It's almost Valentine's Day. Yipee! It’s time to show our love and appreciation to our significant other. Are you done making your major plans for the V-day?
While it’s typical for most of us to just call one fancy restaurant for a reservation and relish a candle-lit dinner with other lovey-dovey couples nearby, there's still some of us who prefer a more intimate set-up like a no-fuss romantic dinner for two at home with foods prepared with love.
Well good news! You've come to the right place! We will be sharing three healthy, delicious, and easy Valentine's day recipes that you and your mon amour will truly enjoy.
(FYI, it’s guaranteed to make the mood and ambiance more intimate.)
Grilled Oyster with Mornay Sauce
Let's admit that grilled oyster makes everything fancier, and we have this savory recipe from Food.com with mornay sauce.
Ingredients:
24 half shell oysters
1 cup of grated gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons of cornflour
2 cups of milk
rock salt
2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
How to Cook:
Pour 2 cups of milk in a pan and heat it. Once the milk is hot, add a mixture of water with cornflour; stir until it thickens.
Now it’s time to add 2 tablespoon of parmesan and one cup of gruyere cheese; stir until cheese has melted.
In an oven-proof dish, pour the rock salt. Make sure the salt covers even the bottom part of the dish. Place the oysters evenly in the dish. Spoon the sauce you made over the oysters; sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on each oysters.
Grill Oysters until browned and bubbling.
Valentine Perfect Steak
The best way to impress your valentine is by serving him/her the perfect steak. Here's the best steak recipe from Chef Adam Bush that would surely hit home.
Ingredients:
Ribeye steak on the bone ( 500g)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of sea salt flakes
2 tablespoon of butter
A few sprigs of thyme
Cloves of garlic (bashed)
Bring out the steak to room temperature two hours before cooking; make sure it is covered well.
An hour before cooking, coat the steak in the oil. Season it well with the sea salt flakes on all sides.
Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over high heat. Once it’s hot, sear the steak’s fatty edge using a tong. Cook it for a few minutes until it starts to crisp. Drop the steak onto the frying pan and cook each side of the for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Add the butter, thyme and garlic to the pan. Flip and cook for 1 minute. Continue basting the steak regularly with the butter, then flip for 1 minute more.
Using a digital meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the steak. It’s ready for garnishing once it reads 50C.
Put the steak in a place; pour over the thyme, garlic, and brown butter. Cover the steak loosely with a foil. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
Slice against the grain and serve with the resting juices and butter.
Tomato Tart
Valentine's night made even exciting with this veggie entree. It's colorful, and did I say, healthy?
300g of cherry tomatoes (halved)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 large onions (halved and finely sliced)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Grana Padano 50g (grated)
Gruyère 100g (grated)
To create the tart’s pastry, combine the flour, 1 tsp salt, olive oil, and just enough water so it comes together as a dough (at least 4-5 tbsp). Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to the thickness of a 20p coin then use to line a tart tin (round or rectangular). Trim the edge and chill while you make the filling.
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the finely sliced onions and a good pinch of salt. Over the next 20 to 30 minutes, fry gently or until meltingly soft and golden. Pour in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Mix the mustard and cheese. Cool it.
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and bake the tart shell for at least 20 minutes. Take out and cool.
Spread evenly the cheesy onion mixture over the base of the tart. Add the tomatoes on top in a single layer, cut-side up. Season it. Put the tart back in the oven and 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are slightly golden and pastry is crisp.
See? It's easy to impress your significant other with these whimsical and easy-to-prepare Valentine's day feast. Now head to the nearest grocery and start planning for your big night.