Cook your Way into Someone’s Heart this Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, scrap the expensive restaurant booking and enjoy food as it’s meant to be: full of love!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a restaurant dinner on Valentine’s Day is about as well priced as a chock top and a bag of popcorn at the movies (that is: ridiculously overpriced). It’s also a truth acknowledged by J-Lo that love don’t cost a thing, so why oh why do we keep forking out for fancy food on February fourteenth?

Sometimes, in the busyness of life, we start to forget the important things. That’s OK, we all need to recentre sometimes. And on Valentine’s Day, surrounded by cheap chocolates, fake roses and supermarket shelves full of punny cards, why not take stock and get back to basics with some good, wholesome soul food?

Let’s face it, when it comes to impressing on Valentine’s Day (or on any old day of the week), a heartfelt effort is always more impressive than splashing your cash. This Lime & Black Pepper Chicken with Avocado and Couscous is fresh, tasty and easy. No need for fancy techniques or hours of slaving away, this meal is easily prepared (especially when you have a lovely helper) and easier to enjoy.

Lime & Black Pepper Chicken with Avocado and Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sumac
• 1/2 orange, zested and juiced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 350g chicken breast
• 1/2 cups couscous
• 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked & roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
• 1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons
• 300 mL yoghurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced
2. Combine the sumac, a pinch of the orange zest and half of the olive oil in a medium bowl. Add the chicken breast and toss to coat.
3. Heat a medium ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minute son each side. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile in a large bowl combine boiling water and couscous. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir and then cover with cling wrap and set aside for 5 minutes. Once cooked, fluff couscous with a fork. Add the juice of half the orange, mint, carrot and cucumber and stir to combine. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
5. To serve, stir chicken through couscous and divide between plates. Drizzle with yoghurt. Enjoy!

• You will need: Chef’s knife, chopping board, fine grater, shallow bowl, cling wrap, rolling pin or meat mallet, medium bowl, medium heatproof bowl, cling wrap, medium frying pan, plate and aluminium foil.

As a special treat to all you lovers out there, where also offering $15 off your first delivery when you sign up for HelloFresh before Wednesday this week. Start enjoying cooking reinvented, and see if you don’t fall in love with your kitchen all over again!