4 Perfect Valentine’s Day dinner recipes

Ingredients:

For the chimichurri:

• ½ bunch Italian parsley, finely minced
• ¼ bunch coriander, finely minced
• 1 T oregano, finely minced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 red jalapeño seeded and finely minced (or any red chilli)
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 5 T olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the fish:

• 250 g 2 x fresh skinless white fish fillets (tilapia, hake or kingklip)
• 2 T lemon juice
• ½ t smoked paprika
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t onion powder
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1 T unsalted butter
• red chilli oil, for serving 
• parsley, for serving 
• 1 lemon, cut in half and charred (optional)

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the chimichurri in a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use. Making it the day before allows the flavours to infuse and results in a bolder taste.
2. Season the fish on both sides with lemon juice, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Gently place the fish fillets in the pan, turn the heat down to medium-high, add the butter and cook for 4–5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Transfer the fish fillets to plates and let them rest for 2–3 minutes, then spoon over the chimichurri sauce. Drizzle with chilli oil and parsley oil, and serve with charred lemon halves (if using) and more chimichurri on the side.

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Ingredients:

• 500 g pork mince
• 250 g chicken livers, finely chopped
• 3 leeks, washed and finely chopped
• ¼ bulb fennel, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 T Italian parsley chopped
• 1 free-range egg
• flour, for dusting
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 x 250 g Woolworths fresh tagliatelle packets, cooked al dente

For the tomato sauce:

• 2 t olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 x 800 g Italian whole peeled tomatoes can
• 25 g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in cold water
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Combine the pork mince, chicken livers, leeks, fennel, red onion, parsley and egg. Roll into balls and dust with flour.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over a high heat. Fry the meatballs until golden brown, then place on a baking tray. Finish cooking the meatballs in the oven at 180°C just before serving.
3. To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan, then add the garlic and chilli. Add the tomato paste, whole peeled tomatoes and mushrooms, and cook for 15–20 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Toss the meatballs through the tomato sauce and serve with the tagliatelle. Season to taste.

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Ingredients:

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T-bone steaks
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 30 walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 30 g Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• 12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 5 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a high heat. Pat dry the steak using kitchen paper, season, then cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
2. Remove the steak from the heat and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
3. Toss the walnuts, parsley, olives and anchovies and dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
4. Slice the steak, arrange on a serving platter, and serve with the parsley salad.
5. Browse more steak recipes here.

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Ingredients:

• 700 g butternut
• 800 g large potatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• salt, to taste.
• 50 g hard cheese finely grated.
• 1 free-range egg, beaten.
• ½ t nutmeg
• 125 g flour
• 125 g butter

For the herb pesto:

• 15 g Italian parsley
• 15 g basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 25 g hard cheese finely grated.
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

To serve:

• 50 g hard cheese finely grated.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Halve the butternut and remove the seeds. Prick the potatoes with a fork. Brush the butternut and potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 1 hour or until soft. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then peel.
2. Smash the butternut and potato using a ricer, then mix with the cheese, egg, nutmeg and 1 t salt.
3. Gradually mix in the flour, 1 T at a time, kneading gently until the dough just holds together. Tip onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth, adding more flour if necessary. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, then roll out each piece into cylinders 1.5 cm in diameter. Cut each cylinder into 2 cm pieces, place on a baking tray and chill for 1 hour.
4. Cook the gnocchi in batches in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Remove using a slotted spoon.
5. To make the pesto, blend the herbs, garlic, cheese, and oil to make a paste. Season to taste.
6. Heat the butter and pesto in a pan until foaming. Toss the gnocchi through the butter and serve immediately sprinkled with cheese.

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