Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, Cooking with Bwog’s chef thought she’d bring you a few recipes for angry dateless people to cook on this special day.

Note: for locating the following ingredients, try here.

Lamb’s Heart

Lamb’s heart

Rosemary

Oregano

Garlic

Tin foil, an oven, and a pan

There are many ways to cook a lamb’s heart. Because the meat is not as tender, slow cooking usually works the best. If the hearts are whole, you can split them on one side, rinse and clean out blood clots and then season with rosemary, fresh garlic, and oregano. Then, wrap loosely with foil, making the wrap tight around the seams, and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 2-3 hours, checking the meat for tenderness and rawness. If you don’t have an oven, you can try simmering on the stove in water for the same amount of time, but some of the flavor will be lost.

You can also slice the heart thin and fry them quickly in olive oil, but it will be much tougher.

Pig’s Heart

Pig’s heart

Pig’s liver (optional)

Gravy powder

salt

onion

parsley

green pepper

butter

good over rice or pasta

Boil the pig’s heart in just enough salted water to cover the membrane. When it is almost tender, add the liver, 2 tbsp. grated onion, 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley and 1 tbsp. green pepper. Simmer until the heart and liver are tender. Remove them, chop them up, and mix with the pan drippings. Mix 2 tbsp. gravy flour with 2 tbsp of butter and then add to the mix. Cook for a few minutes to blend. Serve over rice or gravy or eat alone.

Artichoke Hearts (Recommended for vegetarians)

Whole Artichoke

Scissors

Knife

Lemon Juice

Butter

Thyme

First, remove the tops of the artichoke leaves where the thorns are located using a sturdy pair of scissors. Once the outer leaves are trimmed, cut the top off using a knife. Boil water and cook artichoke in this with salt and lemon juice (1 tbsp lemon juice per 2 quarts of water) and add thyme. The artichoke is done when a knife slips in easily. Serve with melted butter for dipping.