Food that Flirts - Recipe Inspiration for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is too short for predictable, boring plates. Wayne Blake, Group Food & Beverage Manager at ANEW Hotels & Resorts, has come up with some tempting meal ideas you can cook together, where every bite teases your taste buds. So, light a candle, play your favourite playlist and chop, stir, taste and laugh side by side as you create these flirty dishes.

Beetroot blush pasta 

On a clean surface, mound 625ml flour (loosely filled and levelled) and make a well in the center. Crack in 3 large eggs, add a pinch of salt, 10ml olive oil and 10ml beetroot juice* for a soft blush-pink hue. Mix gently with your hands until a dough forms, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Roll out the dough thinly using a rolling pin or pasta machine, dusting lightly with flour to prevent sticking. Cut into tagliatelle or use a small heart-shaped cutter for a romantic twist. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes for thin pasta or 3 to 5 minutes for thicker or heart-shaped pieces, until tender but firm.

Consider adding a creamy garlic sauce. Add warm 30ml olive oil in a pan and gently cook 2 finely sliced cloves of garlic until fragrant. Add 100ml cream and 50ml tomato purée, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir the pasta through the sauce, adding a spoonful of reserved pasta water if needed to coat evenly, then remove from heat.

Melt 15ml butter with 1 small, crushed garlic clove and drizzle over the pasta before serving. Top with 30ml crushed pecan nuts and 5ml chopped fresh herbs of your choice and voila!

Alternatively add fresh basil leaves, cottage cheese, and a variation of crushed nuts like pistachios, or pecan nuts!

*Beetroot juice can stain your hands, so wear gloves or lightly oil them if you want to avoid pink fingers.

Strawberry balsamic pizza

Roll 250g (or 250ml) pizza dough thin as you please and spread 100ml ricotta over the base. Scatter 250ml halved strawberries and 80ml crumbled goat’s cheese, then drizzle 15ml balsamic glaze on top.

Optional toppings can include a handful of toasted pecan nuts and a light sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Bake in a conventional oven at 200°C or in an air fryer at 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes, checking from 10 minutes in, until golden and bubbling.

Add fresh basil leaves over the top just before serving for extra colour and aroma.

Honey & paprika glazed chicken skewers

Thread 500g bite-size chicken breast pieces onto wooden skewers. In a small bowl, mix 45ml honey, 5ml smoked paprika, 5ml soy sauce, 5ml olive oil and a pinch of salt. Brush the mixture generously over the chicken. Grill on a preheated braai fire or in a conventional oven at 200°C for 15–20 minutes, turning and basting every 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and caramelised.

For a quicker option, cook in an air fryer at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes, brushing once halfway and ensuring that the basting does not burn. Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley or add a few toasted sesame seeds for a bit of crunch.

Serve with a crisp green salad, roasted vegetables, or fluffy herbed couscous for a complete meal that balances the sweet with the smoky glaze. Flatbreads or grilled corn on the cob are fun extras to compliment the meal.

Passionfruit & butternut curry

Fry 1 chopped onion, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 5ml grated ginger in 15ml oil until soft. Add 400g butternut cubes and 200ml coconut milk, then fold in the pulp of 3 fresh passionfruit and a squeeze of lime. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes until the butternut is tender and the sauce slightly thickened.

Serve with steamed rice or fluffy couscous to soak up all that tropical goodness and top it all with fresh coriander.

Heart flapjacks with berry compote and cream cheese 

Whisk together 250ml plain flour, 30ml cocoa powder, 60ml sugar, 5ml baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, mix 1 egg, 150ml milk, 30ml vegetable oil, and 5ml vanilla extract. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth.

Heat a non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly brush with oil. Pour about 30ml of batter per flapjack and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden and cooked through.

For the berry compote, simmer 250ml mixed berries (fresh or frozen) with 15ml sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice for 5–7 minutes until thickened, then set aside to cool slightly.

Once the flapjacks are cooked, use a small heart-shaped cutter to remove the centre of one flapjack and place it on top of another whole flapjack. Spoon the berry compote into the heart-shaped opening so the colour shows through.

For the topping, beat 100ml cream cheese with 15ml honey or maple syrup until smooth, and spread or pipe around the edges.

Added extra: Sprinkle caramelised popcorn, crushed honeycomb, freeze-dried raspberries, or toasted coconut flakes with a pinch of cinnamon over the top.