Valentine’s Recipes & Menu Inspiration

By Ciara McDonnell

Light the candles, put Norah Jones on that stereo and get ready to get romantic. Just joking. We’d never suggest Norah Jones as a pairing to a romantic interlude. NEVER. We are, however, committed to the idea of love in all its guises this Valentine’s, so get ready for a bumper collection of Valentine’s recipes & menu inspiration. Last year we created a menu with interchangeable courses, and this still applies to this year. If you want to forgo the formality of a meal altogether, and get straight to some aphrodisiacs, then head straight to our dishes containing the sexiest ingredients known to man. Still stuck for inspiration? Don’t worry – we’ve got you. Check out our menu suggestions for couples at all stages of their lives. If all of this fails, then whip up these heart-shaped brownies and we promise that all will be well.

The New Couple
When you are a brand new couple, Valentine’s can be make or break. It is never a good idea to go out to eat on your first Valentine’s. The sheer pressure of being sandwiched between hundreds of other diners, all trying their hardest to fashion the best kissy wissy faces at their partners, could break even the most committed of hearts. Much better to use this as an opportunity to flex those culinary muscles. Go retro with a starter of prawn cocktail, follow up with a main of steak with pepper sauce and sweet potato wedges and come up trumps with a chocolate fondant for dessert.

 

The Couple With A Brand New Baby
Let’s be honest. If you have a new baby in the house you are not going to be clattering around your kitchen whipping up a storm – waking that child is simply not an option. The truth is, you’re both knackered, and need a night of comforting food that is a level above a chipper, but casual enough to smear all over your face while watching a movie that doesn’t actually require your brain to work. Am-I-Right? Try some Thai lettuce cups, followed by Catherine Fulvio’s North Indian Prawn Curry and finish with her chocolate mug cakes, made in 5 minutes in the microwave. DING!

The Together Forever Couple
Sometime it’s harder to make a meal for the person who has been in your life the longest, and while there is no doubt you know that when you go out for dinner he always has steak, and will chance a slice of tiramisu even though he will be up all night with heartburn, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make an effort. Now, we are not suggesting that you do something drastic like create a sexy scenario involving, say, sushi, but we are saying: light those candles, put on that music and maybe recreate the first meal you had together. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of romance. If neither of you were cooks in your early days, try something ultra romantic like starting with fig, raspberry and proscuitto salad before moving onto John Dory with basil mash, followed by chocolate mousse cake.