valentine’s Breakfast in Bed cocktail recipe I know you’ll both love!

They’ve got a double hit of raspberry with a mini-scoop of raspberry sorbet and are rimmed with a sweet raspberry dust!

With a few fresh berries tossed in, they should really be a “triple” raspberry cocktail, right?

DOUBLE RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS – 2 Servings

• 1 cup freeze-dried raspberries
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• Chilled champagne
• 2 mini-scoops raspberry sorbet or sherbet
• Fresh raspberries

 

RASPBERRY RIMMING DUST

Place the freeze-dried berries and sugar in a spice grinder/food processer / blender. Pulverize into a fine dust. 

Place Raspberry Rimming Dust in an airtight container if not using immediately.

HOW TO USE RIMMING DUST:  Place the rimming dust in a low container so that it is at least 1/8 inch deep.  Dip the champagne glass rims in cold water, no deeper than 1/4 inch deep.  Then dip wet rims in raspberry rimming dust and let dry completely before using.  (THIS STEP CAN BE DONE THE NIGHT BEFORE SERVING!)

 

DOUBLE RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL ASSEMBLY:

• Place a mini-scoop of raspberry sorbet in the bottom of each Raspberry Dust rimmed glass
• Drop in 2-3 fresh raspberries, slowly pour chilled champagne into glasses in small quantities, stopping between to let the bubbles die down before adding more.  (if the champagne bubbles over, you’ll lose some of your lovely Raspberry Dust rims!)

 

NAN’S PRO CATERING TIP:  THE DAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO ENJOY YOUR COCKTAILS, PLACE A SMALL PLATE IN THE FREEZER.  MAKE A FEW PERFECT SCOOPS OF RASPBERRY SORBET.  PLACE THEM ON THE CHILLED PLATE, COVER WITH PLASTIC WRAP, AND KEEP FROZEN UNTIL NEEDED. (this makes cocktail assembly fast!)

 

WANT TO SPICE UP YOUR VALENTINE’S CELEBRATION EVEN MORE?

I’ve created some more really special Valentine’s Day printables and recipes to help you celebrate your day of romance too!

• LOVE TOKENS – They’re so fun to give to your sweetheart, and I’ve got lots of great ideas on how to package them too!
• VALENTINE’S GIFT TAGS – If you’re so inclined, you can give your sweetie a gift and use one of these very special gift tags to say I LOVE YOU!

 

• PINK PANNA COTTA WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CHERRIES – It’s make ahead friendly too! You can also make individual molded versions with a pretty design in the chocolate sauce.
• FANCY VALENTINE’S CANDY HEARTS – One creative and fun afternoon will net you a whole bunch of fabulously gorgeous candies to thrill your Valentine.

 

• ROMANTIC TAPAS FOR TWO – Take your sweetheart on a romantic trip to Spain for Valentine’s Day this year!  I shared four fabulous tapas recipes to share with your Valentine:  SPANISH CHORIZO & SHALLOTS IN RED WINE – TAPAS GARLIC TOASTS WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS – SPANISH PATATAS BRAVAS & CHILLED MUSSELS IN TANGY VINAIGRETTE

 

VALENTINE’S DAY ROMANTIC PRINTABLES

Want your own set of VALENTINE’S DAY ROMANTIC PRINTABLES, but you’re not on our list yet?

Why not join in on the fun!

Fill out the form below and I’ll send you a copy as a thank you for joining the IFAFL Email Subscriber List.

As a Ingredients For A Fabulous Life Subscriber, you’ll also get instant access to the IFAFL Resource Library and receive our twice-weekly emails.

What are you waiting for?  You don’t want to miss out on anything fabulous, do you? 

There’s always something fabulous happening here at Ingredients For A Fabulous Life, don’t you want to stay in the loop?  

And while you’re at it, come join the gang in our Facebook group and get in on the gabfest at, The Fab Life!  That’s where we show off our triumphs and share our pursuit of “the good life” with each other all week long. 

 

 

 

 

Spanish Baked Eggs with Cayenne Candied Ham

Yield: 2 Servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Mediterranean ingredients blend into flavorful individual casseroles perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. Topped with Cayenne Candied Ham cubes, this is one tasty Spanish morning treat.

Print

Ingredients

• CAYENNE CANDIED HAM
• 3 oz. ham steak, cubed
• 2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• SPANISH BAKED EGGS
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup onions, chopped
• ½ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Half cup asst. colors grape tomatoes, halved
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

CAYENNE CANDIED HAM

Place the butter a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and add ham cubes.  Heat and stir ham for 2 minutes.  Add brown sugar and cayenne to the pan.  Continue stirring mixture until it begins to bubble and glazes the ham cubes, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat, cover to keep warm until ready to use.  (if you’re making the ham ahead of time, cool and chill in a tightly covered container until needed)

SPANISH BAKED EGGS

Place a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add olive oil.  Add onions, peppers, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pan.  Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 individual casserole pans with nonstick spray.  Break 2 eggs into each casserole, making sure not to break yolks.  Arrange the cooked vegetable mixture evenly around eggs in both casseroles, keep yolks uncovered.  Toss tomato halves in a small bowl with 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper.  Arrange tomatoes in casseroles, cut-side up.  Bake for 12-17 minutes, depending on how you want your eggs cooked. (soft cooked approx. 12 mins – well done for 17 minutes)

Remove casseroles from oven, divide the Cayenne Candied Ham between the 2 casseroles and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can make the Cayenne Candied Ham up to 2 days before serving. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until ready to reheat.

TO REHEAT HAM: Bring ham to room temperature. Place in a small nonstick skillet over low heat. Gently heat and stir until heat through.

Nutrition Information

Yield 2 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 524Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 13gProtein 41g