Valentine's dinner for two: Courgette, mint and prawn pasta

Valentine's Day. You either loathe it or love it - strangely enough (we're not really that surprised), this mostly depends on whether you have someone to share it with or not. If you somehow haven't noticed the ridiculous amount of red-heart-splattered paraphenalia that has littered supermarkets since Christmas, woke up today in a panic and realised it's on Thursday, then shoooosh don't worry, Katelyn is here. And I totally sympathise. 
Whether you like the day or not,  the reality is that if you have a significant other, you're going to have to treat them to something special, or face sleeping on the couch. 

 Personally, my advice is to avoid the red roses, expensive restaurants and corny cards. Instead, cook dinner. Nothing says you care more than hours slaved over a hot stove. The way to a man's (or woman's!) heart is most definitely through their stomach and this recipe is one that will be an absolute winner. What I love most about this pasta is that it has a bit of pizzaz to show that you splurged a bit, looks impressive (like you know your way around a kitchen) but in fact, is so simple and easy anyone can whip it up. If this doesn't earn you MAJOR brownie points, or a second date, then I will eat my favourite pink spatula. Deal? And because I love you all so much, check in again during the week as I'll share a no-flop liquid-centred chocolate fondant recipe. Gooey and decadent enough to melt any heart. You can thank me later.

Photography by Angie Lazaro

Courgette coriander and prawn pasta

Serves 2

olive oil, for frying

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed

1/2 glass white wine

1/4 cup brandy

1 cup cream

juice and finely grated zest of 1 small lemon

sea salt and white pepper

300g prawn meat, defrosted, drained well on paper towel, shells removed

3-4 small courgettes or baby marrows, in ribbons (made with a veggie peeler)

200g dried linguine pasta (or any other pasta such as penne, tagliatelle or even lasagne sheets)

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

2 tbsp freshly chopped mint

toasted pine nuts, for garnish (optional)

Begin by making the pasta sauce; heat a little olive oil in a pan and gently saute the onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the white wine and brandy and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened. Add the lemon juice and zest and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside. 

Bring a large pot of boiling salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until tender and al dente. Drain the pasta, leaving a little water in the bottom of the pot. Toss in the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil.

While the pasta is cooking, heat another pan with olive oil until hot then flash-fry the prawns until pink. Add the courgette ribbons and season well. Stir through the herbs. 

Toss the pasta in the white wine sauce and divide between two plates. Top with the courgettes and prawns then sprinkle with a little extra chopped herbs and a sprinkling of the pine nuts. Wait for compliments. 

Photography by Angie Lazaro

One Pot Wonder: Harissa chicken with olives and mint yoghurt

My mother is the queen of one pot wonders – give her a bag of groceries and she can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes flat. These skills are more attributed to the fact that cooking is a chore for her (yes I often wonder if I'm adopted because of this), however, my dish-free dinners are rather attributed to the fact that I despise washing up. No need to raise your rubber glove-clad hand if you agree – I know I'm not alone. This recipe is one of my favourites because it's big on flavour and low on effort: a chopping board, knife, casserole dish and small bowl is all that will land up in your sink. If you've never cooked with harissa before, you're in for a treat. It's a condiment used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. Chillies, oil, garlic, coriander and cumin are ground into a paste and used to season meat such as lamb, chicken, beef, or tossed through roast vegetables and couscous. Quite a few supermarkets stock it in the spice section but if you can't find it, I've included a substitute below so you can give it a try. And if you're wonder woman with a wok or turn into superman with a saucepan in your hand then post your one pot winners in the comment box below – sharing is afterall caring. Happy cooking!

(serves 4-6)

6-8 chicken pieces

1 head of garlic, halved

1 cup black olives

¼ cup tomato paste

1T harissa paste

1T brown sugar

½ cup chicken stock

salt and black pepper

250g baby tomatoes, halved

4-5 sprigs thyme

1 cup plain yoghurt

zest of 1 lemon

2T chopped parsley

1T chopped mint

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the chicken pieces in a casserole or baking dish and add the garlic, olives, tomato and harissa paste, sugar, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Toss to combine with half the tomatoes. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid/foil, add the rest of the tomatoes, thyme and roast until golden and sticky. For the yoghurt, combine the rest of the ingredients and season well. Serve the chicken with the minted yoghurt on the side.

Homemade harissa

10-12 dried red chillies

1/2t salt

2T olive oil

1t ground corinader

1t ground caraway seeds

1/2t cumin

Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Remove the stems and seeds and combine in a food processor or pestle and mortar with the garlic, salt and olive oil. Add the rest of the spices to form a smooth paste. Store in an airtight container and drizzle the surface with olive oil – this will seal it and keep it fresh. The harissa paste will last up to a month in the fridge and is best when rested for 12 hours before using.