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Friday 8 February 2013

The Way To a Man's Heart ....



 Still thinking about romance, I thought I would post some recipes  which might give you some ideas for making it a special evening on Valentine's Day, to share with that special person in your life.  Go on - you know you want to!!

Berry Blush Cocktails.



Use any berry liqueur you like for these cocktails

Method

Pour 2tbsp each berry liqueur and vodka into two tall glasses and top up with lemonade or tonic water. Garnish with strawberries, raspberries and ice and serve immediately.

Be Mine Bruschetta.


Good deli ingredients mean more taste with less prep! 


Ingredients :

4 ciabatta bread slices
1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to brush
1tsp balsamic vinegar
½tsp runny honey
 ½ x 125g ball buffalo mozzarella, torn into pieces
40g (1½oz) Parma ham, torn into pieces
75-100g (3-3½oz) grilled artichoke hearts, chopped
Basil leaves, to garnish.

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Arrange the ciabatta slices on a baking tray, brush with a little extra-virgin olive oil and bake for 8-10min until crisp and golden.

 Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and seasoning in a jug.

Arrange the toasted bread slices on a platter and top with the mozzarella, Parma ham and artichoke pieces.

 Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with black pepper and basil leaves.

Serve immediately.

Steak Your Claim with Crush on you Tomatoes.



Steak comes alive with a flavourful butter – and this one’s ready in minutes.

Ingredients :
15g (½oz) butter, softened 
1tsp Dijon mustard
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
 1tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 x 250-300g (9-11oz) beef steaks 
Sunflower oil, to brush
12 cherry tomatoes on the vine, cut into two bunches.

Method

In a small bowl, mix together the first four ingredients with some seasoning and set aside. Pat steaks dry with kitchen paper and season both sides.

Oil a griddle pan and put over a high heat to warm up. Brush steaks with oil, then griddle for 5-6min, turning once, for medium meat. Transfer steaks to a board, cover with foil and leave for 5min.

Meanwhile, fry the cherry tomatoes in the griddle pan for 5min until beginning to collapse.

 Top the steaks with flavoured butter and serve with the tomatoes, French Kiss Fries and a crisp green salad.

French kiss fries

No peeling or par-boiling means these oven-baked fries are fuss free.

Ingredients :

2 medium floury potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into thin strips
1tbsp plain flour
 1tsp paprika
1tbsp sunflower oil


Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

 Put all the ingredients into a bowl and toss together with plenty of seasoning. Tip fries on to the lined tray and spread out as much as possible.

Cook for 25-30min, turning occasionally, until fries are golden and tender. Serve immediately.

True Love Espresso Pots.



These decadent puds will have you swooning in no time.

Ingredients :

100g (3½oz) white chocolate, broken into pieces
75ml (3oz) double cream
¼tsp ground coffee, finely ground espresso is ideal.

Method:

Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave to cool for 5min.

 Pour cream into a bowl and whisk until it holds its shape.

Fold the chocolate and coffee into the cream. Pour into two 75ml (3fl oz) cups, decorate and serve.

Decorations for your espresso pots

When time is short...

A sprinkling of cocoa powder and chocolate-covered coffee beans is sweet and effective.


Time to spare...

Line a tray with baking parchment.

 Melt 25g (1oz) dark chocolate and use a teaspoon or piping bag to drizzle it on to the parchment to make hearts and write words. 

Leave for 30min before using.

16 comments:

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Ohh I like not sure which one I like the sound of best but maybe the steak

Sush said...

As we'll be on the road for the big day, I'm thinking we will be taking pot luck at some fast food place. We may find a lovely road side spot but it' s the company that matters.
Enjoy you day and bless you if you whip that all up!
Hugs~

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Good grub is definitely the way to a man's heart!
Duncan In Kuantan

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

BY the way, thanks for your comment on my recent post, and to answer your question, yes, I wrote the words myself :)

Shelly said...

What terrific recipes! I know my love would enjoy all of these, especially the steak as he is such a meat lover.

Thank you for taking the time to look these up and share them with us- they certainly add to the romance factor for Feb. 14!

Shady Del Knight said...

Hallo, dear Thisisme! I love your Valentine theme header! Well, dear friend, just as we all have our own taste in music (LOL) the same is true of food and drink. If I am to be honest about it I must admit to you that I never touch alcohol, so I would modify that cocktail to include only the tonic water and berries. I do not eat cheese and am not very fond of ham and therefore I would skip the Bruschetta. I do not eat beef steaks or any red meat but I would love to sample the Crush on You Tomatoes. I do enjoy fries and they look "scrummy" as your daughter likes to say. I also drink espresso but never eat sweets of any kind so I would respectfully ask that you hold the chocolate and the cream and give it to me straight. (LOL) If you combine all of the foods and drinks I would allow myself to consume it would still make quite a nice lunch I would think.

I hope you are getting into the V-day spirit, dear friend. Please take care and have an enjoyable weekend!

Unknown said...

Yummy yummy yummy! I'm on day six of my "reducing" diet plan. Everything looks so delicious. The bruchetta looks divine! Thanks for sharing the recipes, they remind me to start planning a little celebration!

Grammy Goodwill said...

Yum - those recipes all sound delicious. Also, I really like your Valentine header. It's so colorful.

SkippyMom said...

Pooldad loves white chocolate almost as much as he loves me. ALMOST. So those puddings are a perfect addition to our menu on Thursday. Yum and thank you.

Now since you have gone and been all share-y with all these fabulous recipes I suppose I best get my [ever growing] behind back over to the pond and SHARE the cake recipe, eh?

Your comment today was delightful. Thank you so much. Hugs and much love from the pond. XO Skip

Rebecca said...

omg i'm hungry now these all sound so good

Claudia Moser said...

Sounds like very delicious recipes!

Chatty Crone said...

You have some VERY good looking food there girl. Happy Valentine's Day!

Unknown said...

Some lovely recipe's there my friend, I love the chocolate ones ^_^ Enjoy your weekend.

Suzanne said...

Hi Thisisme. You always get the best Valentines for your posts...your header is so cool!

Your recipes are all great, especially the espresso pots! And, the steak dinner and sandwiches sure look good. This was a delicious post, Thisisme. Thanks for making it special! See you soon.♥

Unknown said...

Oh Diane! I'm drooling. Hubby will get a melted heart-box of chocolates from me this week, but a decadent chocolate cake next week for his shared birthday celebration. My eldest son and his family will be with us on vacation next week. I will be the only one not celebrating a birthday, but the rest will revel in decadence, with pressies and cake, plus a fun Bahamian holiday.
Hope your Valentine loves you back. :)
Rosemary

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I have changed my mind I know like the French kiss fries........lol yeah that is me unable to make a decision and stick to it