No-Fail Romantic Dinner for Two: Christmas Recipes You'll Both Enjoy

Spending Christmas with someone special this year? These simple recipes are perfect for a romantic Christmas Day or Christmas Eve dinner for two. Salmon is a romantic food that is perfect when cooking a special dinner for two, whether it is Christmas serve or not. Here is my favorite salmon recipe:

Christmas Eve Salmon with a Creamy Tarragon Sauce:

I love this simple recipe because you can make the tarragon sauce before Christmas Eve and not spend too much time in the kitchen right before the meal. This dish is more than enough for two, so you will have some leftovers for later!

Tarragon Sauce:
4 large bunches fresh tarragon (about 1 ounce total)
2 large bunches fresh chives (about 2/3 ounces)
2 large shallots
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups mayonnaise
2/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:
5 cups dry white wine
5 cups water
1 (6-pound) skin-on salmon fillet
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound cooked sugar snap peas, diagonally cut into thirds, for garnish

To Make the sauce you need to Pick enough tarragon leaves to measure 1 cup (do not pack). Chop enough chives to measure 2/3 cup. Coarsely chop shallot. In a food processor puree tarragon, chives, and shallot with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. (Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to cool room temperature before serving.)

To Make the salmon recipe you need to Bring the wine and water to a simmer in a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cut salmon into 12 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Submerge 3 salmon pieces, skin sides down, in simmering liquid (add hot water, if necessary, to just cover salmon) and poach at a bare simmer, covered, 8 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer cooked salmon with a slotted spatula to a platter to cool and poach remaining salmon in same manner. When salmon is cool enough to handle, peel off skin and if desired with a sharp knife scrape off any dark meat. Salmon may be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salmon to cool room temperature before serving.

Now, nothing goes better with Salmon than asparagus. This simple side dish has only three ingredients. It is the perfect no fail recipe for a romantic Christmas dinner for two.

Roasted Asparagus:
2 bunches asparagus, washed
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place asparagus in a large plastic bag. Drizzle half the olive oil over the asparagus, seal the bag and shake until asparagus is coated evenly with the olive oil. If necessary, add only enough of the remaining olive oil to coat the asparagus. Place the asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet, season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender or crunchy depending upon your preference, about 12 to 20 minutes.

Finally, you have to serve some great rice with salmon and asparagus. Rice is so easy to make and is certainly a no fail recipe that almost anyone would like.

Cheat a little here and buy a box of Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice. Follow the direction on the box, but to really add a lot of flavor for this romantic Christmas dinner for two try substituting chicken broth for the water required in the recipe. Your wild rice will smell and taste better than ever.

Buy a loaf of fresh French bread to round out this romantic dinner. Top it off with a nice glass of red or white wine and your meal will be complete. Red and white wine both work well with salmon since it is such a hearty fish. Try Kendalwood Jackson Chardonnay for a white or Yellow Tail Merlot for a red wine. Both cost about $11 and are perfect with this romantic Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner menu.