Three gourmet date night recipes

Don the chef's hat and impress your significant other with these dishes

Baked lobster tails

Ingredients

8 oz lobster tail, 2 tails

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

2 wedges lemon, to serve

Broccoli, cooked

Method

Using a clean pair of scissors, cut along the middle of the top of the shell towards the fins of the tail, making sure to cut in a straight line. Please note, don’t cut through the end of the tail.

Using a spoon, separate the meat from the two sides of the shell, then lift the meat up and out from inside the shell.

Press the two sides of the shell together, then lay the meat over the seam where the two shells meet.

Make a shallow cut through the middle of the lobster meat so that you can peel down the thin layer of meat over the sides. This gives the lobster tail its signature look.

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). In a small bowl, combine the butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, lemon juice and parsley, then brush the mixture evenly over the lobster meat.

Place the tails onto a baking sheet, then bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the lobster is fully cooked but not rubbery.

Serve with a side of broccoli and a lemon wedge and enjoy.

(Recipe credit: tasty.com)

Baked ravioli with vodka sauce

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups pasta dough

1 container Ricotta cheese, drained

4 cups vodka sauce, divided

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

For vodka sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp minced onion

1/2 cup red wine tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

To prepare vodka sauce, in a non-stick skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic, sauté until translucent.

Add red wine tomatoes, basil, fennel seeds and parsley. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Mash sauce slightly with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in Parmesan cheese until well blended into the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and coat the baking sheet with non-stick spray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pasta dough into a large rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.

Place dough on the prepared baking sheet.

Using a large cutter, cut out as many ravioli as you can and place them on the baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.

Remove ravioli from the oven and let it stand for 2 minutes. Serve.

(recipe credit: food.allwomenstalk.com)

New zucchini slice

Ingredients

4 zucchinis

1 carrot

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lemon, zest finely grated

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

6 eggs

1/4 cup self-raising flour

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

1 cup cheddar, grated

2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1 thin seeded baguette, quartered, sliced lengthways

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup mixed salad leaves

Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Whole egg mayonnaise, to serve

Long red chilli, sliced, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 22 cm square cake pan with baking paper.

Using a mandoline, thinly slice zucchini and carrot lengthways into strips. Combine in a bowl with 2 tsp salt, and set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Rinse, then squeeze to remove excess liquid. Set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, lemon zest and chilli, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and flour. Season, and add carrot and zucchini strips, coriander, cheese and onion mixture, and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared pan and scatter over pine nuts. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and golden. Cool slightly in pan, then cut into thin strips.

Fill each baguette with mint and salad leaves, top with zucchini slice, drizzle with sweet chilli sauce and mayonnaise and garnish with red chilli to serve.

(Recipe courtesy: tasty.com)