Heart-shaped sushi to almond kesar phirni: Craft the perfect V-day feast

Are you pressed for time and yet wish to surprise your beloved with toothsome bites Fret not ndash weve got you covered Whether youre planning an intimate dinner for two or a cozy evening in check out these exclusive lastminute Valentinersquos Day recipes shared by Chef Deepak Gore and Team Escobar with MiddayBe it breakfast in bed or a romantic dinner at home or simply craving a sweet treat to share these recipes are designed to spark joy and ignite the flames of love So roll up your sleeves grab your apron and lets whip up crafty meals from scratchHeartShaped Asparagus SushiIngredients1 12 cups water1 cup uncooked sushi rice2 tbsp rice vinegar2 12 tsp kosher salt1 tbsp granulated sugar1 tbsp toasted sesame oil2 tsp soy sauce1 tsp ichimi togarashi2 Pacific sushi nori sheets8 oz sushigrade tuna cut into 8 4in long x 12in wide slices1 small English cucumber cut into 8 2in long x 14in wide sticks1 medium avocado thinly sliced into 16 slicesPink pickled ginger wasabi paste soy sauce for servingMethodRinse the rice until the water runs clearBring 1 12 cups water and rice to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heatReduce heat to medium cover and cook for 20 minutesRemove from the heat cover and let it sit for another 10 minutesUsing a wooden spoon stir vinegar salt and sugar into the rice Let it cool to room temperature about 50 minutes stirring every 10 minutes Chill for 1 hourWhisk together sesame oil soy sauce and togarashi in a small bowl set asideUsing wet hands spread about 13 cup of the chilled sushi rice in an even layer on a bamboo sushi rolling mat wrapped with plastic wrapPlace 12 of a nori sheet on the rice then place 2 tuna slices lengthwise across the nori sheetBrush the tuna with 14 of the sesame oil mixturePlace 2 cucumber sticks and 4 avocado slices lengthwise beside the tuna slicesUsing the bamboo roller roll the sushi into a roll Then use your hands to press the rolled sushi into a teardropshaped rollRepeat the process with the remaining ingredients to make 4 rolls in totalCarefully transfer the teardropshaped rolls to a cutting boardSprinkle black sesame seeds evenly over the sushi rolls slice each roll into 8 slicesPlace 2 teardropshaped pieces together on a serving platter to form a heart repeat with the remaining pieces Garnish the serving platter with ginger and wasabi serve with soy sauceValentinersquos DumplingsIngredientsFor the dumpling wrappers if making your own2 cups potato starch1 cup wheat starchfrac34 cup hot water2 tsp beetroot juiceFor the dumpling filling6 ounces Chinese cabbagefrac12 medium carrotfrac14 of a small yellow onion2 fresh shiitake mushrooms block firm tofu1frac12 tbsp soy saucefrac12 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine optionalfrac34 tsp kosher salt1 tsp toasted sesame oilVegetable oil for cookingMethodFor the dumpling wrappers if making your ownIn a heatproof bowl mix together both the starches potato and wheatWhile mixing drizzle in the hot water and beetroot juiceContinue mixing the dough until it starts to come together and is cool or comfortable for you to handle Knead the dough until almost smoothFor the fillingIn a pan over medium high heat add a generous amount of vegetable oilAdd the cabbage onion carrot mushrooms and a light sprinkle of salt and cook until all the vegetables are just tenderLet the vegetables cool down and then transfer to a bowl Drain any excess liquidAdd the crumbled tofu to the cooked vegetables and season with the soy sauce Shaoxing cooking wine optional salt and sesame oil Adjust the seasoning as neededFor the assemblyWorking with 1 piece of dough at a time roll it into a thin circle about 2 to 2frac12 inches in diameter and 1 millimeter thick Use small quantities of flour as needed to prevent stickingRepeat this step twice to have a total of 3 wrappersLine the 3 wrappers horizontally with about frac14 inch of the edge overlapping each otherLightly brush the overlapped section of each wrapper and gently roll over it with a rolling pinPlace a thin line of the filling along the middle of the wrappers then fold the dumpling wrappers in half lengthwiseStarting from one end of the wrapper slowly roll the dumpling to the other