lifestyle

Rich and indulgent, these surprisingly easy to make confectionery are a fantastic Christmas or Valentine’s day gift. They’re also just the thing to make a melting centre in melting centre fondant desserts. If you want an even more decadent centre take candies fruit and put the chocolate around that to make truffles. I would suggest […]

What’s better than a fondue for Valentine’s day… a dish that’s traditionally meant for sharing. The traditional chocolate fondue is given a lift by the addition of a coffee liqueur or espresso martini in this recipe, giving it a more adult edge. 5/5/2 Ingredients: 3 tbsp whipping cream, plus 1 tsp 2 tbsp espresso martini

The combination of tender beef and umami-packed blue cheese is a classic that’s ideally suited to a romantic dinner like Valentine’s day. It’s also ultra-quick to make; ready and on the plate in 20 minutes. Prep time 5 minutes/Cook time 15 minutes/serves 2 Ingredients: 2 thick sirloin steaks 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp olive

This is a great Mexican-inspired alcohol-free cocktail. It’s great for Valentine’s day if you’re not drinking, or you are enjoying a little wine, want an extra refreshing drink, but without the alcohol. This is also an excellent drink if you love citrus (as we do). Prep time 5 minutes/Cook time 5 minutes/Serves 2 Ingredients: ice

Red and Velentine’s day go together… that’s because red is the colour of passion. So, these blood orange possets are ideal as a Valentine’s day dessert. They’re also great in that you can prepare them the day before and all you need to do on Valentine’s day itself is serve. Prep time 5 minutes/Cook time

This is another recipe that my husband made for me on Valentine’s day. He knows how much I love calamari and it’s a dish we always order when we go out. So, he created this Chinese-inspired take on the classic. It’s great as you can serve individual portions or, even better, make it a sharing

This is another classic seafood-based Valentine’s day starter. Scallops are always a crowd pleaser, and served on the half shell they look spectacular, too. My fishmonger sells spare scallop shells, so I sourced mine there but you can always serve in ramekins instead (you can also get artificial ceramic scallop shells for serving on-line). You

This gorgeously rich, slow-cooked duck ragù is easy to make and great for using up leftover gravy and stock. It’s a time investment, but makes enough for up to 10 people so you can serve two portions and then enjoy it again another night if you’re serving for Valentine’s day, or another intimate occasion. Like

This is a vegetarian dish for Valentine’s day. It’s based on the frugal cookery of post-war Italy, with hazelnuts substituted for the stale breadcrumbs that would have been used back then. Don’t let the simple origins of the dish fool you; this main course is packed with flavour. The linguine here is made fresh, which

What better than individual portions for Valentine’s day. Poussin are an excellent choice and these are prepared just like a whole chicken with stuffing and everything. They’re served with a rich and creamy Madeira sauce. For less cooking on the day, you can stuff the poussin the evening before then store in the refrigerator until

Some desserts are intimately associated with Valentine’s day — anything containing chocolate, strawberries or passion fruit. The other classic being a soufflé; they are just so showy and have a reputation for being difficult. Showy they are, indeed, but as long as you follow the instructions. Serve them immediately so they do not collapse. This

Black and White Sesame and Pistachio Biscuits barzac-black-white-sesame-shortbreads.png Traditional Barazek cookies or biscuits are thin, crispy and usually come with sesame and pistachios. They’re easy-to-make and are traditionally served as sweet treats in Syrian bakeries. This is a fusion version, where the barazek is combined with traditional British shortbreads. Obviously, these are intended for use

truffled-spinach-ricotta-ravioli.png Here’s a great sharing starter for Valentine’s day that also just happens to hearken back to the Roman origins of pasta as a fried, rather than a boiled, dish (pasta was not generally boiled until late Medieval times). The addition of a few cheat’s ingredients means that these impressive canapés are quick and easy

This simple starter contains two of the staple Valentine’s day ingredients: seafood and pasta. Make the most of the prawns by roasting the shells to flavour the olive oil. There’s also a bit of a punch here from fresh chillies (though you could substitute dried flakes [or milder peppers] for a gentler heat). Orichette (literally

If you hadn’t cottoned on yet, I absolutely love duck meat… it really is one of my favourites. My husband taught me how to make classic French magret de canard and this recipe is based on that. It’s an ideal recipe for an intimate Valentine’s night meal and as the prunes need a week’s macerating it’s also

This combination of red velvet cupcakes and cheesecake (they have a cream cheese based filling) is ideal for Valentine’s day and makes a great breakfast with coffee and tea. They can also be served throughout the day. Prep time 25 minutes/Cook time 20-25 minutes/Makes 18 Ingredients: For the cheesecake filling: 230g (1 cup) full-fat cream