Grilled Salmon.

Grilled Salmon with Vanilla and Prawns
Preparation takes less than half an hour – some 20 mins; cooking: 20-30 mins. Yileds: 4.

Ingredients:
Salad
2 handfuls baby watercress leaves
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 mango
3 tbsp coriander cress
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
Seasoning: 1 pinch sugar, salt, black pepper.

Note: Peel the mango, remove the stone, and cut into ¼ inch (0.5cm) dice.

Salmon
1lb 2oz (500g) salmon fillet
4oz (110g) melted butter
1 vanilla pod

Prawns
1oz (25g) plain flour
1oz (25g) cornflour
Seasoning: pinch salt
3-4fl oz (75-110ml) sparkling water
12 raw king prawns

Note: pin bones of the salmon, remove the skin, and cut into ¼ inch (0.5cm) thick slices. Split the vanilla pod; scrape out the seeds (use a knife). Remove heads and shells removed of the prawns and devein them.

Instructions:
Salad
Drop the watercress, coriander cress, and spinach leaves in a medium bowl. Add the 0.5 of the diced mango and toss to mix. Blend rest of the mango with white-wine vinegar till pureed. With the motor on you may carefully add some oil to emulsify the puree. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Tip the puree over the salad, stir till mixed well; set aside.

Salmon
Preheat the grill to maximum. Put a bottomless tart ring or the chef’s one on the baking tray. Lay ¼ of the salmon slices in the ring slightly overlapped. In a small bowl, combine vanilla seeds with the melted butter. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the mix over the salmon slices; remove the ring. Do the same till all salmon is laid in layers. Grill the salmon rings for 2 mins. When cooked though, slide each ring on the serving plates.

Prawns
Fill a deep-sided skillet upto 2/3 with oil, place over the heat till very hot (not smoking). In a medium bowl combine cornflour, flour, sparkling water and season with salt. Whisk the mixture till well incorporated. Coat the prawns in the formed batter and at once carefully drop in the hot oil. In a couple of minutes when crisp and golden-brown remove the prawns (use slotted spoon). Drain on the paper towel. Tip: When cooked the prawns are pink.

How to serve this romantic picnic food idea: spoon salad on the plate over the salmon circle, put several prawns on top.

Chicken and Veggie Rolls.

Chicken and veggie rolls
You may prefer the delicate crisp rolls as your romantic picnic food. This meal is prepared in some 20 minutes and cooked in just 10! Yields: 8.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp groundnut oil
7oz (200g) chicken breast fillets (skinless)
4 Chinese mushrooms (dried)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
3oz (75g) beansprouts
2 spring onions (large)
1 small carrot
1 beaten egg yolk
1 tbsp five-spice powder
1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
0.5 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
16 large spring roll wrappers (ready to use)
Seasoning: sea salt, ground white pepper

Note: chop the chicken fillet into small (pea-size) bits. For 20 mins soak the mushrooms in hot water, then drained and thinly chop them. Finely slice the onions lengthways. Have the carrot cut into thin shreds. Have extra groundnut oil for deep-frying.

Instructions:
Heat a fat-bottom and deep-sided frying pan or a wok, pour in the groundnut oil. Stir-fry the mushrooms and the chicken bits for a couple of mins. Sprinkle the soy sauce, add five-spice powder empty from the pan set aside to cool. Clean the pan as you will need it for the rolls.

In a bowl combine: the fried chicken, mushrooms, beansprouts, onion slices, and carrot shreds. Season with oyster and soy sauce, ginger, salt and white pepper; stir.

To prevent rolls from braking use two wrappers at a time. Put 2 tbsp of the filling into the center and wrap the rolls. Brush corners of the wrappers with the cornflour paste. Press the opposite sides together and the bottom corner to the middle. Roll the wrapper towards the top corner.  Fold the top edge in. To seal it use the beaten yolk. Do the same till all wrappers and filling is used. Tip: Roll the wrappers as you like.

