Going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day can be a little hectic. It’s probably one of the busiest nights of the year, and while we love a meal out, cooking at home can be just as romantic.
Get inspired to make some of your favourite dishes in your quiet kitchen with no distractions, and besides, there is something always heart-warming about preparing a home cooked meal for someone you love. And, if you feel you don’t quite fit into the shoes of Gordon Ramsey, we have you covered with three simple suppers that will put a smile on your loved one’s face.
Lasagna for two
Bring a taste of Italy into your home by cooking a classic mouthwatering lasagna. The dish is perfect if you want a simple but satisfying meal to prepare. Accompanied with a crisp glass of wine, a fresh side salad and warm garlic bread, you can prepare your lasagne to your liking with these easy steps.
Ingredients:
1 cup spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Daisy 4% cottage cheese
1-1/2 cups cooked wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
Minced beef is optional
Cooking Guidelines:
Firstly you warm the spaghetti sauce, when it’s heated you can begin to stir in the mozzarella and cottage cheeses. Once you have that completed, you can start adding in the noodles. Then you pour into two greased 2-cup baking dishes followed by a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° until bubbly for about 20 minutes. For a final touch, top your dish with parsley.
Garlic butter steak
Show off your cooking skills by preparing a tasty steak served to your liking. A steak dinner is the ultimate date-night meal which is usually ordered in a restaurant. This year, prepare and cook your steak dish just as if you were sitting inside a five star restaurant!
Ingredients:
2 ribeye steaks
Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Cooking Guidelines:
Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C). Followed by seasoning all sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Once you have the first step completed, transfer to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet, then bake for about 45 minutes to an hour until the internal temperature reads about 125°F (51° C) for medium-rare. Adjust the bake time based on if you like your steak more rare or more well-done, depending on your liking. Heat the canola oil in a pan over high heat until smoking. Do not use olive oil, as its smoke point is significantly lower than that of canola oil and will smoke before reaching the desired cooking temperature. Then sear the steak for 30 seconds on the first side, then flip. Add the butter, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and swirl around the pan. Transfer the garlic and herbs on top of the steak and baste the steak with the butter using a large spoon. Baste for about 30 seconds, then flip and baste the other side for about 15 seconds. Once you have completed this step, turn the steak on its side and cook to render off any excess fat. Lastly, place the steak on a cutting board or wire rack for about 10 minutes. Slice the steak into ½ -inch (1 cm) strips, then fan out the slices and once you have that done, you’re ready to serve!
You can prepare your steak with homemade chips, baby potatoes or veg treated with peppercorn sauce.
Easy chicken fajitas
Spice up your life with a Mexican-inspired dinner. If you are your partner are opting for an easily prepped dish, this is your go-to. The vibrant dish can be presented any way you like with fries, veg or even egg noodles. You will have prepped, cooked and presented in 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 lime juiced
Tortilla wraps
Bag mixed salad
230g tub fresh salsa
Cooking Guidelines:
Start by heating the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and wrap six tortillas in tin foil. Mix 1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ground coriander, a pinch of ground cumin, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 4 tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and 4-5 drops of Tabasco together in a bowl with a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Then you stir 2 finely sliced chicken breasts, 1 finely sliced red onion, 1 sliced red pepper and 1 finely sliced red chilli, if using, into the marinade. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot and add the chicken and marinade to the pan. Make sure to keep everything moving over a high heat for about 5 minutes using tongs until you get a nice charred effect. Please note, if your griddle pan is small you may need to do this in two batches. To check the chicken is cooked, find the thickest part and tear in half – if any part is still raw cook until done. The final step is to place the tortillas into the oven to heat up. Once the wraps are heated, you can serve with the cooked chicken, a bag of mixed salad and one 230g tub of fresh salsa.
