Your Valentine's Day Menu

Starter: Endive, roast fig and goats cheese salad

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 red endive
• 1 blood orange, zest and juice
• 40g pomegranate seeds, extra for garnish
• 2 figs
• 60g semi- soft goats cheese, crumbled (optional)
• 1 tbs (10ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 10g pumpkin seeds, extra for garnish
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbs pomegranate molasses

Method

1. In a small bowl, mix the orange zest, juice, oil, honey, molasses and a pinch of salt. Season to taste. Preheat the oven to 220C/ 428F/ gas mark 7. Halve the figs and place in a small roasting tin, pour over ½ the orange and pomegranate dressing. Roast for 3-5 minutes until they and starting to caramelise. Leave to cool.
2. Cut the end off the endive and remove the leaves, placing them in a large salad or mixing bowl. Add the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, goats cheese, pomegranate seeds and dressing to the endive leaves, lightly toss so that all the ingredients are covered in the dressing. Finely add the figs and roasting juices. Spoon the salad into 2 serving bowls, garnish with more pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds.

Main: Herb and almond crusted salmon, with cannellini bean stew

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2x 120g salmon fillets
• ½ onion, finely diced
• ½ carrot, diced
• ¼ fennel, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs white wine
• 30g cooked quinoa
• 25g almonds
• 1 tbs chopped dill
• 1 tbs chopped parsley
• 1 tbs chopped chives
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tbs basil pesto
• 1 400g tin cannellini beans, drained
• 80g cavolo nero, shredded

Method

1. In a small food processor or with a hand blender, blitz the almonds, pesto, dill, parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice and quinoa together to a thick paste that holds its shape well.
2. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, cover the tops of the salmon with the herb and almond paste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6.
3. In a small saucepan, sweat the onion, carrot, fennel and bay leaf in the olive oil over a medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and go a light golden colour, add the garlic followed by the beans and white wine. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it starts to stick on the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the salmon in the oven for 8- 10 minutes, until the almond and herb topping starts to colour and the salmon is cooked all the way through.
5. Add the cavolo nero, chives, lemon zest and juice to the beans. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Serve the salmon with the bean stew and garnish with chopped chives.

Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 50g 70% dark chocolate
• 50g coconut oil
• 75g sucanat sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 2 tbs flax seeds, mixed with 6tbs water
• 15g ground almonds
• 25g spelt flour
• 2g baking powder
• 1 tbs coconut yogurt (optional)
• 6 Strawberries, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ gas mark 6. Lightly grease 2 individual heat-proof ramekins or 1 large one with coconut oil.
2. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
3. Remove the chocolate mix from the heat and stir in the flax seed mix, ground almonds, sugar, flour and baking powder. Pour the mix into the ramekins and freeze for an hour, until its solid.
4. Place the cake in the oven for 10 mins for individual ramekins and 14 mins for the large ramekin. The middle of the cake should still have a wobble in the middle and have a liquid, soft centre.
5. Serve with a few strawberries and a spoonful of coconut yogurt.

With thanks to Hattie Booth for providing her recipes.

Image by: Hattie Booth

Recipe Developed by: Hattie Booth