The pressure of Valentine’s Day is looming. Whether you like it or not, heart shaped chocolates will line grocery store aisles, overpriced set menus will be abundant and you won’t be able to walk five minutes without bumping into someone carrying a bouquet of red roses. A day which commenced modestly in Ancient Rome when a clergyman was discovered secretly marrying couples is now a day where 250 million roses are produced in just 24 hours all in the name of love. If you have been struck by cupids arrow though, then you’re likely in search of a grand romantic gesture for your valentine and since we know that the way to a mans anybody’s heart is through their stomach, therein lies your answer.
The arrival of our daughter last November meant that this Valentine’s Day would be extra special but it also meant that my dinner menu needed to be extra practical, a whip-up-during-naptime kind of practical. It didn’t take me long to settle on a Fig, Goat Cheese and Bresaola Arugula Salad to start and Cinnamon-dusted Grilled Peaches topped with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert, easy peasy. The main would need to be the centerpiece of my menu, I wanted to highlight a couple of our favorite ingredients and also wanted a recipe I could prepare ahead and so this Kale-Pistachio Pesto and Shrimp Tagliatelle was born. I draped my table in a few statement pieces from Silsal’s Accents and Tarateesh collections for a glossy finish and voila, my naptime approved Valentine’s Day dinner was ready. Bon Appetit!
Fig and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad
4 Figs, cut in half lengthwise
1 Bunch Arugula Leaves (or Rocca)
1/4 Cup Goat Cheese, crumbled
6-8 Pieces of Bresaola
1/3 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Loaf Artisan Bread
Wash and combine all ingredients except balsamic vinegar. In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar on medium heat and reduce until about half the amount remains and sauce becomes thicker, let cool then drizzle on top of salad. Serve with artisan bread to scoop up salad.
Kale Pistachio Pesto and Shrimp Tagliatelle
1 Bunch of Kale, de-stemmed (at least 5 large leaves)
3/4 Cup Raw Pistachios, slight toasted
3 Large Cloves Garlic, roasted
1/4 Cup Parmesan
3 Lemons
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Sea Salt/Pepper, to taste
300g of Fresh Shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Box Tagliatelle
To make pesto add kale, toasted pistachios, juice of two lemons and olive oil to food processor and pulse until mixed thoroughly. Once mixed, add roasted garlic, parmesan and salt/pepper until pesto is combined, add water until the pesto is creamy, blended and you have your desired consistency. You can easily make this pesto 1-2 days ahead and store in refrigerator so that before dinner you only need to prepare shrimp and pasta.
Separately boil fresh shrimp in salted water for 2 minutes. Once they have boiled, drain water and add 2 tbsp butter, olive oil and the juice of one lemon and sauté shrimp for 2 minutes. Set aside. Add tagliatelle to boiling salted water and cook for 6-8 minutes then drain. Combine pasta and pesto, add shrimp on top and garnish with toasted pistachios and parmesan cheese.
Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream
2 Large Peaches
2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
Vanilla Ice Cream
Cut peaches in half and remove seeds, lay peaches flat-side down on a griddle pan and grill for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle the grilled peaches with cinnamon and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
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