RECIPE | An easy peasy and flirty four-course meal you can make at home

Forget the cupcakes and roses, it’s time to find easy ways to elevate what to serve your Valentine.

Wayne Blake, group food and beverage manager at Anew Hotels & Resorts, has come up with tempting meal ideas you can cook together, where every bite teases your taste buds.

Light a candle, play your favourite playlist and chop, stir, taste and laugh side by side as you create these easy, yet flirty, dishes.

BEETROOT BLUSH PASTA

• 625ml flour
• 3 large eggs
• 40ml olive oil
• 10ml beetroot juice
• 120g heart-shaped pasta
• 3 garlic cloves
• 100ml cream
• 50ml tomato puree
• salt
• pepper
• 15ml butter
• 30ml crushed pecan nuts
• 5ml chopped herbs

1. On a clean surface, mound 625ml flour (loosely filled and levelled) and make a well in the centre.
2. Crack in the eggs, add a pinch of salt, olive oil and 10ml beetroot juice for a soft blush-pink hue.
3. Mix gently with your hands until a dough forms, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
4. Roll out the dough thinly using a rolling pin or pasta machine, dusting lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
5. Cut into tagliatelle or use a small heart-shaped cutter for a romantic twist.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes for thin pasta, or 3 to 5 minutes for thicker or heart-shaped pieces, until tender but firm.
7. Consider adding a creamy garlic sauce.
8. Add 30ml olive oil in a pan and gently cook 2 finely sliced cloves of garlic until fragrant.
9. Add 100ml cream and 50ml tomato purée, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes.
10. Stir the pasta through the sauce, adding a spoonful of reserved pasta water if needed to coat evenly, then remove from heat.
11. Melt the butter with 1 small, crushed garlic clove and drizzle over the pasta before serving. Top with 30ml crushed pecan nuts and 5ml chopped fresh herbs of your choice. Alternatively, add fresh basil leaves, cottage cheese, and a variation of crushed nuts like pistachios or pecan nuts.

Chef’s tip: Beetroot juice can stain your hands, so wear gloves or lightly oil them if you want to avoid pink fingers.

HONEY & PAPRIKA GLAZED CHICKEN SKEWERS

• 500g chicken breast
• 45ml honey
• 5ml smoked paprika
• 5ml soy sauce
• 5ml olive oil
• pinch salt
• parsley and sesame seeds for seasoning

1. Thread bite-sized chicken breast pieces onto wooden skewers.
2. In a small bowl, mix the honey, smoked paprika, soy sauce, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Brush the mixture generously over the chicken.
3. Grill on a preheated braai fire or in a conventional oven at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes, turning and basting every 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and caramelised.
4. For a quicker option, cook in an air fryer at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes, brushing once halfway and ensuring the basting does not burn.
5. Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley or add a few toasted sesame seeds for a bit of crunch.

Serve with a crisp green salad, roasted vegetables or fluffy herbed couscous for a complete meal that balances the sweet with the smoky glaze. Flatbreads or grilled corn on the cob are fun extras to complement the meal.

PASSIONFRUIT & BUTTERNUT CURRY

• 1 chopped onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 5ml grated ginger
• 15ml oil
• 400g butternut cubes
• 200ml coconut milk
• 3 passionfruit
• juice of 1 lime

1. Fry the chopped onion
2. Add the garlic cloves and 5ml grated ginger in 15ml oil until soft.
3. Add 400g butternut cubes and 200ml coconut milk, then fold in the pulp of 3 fresh passionfruit and a squeeze of lime.
4. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes until the butternut is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve with steamed rice or fluffy couscous to soak up all the tropical goodness and top it all with fresh coriander.

HEART FLAPJACKS WITH BERRY COMPOTE & CREAM CHEESE

• 250ml plain flour
• 30ml cocoa powder
• 60ml sugar
• 5ml baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 150ml milk
• 40ml vegetable oil
• 5ml vanilla extract
• 250ml mixed berries
• 15ml sugar
• 100ml cream cheese
• 15ml honey

1. Whisk together the plain flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
2. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients: the egg, milk, 30ml of the vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly brush with oil.
5. Pour about 30ml of batter per flapjack and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden and cooked through.
6. For the berry compote, simmer mixed berries (fresh or frozen) with 15ml sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice for 5 to 7 minutes until thickened.
7. Set aside to cool slightly.
8. Once the flapjacks are cooked, use a small heart-shaped cutter to remove the centre of one flapjack and place it on top of another whole flapjack.
9. Spoon the berry compote into the heart-shaped opening so the colour shows through.
10. For the topping, beat 100ml cream cheese with 15ml honey or maple syrup until smooth, and spread or pipe around the edges.

Chef’s tip: Sprinkle caramelised popcorn, crushed honeycomb, freeze-dried raspberries or toasted coconut flakes with a pinch of cinnamon over the top.