Love, love me do!

Howdy all you fellow lovely bloggers/followers/lurkers? So I know I have been MIA for a couple of days (yeah, I have learnt ‘cool’ internet lingo over the past few days…MIA: Missing in Action), but I am back and haaaapy Valentine’s Day lovers! I’m not a big fan, but I must say – love genuinely is all around – heck, even my security guard wished me this morning!

So what big plans people? Today is the day when I’m sure restaurants must be making a killing with their special menus and fancy price tags, but I think there is nothing more special and thoughtful than cooking a meal for your loved one. I have decided to cook a fancy meal for my folks (yeah, I know…DON’T JUDGE ME!), but you can sure as hell make everything I’m about to list below for your special someone and trust me, he/she is sure to do a double flip and thank you in kind after dinner (yes, I mean exactly what you are thinking!)

These recipes can all be done within two hours flat (total time, not per dish) and are bloody delicious. Enjoy! The theme I’m going with is red...so yes, a bottle of red wine would be the perfect meal aperitif.

Roast Beetroot Soup

Ingredients

·         3 tablespoons olive oil

·         ½  onion, chopped

·         3 cloves garlic, chopped

·         4 medium beets, peeled and chopped

·         1 carrot, finely chopped

·         2 cups vegetable stock

·         salt and freshly ground pepper

·         3/4 cup coconut milk

·         A handful of pine nuts

Method: Toast pine nuts in the oven for 5 minutes or until gold, set aside. Set oven at 375F. Roast chopped beets for 40 minutes. Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic; cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot and beets to cook for 1 minute. Stir in stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, and simmer until the carrots and beets are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly. In batches, add soup to a food processor, and pulse until liquefied. Return soup to saucepan, and gently heat through. Add coconut milk. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a swirl of coconut milk, pine nuts and fresh thyme.

Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Garlic Greens

Ingredients

500 gm pasta
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
10 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
800 ml of whole tomatoes, blended in a blender till smooth
400 ml tomato paste
2 1/2 cup of cream

For the greens:

1 kg spinach
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Method: In a medium pot on medium low, drizzle about a 1/4 cup of olive oil and add the onion and garlic.  Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt.  When the onion is soft, add the blended tomatoes and the paste.  Let simmer on low. Meanwhile, in a large pan on medium, drizzle some olive oil and add in the garlic and onions.  After a minute, toss in the greens and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt.  Toss until wilted. While you’re doing the greens, cook the pasta according to the directions. When the pasta is al dente, toss it with some sauce, plate and top with a pile of greens. Enjoy!

Red Rouge Cupcakes

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/3 cup butter, softened

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         4 ounces white chocolate, chopped

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Method: Preheat oven to 325F. Line muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped white chocolate by heating it in 30-second intervals in the microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval and cook only until the chocolate is smooth when stirred. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by melted white chocolate and vanilla extract. Working in two or three additions, alternate adding in some of the milk and some of the flour mixture, ending with a final addition of flour. Mix until just incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 325F for 20-23 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip. Cool completely before frosting.

For White Chocolate Frosting

·         4 ounces cream cheese, softened

·         1/4 cup butter, softened

·         1 ounce white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         3 teaspoons heavy cream

·         3 – 4 cups powdered sugar

Method: Using a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add white chocolate, vanilla extract and heavy cream and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches desired consistency. If you want to pipe it, make sure it’s stiff enough to stand up on it’s own.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

·         4 ounces cream cheese, softened

·         1/4 cup butter, softened

·         3/4 cup strawberries, mashed by hand or with food processor

·         1/4 teaspoon vanilla

·         3 – 4 cups powdered sugar

Method: Using a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add mashed strawberries and vanilla and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches piping consistency.

PS: The recipe for Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Garlic Greens was sourced from http://www.lesliesarna.com/2010/10/pasta-with-creamy-tomato-sauce-and-garlic-greens.html