Photo courtesy of The Vegetarian Society
Although I am not vegetarian, I am actively cutting down on the amount of meat that my family and I consume. It’s good for our health, our waistlines, our budget and the environment. It can be tricky to think up a vegetarian meal for a special date night but this wonderful Valentine Dinner Date meal from The Vegetarian Society and The Cordon Vert Cookery School makes it easy. The majority of it can be prepared in advance, and the preparation and cooking time for the whole meal is around 45 minutes.
There’s something for everyone in this romantic menu. Flavourful noodles and an exotic mix of mushrooms seasoned with garlic, ginger and paprika are topped with crispy tofu hearts and served alongside asparagus with homemade hollandaise sauce and succulent vine roasted tomatoes.
What better way to treat your loved one than with a healthy and delicious Valentine Dinner Date meal that tastes great?
Valentine Dinner Date Recipes
Tofu Hearts
Serves 2
Preparation Time 5 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Vegan
200 grams (about 7 ounces) firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon paprika
plus 1 teaspoon paprika mixed with 2 teaspoons olive oil
Carefully pat the tofu dry with plenty of paper towels.
Slice half a centimeter across the width of the tofu. Using a heart shaped cutter, or a steady hand, carefully cut out four tofu hearts.
Slice any off cuts into strips to cook with the hearts. These cooked tofu strips will be set aside and used in the Mixed Mushrooms recipe.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the tofu hearts alongside any off cuts for about seven minutes.
When the tofu is crispy on one side, turn it over and season with the lime juice, soy sauce and paprika. Set to one side. Just prior to serving, dip the hearts into the paprika and oil mixture and place on the griddle pan with the asparagus.
Serve the Tofu Hearts with:
Mini Stir Fry
Serves 2
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 3 minutes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 courgette (zucchini), peeled into ribbons
1 fresh chili, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
25 grams (just under 1 ounce) flaked almonds
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until it is very hot but not smoking. Add all of the ingredients and cook for 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables in order to retain their texture, colour and flavour.
For recipes for the Mixed Mushrooms, Noodles and Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, please click here.
Later in the week I will be featuring vegetarian desserts to help end this meal on a deliciously sweet note.
For more information on the Cordon Vert Cookery School, creators of this delicious Valentine’s menu, please click here.
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