Fill the frying pan upto ¼ with the oil. Place over heat until gets hot (not smoking). Slowly put in the rolls and cook 2 mins till crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the oil; set aside to drain. Serve this romantic picnic food idea hot.

You are Welcome To Read:

3 Lovely Ideas to Turn Your Picnic Outing into a Romantic Date
Romantic Picnic Recipes : Love Sandwiches

Gifts need not be expensive. Savory foods and sweet cakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day. The best venue for a romantic dinner date is often at home because of two main reasons: privacy and comfort. Not to mention the huge savings on food and wine. Spontaneity intensifies the excitement when special loved ones are pleasantly surprised.

Picnic Outings are as Romantic as Valentine Dinner Dates

Here are 3 romantic picnic ideas that will bring you and your sweetheart closer to each other.

1. A small barbecue dinner in the patio will give an atmosphere of eating in a side walk café. Decorate the small table with a small tall vase for one red rosebud and a candlestick.

2. An impromptu and very informal dinner on the bed will look more romantic when lighted candles surround the bedroom. Spread a picnic blanket on the middle of the bed and pretend that you’re on some grassy spot in the park.

3. Pack picnic foods and drinks in backpacks and take a morning hike. Join outdoor activities that have a cause like voluntary tree-planting or collection of recycleable materials in the neighborhood.

Bring the usual picnic foods and picnic desserts plus a bottle of very special wine, of course. Don’t forget to pack the picnic blanket, some dining plates and utensils, and a couple of fine wine glasses. Just keep the foods simple to prepare and easy to pack. Spicy chicken wings are quick to cook while tossing a cauliflower salad. A heart-shaped gelatin for picnic dessert can be prepared the night before. Clean drinking water is better than fruit juices or soda drinks.

Spicy Picnic Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

10 pieces chicken wings
¼ cup hot sauce
¼ cup sugar
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup of beer
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

How to: Combine all ingredients. Marinate chicken wings overnight inside the refrigerator. Over low heat, simmer chicken wings in marinade mixture for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Pour half of marinade on a baking tray and arrange the chicken wings all over the surface; then pour the remaining mix on top. Broil for 3 minutes; then turn the chicken wings. Broil for 7 minutes. Cool completely before packing.

Cauliflower Salad Best for Picnic

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower, shredded to bite-sized flowerettes
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheese, shredded
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 pc. medium-sized Sausage, chopped

How to: Boil 4 cups water in a deep pot. Add the cauliflower flowerettes and immediately remove from heat. Pour the vegetable in a strainer to drain. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper; then, cool and chill in the refrigerator before packing. Pack the mayonnaise and cheese separately. To serve, toss the vegetables with mayonnaise and cheese right before eating. Note: An alternative is to roast the cauliflower flowerettes instead of boiling.

Heart-Shaped Picnic Gelatine Dessert

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp red powdered gelatin, unflavored
4 Tbsp white fine sugar
1 cup water (add more for softer gelatine)
3 pieces medium strawberries, sliced thinly

How to: Heat water in a pot. Combine gelatine and sugar; then dissolve the mixture in small amount of water. Add the gelatine mix in the hot water. Stir continuously for 5 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly before pouring into a heart-shaped mold, where strawberry slices are arranged beautifully. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with whipped cream.

These simple picnic food recipes will turn your picnic outing as the most memorable Valentine date you’ve ever had by just choosing the best wine for the spicy chicken wings. White wine is usually perfect for chicken dishes but a bottle of fruity red wine can bring the palate alive. An even better suggestion is a bottle of Italian Chianti.

Picnic outings often give us big appetite so add sausage bits and grilled peppers to the cauliflower salad to make it more delicious and satisfying.

Never end a Valentine picnic date without some sweets. The heart-shaped strawberry-flavored gelatine should be just perfect as picnic dessert.

Last but not the least, don’t forget to play your favorite romantic music.

You are welcome to read :

Romantic picnic : Making Love Sandwiches

Romantic Picnic Ideas for your Romantic Date