If you're cooking for your Valentine here's a menu they'll love. A gorgeous warming salad to start, a tasty sausage dish for main, and a decadent cake for dessert - all planned so that you can cook but not be stuck in the kitchen all night!
You can make the dessert the day before and it will keep in an air tight container. The main is cooked all in one dish so tastes delicious but doesn't take long to put together, and the salad is an easy and thoughtful start.
Starter: Butternut, red onion and pumpkin seed salad
This warming salad is a light but delicious start to your meal. The vegetables can be cooked in advance and warmed through when needed, and you can prepare the dressing in advance too.
SERVES 2 2 red onions, sliced into 1cm thick discs 4-6 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks a few sprigs of thyme 20g pumpkin seeds small pinch smoked paprika 2 tsp red or white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, or to taste 1/4 tsp crushed garlic 1 bag of mixed salad leaves (100-150g) 60g feta cheese, crumbled salt and black pepper |
Heat the oven to 190 degrees celsius / Gas 5. Keeping the onion discs whole, place them in a roasting tin and drizzle with some of the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the tin with foil and roast for 30-40 minutes on a low shelf in the oven, until the onions are soft and sweet. Meanwhile, place the squash chunks in another roasting tin, toss them with further olive oil to coat and a good sprinkling of salt and roast for around 30 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelised, throwing in the sprigs of thyme half way through the cooking time. While the vegetables are roasting, put the pumpkin seeds in a small pan with a teaspoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt and the paprika. Toast over a medium heat, stirring or tossing frequently, until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate to stop them toasting further. Make a simple vinaigrette: whisk together the vinegar, around 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the mustard, and garlic to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Put the salad leaves in a large salad bowl, pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Scatter over the butternut, onions, feta, and seeds. |
Main: Sausage and Jerusalem artichoke bake with cabbage
This main is tasty and is cooked all in one dish so it's easy to put together and creates less washing up - you have better things to do on Valentine's Day!
SERVES 2 rapeseed or sunflower oil, for frying 8 pork sausages 1 litre hot chicken stock 600g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean and cut in half or in wedges, depending on size 80g Puy or dark green lentils, rinsed in cold water, then drained leaves from 4 large thyme sprigs 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 Savoy cabbage, cut into wedges with the root intact salt and black pepper |
Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius / Gas 4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a flame and ovenproof roasting tin (or use a frying pan to cook the sausages on the stove and then transfer them to a roasting tin). Fry the sausages, turning them to brown on all sides, for about 10 minutes. Add 180ml of stock. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or so. The foil should be tight around the sides. Add the cabbage, wedging it between the other ingredients in the pan. Pour over the rest of the stock then return the tin to the oven (still uncovered) for a further 10-15 minutes, until the lentils, artichokes, and cabbage are tender. |
Dessert: Maple walnut cake with maple frosting
A beautifully decadent cake that will give a sweet end to your Valentine's meal. This cake can be prepared in advance and kept in an airtight tin.
3/4 cups vegetable oil 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup buttermilk 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk 2 tsp maple flavour 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp salt 2 cups plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 cups pureed raw walnuts (pulse in a blender until they resemble wet sand) For the icing: 115g cream cheese, room temperature 230g butter, room temperature 2 tsp maple flavour 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups icing sugar |
Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius / Gas 4. Grease and flour either three 6-inch cake tins, or two 8-inch cake tins and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, buttermilk, eggs plus yolk, maple flavour, vanilla extract, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until well combined. Fold in the pureed walnuts. Evenly pour the batter into the prepared tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes for the 6-inch cakes, or 25-30 minutes for the 8-inch cakes. Allow to cool completely before icing. For the icing: In a mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the maple flavour, vanilla extract, salt, and icing sugar, and whip to combine, about 1 minute more. Place the first cake on a plate, then top with a large dollop of icing. Layer the second (and third if doing 6-inch layers) layer, icing in between each layer. Finish by icing the outside of the cake with the remaining icing. Sprinkle pureed walnuts along the sides of the cake, pushing it into the icing gently with your hands. If you'd like, decorate the top of your cake with fresh pears, blackberries, plums, and walnuts. |
So there you have it, a beautfully gorgeous and thoughtful Valentine's Day menu!