Romantic dinner on Valentine's Day: recipes to prepare

Valentine's Day is approaching and with it the opportunity to prepare a perfect dinner for your partner or your partner. February 14 is the annual anniversary of couples, the Anniversary of love, so let's get busy and prepare a great dinner for our better half!

A partner conquered with taste is the best way to tell him that we love him and organizing a romantic dinner at home is the right choice, rather than going to the first restaurant on the sea or ordering dinner on one of the many delivery services. Valentine's Day recipes are many and can make your dinner spicy or elegant, the choice is only yours!

Prepare your surroundings

Think that preparing a good meal is the only thing to do? Wrong! The dish may be excellent, but you need to take care of the environment too, it's still Valentine's Day!

Candlelight or not, if you will cook in your home remember to have an environment with soft lighting, preferably warm, much better if you have the possibility of smart LED bulbs so you can adjust the brightness to your liking.

Avoid petals and pillows of hearts, unless you are eternal romantics and your partner does not love them, they are out of fashion and could make the atmosphere a little too organized.

A good wine will turn your evening around

The wine-food pairing is inseparable and can't not be there. It is like yin and yang. A good bottle of wine that enhances the flavors of food will make your evening unforgettable.

We cannot suggest you a specific bottle of wine, because everything will depend on what you will prepare in the kitchen, but remember to get one or more bottles according to the various combinations.

The appetizeror aperitif needs a pre-summer bottle of wine, lighter. Maybe you have just welcomed your partner at home and you are in the middle of the preparation of the first course, you are late or it takes about twenty minutes before serving the course.

Solution: aperitif or appetizer. It is prepared in advance, even 30 minutes in advance, and served in parallel with the cooking of the first/second course.

Valentine's day appetizers

What appetizers to cook? Time is always short, maybe we are very busy and can not devote hours to the preparation of an appetizer, so we opt for quick and tasty appetizers.

• Salmon tartare with soy sauce: quick and simple, you can prepare it in a few minutes and it is perfect for a fish dinner.
• Shrimp with sesame and sweet and sour sauce: we touch the oriental cuisine with a typical and tasty dish, it is also suitable for a Mediterranean dinner replacing the sweet and sour sauce with a spicy sauce.
• Hummus with sun-dried tomatoes: suitable for vegan cuisine and not, it is prepared in a few moments and you can accompany with croutons or pita bread.
• Bruschetta with chilli cream: there is nothing spicier! The preparation of chilli cream is a bit long but if you like the tingling sensation on the tongue it is a perfect appetizer, moreover you can prepare it and the excess can be stored up to thirty days.
• Vol-au-vents stuffed with salmon: or alternatively with crabmeat or tuna fish
• Lemon and pepper oysters: if you don't want to spare any expense and raw foods are your idea of a dinner by the sea, you can't miss oysters as an appetizer!

Valentine's Day dinner begins: the first course

The first course can totally range according to your tastes or, more precisely, according to the tastes of your better half. We list a few simple recipes that could be included in your Valentine's Day menu:

• Spaghetti with lobster and tomato: classic seafood dish, perfectly paired with oysters as an appetizer.
• Orange and Shrimp Risotto: delicious and fresh recipe, can be easily matched with a white wine
• Risotto with cream of scampi: perfect for Christmas time but also for a romantic dinner
• Pumpkin gnocchi with smoked provola cheese: easy and fast.
• Pasta al forno con crema di porcini e prosciutto cotto: if the love of your life loves mushrooms, he will never leave you again! Long preparation. You can prepare the recipe with a cocotte cast iron pot by Staub
• Ravioli with meat sauce: to be absolutely matched with a red wine

The second course

If you are still hungry or want to prepare a complete dinner, the second course is a must and the choice is all about the first course presented.

• Salmon in crust
• Baked king prawns
• Breaded fillets of sole in the oven
• Baked potatoes with sausage and mushrooms
• Stew with apples and baked potatoes

Most of the recipes listed can be cooked in Cocotte.

The end of a sweet evening

Dessert is the final tip of the evening, often the one to pay the most attention to because it is the last dish that can save you from a less than perfect dinner.

The dessert absolutely worth mentioning (and recommending) is the Chocolate Cupcake with Dark Heart, a true ambassador of Valentine's Day, irresistible and easy to prepare. Or alternatively bake a simple sponge cake with a heart-shaped pan.

Other tasty and simple desserts to end the dinner:

• Fruit Tart by the glass
• Heart-shaped ricotta and apple crumble cake
• Eclair with cream and strawberries
• Valentine's Day Whoopies
• Red Velvet Cake
• Strawberry and lime cheesecake

All that's left is for you to decide on the menu and execute it, so you can prepare your romantic dinner on Valentine's Day. Have a great dinner and happy Valentine's Day!