February Foodie Round-up: The Valentine’s edition

 

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ―Virginia Woolf

A quote that I couldn’t agree with more!

If you are one of those very people that hasn’t dined well recently, and are perhaps in need of something overly indulgent then read on. Or if you are on the search for something special to make to demonstrate how much you love your Valentine (or you could always leave this page open in the hope that they cook you something?) here’s a selection of fabulously extravagant, and fabulously not so extravagant Valentine’s recipes. Enjoy!  

Start the most romantic day of the year off with a breakfast that could have been cooked by Cupid himself. Being presented with a plate of A Modern Mother’s Nutella Pancakes would melt the hardest of hearts first thing in the morning wouldn’t it? And then there’s what has to be one of the most luxurious breakfasts ever – Eggs Benedict -Kate on Thin Ice shows us how it’s done! And for gluten free folk, how about cooking up a batch of these Banana pancakes with blueberries and strawberries?  Can anything say “I love you” more than making something exclusively for them?

Now with breakfast out of the way, here are a few ideas for a light lunch for your loved one. Coombe Mill’s Butternut Squash & Fig Salad is as pretty as a picture, and healthy on top of that! Or how about Honest Mum’s Pan Fried Chilli and Ginger Scallops for a delicious romantic midday banquet? This next recipe for Spicy Prawns with Chorizo and Feta by MadHouse Family Reviews is guaranteed to put a little fire into any belly.

Moving on to dinner (I do suggest you leave significant enough gaps between courses by the way!) Have you got the kids out of the way, the candles lit and the champers on ice? Then it’s time to get started. To me, simply agreeing to share food is an expression of love in itself, especially when it’s something like Taming Twin’s One Pan Roasted Garlic Macaroni Cheese! Or in the same cheesy vein, how gorgeous does Delicieux’s Tartiflette with Brocolli look? And then there’s this simple but gorgeous Kale with Apple and Bacon from the incredibly talented Appledrane (such beautiful pictures!). Or, if your special person is a fan of the spices of life, how about a spicy Tadka Dahl, Steamed Rice and Mughlai Shammi Kebab from The Intrepid Misadventurer?    

As you might expect with any Valentine’s Food selection – this last section is going to feature a lot of sweet stuff, don’t say I didn’t warn you! Start by mixing yourself a Super Golden Bakes Cherry Julep (how pretty is this?) and then on with the baking and creating! Be good to your (love) heart with this Low Fat Strawberry Gateaux from Happy Healthy Mummy, or how about attempting Chez Maxima’s delicious looking Limoncello Cake? Anyonita Nibble’s Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Crunch looks divine, as does Half a Pot of Cream’s Nigella’s Chocolate Cheesecake! I can vouch for this next recipe – Tarte Au Chocolat Orange because I made it – would you like two spoons or just the one?  Domestic Goddesque’s Apple Heart Tarts are just so sweet, as is Actually Mummy’s Heart Fudge, and I am  pretty sure I could eat it all in one go! Then there are these lovely Raspberry and Coconut Love Cakes from Red Ted Art,  and Crazy Kitchen’s perfect Chocolate Shortbread Hearts fit the bill too! Finally, I am ever so slightly in love with these Strawberry and Chilli Sweets by Vohn’s Vittles? Too beautiful to eat? Anyway, that’s your lot for this month, have a great Valentine’s, and thanks to every single one of you that submitted recipes last month…

Next month will be all about Italian food in its many guises, so if you have a recipe that fits the bill, you know what to do! Until then!