Forget flowers and chocolates… try these quick, easy and healthy recipes using White’s Jumbo Oats to add a tasty twist to classic flavours, and truly impress this Valentine’s Day.

Starter

The perfect Valentine’s starter, these delicious little tarts are oozing with flavour. Crisp filo pastry encases a rich mushroom, herb and egg filling, and White’s Jumbo Organic Oats provide a crunchy texture in the centre.

FILO MUSHROOM PIES

• 25 mins

• Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 25g (1oz) White’s Jumbo Organic Oats

• 8 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen (11in x 11in)

• 4 tsps olive oil

• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 100g (3oz) chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

• Small handful of fresh, soft thyme leaves

• 1 tbsp sun dried tomato paste

• 1 pimento (from a jar) drained, deseeded and finely chopped

• 4 medium eggs

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190*c/Fan oven 170*c/Gas mark 5.

Arrange 4 × 10 (cm) fluted tart tins onto a baking tray.

Cut the filo pastry into quarters to give you 16 squares. Brush 4 squares lightly with olive oil and arrange on top of each other to make a star shape, then lift and use to line the base and sides of the tart tin. Repeat with the remaining pastry squares to make 4 tart cases. Bake for 10 minutes. (If the centres have risen slightly gently press down to make room for the filling).

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil and fry the onions over a low heat for 5–6 minutes stirring occasionally until softened but uncoloured. Add the garlic, mushrooms and most of the thyme and fry for a further 5 minutes until softened. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir in the oats, sun–dried tomato paste and pimentos.

Divide between the pastry cases. Make a well in the centre with the back of a spoon and break an egg into the centre of each one.

Scatter over the remaining thyme and bake for 20–25 minutes until crisp and golden and the egg is just set.

Cook’s tip:

Filo pastry dries out quickly so keep covered with a clean cloth while you are making the tart cases.

https://www.whitesoats.co.uk/recipes/filo-mushroom-pies

Main course

Tantalise your taste buds with spicy chilli and chipotle flavours, and delicious fresh fish.

This flavoursome grilled salmon recipe will make the ultimate V–day dinner.

GRILLED CHIPOTLE SALMON WITH SPRING ONIONS & CHILLI FLATBREADS

• 20 mins

• Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 100g (3oz) White’s Organic Jumbo Oats

• 4 salmon fillets, skinned

• 4 tsps chipotle paste

• 2 avocados

• 200g (7oz) 0% fat Greek yoghurt

• 1 lime– juice

• 175g (6oz) plain flour

• 150ml warm water

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

• 1 tsp mild chilli powder

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

• 1 little gem lettuce, finely shredded

• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded

• Small handful fresh coriander

• Thinly sliced red chilli to garnish

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the grill to high.  Line a tray with foil and arrange the salmon fillets skinned side down onto the foil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and spread with the chipotle paste to cover. Grill for 8–10 minutes until beginning to char and are cooked through.

Meanwhile, peel and remove the stone from the avocados. Place the flesh into a food processor with the lime juice and yoghurt and whiz until thick and smooth. Season to taste and chill until ready to use.

Mix together the oats, plain flour, water, olive oil, spring onions, chilli powder and salt and freshly ground black pepper to form a soft dough. Divide into 4 equal sized pieces. Place a large piece of cling film onto a work surface, dust with plain flour and place one piece of dough in the centre. Dust with more plain flour and cover with a second piece of clingfilm. Roll out to a rough 20cm (8in) circle. Brush a non–stick frying pan with the sunflower oil and heat. Peel off the cling film and cook the flatbread for 1–2 minutes on each side until browned.

Keep warm in the bottom of the grill underneath the salmon. Wipe out the frying pan with kitchen paper and brush with a little more oil and heat. Repeat the process to give you 4 cooked flatbreads. (The dough will be soft so you need to use new pieces of cling film and keep dusting with plain flour)

When ready to serve, spread each flatbread with some avocado puree. Scatter over some shredded lettuce and carrot. Break the salmon into pieces and scatter over the top with the coriander and red chilli to garnish.

Cook’s tip:

Try different flavours on your salmon – spread with readymade Thai green curry paste or sundried tomato paste.

https://www.whitesoats.co.uk/recipes/grilled-chipotle-salmon-with-spring-onions-chilli-flatbreads

Desert

A rich buttery oat case with a creamy filling and topped with ripe plump glazed strawberries – this is an indulgent desert, perfect for sharing on Valentine’s, with some leftover over for the next day too!

OATY STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE TART

• 20 mins

• Makes 6

Ingredients:

• 100g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

• 50g (2oz) caster sugar

• 100g (4oz) White’s Jumbo Organic Oats

• 50g (2oz) plain flour

• 300g (10oz) full fat cream cheese

• Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime

• 400g (14oz) fresh ripe strawberries, hulled and halved

• 3 tbsps strawberry jam

   

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160*C/Fan oven 140*C/Gas mark 3. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the oats and flour and mix to a soft dough. Spoon into a deep 20cm/8(in) fluted loose bottomed flan tin and press evenly up the sides and into the base using the back of a spoon. Chill for 30 minutes.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and while still warm use the back of a metal spoon to re–press the crust into the base and sides of the tin. Allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, mix together the cream cheese and lime zest until smooth and spread over the biscuit base to cover. Arrange the strawberries over the top to completely cover the filling.   

Heat the jam and 2 tbsps lime juice. Sieve and brush over the strawberries to glaze. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tip:

The oat base for this tart also makes great cookies. Simply make up as above, divide the mixture into 15 equal sized pieces. Roll into balls and place evenly spaced apart onto a couple of lightly greased baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with your fingertips and then bake as above for 20 minutes until crisp and golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.

https://www.whitesoats.co.uk/recipes/oaty-strawberry-cheesecake-tart