Stuffed Hearts and Red Peppers
So Valentine’s Day has come and gone in a flurry of clutched plastic-covered roses and last-minute restaurant bookings. The sky above the city was a smear of pink. I hovered around the designated meeting place, feigning interest in a free magazine and daring anyone to approach me that wasn’t the intended mate. Finally rescued from my charade by my Valentine’s (platonic) date. What a night we had planned. Strolled back to mine, casually verbally abusing couples embracing in the street. Stopped in Tesco to pick up supplies (not a normal occurence I promise) and once back in mine prepped the place for some cooking.
Ultra-Romantic and Delicious Menu
in honor of St. Valentine and the Plastic Rose Sellers.
Starter
(WHAT?? MORE THAN ONE COURSE?? Too Fancy. Can’t Cope.)
Oat cakes
Smoked Salmon
Mayonnaise
Feta.
ASSEMBLE. Artfully ‘drape’ the salmon onto the oatcake ala Jamie Oliver to add ‘texture’. The difference in taste is noticeable. No, really. Draped smoked salmon is leaps ahead of plain, boring, regular smoked salmon.
Main Course
Red Peppers stuffed with brown basmati rice, spinach, sweet potato and feta.
Ingredients:
Spinach
Two red peppers
Handful of walnuts (or hazelnuts or pine nuts)
Feta
2/3 cup (100g) of brown basmati rice
olive oil
1 med sweet potato
cumin
fresh coriander
1 med white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
2-3 tspn veg stock
 Method.
Line roasting tin with tin foil ~ cooker at 200 Celcius ~ peel and chop sweet potato into little cubes and spread out on tray, coat with olive oil ~ Cook for 20 mins or until soft.
Bring a med pot to boil (bubbles) ~ add spinach (cut in quarters if leaves are too big for pot) ~ Boil for seven mins or until med soft (not mush) ~ Drain and take off heat.
COOK RICE. Rinse a mug-full of brown basmati rice in a sieve twice ~ put in pot with two mugs of water ~ slowly bring to boil then simmer for 40 mins or until sufficiently tasty ~ drain water.
Heat o.o. in pan ~ chop onion finely ~ add cumin ~ add onion and garlic, fry for 2 mins ~ add spinach and stock in boiling water (1/3 a cup), 2-3 mins ~ Add rice, sweet pot., walnuts, coriander, salt, pepper and feta ~ stir, take off heat but leave in pan.
cut tops of red peppers and scoop out the inside seeds ~ add mixture from the pan into each pepper ~ wipe the outsides of each pepper with olive oil ~ cook upright in the oven for 30 mins at 200 Celcius.
Serve with a a sprig of fresh coriander and a kiss (or buddy pat on the back if you prefer).
Dessert, kinda.
Dark Chocolate (DF)
Tea (herbal)
I dip my chocolate in my tea. It’s delicious.