DIY Valentine's Day - Three Course Meal & Cocktails

In light of the fact that it is Valentine's Day on Wednesday, we teamed up with Street Food Warehouse to bring you the perfect three-course street food meal compiled by some of the country's best street food vendors with accompanying recipes for some delicious cocktails. Panic over - Valentine's Day is sorted!

Starter: Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

What better way to kick off your Valentine’s Day meal than with some tantalising Thai Chicken Satay skewers from the lovely Tiny Thai?! Nutty, moreish and as tasty as they come!

Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

• 10 x 7 inch bamboo skewers
• 2 breasts will make 10 large skewers
• Half a can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp ground/dried coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vegetable oil

Method:

• Slice chicken into long thin strips OR into small bite size pieces with gloves (to avoid turmeric staining skin) mix ALL ingredients in a bowl and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour (longer to strengthen colour)
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees
• Skewer chicken slices, leaving 2-3 inches at the bottom for holding  
• Lay skewers flat on a tray, avoid overlapping
• Cover with tin foil and cook for 20 minutes (if you want to keep for another time or prep in advance, the skewers can be frozen from this point once cooked - these can be defrosted then follow the next step to be served)
• From the oven, warm a griddle pan with 1 tsp of oil and grill skewers for 1-2 mins on either side until char marks appear
• Serve with peanut sauce on the side for dipping

Peanut Sauce

 Ingredients:

• 1 tsp red curry paste
• 2 tbsp veg oil
• Half a can of coconut milk
• Hand full of crushed peanuts
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

• In a saucepan warm vegetable oil and mix in red curry paste on med-low heat
• When the curry paste starts to sizzle, mix in the coconut milk and bring to boil
• Mix in peanuts, sugar and salt (add more to your preferred flavour)
• Allow to cool to thicken sauce and serve warm

Dive in!

Cocktails

"Muay Thai Love"

Ingredients:

• 60ml gold rum (2 healthy shots)
• 2 sticks of lemon grass
• Fresh Lime (half for each)
• 30ml Coconut water (a healthy shot)
• 20ml Ginger Syrup (just under a shot)

Method:

• Muddle one stick of lemongrass in a shaker
• Add cubed ice, the rum, coconut water, ginger syrup and squeeze half a lime into the shaker
• Shake vigorously for 30 seconds
• Strain into a whiskey glass (ice is optional)
• Place a wheel of lime and the remaining lemongrass to garnish  

OR

"Honey I’m Home"

Ingredients:

• 60ml Gin
• 1tsp Honey
• Fresh lemon (¼ fresh lemon to be squeezed, one wedge for garnish)
• 1 Premium bottle of beer
• Hot water  

Method:

• Melt the honey with a splash of hot water (use a tea cup if you do not have a mixing glass)
• Allow to cool
• Fill a tall class with cubed Ice
• Pour the Gin, dissolved honey mix, squeeze the fresh lemon and mix well
• Top with beer and add a wedge of lemon to garnish

 

Main Course: "Waiting for Coddot" Fish Tacos

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like homemade fish tacos! The amazing street food vendors The Bearded Taco have generously given us this recipe for one of their most popular dishes “Waiting for Coddot”. Fresh and crunchy beer battered fish tacos alongside a honey and lemon slaw with lashings of Chipotle tartar sauce. A sure fire way to impress that special someone and incredibly zingy and delicious!

Corn Tortillas

Ingredients: Approx. 10/12 tortillas

• 1 x cup of masa harina (available online or in a Mexican shop)
• 1.25 x cup of warm water
• 1 x tsp salt

Method:

• Mix all above ingredients together in a medium sized bowl with your hands and knead until it forms a soft dough (approx. 10 mins)

• Use a weighing scale to measure the dough into 40g balls or just divide dough into 10/12 equal-size balls

• Press each ball into tortillas using a 6 ½ inch tortilla press (if you don’t have one you can also improvise with a rolling pin or your hands)

• Preheat a large skillet (cast iron works best) over medium-high heat. Place tortillas into the hot skillet and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve or wrap in cling film until ready to heat later.

