Saint Valentine's Day Menu

Cupid is at it again…shooting his arrows of affection onto unsuspecting strangers; and uniting their hearts with adoration for each other.  Yes, it is that time of the year that sees a nauseating display of pda, and exchanges of red roses and boxes of confectionary.

Valentine’s Day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.  The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the high middle ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

One of the most celebrated romantics, Oscar Wilde, has ignited passion in the hearts of even the most cynical realists.  Oscar Wilde was a lover of art, a lover of women, and a lover of men.  I adore the way he describes love in the following quote:

“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear”

So, in the spirit of love, I have come up with a romantic menu for two, that is sure to show your significant other how much you care. Enjoy!

Starter

Bruschetta Two Ways

Olive oil

8 pieces thickly sliced Italian-style bread

1 large garlic clove, peeled, halved

Chargrilled red pepper and basil topping

270g chargrilled red pepper, thinly sliced

15g rocket

2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

120g goat's cheese

Avocado, salmon and dill topping

1 avocado, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup tzatziki dip

100g sliced smoked salmon

Preheat a grill pan on medium. Cover both sides of bread lightly with oil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until lightly toasted. Rub one side of each piece with cut side of garlic. Cool. Cut each slice in half crossways.

Make chargrilled red pepper and basil topping: Combine pepper, rocket, basil and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Make avocado, salmon and dill topping: Combine avocado, dill and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread half the toast pieces with goat's cheese and half with tzatziki. Top goat's cheese halves with red pepper mixture. Top tzatziki halves with avocado mixture and smoked salmon.

Main Course
Baked Rainbow Trout Fillets with Parsley Pesto
For pesto

1 garlic clove 

2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons walnuts, lightly toasted

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For trout

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

500g Rainbow trout fillets

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste
Make pesto:
With motor running, drop garlic into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add parsley, oil, nuts, sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice.

Bake trout:
Preheat oven to 180’C with rack in middle. Brush bottom of a large shallow baking pan with oil. Put fillets, skin sides down, in baking pan and drizzle with lemon juice and tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Bake fish until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Serve fish with pesto.

Dessert
Alana’s Evil Chocolate Chilli Cake
Don’t worry; the subject of this entry hasn’t suddenly altered from Valentine’s to Halloween! I call these little cakes evil because they are just so absolutely decadent, that one could easily commit the sin of gluttony! I was given this recipe by a dear friend of mine, and it is sure to end your evening on a delectable spicy note!

500ml Rye flour (or normal cake flour)
160ml cacao
10ml baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
125ml sugar
1 dark chocolate slab
1 Lindt dark choc & chilli slab
330ml milk
80ml oil (sunflower-/ olive oil)
2 large eggs
10ml vanilla

Preheat oven to 200’C.
Sift the flour, cacao, baking powder, and salt together. Add the sugar and chilli flakes to the mixture and mix well.
Chop the dark chocolate into smaller pieces, and add to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, and mix till just combined.
Place tablespoons of the mixture in muffin pans.

On top of the mixture, add a block of the chocolate chilli, and top with the rest of the mixture.
Bake for 25minutes until cooked.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.