Romantic Recipes to Inspire this Valentines Day.

Light the candles, stick on Barry White and cook  up a romantic storm with this DIY menu from Ballymaloe Foods simple, no-nonsense and tasty Ideas to make Valentine’s in Lockdown Special

Regardless of the day itself, we can all collectively agree that this year especially, we could all do with a little bit of extra love. With most kitchen tables doubling as work desks and school desks nowadays, make sure to mark this February 14th in your diary as a day to reconnect with the ones who matter. 

Whether you’re celebrating with your Valentine, your “Palentine” or even your family, virtually or as a household, it’s still an opportunity to do something a little special and help spread the love a little bit further with a home-cooked menu fit for the King or Queen in your life.

So, close the laptops, clear and set the table correctly and make this Valentine’s meal feel a bit more special than any other night of the week with this DIY menu that is sure to delight from Ballymaloe Foods.

Starter

Beetroot Crostini with Ballymaloe Beetroot 

• 200g of drained Ballymaloe Irish Beetroot
• 240g of tinned chickpeas drained
• 1 clove of garlic
• 10 medium slices of Parma Ham
• 50g St Tola Greek Style Cheese
• 10 slices of sourdough bread
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Place the beetroot and the chickpeas in the food processor along with the clove of garlic. Blitz until you are happy with the consistency, it should be smooth in texture.
2. Add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Slice the bread and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toast in the oven until crispy.
4. Spread the hummus over the crostini, layer with Parma Ham and crumble some delicious St. Tola Greek Style cheese on top.

Cheese Fondue

• 1 loaf of stale crusty white bread (and the crustier the better!)
• 85g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp dry white wine
• 1/2 a small clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp Ballymaloe Original Relish

Instructions

1. Cut your bread into rough cubes and toast them in a preheated oven at 200⁰C for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them as they can brown quickly.
2. Place the wine, garlic, Ballymaloe Original Relish and parsley in a fondue pot or small saucepan, stir, then add the grated cheese.
3. Just before serving, put the fondue pot or saucepan over a low heat until the cheese melts and begins to bubble. Don’t stir it too much while it is cooking or the mixture may split
4. Serve the fondue immediately with the toasted bread and fondue forks. If you don’t have them, skewers or regular forks will do just fine.

Main Course

Chicken Tacos

• 2 chicken breasts
• 8-12 soft flour tortillas
• 4 tbsp Ballymaloe Pepper Relish or Original Relish
• 1 avocado (sliced)
• 2 tbsp coriander (freshly chopped)
• 1 lime (cut into wedges)
• 1 tsp pickled jalapenos (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp pink pickled onions

Instructions

1. Place a heavy griddle pan over a medium heat.
2. Lay the chicken breast on a chopping board and flatten with your palm. Slice horizontally to butterfly the breast.
3. Toss the chicken in a little olive oil then season the chicken with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
4. Preheat a pan-grill, fry the chicken on the griddle until completely cooked, turning halfway through. Set aside to rest before slicing.
5. Warm the tortillas by placing them on a dry, hot frying pan
6. Once warmed through, fill each tortilla with strips of chicken, slices of avocado and fresh coriander.
7. Spoon a dollop of Ballymaloe Pepper Relish or Original Relish over each taco and scatter some finely chopped jalapenos and pickled onions over the top. Serve right away.

Snack/ After Dinner

Cheeseboard served with Ballymaloe Original Relish

Ballymaloe Foods are always on a mission to help you create easy meals that are convenient, nutritious and tasty. People have so much going on right now, working from home, homeschooling or caring for loved ones so in the spirit of convenience these are all quick to assemble so if you’ve got little ones around, take the time to arrange, cook and eat together.

For more inspiration and recipe ideas head to www.ballymaloefoods.ie/recipes/