 

Fish Finger Tacos:

Ingredients: Approx. 10/12

• 10/12 corn tortillas (available in most supermarkets or use recipe above if you would like to make your own!)
• 1 x kg sustainable white fish (e.g. cod / haddock / hake)
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the Beer Batter:

• 225g self raising flour (swap out for gluten free self raising flour to make gluten free, available in most free from sections at supermarkets)
• 330 ml beer (lighter beer works best, again use a gluten free beer to make this recipe suitable for gluten allergies)
• 1 x tsp dried thyme

For the Honey and Lemon slaw:

• 1/2 head Napa or similar cabbage - shredded
• 1/4 head red cabbage - shredded
• 1 x med carrot - shredded
• 1 x small green apple - grated
• 1 x tbsp honey
• 1 x lemon - juice & zest
• 3 x tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Pinch of salt or more to taste

For the Chipotle Tartar Sauce: - (please note they usually make this from scratch but recommend using a jar of mayonnaise for ease)

• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 x cloves garlic
• 1 x tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 x chipotles chillies (or 2 depending on desired heat level)
• 1 x tbsp capers
• 1 x tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• Pinch of salt or more to taste

Method:

• Portion the fish into 10/12 equal slices (about the length of the tortilla)

• Heat oil in a large frying pan or tabletop fryer to 185°C

• For the slaw: in a large bowl combine the shredded cabbages, carrots and apples. In a separate small bowl mix together the honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, rice wine vinegar and salt until the honey is completely mixed in. Add the dressing to the slaw and mix well

• For the chipotle tartar sauce: in a food processor or blender, combine the mayonnaise, chipotles, garlic, white wine vinegar, capers, fresh chopped parsley and salt until smooth; transfer to a small bowl or squeezy bottle if you have one

• For the fish: in a large bowl, whisk up flour with the beer and thyme into batter. Dredge fish pieces in flour, dunk into batter and fry a few pieces at a time to deep golden brown. Salt fish when they come out of the oil, while they’re still hot. Keep warm in a moderate oven on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet if not serving straight away

• Warm your tortillas in hot, dry skillet or over a burner flame

• Serve fish with tortillas and fixings on top when ready. Finish with fresh chopped coriander and a wedge of lime to squeeze on top

Yummy!

Cocktails

"Havana Good Time"

Ingredients:

• 60ml any Rum of choice (we personally use Havana club 7)
• Fresh Lime (half for each cocktail)
• 25 ml Sugar Syrup (1 shot)

Method

• Pour rum into shaker with half a fresh squeezed lime and sugar syrup
• Shake vigorously for 30 seconds
• Strain into a coupe (a wine glass can be used if you don’t have a coupe)

OR

"Life's a Beach"

Ingredients:

• 50 ml Gin (two shots)
• Fresh lime (¼ per cocktail)
• Coconut Water (to top)

Method:

• Pour your gin of choice into a tall glass over ice (preferably crushed ice)
• Top up with coconut water
• Use a cocktail spoon or a fork to swizzle the cocktail together
• Add a slice of fresh lime to garnish  

            
Dessert : “Lovers Cheesecake”

Last but certainly not least we have something sweet to round off the evening. Urban Cheesecake have donated this amazing cheesecake recipe which is sure to impress. Creamy white chocolate cheesecake topped with indulgent chocolate truffle ganache and strawberries! If that doesn’t make your mouth water, we don’t know what will!

Ingredients:

• 500g melted white choc
• 500 ml double cream
• 500ml cream cheese
• 1 packet ginger biscuits
• 50g salted melted butter
• 200g dark chocolate
• 20g butter
• 100ml double cream
• 1 x punnet of strawberries

Method:

• Smash the biscuits to bits and stir in the melted butter and press down firmly in 8 inch spring form cake tin, chill for an hour.

• In large bowl, soften the cream cheese the add the double cream and whisk with an electric whisk until combined, add the melted choc and whisk to form a smooth cream texture, pour in to the tin, smooth the top and bung in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.

To Serve:

Make the ganache, break the dark chocolate and place in a mixing bowl, gently heat the cream just as it starts to boil pour all over the broken chocolate, add the butter, using a wooden spoon bring it all together to create a silky shiny decadent chocolate sauce! pour over the cheesecake and top with strawberries! Save some sauce for dipping strawberries and feeding to each other for the perfect evening of romance!

Delicious!

Cocktails

"Two’s Company"

Ingredients:

• 50ml Vanilla Vodka
• 25ml Baileys
• 25ml Kahlua
• 25ml Disaronno
• Cream  

Method:

• Pour Vanilla Vodka, Baileys, Kahlua, Disaronno and the cream into a blender
• Add cubed ice
• Blend for 30 seconds
• Pour into a fish bowl
• Add 2 straws and ribbed condom (For her pleasure) to garnish

OR

"Slippery Nipple"

Ingredients:

• Sambuca
• Kahlua
• Grenadine

Method:

• Pour a small amount of sambuca into a shot glass ( about half way)
• Use the back of a teaspoon and slowly pour Baileys down the back of the spoon to layer.
• Add a small drop of grenadine in the center to create a nipple

Cheers!

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by admin