Cook with Your Valentine
Why bother rushing into a crowded restaurant on Valentine’s Day evening, when you’re most likely to get better food at home, anyway?
We put together a few perfect recipes for you to cook and enjoy with that special someone.
Beef Rib Eye with Zucchini Gratin au Gruyere and Dijon Sauce
Serves 2
Cooking time 30 min
Ingredients:
2 beef rib eye steaks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp salted butter
Gratin:
1 large zucchini
2 shallots
4 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp olive Oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp olive Oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
150 g gruyere cheese
Sauce:
2 tsp dijon mustard
100 g sour cream
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
To Serve:
Fresh rocket
Method:
Remove the steaks from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Wash and slice zucchini thinly. Peel and slice shallots. Peel and mince garlic. Rinse and pat dry rocket.
Place zucchini slices in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add dried parsley and minced garlic. Mix well.
Heat oil in a pan and fry shallots for 5–6 minutes until slightly softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the shallots to a small oven dish. Add a thin layer of grated gruyere on top. Add another layer of zucchini. Top with the remaining gruyere. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
Pat dry the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and half of the butter in a pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the steaks. Fry for 4–6 minutes per side. Bring the temperature down a notch after the first 1–2 minutes.
Remove the steaks from the pan. Place on a plate and cover lightly. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Use the same pan for the sauce. Add mustard and sour cream and mix well. Add the remaining butter as well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce with sliced steaks, zucchini gratin, and fresh rocket leaves.
Sticky BBQ Chicken and Courgette Salad
Serves 2
Cooking time 30 min
Ingredients:
500 g chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Salad:
1 large zuchini
40 g fresh rocket
1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
100 g feta cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1–2 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp black pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 225°C. In a bowl, mix together the peeled and crushed garlic, honey, soy sauce, olive oil and the sweet chilli sauce. Add chicken thighs and massage well to make sure they are all well coated in the marinade
Place the chicken on a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 25minutes. Alternatively, you can roast the chicken on an outdoor grill.
Meanwhile make the salad. Cut the zucchini to thin ribbons with a potato peeler. Rinse and pat dry the rocket and mint leaves. Cut the feta to cubes.
Mix the salad in a bowl and season with olive oil, lemon juice and crushed black pepper. Serve with the crispy barbecue chicken.
Smoky Pumpkin and Red Pepper Risotto
Serves 2
Cooking time 40 min
Ingredients:
500 g pumpkin
1 shallot
1 red bell pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
For risotto:
2 garlic cloves
60 g parmesan
1 lemon
600 ml water
1 vegetable stock cube
200 g risotto rice
1 Tbsp olive oil
100 ml cooking cream
1/2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
To serve:
20 g fresh coriander
1 lime
Method:
Preheat the oven to 240°C. Peel pumpkin and shallot. Cut pumpkin to very small cubes. Slice shallot and cube red pepper. Place the vegetables on a lined oven tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, cumin and chilli powder. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
Once the vegetables are soft, separate ¾ of them and mix until smooth with a mixer or in a blender.
Keep the remaining vegetables in the oven for an additional 5–8 minutes until they are nice and crispy.
Make the risotto. Peel and mince garlic. Grate parmesan. Juice lemon.
Combine water, vegetable puree and stock cube in a pot and bring to a boil.
Heat oil in a separate frying pan over medium heat. Add rice and garlic. Stir for 2–3 minutes until the edges of the rice become a bit translucent.
Add the lemon juice and 1 ladle of the lightly boiling vegetable puree liquid. Cook and stir the risotto until the liquid has absorbed. Then add the next ladle, and continue until you have used all the liquid and the rice is “al-dente” (this takes about 18–20 minutes).
Add cooking cream and the grated parmesan. Mix and heat well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the risotto to plates and top with the remaining roasted vegetables. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and lime wedges. Squeeze some lime juice on top of the dish just before eating.
