First Date Cookbook

Ok so it's not quite a first date cookbook but I thought I'd give you some simple meals you can prepare quickly and easily that will impress your date.

It doesn't matter whether you are male or female, cooking a meal on your first date (or any other date for that matter!) shows that you have gone to a lot of trouble and spent time and effort to impress your partner and, even if everything goes wrong, there's always the local takeout and a movie.

Below are a couple of main courses and desserts I have used with great success in the past and they must be simple because, believe me, I'm useless in the kitchen!

Warm Pasta Shells With Chicken, Basil And Pine Nuts

Ingredients

175g (6 oz) dried pasta shells, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets cut into 1 cm cubes, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 1 beef tomato, skinned, seeded and finely chopped, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil, 300ml (10 fl oz) double cream, 25g (1 oz) pine nuts, toasted, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Directions

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until softened. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes or until the meat has turned opaque. Add the garlic, tomato and basil and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just heated through. Add the cream and bring up to a bubble. Stir in the pine nuts and season with the salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add the sauce and toss until well combined. Divide the pasta between two warm wide-rimmed serving bowls and sprinkle with parmesan before serving.

And for the vegetarians here is a recipe for

Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients

8 x 10 (4in) wide flat mushrooms, stems removed, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 225g (8 oz) of soft goat's cheese, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, Fresh flatleaf parsley sprigs to garnish

Directions

Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Trim the mushrooms to uniform shapes. Brush with some of the olive oil and place gill-side down in the pan. Cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes or until the gills are just tender, but do not turn them.

In a bowl, mash together the goat's cheese, thyme and garlic and season with the salt and pepper.

Remove the mushrooms from the heat and brush all over with the remaining oil. Fill four of them with the goats cheese mixture, them place the remaining mushrooms on top to form sandwiches. Place them back in the pan and cook, turning occassionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt. Garnish with parsley sprigs to serve.

And lets not forget - The dessert!

Hot Strawberry and Raspberry Pavlova

Ingredients

Half a lemon, 3 egg whites, 1 teaspoon of white-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of cornflour, 175g (6 oz) icing sugar, 1 vanilla pod, seeds only, 100g (4 oz) fresh raspberries, 100g (4 oz) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved if large, 4 tablespoons of creme fraiche, Mint sprigs to decorate

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 220c (425f). Grease a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Rub a bowl with half the lemon, add the egg whites and whisk until stiff. Add the vinegar and cornflour, the 175g (6 oz) of icing sugar, a little at a time, whisking as you go. Then add the vanilla seeds and whisk until very stiff.

Swirl four 15cm (6 in) shapes on the lined baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes on a high shelf, then reduce the oven to gas mark 4, 180c (350f). Transfer the meringues to a lower shelf and bake for 6-8 minutes until they are puffed and lightly golden.

Place the raspberries in a liquidizer with the remaining tablespoon of icing sugar and whizz to a puree. Pass through a sieve into a small pan, then add the strawberries to the pan and gently warm through.

Arrange the meringues on serving plates and pour over the raspberry and strawberry sauce. Add a dollop of creme fraiche, decorate with mint sprigs and serve straight away.

I hope these few first date cookbook recipies work well for you and who knows, maybe I'll produce a proper first date cookbook in the near future so watch this space!!