Ricotta with honey, cinnamon and berries
As we are not huge dessert people, I am always looking for dessert recipes that are not too sweet and can be whipped up in a couple of minutes. This recipe for Ricotta with Honey, Cinnamon and Berries was perfect for Greek date night.
Youvarlakia – Greek meatball soup in an egg lemon sauce
Avgolemono is an egg lemon sauce that I have wanted to make for ages. As this week was Greek date night, it was the perfect occasion to make a traditional Greek meatball soup that incorporates this sauce.
Cuban Oxtail Stew – Rabo Encendido
“Rabo Encendido” roughly translates to “Tail on Fire”. This is a bit deceiving as there are no chillies or even pepper in this Cuban oxtail stew ( traditional Cuban dishes aren’t hot). Feel free to add hot sauce if you want a bit of a kick.
Lamb Tagine with Layered Onions and Tomatoes
Winter has finally arrived in Cape Town and I wanted to make some comfort food for this week’s date night.
Few things say comfort food more than a slow cooked stew, so I decided to make a Moroccan lamb tagine.
Miso Pork Belly Ramen
People tend to associate ramen noodles with the dried noodles you zap in the microwave for a quick cheap meal. This does not compare with freshly made Japanese ramen noodles.
Ramen also refers to the Japanese dish of noodles served in a broth and topped with meat and/or vegetables. I decided to make ramen noodles with a miso broth and miso roasted pork belly for this week’s date night.
Feijoada – Brazilian Pork and Bean Stew
Feijoada is considered to be the national dish of Brazil. Pork and beans are slowly cooked and served with rice, collard greens and orange slices.
A dish of Portugese origin, it is said that slaves would make this dish out of pork leftovers and black beans. Pig ears, feet and tails are traditionally used in this dish – I opted to leave it out of my version.
Ravioli 3 Ways – Veal and Spinach, Ostrich and Pancetta, Smoked Venison and Butternut
As we try to stick to a fairly low carb diet most of the time, I haven’t made fresh pasta for ages. This was a great excuse to make ravioli for date night.
As every date night is a special occasion I decided to push the boat out and make 3 different types of ravioli with 3 different sauces.
Veal & Spinach Ravioli in a Walnut Sauce, Ostrich & Pancetta Ravioli in a Porcini Sauce and Venison & Butternut Ravioli in a Sage Butter Sauce.
Portugese Date Night – Chorizo Stuffed Calamari and Beef Espetada
Sometimes the simplest food is the tastiest – Beef Espetada being a prime example. A dish from the island of Madeira, large chunks of beef are rubbed with garlic, salt and bay leaves. It is then skewered and cooked over an open fire.
Jamaican Date Night – Caribbean Prawns, Jerk Chicken, Rice and Peas and Guinness Ice Cream
When you think of Jamaica you think of relaxed island vibes, rum cocktails and food flavoured with chilli, all spice and thyme. This inspired me to try the quintessential Jamaican dishes of Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas for this week’s Jamaican date night.