Start the evening in style! Much of the preparation can be done in advance.

1 lemon
1 T (15 ml) plain salt
1 x 400 g tin artichoke hearts, drained
Ina Paarman's Classic Lemon Vinaigrette
½ punnet young rocket leaves
150 g finely sliced assorted Italian meats such as Salami and Parma ham

Pierce the lemon 4 or 5 times deeply with a fork (otherwise it will burst in the microwave). Place it in a small deep micro proof bowl, add the salt and cover with water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Drain the lemon and cover with cold water. When the lemon is cold enough to handle, peel it very thinly with a potato peeler. Cut the peel into fine strips and keep on one side. Cut all the bitter white pith away from the flesh of the lemon and discard it. Slice the lemon into thin slices with a serrated knife and halve the slices (wash the knife straight away because lemon blunts knives!)

Cut the drained artichokes into quarters from the heart end to the open end. Toss with the lemon peel and slices of lemon. Can be pre-prepared to this stage. Before serving add enough lemon vinaigrette to coat everything nicely and toss gently with the rocket.

Serve with assorted deli meats and some sparkling wine - best enjoyed outside in the garden or on the patio.

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A very special recipe to make for a special person! The recipe is best half pre-prepared in advance. Do invest in a lemon thyme plant, it really makes a difference to the taste of the dish. Lemon Thyme thrives in a pot in a sunny spot.

CHICKEN

2 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chicken Spice
olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
½ t (2,5 ml) turmeric
½ cup (125 ml) white wine or chicken stock
2 very ripe red tomatoes, skinned and diced
½ t (2,5 ml) sugar
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chilli & Garlic Seasoning

SEAFOOD

400 g fresh mussels or 300 g mussels on the half shell or 250 g frozen mussel meat
200 g medium size prawn tails, veined

PASTA

200 g fresh or dried tagliatelli
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Potato Spice
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
2 T (30 ml) fresh lemon thyme leaves and soft stem tips
½ cup (125 ml) fresh cream (fat reduced or pouring cream is fine)
olive oil

CHICKEN: Slice the chicken breasts across the grain into 1cm thick slices and toss with the Chicken Spice. Pre-heat a heavy based fry pan and add 2T of olive oil - swivel and add the chicken. Turn when lightly browned on the one side then lightly brown the other side. Remove the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon or pair of tongs (no need to keep warm). Add a little more oil to the pan and stir-fry the onion and bell pepper until soft and aromatic. About 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and turmeric. Stir-fry for only 30 seconds. Add the white wine, turn the heat to high and fast boil the wine for 2-3 minutes without a lid to reduce by half. Turn the heat right down and add the half-cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, sugar and Chilli & Garlic Seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes. (can be pre-prepare to this stage up to a day in advance and kept in a covered pan in the fridge).

SEAFOOD: If using frozen seafood defrost first. Add the mussels and prawns to the chicken and tomato mixture in the fry-pan (do not stir) cover with a lid. Shake the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the seafood is just cooked. Taste for seasoning.

PASTA: Cook the pasta (without salt) in plenty of fast boiling water for 6-8 minutes. Drain and toss with Potato Spice, Lemon & Black Pepper, fresh lemon thyme, cream and a little olive oil.

TO SERVE:
Dish the pasta into soup-bowls. Spoon the paella mixture over the pasta. Pass the peppermill.

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Heart Shaped Brownies with Chocolate Ganaché

Use a cookie cutter to cut the cooled brownies into four or six heart shapes, half big and half small, and then cut the rest into squares to use later. The brownies can be made the day before, and also the ganaché, but it is best to spread the ganaché over on the day.

BROWNIES

2 extra large eggs
½ cup (125 ml) canola or sunflower oil
¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter
½ cup (125 ml) full cream milk
1 x 550g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Brownie mix

CHOCOLATE GANACHÉ

100 g dark Albany eating chocolate
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh whipping cream

GARNISH

2 red roses and silver balls
cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Prepare a swissroll pan (25cm x 36cm) by lining the base of the pan with buttered baking paper. Beat eggs, oil and melted butter for 2 minutes on high speed until well blended. Add milk and beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Add brownie mixture and chocolate chips (included with Brownie Mix) and fold in carefully with a spatula. Blend until just combined - do not beat. Mixing by hand gives the best result. Scrape mixture into the prepared swissroll pan.

Bake on middle shelf for 25-30 minutes. Brownies are done when the cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool down completely.

Melt Albany chocolate and cream together, while stirring, over very gentle heat until uniformly blended. Leave to cool and thicken.

Use heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out hearts, big and small. Spread the ganache over the hearts. Sprinkle with silver balls. Dust the plates with cocoa powder and garnish with a red rose. Use the remaining ganache to spread over the rest of the brownies.

 CHEF'S TIP:

1. To dust plate with cocoa:
Place a little cocoa powder in a small strainer or in a sugar dredger and gently sift over the plate. Do a test on a piece of paper first to get the rhythm right.

2. Edible Flowers:

Common Name	Comments
Cornflower	Taste: sweet to spicey, clove-like
Impatiens	Taste: very bland, nondescript flavour
Lavender	Taste: floral, slightly perfumey flavour
Rose	Taste: sweet, aromatic flavour

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