6 Tempting Recipes to Put a Dash of Romance into Valentine’s Day

It’s no secret that certain foods have been known to stir the passions, with the secrets handed down through the centuries. Being romantics at heart, we hunted down some addictively yummy recipes that would win kudos at any Valentine’s Day celebration. 

Almonds

Prized by the ancient Romans for promoting fertility, almonds are highly valued for their nutritional value, flavor and heady aroma.

They are absolutely at their best in Portuguese Bolo de Amêndoa, made with almonds, lemon zest, and cinnamon to create a rich, flourless, dense, and gluten-free torte that has been a favorite across the years.

Portuguese Bolo de Amêndoa

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for the pan, at room temperature
• Gluten-free flour for dusting the pan (optional)
• 3 cups blanched slivered almonds
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 25 cm spring-form pan with butter, line the bottom with buttered parchment paper. Coat the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
2. Blitz the almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until the consistency of fine cornmeal. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Set aside.
3. Beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the yolks on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the zest, salt, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Whirl in the almond mixture and vanilla.
4. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until fluffy then gradually whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until the whites form soft peaks. Drop a little into the almond mixture and stir to lighten. Carefully fold in the remainder of the whites until no streaks show. Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to ease away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before releasing the cake from the pan. Let the cake cool completely before serving. The center of the cake will collapse a little as it cools. Serve with whipped cream as an extra indulgence.

Butter and Herb Baked Oysters

Oysters really don’t need much introduction; they are high on the list of foods that are reputed to inspire passion. Whether is it based on fact, or just a longstanding myth, they are a luxury food that makes a date night extra special.

Ingredients:

• 18 oysters in the shell
• 50 g butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• Finely chopped fresh parsley, thyme and garlic (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

1. Place oysters on a half shell on a baking tray, sprinkle lightly with a mix of seasoned breadcrumbs, melted butter and herbs and grill lightly until the breadcrumbs are golden.
2. Serve warm with wedges of lemon.

Caviar

The iconic Paris restaurant Caviar Kaspia pulls in celebrities in droves just for its famed baked potatoes with caviar. Their recipe may be simple, but it can’t fail to impress. The secret? Be lavish with that caviar topping!

Baked Potato with Caviar

Ingredients:

• 3 mid-sized potatoes, well washed with skin intact
• Medium tub of sour cream
• 30g of caviar
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish
• Chopped fresh dill
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 220 Celsius. Pierce potatoes with a fork and place on center rack of oven until tender, about 45-60 min. Keep oven on after removing the cooked potatoes.
2. Cut the potatoes in half and gently scoop insides into a small bowl. Add sour cream, horseradish, butter, and chopped dill, mixing lightly. Place skins into a small baking dish and stuff with the potato mixture. Bake stuffed potatoes for 15 minutes.
3. To serve, top each potato half with portioned, remaining sour cream. Add a generous helping of caviar and garnish with parsley and dill.

Chocolate

Valentine’s Day and chocolate are made for each other. Looking to impress someone special? This simple dessert calls for one dish and two spoons. Could it get more romantic than that?

Super Easy Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate chips (milk, semisweet, or dark)
• 1¾ cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, heat chocolate chips and ½ cup cream until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
2. Beat remaining 1¼ cups chilled cream in a bowl with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Divide the whipped cream in half, transferring half to the refrigerator to use for topping the mousse. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the melted chocolate in two additions.
3. Once fully combined, transfer the mousse into individual serving dishes, or a large dish, and chill for a couple hours. The colder it is, the firmer it will be. Top each serving with some of the reserved whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

Honey

Honey has a longstanding affiliation with romance and is often offered at weddings as a symbol of sweetness for the new union. How sweet is that!

Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons English mustard
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 bunches choy sum, stalks and leaves separated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 long red chili, thinly sliced
• Lime wedges, to serve

Marinade

To make the marinade, place the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, oyster sauce, mustard and Five Spice in a bowl, and stir to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat, then set aside for at least 30 minutes to marinate.

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Transfer chicken to a small roasting pan and roast, turning every 15 minutes, for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Remove chicken from the pan and transfer the sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Pour the sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Keep warm.
3. Heat oil in a large frypan over high heat, add choy sum stalks, garlic, ginger and chili, and cook for 2 minutes, then add the choy sum leaves and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until leaves have wilted and stalks are tender.
4. Serve chicken and greens with lime wedges.

Strawberries

The ancient Romans considered strawberries the symbol of Venus, Goddess of Love. We have to agree!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients

• 2 dozen ripe unblemished strawberries
• 1 packet of high-quality dark chocolate
• Small pack of milk or white chocolate for decoration

Preparation

1. Make sure the strawberries are perfectly dry. Slowly melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of hot water until it is smooth and runny.
2. Take each strawberry by the stem and dip into the chocolate, leaving ¼ at the end uncovered. Gently rotate in the air until the chocolate is firm, then place gently on greaseproof paper in a cool place. Don’t rush this process.
3. When all of the strawberries have been covered, carefully drizzle them with a little contrasting chocolate for an artistic effect. Keep in a cool place until ready to serve.

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