Recipe for disaster...

Valentine's is fast approaching, and I find myself in the usual quandry - not wanting to embrace the forced romanticism, still wanting to "make the effort", not wanting to fob my children off on someone else...


As such, it's been decided that I'll be cooking a romantic three course meal for Mr W when the munchkins are in bed. It will no doubt end up with us both passed out on the sofa by 9pm whilst the usual Saturday night television dross drones away in the background - and who said romance was dead?!

But three courses, with small children to take care of, bath, put to bed... and wanting to eat before midnight? Recipe for disaster?

Nah. My menu is below, dead easy to make and most of it can be prepared in advance to make for a super easy evening!

Enjoy!

L xx

Starter - Stuffed mushrooms
1. Bake the mushrooms until cooked, then turn upside down on something they can drain the liquid into.
2. Pan fry half a chopped onion & a diced clove of garlic. Then add a handful of grated cheese, turn off the heat & mix in until a gooey mess forms.
3. Stuff the mushrooms with the goo, and grill under a moderate heat until slightly browned & bubbling.
4. Serve with dressed leaves.


Main course - Steak pie
1. CHEAT! Make a stew in the slow cooker in the morning and leave to cook for the entire day. I use stewing steak, onion, mushrooms, carrot, gravy, a stock cube, cracked black pepper, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard & 1 tbsp brown sauce. Mix well and leave on low all day.
2. Roll new potatoes in olive oil with some herbs, sea salt & black pepper. Bake for approx 30 mins, turning half way through.
3. Cut ready-roll puff pastry into pie dish sized discs and cook per instructions.
4. Blanch asparagus, to accompany your meal.
5. Serve the stew with the pastry disc on top, and your veg. The excess gravy from the stew will be delicious.

Dessert - Lemon posset
1. Make these the day before - hurrah! Heat 300ml double cream in a pan with 90g caster sugar until the sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil.
2. Add the grated zest and juice of one lemon, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
3. Pour into ramekins & leave in fridge over night to set.
4. Serve dusted with icing sugar, with some fresh raspberries or strawberries.