Don't fret about making dinner reservations. Use one of these menus and enjoy a romantic meal at home.

A touch of cream gives the slightly tangy sauce a silky-smooth finish. Be sure to serve this dish with bread so you can savor every drop of sauce.

Ingredients: 1 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup minced shallots 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces 2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomato 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cups hot cooked linguine Cooking spray 3/4 pound large sea scallops 1/8 teaspoon salt Chopped cilantro

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.

Return wine mixture to skillet. Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in tomato, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add linguine; toss well. Cover and keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

To get a head start, refrigerate the shaped cakes overnight, and pan-fry them right before dinner.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/2 medium-size red bell pepper, diced 4 green onions, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, pressed 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 cup soft breadcrumbs 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Creole mustard 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 1/4 cup vegetable oil Creole Sauce Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add bell pepper, onions, and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir together bell pepper mixture, chicken, and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Shape chicken mixture into 8 (3 1/2-inch) patties.

Fry 4 patties in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and patties. Serve immediately with Creole Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

This quick but posh dinner for two goes nicely with packaged refrigerated mashed potatoes and bagged salad greens with bottled dressing.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth 1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper Cooking spray 2 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks 1 cup presliced mushrooms 1/2 cup sweet Marsala

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl.

Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan. Add mushrooms to pan, and cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove mushrooms from pan. Remove pan from heat; add Marsala, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium. Return pan to heat. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in mushrooms.

Celebrate in style with an elegant menu that is designed with Valentine's Day in mind. The Beef Fillet with Cognac-Onion Sauce received a 5-star rating.

Ingredients: 2 (6- to 8-ounce) beef fillets 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1 small yellow onion, sliced and separated into rings 1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings 1 bunch green onions, chopped 6 shallots, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup cognac* 1/4 cup beef broth Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brown fillets in hot oil in an ovenproof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes on each side. Remove fillets, reserving drippings in skillet.

Melt butter in drippings over medium-high heat. Add yellow and red onion rings, and sauté 5 minutes.

Add green onions, shallots, and garlic, and sauté 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in cognac and broth; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until liquid evaporates (about 5 minutes). Place fillets on top of onion mixture in skillet. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of meat registers 135° (medium rare).

Remove fillets from skillet, reserving onion mixture in skillet; cover fillets loosely, and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes.

Cook onion mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fillets.

*1/4 cup red wine or beef broth may be substituted for cognac.

Impress your sweetheart with a memorable Valentine's Day feast that features rack of lamb. And because it's a mostly make-ahead meal, you can actually enjoy spending time with the object of your affection.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 (12-ounce) French-cut rack of lamb, trimmed (6 ribs) Cooking spray Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 475°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub lamb evenly with garlic mixture; place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Threading olive oil-marinated shrimp on rosemary-branch skewers imparts a subtle herb flavor to the dish and a fantastic scent to your table. Rosemary has a long history of being associated with the heart. It has been believed by many to be a love charm, by others to be a token of remembrance and fidelity, and by some to be a potent aphrodisiac. Bamboo skewers also work quite well. Serve with steamed haricots verts.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon dry white wine 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 18 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound) 6 (6-inch) rosemary sprigs Cooking spray Lemon wedges (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

Working with 1 rosemary sprig at a time, hold leafy end of sprig in 1 hand. Strip leaves off sprig with other hand, leaving 1/2 inch of leaves attached to leafy end of sprig. Repeat procedure with remaining rosemary sprigs to make 6 rosemary skewers. Thread 3 shrimp onto each rosemary skewer.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of shrimp skewers with cooking spray. Arrange 3 skewers on pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining skewers. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.