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Hey 'good' looking - a Valentine's guide (part 2)
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Thursday, 09 February 2012
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 Last week we presented a couple of recipes to help those blokes among us
to step up to the ‘plate’ in preparing a special Valentine’s meal. This
week we conclude with a main and dessert designed to fill her heart and
share the love.
Setting the scene
For some reason many women have a tendency to go gooey over one Jamie
Oliver. If you’re a little risqué, you can try your own version of The
Naked Chef for her amusement; be sure to wear a suitable apron to
prevent embarrassing cooking injuries.
Chicken Parmigiana (main course)
Some guys are leg men, but (at least if certain publications would have
us believe) people everywhere prefer big, juicy... chicken breasts!
Lovingly combining good-cooked-chook with a saucy little tomato topping
and the raw heat of garlic, means her goose will be well and truly
cooked and she’ll be ready to dispense with the PJs when you serve
her... Chicken Parmigiana!
You will need:
4 chicken breasts (skinless)
6 tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 large onion (diced)
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ Tbsp basil
½ Tbsp oregano
¼ cup red wine
2 small eggs
½ cup mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper
To prepare (the sauce):
Heat olive oil in a large pot
Add onions and cook until soft and brown
Add garlic and cook for approximately 5 minutes
Deglaze with red wine and cook for a further 2-3 minutes
Add peeled, seeded tomatoes and stir
Add chopped herbs
Simmer and cook over a low heat for roughly two hours
Add salt and pepper to taste
Alternatively, blend tinned tomatoes or use a can of ready-made pasta sauce; just don’t let your belle discover the jar!
To prepare (the chicken):
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
Place chicken between two sheets of cling wrap
Using a rolling pin or kitchen mallet flatten the chicken
Beat eggs in a mixing bowl
Dip chicken into the egg and then the bread crumbs
Place chicken into a lightly greased oven tray
Bake for 20 minutes
Pour sauce over the chicken
Sprinkle with grated parmesan and strips of mozzarella
Bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted
Chicken breasts are considered by some to be an aphrodisiac in their own
right... for obvious reasons! However, strangely enough, the magic
ingredient that is most likely to turn up the heat with this dish is
garlic. Now, I know you’re thinking: ‘garlic breath cannot be
attractive’, but this is not the case if both partners are afflicted by
its pungency.
Since ancient times garlic has been used to treat everything from colds
to heart problems, but it is due to its ability to improve blood
circulation that it has been linked with an increase in certain
nocturnal activities. In Tibet, monks were even forbidden from entering
monasteries if they had eaten garlic for fear it may inflame
inappropriate passions!
 Sugar plums (dessert)
You don’t need to be a fairy (or a little fruity) to enjoy a sugar plum.
While they may be more commonly associated with Christmas, these spicy
little numbers should have your lady eating out of the palm of your hand
by evening’s end.
Even if you’re not a maestro in the culinary arts, this recipe is not
too tough to master and by stating: ‘sweets for my sweet’ on delivery;
she’ll either melt in your arms or laugh in your face... and laughter is
the best aphrodisiac of all.
You will need:
Sugar or shredded coconut
1 orange (zest)
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped apricots
1/2 cup chopped prunes
1 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp coriander
To prepare:
Mix salt and crushed walnuts in a mixing bowl, covered with warm water
and allow to soak for approximately eight hours (If it’s Valentine’s eve
and you’re only reading this now... MOVE ON!)
Drain your nuts and pat them dry with paper towel (the walnuts that is!)
Combine the nuts with the dates, apricots, prunes, coriander, allspice,
cinnamon, nutmeg and the zest (that’s the skin) of an orange in a food
processer
Blend until the mixture forms a paste
Move the mixture into a mixing bowl
Roll pinches of the mixture into balls by rolling them in the palm of your hand
Roll the sugar plum balls in sugar or coconut to coat
Refrigerate until ready to serve
While sweet eats are always likely to stir the senses, in this dish,
cinnamon and nutmeg are the ingredients most commonly considered to be
aphrodisiacs. Both were known to produce ‘heat’ within the body and
their oils were even rubbed into certain body locations to localise this
warming affect!
Armed with four special recipes you’re now ready to become a chef in the
kitchen and a... well... I’ll leave the rest to your imagination! Best
of luck this Valentine’s Day guys, and remember to pay attention to your
lady by listening between the lines; make an effort and you should
prevent your romantic Valentine’s Day from becoming a massacre.
Please try these recipes and send us your feedback, or your recipes to share with our readers, to:
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Thanks and enjoy!
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Grow your Own 
