“Best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Traditionally, Valentines day is not complete without sitting down with your partner to an intimate and romantic dinner date. If you believe that, you are probably already searching for different restaurants to dine in… but isn’t it more special and appetizing if you will be the one to prepare and cook for your date?
So for those who are on a budget, doesn’t want to deal with a lot of people in line to dine, or those tired of hearing busy lines for reservations, we have 10 recipes for a five-course meal dinner for you:
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Before anything else, soup is served first to set the palate and mood of your meal. Since we go for a romantic yet homey feel, it’s a great way to make a soup with greens and cheese! Aside from budget-friendly, it is also easy to make – done in just a couple of minutes.
Ingredients:
- 3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 pounds processed cheese food, cubed
1 pinch ground white pepper
How to prepare:
In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, or to desired tenderness.
Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
This soup could become one of the favorites because it has lots of flavor is fairly quick to make. It’s primarily a mushroom soup but derives a lot of its flavor from other ingredients.
Ingredients:
-
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sour cream
How to prepare:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.
Blue Cheese and Pear Tartlets
These tasty, hot appetizers take little time to prepare but will surely impress your partner! You can show that you can work in the kitchen with how unique these appetizers are. By the way, the key to greater success is to keep the tartlets warm.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 ripe pear – peeled, cored, and chopped
2 tablespoons light cream
ground black pepper to taste
1 (2.1 ounce) package mini phyllo tart shells
How to prepare:
Pre-bake phyllo shells according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Mix together blue cheese, pear, and cream. Season to taste with pepper. Spoon mixture into cooled shells.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Mini Sweet Potato Samosas
Mini samosas made with curried sweet potatoes and wontons, serve with ketchup! Easy to put together which is ideal if you still want to prepare for other surprises for your love! Yummy appetizer that you guys will surely enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix
curry powder to taste
20 wonton wrappers
sesame oil for brushing
How to prepare:
Simmer sweet potatoes with a little water until very soft. Drain, and mash with butter, milk, onion soup mix, and curry powder.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place about 1 teaspoon of the sweet potato mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper. Brush two adjacent edges of wrapper with water, fold into a triangle, and press the edges together to seal. Brush both sides with sesame oil. Place the samosas on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn over, and bake for 5 minutes more.
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon-Mustard Dressing
This is a classic steakhouse-style spinach salad with the absolute best warm bacon-mustard dressing. Probably looks and tastes like a lot of work, but it can be prepared in no time! If you go for a healthy choice, this salad is a must for you.
Ingredients:
- 1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
10 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
How to prepare:
Place spinach into a large serving bowl, top with hard-cooked eggs, mushrooms, 4 crumbled strips of bacon, Swiss cheese, and almonds.
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and 2 crumbled strips of bacon; season to taste with salt and pepper, then cook until hot.
Pour hot dressing over spinach and toss to coat.
Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad
This is a colorful and very tasty mix of chicken, mangoes, and avocados in a spicy lime dressing. With great flavor and nice colors, this dish seems to represent you and your partner’s relationship, doesn’t it? Filling yet light, this is a great transition for a main dish.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup chili garlic sauce
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
2 medium mangoes – peeled, seeded and diced
2 avocados – peeled, pitted and diced
1 (10 ounce) package spring lettuce mix
How to prepare:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then pour into a medium bowl. Stir in the garlic chili sauce and lime juice. Set the dressing aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, mangoes and avocados. Arrange the spring salad mix on serving plates, then top with a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture. Pour dressing over the top.
Maple Salmon
This is the one of the best and most delicious salmon recipe you can easily prepare. Either both of you love seafood or even if you don’t like salmon that much – you will learn to love it with this recipe. Sweet as you want your Valentines day would be!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon
How to prepare:
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.
Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze
This is an elegant and quick romantic dinner for two. Could be wonderfully served with steamed asparagus and baby red potatoes. What’s a romantic dinner date without steak, right?
Ingredients:
- 2 (4 ounce) filet mignon steaks
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
How to prepare:
Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover, and cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turn the meat over.
Remove steaks to two warmed plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each, and serve immediately.
Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
After a delightful main course, desserts shouldn’t be disregarded. Before or after your sexy time, you could indulge with these baked goods. This recipe is a tried-and-true, old-fashioned coconut cream pie!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3 cups half-and-half
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
How to prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie.
Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours.
Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut.
Creme Brulee
A very nice dessert with great texture and taste, perfect with wine or rum! Something sweet won’t be so bad especially when made with love and effort by your babe. End the night with this heaven-like sweet confection!
Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
How to prepare:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
Pour cream mixture into the top pan of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to broil.
In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.
