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We need date nights now more than ever!  Whether you’re in a newer relationship or one that has been going strong for years, date nights are so much fun!

It doesn’t have to be fussy!  It can be as easy as a delicious casserole, a lovely glass of wine or non-alcoholic spritzer and a special movie cued up.  Don’t forget the candles.

Or it can be a beautifully set table with lovely linens,  flowers, candles, ornaments…all inspired by your special theme.

I love themed date nights and I start by choosing the theme which then determines my menu, wine pairing and music playlist.

Here is one of my all-time favourite date night dinners – my husband really enjoys it because he loves spicy food!  This delivers the heat and the flavours are incredibly delicious!

Romantic  Peri Peri Chicken Dinner

This dinner was inspired by Colin Cowie and his African inspired Peri Peri Hot Sauce, olives and preserved lemons!

Theme – African/Portuguese Inspired

Peri Peri is a chili pepper that was introduced to Africa over 400 years ago by Portuguese spice traders and became an inherent part of African cuisine.    This dinner transforms the chicken with the spicy peri-peri sauce.   I love how much depth of flavour  is incorporated with the hot sauce, olives and preserved lemons which creates a sensual chicken dish.  I make my own peri-peri sauce and preserved lemons from scratch, but you can purchase store-bought versions.  This is my version!

Menu

Asparagus and Hearts of Palm Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Peri Peri Chicken

Turmeric Brown Basmati Rice

Coconut Ice Cream (store bought)

Wine paring

  • Pouilly-Fuissé
  • Chablis
  • Chianti
  • Beaujolais

Table Setting

To create an African/Portuguese inspired theme – I Love to set the table with warm colours, lots of candles with black, lemon yellow and orange accents!  My favourite is to take beautiful silk fabric in warm, rich colours and drape them over the table or coffee table…wherever you are dining.

PlayList

I love the “Hot Lounge Served Chilled” series for date night music….start with volume one!

Recipes

Asparagus and Hearts of Palm Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 cup lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Sea Salt and Pepper

Salad

  • 4 hearts of palm
  • 8 asparagus (blanched)
  • Chopped scallions for garnish

Directions

  1. Prepare salad dressing, whisk all ingredients in a bowl or put in bottle and shake together.
  2. Remove hearts of palm from Jar and rinse thoroughly, pat dry with paper towel.
  3. Peel bottoms of asparagus and blanch in hot water for 1 minute.
  4. Put hearts of palm and asparagus on salad plate.
  5. Drizzle the salad dressing over the vegetables.
  6. Garnish with chopped green scallions.

Turmeric Basmati Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
  • Pinch of saffron spice (optional)
  • 1 cup brown basmati rice (well rinsed, you can also use the same amount of jasmine rice or white basmati)
  • 1 cup chicken broth  or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and pepper
  • 1 cinnamon stick or star anise
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds (for garnish)

Directions

  1. Rinse the rice under cold water very well.
  2. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add in onion, garlic, turmeric powder, saffron spice; sauté until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
  4. If using a rice cooker:  Add rice, broth, salt, pepper, star anise, and melted butter mixture to the rice cooker and cook.
  5. If not using a rice cooker – Add rice, broth, salt, pepper, star anise and melted butter mixture to a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer until the rice is tender (about 18-20 minutes).
  6. Serve garnished with slivered almonds.

Peri Peri Chicken

Peri Peri Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Peri Peri sauce (recipe below)  (you can also buy Nando’s Peri Peri sauce)
  • 4 organic chicken breasts (my favourite is Bradner Farms in Abbotsford, BC)
  • 8 garlic cloves (whole)
  • 12 Green Olives
  • 1 preserved lemon (chopped coarsely)
  • 1 lemon cut in wedges for garnish

Directions

  1. Put chicken skin side up in an ovenproof dish just large enough to hold all the pieces in a single layer.
  2. Spoon desired amount of sauce over the chicken (1/2 cup), marinate for two hours.  Add garlic cloves.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes basting every 10 minutes.
  5. After 30 minutes, add olives and preserved and fresh lemon to dish.
  6. Baste with remaining sauce and bake for additional 10 minutes.
  7. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Preserved Lemons and Peri Peri Sauce Recipes

Preserved Lemons

Ingredients

  • Enough lemons to fill a sealable jar.  Cut in quarters.
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Enough vegetable oil to cover all the lemons.

Instructions

  1. Wash the lemons and pat them dry.
  2. Cut in quarters.
  3. Pack the lemons tightly in the jar.
  4. Fill the jar completely with vegetable oil and refrigerate for a month.
  5. These can be kept for up to 6 months.
  6. They are excellent with marinated olives, in salads, or with fish.

Peri Peri Sauce and Marinade

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4-10 bird’s eye chili peppers, depends on the heat level of your choice
  • 1 big red capsicum bell pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic,
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

 Directions

  1. In a blender combine everything for the sauce.   Blend until very smooth.
  2. Set aside half of the sauce to marinate the chicken.
  3. Pour the rest of the sauce in a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes flavour with fresh herbs.  Serve as a dipping sauce.