Picky bits with your pals vegetarian Valentine’s menu

Harissa-spiced red pepper houmous

Serves 4

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
200g houmous
1 tbsp harissa paste, plus extra for drizzling
50g roasted red pepper antipasti, roughly chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ lemon, zested

For the crudité
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, cut into batons
½ cucumber, cut into batons
8 radishes, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Tip the pumpkin seeds onto an oven tray and pop in the oven for 6 mins, or until lightly toasted and golden. Leave to cool a little. Meanwhile, tip the houmous, harissa, roasted peppers and garlic into a food processor and whizz until smooth.

2. To serve, spoon the houmous mixture into a bowl and scatter over the parsley, lemon zest and pumpkin seeds. Add a grind of freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle over a little more harissa. Serve with the crudité.

Dessert: Citrus cheesecake board

Serves 8

60g unsalted butter
120g ginger nuts
200g soft cheese
200g Greek-style yogurt
2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted, plus 1 tsp
2 oranges, zested and segmented
2 clementines, zested and segmented
2 tsp lemon curd
2 mint sprigs, small leaves picked, large leaves finely sliced

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Blitz the ginger nuts in a food processor until they resemble coarse sand (or bash with a rolling pin in a zip-lock bag). Transfer to a bowl and mix in the melted butter.

2. Spread the biscuit base on a serving board or platter, pressing down with the back of a spoon, leaving little divots and gaps as you go. Chill for 30 mins.

3. Meanwhile, mix the soft cheese, yogurt, sugar and citrus zests in a large bowl. Transfer to the fridge.

4. Once chilled, top the biscuit base with the cheese mixture. Top with small drops of lemon curd, rippling through with the spoon. Arrange the citrus segments on top and scatter with mint. Dust with a little extra icing sugar, then ask everyone to dig in.