Valentine's Day 2022 is just around the corner, and a mom and son duo is creating a dish jam-packed with love and joy. 

For Chef Alexander Diaz, cooking is not just a passion. It's an obsession.

“It's my second wife," he laughs.

Alex is the top chef and owner of Alex's Fresh Kitchen in Casselberry. He opened the place 6 months before the pandemic

“We've been through so much, my mom and I and staff. But we're still here.”

Feeling so much love, he wants to make this Valentine's Day the best one yet, experimenting with new recipes. It took a hot minute to nail it, he admits.

“But, I got it down.”

So, after a few tries, he admits he perfected a super cute Chicken Cordon Bleu in the shape... of a heart.

Let's cook! (*Alex - and his mom Deb, known for her gluten-free pastries - will be making this special dish available at their restaurant February 8 - 13).

Heart shaped Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients needed:

6oz chicken breast

2oz of ham

1slice if cheese (swiss) or choice of cheese!

1 tablespoon of Mayo

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1 cup of toasted bread crumbs

1 heart shaped cookie cutter

1 rubber hammer 

1 puff pastry dough

1 egg wash

Step 1: take chicken breast and cover with plastic film wrap, take a rubber hammer and pound on it gently making it flat. Should take about 30 seconds or less

Step 2: take a paring knife and cut the top side of the breast and cut it down the chicken, be careful not to cut thru the chicken you just want to make a big enough cut to put your ham and cheese.

Step 3: take the cheese and ham and stuff into the chicken next mix the Dijon mustard and Mayo together and spread all over the chicken.

Step 4: take heart shaped cookie cutter and push thru the stuffed chicken breast.  Take out your puff pastry dough (thawed out)  and wrapped around the heart shaped chicken breast.

Step 5: make a egg wash and coat the puff pastry and get ready for baking.

Step 6: bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients for risotto

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups flavorful mushrooms (such as shiitake, chanterelle, or oyster), cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

2/3 cup brandy, vermouth, or dry white wine

5 to 6 cups chicken stock 

1/3 cup shallots

1 3/4 cups risotto rice

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh parsley or chives

1.Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

2. Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two, and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter).

3. Add the rice and stir to combine. Add brandy, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3 to 4 minutes.

4.Add 1/2 cup of stock at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly — stirring sloughs off the starch from the rice, making the creamy sauce you're looking for in a risotto.

Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

This process will take about 25 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.

Dijon mustard cream sauce

2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1/8 tsp sea salt

• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper

To start the sauce, finely mince the shallots. With the pan on medium heat, melt the butter and then briefly sweat the shallots. Next add the white wine and let reduce. Once only a few tablespoons of the liquid remains, the cream can be added.

Whisk the sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Let the cream reduce by at least half, which should take about 10 to 15 minutes. Once done, the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. To finish the sauce, add the Dijon mustard and taste for seasoning.