Valentine’s Day recipes for your special someone

With Valentine’s Day in mind, we curated this list with easy, impressive, and delicious recipes for a perfect night in.These recipes include starters, main courses, and desserts to make the day even more special. In recent years, Valentine’s Day is also coined as”Galentine’s Day” by single women, or “Self Love Day” by a few people who enjoy their single status, and this romantic holiday has undergone different variations over the years, yet it has at its core always been about love.

There is no doubt that the best way to show a little love is to cook for someone special to you, whether it’s a friend, a partner, your kids, or yourself. Let the world know you’re thinking of them with delicious starters and a satisfying entree. We’ve put together an assortment of perfectly easy, elegant recipes to make your Valentine’s Day dining experience unforgettable. These Valentine’s day recipes are indeed easier, but they are all delicious!

Tomato soup

[Source: Delish]

Bring some life to your tomato soup with a spoonful of ricotta. It’s classic comfort food that’s low in calories and healthy.

Ingredients

• 400g halved tomatoes
• 1 red onion sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• a few sprigs of thyme
• ½ tsp dill seeds
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp ricotta
• 1 chopped basil leaf
• 1 tbsp mixed seeds, toasted
• Bread, to serve

Instructions

• Set the oven to 200°C. Toss tomatoes, onions, and peppers with oil and season in a roasting tin. 
• Place the garlic, dill seeds and thyme sprigs in the roasting pan and roast for 25-30 minutes until all the vegetables have softened and slightly caramelized. Garlic cloves should be squeezed out of their skins into the tin, thyme leaves should be removed from the stalks, and garlic skins should be discarded. 
• Add in the vinegar, then blend it in a blender with enough water to loosen to your preferred consistency.

Lentil Salad

[Source: Holistic Foodie]

The healthy Lentil Salad is made with green lentils, crunchy cucumber, sweet red bell pepper, onions, herbs, and a simple lemon dressing. This salad is full of flavor and sure to satisfy everyone.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed well, and picked over
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 English cucumber, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeds removed and diced finely
• ½  small red onion, finely diced
• ¼  cup chopped Italian parsley
• ⅓  cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• ⅓  cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

For the dressing:

• ¼  cup olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey or pure maple syrup
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Combine the lentils, water, and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are soft but still firm. 
• Make the dressing while the lentils are cooking. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Drain the lentils in a colander after they have been cooked. Remove the bay leaf. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Pour into a large bowl.
• To the bowl, add the cucumber, red pepper, red onion, parsley, mint, and feta cheese, if using. Stir well. Toss well with the dressing. Serve immediately or let sit for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend.
• Enjoy and you can add this to your list of healthy dinner recipes!

Crunchy Sweet Tofu

[Source: Maangchi]

The crunchy pan-fried tofu is coated in a sweet and tangy sticky glaze. It is soft on the inside and crisp on the outside, making it great as an appetizer!

Ingredients

• 400 g of tofu
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1 ¼ tsp dried parsley 
• 1 green onion, chopped

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 3 tbsp corn syrup
• 1.5 tbsp red pepper paste
•  ⅓ cup water

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients to prepare the sauce.
• Pat dry the tofu with a paper towel. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
• Put the cornstarch and tofu in a large container. To coat the tofu cubes in cornstarch, cover the container with a lid and shake it. Alternatively, coat tofu one at a time with cornstarch.
• In a large pan, add cooking oil and cook tofu cubes on each side over medium-high heat until once all sides are slightly golden brown.
• Heat the sauce in another pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened.
• Turn off the heat when the sauce has thickened. Stir in the fried tofu and coat it in the sauce.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds, dried parsley, and green onion for the flavors.

Stir fry noodles

[Source: Well Plated]

Among the best valentine’s day dinner recipes, this quick and easy stir-fry noodle is the perfect choice for two. In no time, you can whip up dinner using whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 150g of noodles
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1 fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow pepper thinly sliced
• 100g peas
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp vinegar

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
• In the meantime, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, and then stir-fry the sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, carrots, peppers, and frozen peas for 2-3 minutes.
• For 2 minutes, stir-fry the noodles with the onions. Combine the soy sauce and vinegar and stir into the pan for 1-2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Moist Chocolate Cake

[Source: Pexel]

Hands down the simplest, quickest, and most delicious chocolate cake recipe! Super chewy and delicious with chocolate buttercream frosting

Ingredients

• 2 cups maida flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso or coffee powder 
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 240º C. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring them.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Whisk the flour mixture until well incorporated.
• Mix milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla with flour mixture on medium speed until well combined. Slowly incorporate boiling water into the cake batter until well combined.
• Pour the cake batter evenly into the two cake pans. The chocolate cake should be baked for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
• Frost the cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or chocolate ganache.

It is said that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. So why would you line up for dinner at a restaurant this Valentine’s Day? Instead, we recommend cueing up a rom-com or simply your favorite movie, sprucing up your decorations for V-Day, and cooking a delicious meal for your friends, partners, or yourself with these delicious dinner recipes by Danfe.