The way to a man's heart is through his stomach

Here's what we did for valentine's day. I always love an excuse to pull out the china. It belonged to Alan's grandmother.

First up on the menu was herb roasted cornish game hens, phyllo parmesan aspargus bundles and carrot basmati rice pilaf. For dessert I made a simple lemon cream and raspberry cake.

Here is the link to the rice pilaf, which I posted before.

Herb Roasted Cornish Game Hens

3 cornish game hens, thawed, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 T. minced fresh sage

1 T. minced fresh thyme

1 T. minced fresh rosemary

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

1 t. kosher salt

2 T. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450. Mix the butter and herbs together in a small bowel. Carefully separate the skin from the breasts of the hens and spoon in 1/3 of the butter mixture into that space into each one, spreading it out evenly. Place the hens on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and a few generous grinds of pepper. Roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 170 when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Baste 2-3 times with the pan drippings during cooking. Remove to a platter and allow to rest for about 10 minutes, then use kitchen shears to cut each hen in half down the middle. Serves 6.

Parmesan Phyllo Asparagus Bundles

1 bundle of asparagus, rinsed, dried and ends snapped off

1 roll of frozen phyllo dough (package usually contains 2 rolls), thawed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 stick of butter

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Carefully unroll the phyllo, remove one sheet, then cover the remaining stack with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap. Cut phyllo sheet in half lengthwise and brush each strip with butter. Sprinkle parmesan cheese down the length of it, as well as a dash of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Lay three fat or four skinny stalks of asparagus at one end of a strip and roll up. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat until you run out of asparagus. Drizzle any leftover butter over the rolls on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the phyllo is golden and crispy and the asparagus is tender. Serve immediately.

Raspberry and Lemon Cream Cake

1 white cake mix, prepared according to package directions

2/3 cup lemon curd, divided

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

seedless raspberry jam or pie filling

Bake white cake according to package directions and allow to cool. I used a Wilton heart pan, and one mix fit in it. Slice a thin layer off the top, just enough to flatten it. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd over the cut surface, about 1/4 of a cup. Beat the cream until semi-stiff peaks form, then beat in the powdered sugar and lemon curd. Frost sides and top of cake, reserving some to pipe a border. Pipe or spoon raspberry filling on top, then pipe additional cream around the edges.