end to create a roseBrush some water on the end if needed to help the dough adhere at the endPinch the edges or the petals of the rose to make it thinner and more petallikeLightly grease the bottom of the dumpling and place into the steamer Repeat these steps with the rest of the filling and wrappers and place the dumplings at least frac14 inch apart Keep the steamer covered at all times when working on the dumplings to prevent the wrappers from drying outPlace the steamer over boiling water and steam for about 7 minutes or until the interior dough is cooked through and no longer opaque Serve immediately with chili oilStrawberry CheesecakeIngredientsBiscuit Base200g Marie biscuits120 g unsalted butter room tempCheesecake Filling500g Mascarpone cheese softened2 tbsp yoghurt1 tsp vanilla extract12 cup whipped cream12 cup caster sugar superfine sugarZest of 1 lemonStrawberry Topping500g 1lb strawberries2 tbsp lemon juice OR water12 cup white sugar12 tsp vanilla extract1 12 tsp cornflourcornstarch2 tbsp waterMethodPreheat the oven to 160 C320 F standard or 140 C295 F fanconvectionGet a 20cm 8Prime springform cake tinTurn the base upside down butter lightly and place a square piece of parchmentbaking paper on the base Then clip into the springform pan ndash excess paper will stick outButter and line the side of the panCheesecake Biscuit BaseBreak up the biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processorBlitz until you get fine crumbs Add melted butter briefly blitz until dispersed and it resembles wet sandPour into the prepared cake tin Use a spatula to roughly spread it out over the base and up the wallsUse something with a flat base and vertical edges like a measuring cup to press the crumbs up the wall almost to the top of the sides and flatten the baseFillingUse a mixer or beater to beat the cream cheese until just smooth no longer than 20 seconds on speed 4 You do not want to aerate the cheesecake filling as it causes cracks when it bakesAdd the sugar beat for 5 seconds on speed 4 until just incorporatedAdd vanilla yoghurt and lemon zest Beat until just combined 10 seconds at most on speed 5Add whipped cream one part at a time beat in between until just combined 5 seconds each and after the last part beat just until the cream is fully incorporatedPour into the prepared crust and bake for 55 minutes The top should be a very light golden brown not cracked and near perfectly flat It should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the panCool the cake in the oven with the door open and then refrigerate for 4 hours or more in the panRemove the sides and use the excess paper to slide the cheesecake off the cake pan Then slide the cheesecake off the paperStrawberry toppingPlace chopped strawberries vanilla sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heatSimmer for 10 minutes until the strawberries break downMix the cornflour with water add it to a saucepan and stirAdd halved strawberries and cook for 1 minute to soften Sauce should be syrupy ndash remove from the stove and cool It will thicken as it coolsOnce cool stir Adjust the thickness to make it the right ldquooozingrdquo consistency with a tiny touch of water Be careful not to add too muchSpoon onto the cheesecake so itrsquos covered with a single layer of strawberries Flip strawberry halves so they are facedown and refrigerate for 2 hours or moreSlice and serve with remaining Strawberry SauceRecipes by Team EscobarAlmond Kesar PhirniIngredients4 cups full cream milk1 cup whole almond13 cup Sugar or as per likingSaffron strandsA pinch of green cardamom powderRose petals for garnishMethodBlanch 1 cup of almonds for one minute strain it and pull out the skin Keep it asideGrind peeled almonds in a mixer till coarse texture like broken wheatBoil 4 cups full cream milk in a nonstick pan and reduce it to frac34 of milk on medium flame with continuous stirringAdd ground almonds and cook it till they become softAdd sugar and mix wellAdd few strands of saffron and a pinch of green cardamom powder Mix wellWash it in a watersoaked clay pot or regular small bowls and keep it in the refrigerator for 23 hoursGarnish with sliced almonds a few rose petals and saffron Serve coldRecipe by Chef Deepak Gore Tata Sampann Inhouse Culinary Chef