Make this Valentine’s memorable with these delicious and easy home cooked dishes…
The best thing about Valentine’s Day will always be the chance to express your deep feelings of love, but a close second is sharing your deep love for delicious food. So no matter how you choose to celebrate your love story this year, a forget-me-not meal with your valentine is surely at the heart of your plans. After all, food is the fastest way to the heart, right?
But instead of phoning up the little restaurant you love to see if they’ll deliver, or asking your local takeaway for their February 14th specials, why not make this a day to remember by stepping into your kitchen and going the homemade route to wow your special someone with candles, dimmed lights, a Spotify playlist and a meal for two. That’s where we come in.
We asked some of our favourite chefs to share their favourite Valentine’s dinner recipes to recreate at home, no matter what level of chef you are. There are dishes for a cosy evening in, dishes packed full of tasty flavours and some fusion foods that will bring out your creative side, all in the name of love. Whichever dish you decide to prepare, nothing makes a date swoon like bringing the restaurant experience to your kitchen.
Chicken with Sautéed Mushrooms & Apple
Serve up a dish of seared chicken thighs perfectly presented on a bed of cremini mushrooms and fresh apples for the most delicious mouthful of sweet and earthy flavours, each bit complimented by the shallot and dijon and white wine sauce.
Click here for the full recipe.
Steak in a Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Sauce
When you love a steak, there really is no other food that can compare, and we get it. They’re rich, flavourful and incredibly satisfying. An almost melt-in-your-mouth experience. That’s what this dish is. Centred around a good cut of local butcher’s beef, this is your chance to cook the perfect steak dish in the same pan, making the most of all those flavours.
Click here for the full recipe.
Ricotta & Garlic Gnocchi with Toasted Walnuts
The Italians are famous for their love of food and love of each other, and we’re almost certain that’s because they make their pasta by hand — and now is your time to follow their lead because nothing will steal your Valentine’s heart quite like making your own gnocchi from scratch. Don’t panic, it will barely take an hour from ingredients to first bite.
Click here for the full recipe.
Whisky & Peach Glazed Salmon
Light, easy and packed full of taste bud pleasing flavours, salmon has become a weekday favourite for so many people. But what takes this dish from a midweek meal to a Valentine’s showstopper is the glaze. The combination of whisky and sweet peaches works to create a deliciously sweet glaze that will ensure the first four mouthfuls are enjoyed in heavenly silence. And if you’re looking for ways to present it perfectly, we recommend choosing salmon steaks.
Click here for the full recipe.
Sweet Potato & Pesto Bucatini
This is one of those deliciously hassle-free dishes that will become part of your weekly dinner rotation before you’ve even had a chance to finish what’s in front of you. Packed full of seasonal vegetables and a homemade pesto, this easy pasta dish will leave your date asking, “wow, what’s in this?” and you can have it on the table in under half an hour, leaving you with plenty of time to also whip up a starter, desert or both.
Click here for the full recipe.
King Prawn Curry with Yellow Rice
Every love story is unique, colourful, complex and packed full of unforgettable moments — and this dish celebrates all of those things. Made with a fresh king prawns and brought together with a fusion of flavours, you’ll be amazed at how so much flavour can come from just one pan. It really is a party in a pot.
Lobster Ravioli with a Creamy Tomato Sauce
Nothing says special occasion quite like Lobster. It doesn’t matter whether you serve lobster tail, lobster salad or this pinch-yourself lobster ravioli served in a delicious tomato sauce for the ultimate Valentine’s meal. You may be sat around the table in your kitchen, or staring into one another’s eyes as you stand around your kitchen island, but this fresh-everything dish will make home feel fancie than ever.
Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
If you’re looking for an elegant meal that’s incredibly simple to dish up, you can stop looking because you just found it. Simply butterfly your pork tenderloin, stuff with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella and, voila, you’re ready to serve your date the most mouthwatering plate complete with roast potatoes and that bottle of red you’ve been saving for a special occasion.
Click here for the full recipe.
Shakshuka For Two
No one forgets the first time they indulge on Shakshuka, or as it is otherwise known, ‘Eggs in Purgatory’ — especially this one. Made with feta, Israeli couscous and poached eggs, this is one of the most forgiving meals you can make at home no matter how at home you feel in your shaker kitchen. And because it’s made with spicy tomato sauce and served with soft bread, it’s both comforting and flavoursome.
Click here for the full recipe.
Spiced Cauliflower with Herb Rice
Vegan dishes have become so delicious, comforting and complex that choosing which to serve up on Valentine’s Day is no easy feat, yet you can’t go wrong with this vegan main. Made with roasted cauliflower to bring out all the earthy flavours, and spiced for an extra layer of wow, this vegetable is the perfect compliment to herby rice, pomegranate seeds and fresh yoghurt.
Click here for the full recipe.
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