A Valentine To Dismember

Dear Readers,
I'm just kidding. The only reason I called this post "A Valentine To Dismember" is that the entree is heart shaped...sorta.
This meal is going to make you a hero to your loved one - especially if you are one of those people who say they can't cook because it's really easy and pretty much foolproof. You don't believe me? Read on!
First, I'm going to make sure you get everything you need in one trip to the grocery.
This is the I-Don't-Cooker's biggest problem, the plan ahead thing. Now I'm assuming you all have the basic staples like salt and pepper in the house, but everything else - and I mean everything - is going to be listed.

SHOPPING LIST

Entree & Side Dishes:
2 double boneless, skinless chicken breasts - this means you might have to go to the butcher/poultry counter and tell the person behind the counter that you want two double breasts that will each become ONE SERVING. You don't need gigantic breasts (now get those minds out of the gutter!)
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp Honey
1 small package frozen strawberries (unsweetened), thawed
1 small bunch of scallions
1 lemon sliced into thin slices
1 pint fresh strawberries (or if you can find them at the salad bar, all you need are 2, with their green tops for garnish)
1 small can frozen O.J.; thawed
1 pkg frozen twice baked potatoes (prepared as instructed on the box)
2 large, fresh carrots (or carrot sticks from the salad bar enough for two servings)
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Butter

Dessert:
1 package frozen puff pastry
Seedless raspberry jam
1 bar of GOOD dark chocolate
1 single serving of premium quality vanilla ice cream thawed but still chilled

And that's it!

Now, let's prep....

1. Grab 2 scallions; cut the end off and cut it about two inches up from the bulb.
2. Now, turn your paring knife over so the blade faces up. While holding the bulb end in your left hand, stick just the tip of the knife into the scallion and pull upwards through the stem toward and through the green. Continue around the scallion slicing shallow lines up the stem until you have what looks like a tassel. Drop these in a glass of cold water and stick in the fridge - Voila! Garnish!
3. Take a couple fresh strawberries and slice them vertically toward the green top BUT NOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. If you then put the berry on its side and gently but firmly press down on the biggest part, the berry should fan out and look all purty - More garnish!
4. Take your thawed strawberries and push them through a strainer with the back of a spoon (to get rid of most of the pulp and seeds) into a small saucepan. Add a half teaspoon ground pepper, one teaspoon honey, a pinch or two of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Warm this mixture on low until bubbling and then remove from heat and set aside.
5. Prepare potatoes as instructed on package.
6. Take chicken breasts from package and place each one between two pieces of plastic wrap
7. Using the flat bottom of a saucepan or saute pan, pound the breasts to a uniform thickness
8. Salt, pepper, and lightly garlic powder on both sides. Notice that they look like hearts? Neat, huh?
9. Next, in a microwave safe vessel (I usually use a Pyrex measuring cup) set your carrot sticks in salted water and nuke 'em till they're still snappy and bright orange but tender enough to enjoy.
10. While those are cooking, go back to the greens of the scallion and choose a few nice looking ones. When the carrots are al dente, put them in a bowl and use the hot water to soften the greens till they're pliable, You're going to use these to tie the carrot sticks into single serving bundles - Impressive!
11. Now, take a couple pats of butter and 2 tbsps of the orange juice concentrate and mix them in the (now empty) measuring cup - This is your orange butter sauce for the carrot bundles...keep it warm.
12. Now it's time to heat up your saute pan with some olive oil and saute the chicken breasts until they're cooked through.
13. Service: On the warmed plate, place a generous spoonful of the strawberry sauce in the center and, with the back of your spoon, spread it in a circular motion to cover the bottom of the plate.
14. Place the chicken breast on top of the strawberry sauce and place your splayed strawberry on top; Lay a lemon slice at the top of the heart and grab a curly topped scallion, shake of the excess water and tuck it under the top of the heart on top of that lemon....pretty, huh?
15. Now, on a smaller side plate, serve the twice baked potato and scallion tied carrot bundle and drizzle the orange/butter sauce over the carrots. Gawgeous!

 Dessert Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut the thawed puff pastry into 2 six inch squares and place on a baking sheet
3. Place a square or two of chocolate in the center of each square, top with one tablespoon of raspberry jam and twist the corners together to form a bundle.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown
5. Cool on a rack for about ten minutes
6. Remember what you did with the strawberry sauce? Do the same with the vanilla ice cream "sauce" on a dessert place and place the chocolate bundle off center in the puddle of sauce and put a small dollop of jam in the sauce. Using a toothpick draw it through the center of the jam until it forms a little heart...Cute.
7. If you have any powdered sugar, you can shake some over the top of the bundle....Serve warm

Enjoy yourselves and let me know what happens! Well, not EVERYthing that happens!