Skip the chocolates — but not the flowers — and serve up Warren Elwin’s impressive yet simple three or four-course dinner for two. The soup and dessert can be made ahead of time.
Cauliflower and fennel vichyssoise
- Finely chop 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 small knob ginger, 1/4 head cauliflower and 1 large fennel bulb. Sweat all in a little olive oil until translucent.
- Add 3 cups hot chicken or vege stock, 3 bay leaves and a sprig of thyme. Simmer until veges are soft. Remove from heat, remove herbs and cool.
- Blitz until smooth with 1 cup yoghurt. Season with the juice of a lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Chill to serve. Use the dressing from the main course salad (below) to drizzle a heartshaped garnish.
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Cherry tomato bruschetta
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- Place quartered cherry tomatoes and similar-sized chunks of goat's feta into a bowl. Drizzle with walnut oil and a squeeze of lime juice and toss to combine.
- To serve, toast slices of sourdough on a grill pan and rub with a peeled garlic clove. Top with the tomato mix, season with sea salt and pepper and garnish with fresh parsley.
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Barbecued fish on fennel, pecan and potato chip salad
- Blitz until smooth a handful of fresh coriander or dill, 2 cloves peeled garlic, 1 small knob ginger, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 pickled jalapeno, 1 tsp each of salt and sugar and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Chill.
- Use a mandolin or a sharp knife to finely slice a few potatoes, lightly toss with oil and season with salt and pepper and bake on a high heat in the oven until crisp. Meanwhile finely slice 1 small fennel bulb, 1 apple and 2-3 baby cucumbers. Toss with a handful of honey-roasted pecans (or walnuts) and a handful of microgreens. Drizzle with some of the dressing.
- Cut skin-on fish fillets into portions. Brush with the dressing and sear skin-side-down on the barbecue (or in a hot grill pan) until flesh is white and just cooked.
- To serve, toss potato chips through salad. Pile salad on plates and top with fish and a sprinkle of salt.
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Fresh fruit trifle
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- Into a bowl, thinly slice 1-2 large ripe plums, 3 apricots and a handful of strawberries. Add the zest and juice of a lemon or orange, 3 Tbsp icing sugar and 1/4 cup gin (or use Campari or rum) and leave to macerate.
- Break pieces of sponge or ginger cake into tall glasses. Top with the fruit and juices. Fill glasses with custard and refrigerate.
- To serve, top with whipped cream and grated chocolate.