Valentine’s Day is only a couple of days away and we are sure that all the restaurants are already fully reserved for that night. Getting a dinner reservation at this moment might seem practically impossible. However, don’t let this dampen your spirits! If you really want to make this day memorable, why don’t you cook a heartwarming meal for your significant other instead of going out?

This is an absolute win-win situation! On one hand, you stay in, snuggle with your s/o and impress them with your fancy Masterchef-style cooking. On the other hand, you avoid standing in lines outside restaurants and also save-up on hundreds of dollars. Let us get your V-Day dinner date started with some amazing, budget-friendly recipes.

A V-Day Special Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, you can’t deny it. To prepare a pizza, you can either use a store-bought crust or pizza dough that can be prepared at home beforehand. The beauty of a pizza is that you can customize it according to your taste. Let’s get to making it!

Ingredients

  • Pizza sauce
  • Toppings (of your preference) like mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, olives, pepperoni, anchovies, bacon, sausages, jalapenos, etc.
  • Shredded Mozzarella cheese along with some other types of cheese that you may like. (We recommend sprinkling a dash of Parmesan and Cheddar cheese to make your pizza a gooey delight).

Method

  • If you are using a dough, roll it and stretch it out on a pizza pan. Make sure the crust is about ½ inches thick. If you want to make a Valentine’s Day themed pizza, you could try to stretch out the dough in the shape of a heart and surprise your sweetheart.
  • Ensure that you brush some cooking oil, flour, or some grease on your pan so that the crust doesn’t stick to it.
  • Once you have your crust in place, spread your pizza sauce on the pizza evenly. Then sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the crust.
  • Add your choice of toppings to the pizza. If you want to stick to the classic recipe, you could go with some delicious pepperoni and basil.
  • Finally, add some more cheese over the toppings after which your pizza is ready to be baked.
  • If you are using pizza dough, bake the pizza at 400°F for about 28 minutes. If you are using a store-bought crust, you can bake the pizza at 400°F for up to 10 minutes.
  • You will know that the pizza is done once it turns golden and all the cheese melts. Serve it with some love, oregano, and chili flakes.

A Classy Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon

This recipe is a classic example of ‘when simplicity meets elegance’. You can visit the nearest Target store and buy 2 filet mignons. If you are trying to cut on costs, you can even buy several mini filets for making an appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 2 filet mignons (5-6 ounces each)
  • Coarse salt
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • Red wine
  • 2 tbsp cold butter

Method

  • To cook your filet mignons, first rub some generous amounts of coarse salt and the coarsely ground black pepper. Make sure that the filet is covered with these ingredients.
  • Take a skillet and heat some oil in it on a medium-high flame. Place your filets in the oil and cook it for about five minutes. The cooking time of the filets depends on how much you want to cook them. We suggest that you cook your meat till it’s rare or medium-rare to get the best flavors out of it.
  • Filet mignons are served with a red-wine sauce that brings together the entire dish. Mix a cup of red wine with coarse salt and cold butter (two tablespoons).
  • Lastly, add some sides like roasted green beans or baked potatoes according to what you like to eat. We guarantee that your date will end on a high note after this scrumptious meal.

Source: Martha Stewart

Vegetable Ramen Pad Thai

This dish is the easiest and the quickest to cook. Each of us has our own ramen recipes, but we suggest that you try out something new this time! Most of the ingredients used in this recipe might already be present in your house.

Ingredients:

  • Two packets of ramen noodles
  • Water
  • 1-1.5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Vegetables/meat (chicken works really well here)
  • ¼ cup of soya sauce or teriyaki sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon hot sauce (we prefer using sriracha sauce)
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter

Method

  • Boil some water in a saucepan and add your ramen noodles to it.
  • Cook the noodles according to the directions given on the package and keep them aside after draining them. Do not add the flavor packets to the noodles while boiling them.
  • After this, mix the soya sauce/teriyaki sauce, the hot sauce, peanut butter, and two tablespoons of hot water in a small bowl. Give this mixture a whisk and set it aside for later use.
  • Heat up some vegetable oil in a skillet on a medium flame.
  • Once the oil is warm enough, add your vegetables/meat along with the flavor packets and toss the mixture for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and add your ramen noodles and the sauce mixture to the skillet.
  • Toss the noodles along with the veggies/chicken and the sauce mixture and serve this dish hot.
  • You can garnish your dish with some chili/red pepper flakes if you wish to spice it up a little bit.

Source: Tablespoon

A Romantic Red Velvet Cake

Ending your meal without a dessert is like watching a movie and skipping the climax scene. A red velvet cake for dessert is like a cherry on top of your V-Day meal plan. Baking a cake isn’t as complicated as you think. If you don’t want to make a batter by yourself, you can find a box mix for about a dollar. Purchase the following things to make a batter by yourself.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2-3 cups of butter
  • 5 cups of cake flour
  • 1-1.5 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1-1.5 cups of sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp vinegar
  • 5 cups of milk
  • 1 cup of buttermilk
  • 2 oz red food color

Method

  • Add eggs, sugar, and butter to a mixing bowl and whisk them well.
  • Keep the flour and the buttermilk aside while you add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture. Mix everything well.
  • Add parts of the buttermilk and the flour alternately.
  • Whisking and beating the entire mixture will ensure that there are no lumps.
  • Take a pan, brush it up with some grease and sprinkle some flour in it. Pour the mixture in it and insert a toothpick in the middle.
  • Bake the cake for about 30 minutes at 350°F. You will know that it’s properly baked when the toothpick is clean when it is pulled out.
  • You can purchase canned red velvet frosting for a dollar and decorate your cake with it.

Source: Living On A Dime

Nothing can go wrong when you cook a heavenly meal for your s/o because the food will be made out of love. You can dress up, light some candles, and put on some nice jazz to create a romantic mood. Don’t forget to use your own creativity to create a dreamy date right in your house. Despite the fact that your Valentine’s Day dinner this year may be wallet-friendly, we can assure you that it will be nothing less than a classy date!

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