Great recipes for a weeknight meal―or a special treat for your valentine

These 8 great seasonal recipes were submitted by our readers and tested in Sunset’s kitchen. Mix and match them for a quick weeknight dinner or a special Valentine’s Day meal for your sweetie.

Endive Salad with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Avocado
Samantha Saffir, Santa Monica

This salad makes great use of the excellent endive and avocados in the markets this time of year. Plus it has just enough richness to satisfy cold-weather appetites.
Prep and cook time: 20 minutes

Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes
Margee Berry, Trout Lake, WA

“I love the flavors of Greek cooking,” Berry says. Here, she uses lemon, fresh oregano, and feta to brighten up russet potatoes. Serve alongside grilled fish or steak.
Prep and cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Meyer Lemon–Crab Salad
Elizabeth Farquhar, Logsden, OR

This simple, refreshing salad combines two exceptional West Coast winter ingredients: crab and fresh citrus. Serve as a starter course or as a lunch entrée.
Prep time: 15 minutes

Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème
Meg Matta, Incline Village, NV

These small, very creamy desserts pack a serious dose of dark chocolate. Spiced with cinnamon and cayenne, they have a subtle, lingering heat.
Prep and cook time: 45 minutes, plus about 3½ hours to chill

Charlotte’s Cocoa Cake
Carol Worthington-Levy, San Jose, CA

Worthington-Levy’s mother-in-law, Charlotte Levy, gave her this recipe, which has all the flavor of rich hot chocolate.
Prep and cook time: About 1 hour

Bourbon-Glazed Shrimp
Brad Hightow, Oakland, CA

This recipe won “Best Seafood Dish” in a local barbecue contest. Hightow recommends using quality Bourbon.
Prep and cook time: About 35 minutes

Blue Cheese Cocktail Crackers
Betty Cornelison, Portland, OR

These savory little bites are great to serve with drinks. They’re also a tasty snack for game day.
Prep and cook time: About 35 minutes

Lemon-Artichoke Chicken
Charlotte Corkery, Auburn, CA

This dish is elegant enough for company but simple enough for weeknight meals. (Valentine’s Day, anyone?)
Prep and cook time: About 1 hour

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