A great meal for Mother's Day? Mark McCrowe shows you how to plate like a pro

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and the cornerstone of the day for many mothers is a wonderful meal with the ones they love.

But what to serve?   

We asked St. John's chef Mark McCrowe to whip up some meals with everyday ingredients that will wow your mom on her special day.

We have two videos for you below, and recipes to match. Just click the player to see. 

Chicken piccata with garlic noodles & kale parmesan salad 

This dish is my Mom's favourite. It's become a bit of a tradition for us on Mother's Day. It packs tons of flavour and looks absolutely awesome when finished.

But best of all, it's so simple to make, anyone can pull it out as a go-to weeknight meal. I use chicken, but pork, veal or even seafood would fit right in. Give it a go, have fun and most importantly make it your own. Serves two.

FOR THE CHICKEN:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. flour for dredging
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. unsalted butter

Season the chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides. Dredge in seasoned flour and shake off any excess flour. Preheat a sauté pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, butter and pan fry chicken until golden brown on each side. Once golden brown, remove chicken and finish in a preheated oven until inside temperature reaches 165º F. Set aside sauté pan to build your sauce. All the chicken flavour or "fond" will help add a beautiful flavour to your sauce. 

FOR THE SAUCE:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt to taste 
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp. capers, plus a tsp. of their brine
1 pinch crushed red chilli flakes
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 c. low sodium organic chicken broth  
4 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. cold unsalted butter to finish the sauce

In the same pan you used to sauté the chicken, sweat off your chopped garlic with the red chilli flakes and seasoning over medium heat. Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice, chicken broth and reduce by simmering the sauce for three minutes. At the very end, swirl in cold butter and chopped parsley to finish the sauce. Keep it warm until serving time. 

FOR THE NOODLES:
2 servings of dried spaghetti noodles
Salted boiling water
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 pinch dried red chilli flakes 
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp. chopped parsley

In salted, boiling water, cook the spaghetti as suggested on the packaging. In a separate preheated sauce pan, sweat the garlic, red chilli and seasoning in butter and olive oil. Drain pasta and add to sauté pan and toss until thoroughly coated. Finish with chopped parsley.

FOR KALE SALAD:
5 leaves of fresh kale, stemmed and sliced    
1 lemon, juiced
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Pinch kosher salt 
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 tbsp. shaved or grated parmesan cheese

Slice kale and mix with other ingredients just before serving, and plate that bad boy up.

The ultimate ice cream sundae

Dessert at home for me is all about saving time and having fun. I don't want to spend my day off baking and making everything from scratch.

Here's a recipe for my ultimate ice cream sundae that brings in some of my favourite pre-made snacks from the grocery aisle that are brought to another level by the addition of whiskey flambéed bananas. Over the top flavour and a real time saver.

This dessert rocks! Go ahead and use your favourite ice cream and have fun mixing and matching your favourite toppings. That's what its all about. Serves two.

FOR THE BANANAS:
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 oz. Irish whiskey 

Preheat a skillet to medium heat and melt the sugar and butter together until it becomes bubbly and takes on a caramel colour. Add in your sliced bananas and continue cooking for about two minutes.

Once the bananas have had a chance to cook through, take the pan off the heat and add your whiskey. Return the pan to the heat and ignite the alcohol with a lighter or match. Continue to cook for another 30-40 seconds just to burn off the alcohol. leaving just the flavour of whiskey remaining. Serve warm layered in your ice cream sundae.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
1 c. 35% whipping cream, chilled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. sugar

In a large chilled bowl, whip all ingredients with a whisk until they become fluffy and develop stiff peaks when hanging off the tip of the whisk. Use a large dollop to top each sundae.  

FOR THE SUNDAE:
4 scoops of your favourite ice cream
4 two-bite chocolate brownies
1 Oh Henry bar, chopped
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
2 maraschino cherries, stem on

Layer all the ingredients between to sundae glasses or bowls in whatever order you like. Finish with a dollop of the fresh whipped cream and a cherry on top.