10 Best Recipes for Valentine’s Day to Make Hearts Melt

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 
• 1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) seedless red grapes 
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) pitted and halved Kalamata olives
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 to 10 ounces of feta cheese (in a block)
• Good, crusty bread slices, for serving 

Steps

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the middle. Oil a small, ovenproof casserole dish or cast-iron pan. Add the grapes, olives, 1 tablespoon olive oil, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and a few grinds of black pepper, and stir to combine. Break the block of feta into four irregular pieces, then nestle them among the grapes and olives. Drizzle with more olive oil, then bake, 20 to 25 minutes, until the grapes are softened and the feta is browned in spots. Serve right away with crusty bread.

SOURCE: HOUSE AND GARDEN

Seared Scallop Linguini With Lemon-Chilli Butter

• ½ packet linguini
• 80g butter
• 1 tbsp NOMU Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp NOMU Seafood Rub or Grinder
• 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced (to taste)
• 10 scallops, roe removed
• NOMU Black Pepper and Sea Salt
• ¼ cup Italian parsley

Directions

Cook your linguini in lots of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter and Olive Oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the Seafood Rub or Grinder, lemon zest and chilli and cook for one minute until fragrant. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Heat the same pan, season the scallops with Salt and Pepper and sear over high heat for 30 seconds on each side, until golden and caramelised. Add the butter mixture, linguini and parsley, and toss well to coat. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve.

Tip: This recipe is also delicious with prawns or crayfish tails.

SOURCE: NOMU

Asian Beef Short Rib Tacos with Stir-Fried Vegetables

Ingredients

Short Rib

• ⅓ C (80 ml) hoisin sauce
• ¼ C (60 ml) oyster sauce
• ½ (100g) onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar
• 4 tsp (20 ml) Chinese 5-spice
• 1 (4 g) Thai green chilli
• 3 garlic cloves
• 5 cm (15 g) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 4 C (1L) beef stock, warm
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 1,2 kg beef short rib

Vegetables

• 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
• 1 x 500 g Findus Wok Chinese
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp (5 ml) black sesame seeds

Tacos

8 medium-sized tortilla wraps

To Serve

• 1 C (250 ml) sour cream
• 2 tsp (10 ml) miso paste
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) coriander, finely chopped
• 2 (500g) avocados, chopped

Method

Asian Beef Short Rib Tacos

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Combine the hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, onion, soy sauce, sugar, Chinese 5-spice, chilli, garlic and ginger in a food processor. Blend until fine. Stir in the stock, cinnamon stick and star anise and set aside.

Heat an ovenproof casserole pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and brown the meat for 4 minutes on each side. Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and cover with a lid. Braise in the oven for 2½-3 hours until fork-tender. Once cooked, remove the star anise and cinnamon stick. Flake the meat into bite-sized pieces and mix it in with the sauce that it was cooked in. Add a bit of boiling water to thin out the sauce if needed.

Vegetables

Heat a large pan or wok over high heat. Add the oil and vegetables and fry for 3 minutes. Stir in the sweet chilli sauce and sesame seeds and fry for 1 minute.

Tacos

Heat a griddle pan over high heat until smoking hot. Char each wrap for 15 seconds on each side.

To Serve

Combine the sour cream with the miso paste and coriander and whisk until smooth.
To assemble the tacos, layer the shredded meat, vegetables, avocado and sour cream sauce in the grilled tortillas and serve with lime wedges.
Tip: The soft tacos can also be replaced with hard-shell corn tacos that can be found in the Mexican aisle of most supermarkets.

SOURCE: CRUSHMAG ONLINE

Baked Fish With Stir Fry Veg And A Dill Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 packet McCain Hawaiian Stir Fry
• Olive Oil
• 4 x Fish Fillets of choice
• Fish / Seafood Spice
• Lemon juice and rind

Dill Sauce

• 1/4 cup full-fat yoghurt
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Chopped Italian parsley
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes

1. Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
2. Combine all the ingredients listed under Dill Sauce – whisk well until combined and keep aside in the fridge
3. Pat dry the fish fillets with a paper towel
4. Season generously with the seafood/fish spice, lemon juice and olive oil
5. Add the McCain veg to a large oven-proof casserole, season, and top with the fish fillets
6. Place in the oven and cook for 12 – 15 minutes
7. Once done, serve with salad and dill sauce

SOURCE: MCCAIN

Valentine’s Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 400g (14oz) (1 2/3 cups) canned plum tomatoes
• pinch of crushed dried chillies (optional)
• pinch of sugar
• 1 shop-bought pizza or crust (preferably thin and crispy)
• 50g (2oz) stoned black olives, sliced
• 50g (2oz) chorizo, salami or pepperoni slices (optional)
• 100g (4oz) (1 cup) diced Kerrygold Red Cheddar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• fresh basil leaves, to garnish
• mixed salad, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic, tomatoes and chilli, if using. Break up with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the sugar and season to taste. Then cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly until most of the juice has evaporated and the sauce has nicely thickened.
2. Place a large flat baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes until very hot. Meanwhile, spoon the tomato sauce over the pizza base or crust and scatter over the olives and chorizo, salami or pepperoni, if using. Add the cheese in an even layer and drizzle a little olive oil.
3. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and slide on the prepared pizza. Put back in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
4. Garnish the pizza Italiana with the basil leaves and cut into wedges, then arrange on warmed plates with the salad to serve.

SOURCE: KERRYGOLD

Red Velvet Swiss Roll

Ingredients

Swiss Roll Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 180ml castor sugar30ml oil
• 30ml sour cream
• 5ml vinegar
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 30ml red food colouring
• 180ml flour
• 60ml cocoa powder
• 2ml salt

Icing Ingredients

• 250g thick, smooth cream cheese
• 160g Stork Baking Margarine
• 4 x 250ml icing sugar
• 5ml vanilla

Step-by-step method

1. Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Beat the eggs well until thick, using an electric beater.
3. Beat in the oil, sour cream, vinegar, vanilla and red food colouring.
4. Add the sifted dry ingredients and fold in well.
5. Pour into a greased and lined Swiss Roll tin.
6. Bake at 180ºC for 12 – 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and turn onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper that has been sprinkled with castor sugar.
8. Peel away the paper, trim the edges and roll up the Swiss Roll before leaving it to cool completely.
9. Cream your Stork Bake and cream cheese well, then mix in the icing sugar and vanilla essence.
10. Gently unroll the Swiss Roll, spread the filling on and gently roll it up again.