A 3 Course Meal Guaranteed to Please

From time to time, we cook, even better when we cook for someone else. Even better when we want to cook and impress female company. Below is a well rounded 3 course meal that any man can cook, that your partner will love.

Starters

Salmon Carpaccio

Preparation - 20 Minutes + Refrigeration Serves - 8

Ingredients

½ Medium green capsicum (bell pepper) (100g) diced finely

2 green onions (scallions, chopped finely

400 g piece sashimi salmon, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon free dill sprigs

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

Combine capsicum and onion in a small bowlArrange salmon slices on a large plate. Sprinkle with capsicum min, then top with dill. Drizzle with juice, then oil, season.Cover Salmon. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Servicing suggestions

Scatter micro leaves over salmon. Serve with thinly sliced toasted bread.

TIP - Cut the salmon as thinly as you like. Freezing the piece of salmon for about 1 hour will make it easier to slice finely. You can finely slice the partly frozen fish using a mandoline or a V-Slicer.

Main

Butterflied Lamb With Fresh Mint Sauce

Preparation + Cook time 40 minutes (+refrigeration and standing) Serves (10)

Ingredients

½ cup (90g) honey

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

2 kgs butterflied leg of lamb

¼ cup loosely packaged rosemary sprigs

For Mint Sauce

½ cup (110g) firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup(125 ml) water

1 1/2 cups (375ml) cider vinegar

½ cup finely chopped fresh mint

Method.

Make mint sauce. Stir sugar and the water in a small saucepan over heat, with out boiling , until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, with out stirring, 5 minutes or until the syrup thickens slightly. Combine syrup, vinegar and mint in a small bowl.Combine a quarter of the mint sauce, honey and mustard in a large shallow dish. Add lamb turn to coat in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining mint sauce separately.Drain Lamb, and place, fat side down on heated oiled grill plate (or grill or barbeque). Cover lamb loosely with foil and cook about 10 minutes or until browned underneath. Uncover; turn lamb, sprinkle with rosemary. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until cooked as desired (or cook by indirect heat in covered barbecue following manufacturer's instructions. ). Remove from heat; stand covered, 15 minutes.Slice lamb thinly. Serve with remaining mint sauce.

Serving suggestion - Serve with baby potatoes and a tomato and radish salad. The mint sauce can me made several days ahead. Ask the butcher to butterfly a leg of lamb for you.

DESSERT

Raspberry nougat frozen parfait.

Preparation + Cook time - 25 minutes (+freezing and refrigeration) Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups (400g) ricotta Cheese

¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar

¼ cup (40g whole almonds, roasted, chopped coarsely

150g (4 1/2 ounces) nougat, chopped coarsely

1 ¼ cup (310ml) thickened (heavy cream)

1 cup (135g) Frozen raspberries

Method

Line base and sides of 14cm x 21 cm (5 ½ inch x 8 ½ inch) loaf pan with foil or baking paper, extending foil 5 cm (2 inches) over two long sides.Blend or process cheese and sugar until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in nuts and nougat.Beat cream in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold cream into the cheese mixture, then fold in raspberries.Spoon mixture into pan, cover with foil and freeze until firm. Slice parfait, then refrigerate about 30 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Tip - it is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. The parfait can me made a week ahead up to step 3.

Slice with a knife that has been dipped in hot water, before allowing to soften in the refrigerator (step 5)

Serving suggestions - You can serve this with fresh raspberries or with a raspberry compote. For a compote, cook 2 ½ cups (330g) Frozen raspberries, and ½ cup (55g) caster) superfine) sugar in medium saucepan, stirring, over a low heat, until berries are very soft/ Push mixture through coarse sieve into medium bowl, discard seeds. Just before serving, stir 500 g fresh raspberries into berry sauce.

A perfect Match

You could accompany the festive menu with these wine choices.

Salmon Carpaccio - Pinot Grigio

Lamb - Sauvignon Blanc

Raspberry Parfait- champagne or sparkling wine.

Has travelled the world, and has now created SELFHELPFORME.COM to help people improve their lifeBlokeworks.com gives you the perfect 3 coruse meal to impress your partner with.