Ok so you can’t leave the house for drinks at the bar, but you very much can indulge in a little digital date via the magic of Zoom, Skype or FaceTime.
Why not make dinner together? We have teamed up with Sunil Pithwa for some sexy and delicious inspiration.
Sunil is a passionate home cook who loves cooking for people and experimenting with different tastes. Check him out here
Here are some ideas that you and your date can make it together over a video chat. Why not compare to see who’s dish looks more delicious once the meal is complete? These are great ways to discover if you have a “spark” and share a sense of playfulness with each other.
Simple sexy pasta
Ingredients:
Spaghetti or any pasta
Garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Chilli flakes or fresh chillis
Parsley (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Prep:
- Boil salted water in a pot
- Add pasta of choice or spaghetti (check the packet for the timing)
- Chop 1-2 cloves of garlic into thin slices
- Chop 1 chilli finely
- Squeeze half a lemon
- Chop a sprig of parley
Cooking:
- Drain cooked pasta, save a mug full of the water
- Get a frying pan ready on medium, coat with a little olive oil
- Add garlic and cook for a few mins to infuse and lightly brown
- Add chilli slices or flakes
- Add lemon juice
- Add the cooked pasta along with some of the pasta water
- Mix well
- Salt to taste
- Add parsley (if you have it)
- Make sure the liquid has been absorbed or cooked off
- Serve on a plate or bowl
- Dust with a good amount of parmesan cheese and pepper
Detailed method:
Fill a pot with cold water, add a tbsp of salt or more. Put on high until boiling. Then drop heat to medium-high so it’s simmering.
Read the pack of your spaghetti or any pasta. It’ll say the amount of mins that’s good on the pack. Set a timer for 1-2mins less than that time, trust me.
Get your desired amount of spaghetti or pasta. I usually eye ball this, feel this out. If you think you haven’t got enough in your hand/bowl then add more, simple. You might have some for leftovers, winning.
Add the pasta to the boiling water, start your timer. Now leave that on its own for a bit.
Grab a clove or two of garlic, this is to your taste so be fluid with it. Little trick for removing the wrapper on the garlic clove is to smack it with the bottom of your knife handle or any flat surface. This not only loosens the clove from its wrapper but also releases and readies the oils for cooking. Foreplay to the sexy meal you’re going to have hehe.
Slice the garlic thinly and place into a small bowl or plate. I like to prep like this so when you’re cooking everything is ready to go. It also feels like you’re on a cooking show.
Slice 1 chilli of your choice thinly or grab some chilli flakes. Don’t like chilli, don’t use them, simple. But a little heat is always sexy.
Squeeze half of a lemon into a bowl, make sure you take the seeds out if they drop in.
Thinly chop up a few sprigs of parsley if you have it, this is mostly for garnishing to excite your eyes so if you don’t have it don’t worry.
Get a frying pan out that will be big enough for your pasta. Pour in a big healthy glug of olive oil. Keep the heat on low-medium. Add the garlic slices. You’re going to cook them lightly, you don’t want them browning too much or going crispy. Take it off the heat, add your chilli, add the lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt. Mix these all together, move them around let them meet each-other and mingle.
Tip: use a mug and fill with some of the pasta water once it’s been cooking for a bit. Place on the side, easy way to save that lovely pasta water.
Your pasta is done? Take it off the heat and drain it in a colander or just grab all your pasta with tongs and put it in your other pan if you don’t. If some water comes with it don’t worry we want that.
Mix your garlic, chilli, lemon juice and pasta all together. Add a little of that precious pasta water. This will help bring the flavours together and let the pasta finish cooking sucking up that water. Remember we still have 1-2mins of cooking on the pasta. If you have parsley at this point drop it in and mix well.
You’re ready to serve. Get a nice plate out and plate up your beautiful meal. For added style use a fork to twirl up a bunch of your spaghetti into a cone. If you have parmesan cheese grate it over the top of your pasta and dust with some fresh cracked pepper.
You’re done with your sexy meal. Now go eat it with your date. Good luck and let me know how it goes, it’s in your hands now.
Country style eggs
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
A handful of mushrooms
1/2 Red onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 knob of ginger
1-2 fresh chilli peppers
A dash of vermouth (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Prep:
- Crack two eggs in a bowl, whisk these up
- Wash and slice a handful of mushrooms
- Slice up half an onion
- Thinly chop 1-2 cloves of garlic
- Thinly chop one small knob of ginger, add more if you like more ginger
- Thinly chop 1-2 fresh chilli peppers
Cooking:
- Get a frying pan and small saucepan out and on the hob, add some olive oil
- In your saucepan heat on low and add your mushrooms. Season with salt/pepper.
- Add half your garlic to the mushrooms and cook till soft
- Heat your frying pan to medium and add your onions, season lightly with salt
- When your onions are softened you can add a dash of vermouth, let this cook off
- Add the softened mushrooms, remaining garlic, ginger, and chilli
- Cook this all together for a minute
- Add your eggs and scramble into the mix
- Once scrambled it’s time to serve
- Plate with a piece of toast or alone.
