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Steamed chocolate cake
There are some occasions on which cake is pretty much mandatory. Valentine's Day is one of them. This recipe is for those of you who don't have an oven but still want to make a special cake for your loved ones. 
 Ingredients
 200g unsalted butter
 160g light muscovado sugar  
 200ml half-fat evaporated milk 
 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 125g plain flour 
 60g unsweetened cocoa powder 
 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1/2 tsp baking soda
 2 eggs 
Method
 1 Place the butter, sugar, evaporated milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.
 2 Meanwhile, place a rack inside a deep wok or large pot, fill with water (to the top of the rack), put on the lid and bring the water to the boil.
 3 Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
 4 Add the eggs to the melted butter mixture and mix thoroughly. 
 5 Pour the egg and butter mixture into the flour and stir until combined. 
 6 Pour batter into a greased 20cm pan (or two smaller heart-shaped tins), and place on the rack in the wok. 
 7 Cover  the pan loosely with a piece of foil then put on the lid.
 8 Steam  for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Cool cake in pan. Decorate with icing sugar or chocolate icing.
Pomegranate, chickpea and butternut squash salad
Pomegranates are delicious fruit that are not only pleasing to the eye but are anti-cancer and anti-ageing powerhouses. What's more, for centuries, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures have considered the pomegranate the fruit of love. What better plan than to add this fruit to your Valentine's Day menu?
 Ingredients
 1 small butternut squash about  750g
 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
 half a can of chickpeas, drained
 seeds of 1 small pomegranate 
 1 large handful fresh coriander, chopped
 2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves 
Dressing
 100ml natural yogurt
 zest and juice of one lemon
 1 clove garlic, crushed
 salt and freshly ground black pepper
 Method
 1 Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds, then cut flesh into  slices or wedges. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle over the cinnamon then drizzle over the olive oil, mix to coat the squash evenly.
 2 Heat a non-stick pan over a low to medium heat. Cook squash for 15-20 minutes until tender.  
 3 Transfer cooked squash to a serving plate to cool.
 4 Meanwhile, make the lemon yogurt salad dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl, whisking with a fork until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.
 5 Once the squash has cooled, scatter over the chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, chopped coriander leaves and salad leaves. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.
Wynnie Chan is a British-trained nutritionist. If you've got a question for her or would like to be featured in this column, e-mail nutrition@scmp.com



Food from the heart