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A Fare of the Heart

On Valentine's Day, my children are often surprised with heart-shaped sandwiches, cookies and chocolate kisses tucked inside their lunch boxes. For a special family Valentine's dinner, the theme is carried further. Shrimp are skewered to make heart-shaped kabobs. For the grown-ups, the shrimp is seasoned with capers and lemon, piccata style. For the children, cocktail sauce accompanies the shrimp for dipping. Serve with steamed rice, fresh asparagus and chocolate for dessert and put the kids to bed early.

Sweetheart Shrimp
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 2 adults and 2 children

1 1/4 pounds medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt for seasoning
Butter for greasing the skillet

GROWN-UPS
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon butter
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

CHILDREN
1/4 cup cocktail sauce

Combine the shrimp, olive oil, and garlic together. Season with salt. To make the heart-shaped shrimp, position the first shrimp on a 6-inch skewer with the rounded side facing to the right. Pierce the shrimp from the outside and through the head portion maintaining the natural shape of the shrimp. Thread the next shrimp with the rounded side facing left. Repeat the process making 3-4 hearts for adults and 2-3 hearts for kids. Run another skewer through the shrimp where the tails meet to form the pointed tip of the heart at the bottom.

Grease a large non-stick skillet with butter and heat over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Place the skewers in the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until done. Transfer to warm dinner plates. Add the capers, white wine, and lemon zest to the skillet and scrape the bottom to loosen the caramelized juices. Add the butter and swirl until melted. Season to taste with pepper. Spoon the sauce over the shrimp for the grown-ups. Serve the shrimp for the kids with cocktail sauce in small bowls for dipping.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and transfer back to the pot. Add the Canadian bacon and toss to combine. Transfer half to another bowl for the children and toss with butter and Parmesan cheese.

For the grown-ups, pour the egg mixture over the remaining spaghetti and ad the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Toss well to blend. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve on individual plates garnished with more Parmigiano-Reggiano.

GROWN-UPS
Calories 140; Calories from fat 50; Total fat 6g; Saturated fat 2.5g
Cholesterol 170mg; Sodium 350mg; Carbohydrate 1g; Dietary fiber 0g; Sugars 0g; Protein 18g

CHILDREN
Calories 140; Calories from fat 30; Total fat 3.5g; Saturated fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 165mg; Sodium 590mg; Carbohydrate 7g; Dietary fiber 0g; Sugars 6g; Protein 18g

Kristene Fortier, author of The Whole Family Cookbook lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Send questions or tips to pickykids@aol.com and while online visit www.healthykitchen.com. Save 20% on your copy of The Whole Family Cookbook: Two-Tiered Meals to Please Both Parents and Kids, by Kristene Fortier, ($14.95 Birch Lane Press) by calling 800-857-5600. You must request the discount when orders are placed.