Detailed method:
I love making scrambled eggs and this is something I’ve been making and experimenting with for years. I love this with a crumpet and a mug of tea on the side, preferably sitting outside in the sun. I’ve cooked this on my charcoal bbq too, that adds a smoky element that I’d definitely suggest if you have it available.
Here’s how to make it. Get yourself a frying pan and small saucepan out and on the hob. Add a bit of oil to each one, I’d say a little more in the frying pan.
Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk these up, if you want to add a little thickness you can add some milk but it’s not needed. Wash and slice a handful of mushrooms of your choice ( I usually use chestnut mushrooms but oyster mushrooms are amazing too). Slice up half an onion. Little tip here, cut it in half before you remove the skin this will make it easier to remove. Then thinly chop 1-2 cloves of garlic, a small knob of ginger, and 1-2 fresh chillis.
Remember these are guidelines for quantities, if you or your partner like more of something, add more. Oh and if you’re isolating solo don’t be afraid to use more garlic it’s going to taste awesome and no one will be smelling your breath through video calls hehe.
Heat your saucepan on low and add the sliced mushrooms and half of your garlic, season this with salt and pepper. Let this cook until the mushrooms are soft and darker in colour, stir occasionally.
Heat your frying pan on medium and add your onions. Season these with a bit of salt. Keep your onions moving, we want these nicely cooked, softened and a little sweet. When they’re soft you can add a dash of vermouth to add to the sweetness, but make sure to cook this alcohol off. (This way of cooking onions also goes great on burgers)
Add your cooked mushrooms with garlic, the remaining garlic, chopped ginger, and chopped chilli pepper. Mix these all together so they all get to know each other.
Now it’s time to add your whisked eggs to the mix, these will quickly scrambled so be extra attentive with a spatula to move this around and mix with all the veg. This will only take a few minutes to cook at this stage, keep your eye on it and even remove from the heat if it’s too hot. Taste for seasoning at this point and add any salt or pepper you still need.
Plate by itself or on a piece of bread, it’s going to look messy but as you know sometimes messy is so good. Add some fresh vine cherry tomatoes on the side, some avocado, or anything else you like, it’s totally up to you, experiment.
Make sure to have a sexy drink with this too. Tea or coffee, but if you have it maybe some Champagne or Prosecco. This will keep you going all day, impress your partner and will taste so damn good, enjoy.
Fancy fried egg on toast
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tortilla or any flat bread
1 handful of grated cheese (your choice)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 chilli pepper or chilli flakes
1/2 spring onion
Salt
Pepper
Prep:
- Crack an egg in a bowl
- Grate some cheese (your choice)
- Thinly chop garlic
- Thinly slice one chilli pepper
- Thinly chop half of your spring onion
Cooking:
- Get two frying pans ready with a small amount of olive oil
- In one pan heat your flat bread, bread, or tortilla
- In the other pan add your egg from the bowl
- Add the garlic to the egg pan but separate from the egg.
- Once your garlic has started to get golden brown remove it into bowl
- Once nicely toasted place your bread on a plate (butter it if you like)
- When you have your egg ready place it in the centre of your bread
- Season lightly with salt and pepper
- Garnish with grated cheese, sliced chilli, spring onion, and toasted garlic
- Make a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy you’re lovely meal
Detailed method:
So we’re going to take a fried egg on toast to the next level, it’s going to be visually alluring and it’s going to hit all the right spots for a sexy breakfast or brunch. Imagine serving this to your partner in bed…
Let’s get going. Get two frying pans out an on the hob and add just a little olive oil to both. Keep the heat off for now.
Crack and egg into a bowl. Make sure you wash your hands after handling eggs.
Thinly slice a clove of garlic, half of a chilli pepper, half a spring onion and grate a cheese of your choice. I usually use parmesan and mature cheddar because that’s what I have in my fridge but go with your taste.
Time to start cooking. I usually put on a pot of tea or get some coffee going right about now so it’s ready when the food is.
Get your flatbread, tortilla, or slice of bread into one of the pans and put the heat on medium. We want to toast this lightly, a nice bit of crunch. Make sure not to over do this part, but if you do don’t stress it’s a piece of bread, just do another one.
In your other pan heat to medium and pour your egg from the bowl gently and let it fry. In the same bowl separate from where your egg is frying add your sliced garlic. Make sure to keep an eye on this, I want you to just lightly toast the garlic so it’s golden brown. Once the garlic is toasted scoop it out and pop it in a little bowl.
Time to start plating up. Your bread of choice should be nicely toasted now. Place this on a plate, you can butter this to add some extra indulgence to your meal. Lightly remove your egg from the frying pan once it’s fried to your taste. I like them runny. Place it in the centre of your bread.
Lightly salt and pepper your fried egg, sprinkle your garlic, spring onion, chilli, and grated cheese onto your fried egg on bread. Only add as much chilli as you’re comfortable with, I like a bit of spice so this is great for me but you might want to start with just a little. When it comes to sprinkling these on your beautiful cooking I usually do these from a little height so the bits distribute all over.
Finish off making your tea/coffee and you’re all set. Go eat this sexy breakfast/brunch with your partner, date, or just your sexy self. If you want to add more indulgence maybe add some avocado on the side. I hope you enjoy this, it’s so simple but the flavours are powerful. I can’t help singing and dancing when I have this. I wonder what you will do…
