Fondue Recipes

In honor of Valentine's Day my recipe for this month is great for a dinner for two! My husband and I generally like to treat both of our boys to a "Valentine's Dinner" as well and this recipe is easy to double in order to feed all of your valentines.

    Cheese Fondue: 

·         6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

·         2 ounces Swiss cheese

·         4 ounces of your choice of beer (I recommend Heineken brand)

·         2 teaspoons chopped garlic

·         2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

·         2 tablespoons flour

·         2 teaspoons dry mustard powder

Directions:

If you are using a fondue pot, then turn it onto medium heat, otherwise, use a double boiler to heat this mixture in. Place beer, garlic, mustard powder, and Worcestershire sauce, and combine well. Shred or cube all cheese, and toss with flour, coating cheese well. The flour will help thicken the sauce. When the beer mixture is warm add one third of the cheese into the mixture, and whisk very well. Once the cheese has been incorporated well, add second third of cheese, whisk in very well, and add in the remaining cheese and whisk until nice and smooth.

I serve this with cubed bread (make sure it is a dense bread so it doesn’t fall apart in the cheese), pears, apples, and blanched cauliflower and broccoli.  Cut up bagels work well instead of cubed bread.   

     Coq Au Vin Broth:

·         3 3/4 C warm water

·         1 1/2 C red wine (I use Malbec)

·         3/4 C thinly sliced mushrooms

·         1/4 c chopped scallions

·         2 cloves chopped garlic

·         1 rib finely chopped celery

·         1 med carrot chopped

·         3 T onion finely chopped

·         2 T sea salt

·         1 T pepper

Directions:

Whisk ingredients in a bowl until combined pour into a fondue pot and bring to a rapid boil and continue to boil over medium high heat.

I serve this with cubed meat such as pork, chicken and steak.  Shrimp, salmon and tuna also make great meats for dipping in the broth.  You can also dip vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, brussel sprouts and potatoes in the broth.  Be sure to cook your meats thoroughly.  Estimated cooking times are as follows:

Chicken and Pork:5 minutes
Beef:3-4 minutes or until done as you prefer
Shrimp:1-2 minutes
Salmon and Tuna:2-3 minutes
Vegetables- Range from 3-7 minutes depending on your desired softness

    Chocolate Fondue:

      ·         8 oz. milk chocolate chips (I use ½ milk chocolate and ½ semi sweet chocolate)

      ·         2 T. heavy cream

      ·         2 T. creamy peanut butter (you can omit the peanut butter) 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in fondue pot or double broiler.  Continually stir until mixture is melted and incorporated.  Maintain on low heat to maintain consistency. 

There are many options of items to dip in the chocolate.  Some of my favorites are strawberries, cheese cake cubes, pears, marshmallows, rice crispy treat cubes, brownie bites, cookies and pretzels. 

Enjoy!