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In this article, I will share a perfect Valentine’s Day menu that you can create at home to have the most romantic “night in”. But before we dive into it, I need to come clean. I don’t love Valentine’s Day. There, I said it. It has become so commercial and cliché. However, over the years of being married, we have developed our own way of celebrating this occasion.
What we really enjoy doing is celebrating at home. We can play the music we love and enjoy delicious food, all at a fraction of the cost of a restaurant. I appreciate having personal conversations in private, rather than in a crowded public venue where we’re packed like sardines.
If you want to try this approach this coming Valentine’s Day, or really for any date night, keep reading to get the perfect fancy Valentine’s menu and grocery list.
Setting up the right ambiance
Ambiance matters. Part of the reason many like restaurants is the ambiance created by the music, lighting, decor, and table setting. Without going overboard, take time to set up the right ambiance for your Valentine’s dinner.
To set up a beautiful table, you can use a nice tablecloth and matching napkins, wine glasses (even if you don’t drink wine), and light some candles. You can also add a special touch by placing flowers or a photo of you and your partner on the table.
I would suggest creating a playlist of your favorite calm and romantic music that you can play in the background to create a soothing ambiance. Before you start cooking, make sure to clean and tidy up the space and plan your evening in such a way that the cooking goes smoothly. This will allow you to enjoy your time while preparing the perfect Valentine’s menu.
Perfect Valentine’s menu
Apéro
Starting a date night with a tasty cocktail or mocktail can be just perfect. One of my personal favorites is the French 75. It’s refreshing and not too heavy, so you can enjoy it slowly while having a pleasant conversation.
Here is the recipe I follow:
- 1 ounce of Gin
- 3 ounces of prosecco
- 1/2 ounce of lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce of simple syrup
Put the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice in a shaker. Shake well and pour into a glass through the stainer (do not pour the ice). Add the prosecco and enjoy!
If a mocktail is what you prefer, I got you covered. Check out these 10 delicious mocktail recipes.
Proscuitto wrapped pears with arugula appetizer
This appetizer is delicious and pairs perfectly with the French 75. You can prepare before you make your cocktails and serve them together.
For 2 people, you will need 1 pear, 2 slices of prosciutto, a bit of arugula, pomegranate arils, olive oil, and pepper.
For the assembly instructions, check out the recipe on the Cook at Home Mom website.
Main meal
Parmesan chopped salad | Short ribs | Mashed potatoes | Garlic parmesan roasted carrots
- Parmesan chopped salad by Eatwell101
- Instant pot Short ribs with onions, carrots, celery, and mashed potatoes by Amy and Jacky at Pressure Cook recipes
For a dinner for two, cut each recipe above in half.
You want the main meal to smoothly come together on time so that everything is perfect. To make this happen, it’s important to line up the various cooking activities.
Here is my proposed plan to have everything ready right on time and not be super stressed out:
Earlier in the day (or the day before):
- Wash all the produce
- Prep/cut all the ribs vegetables and store them in a container in the fridge (keep the garlic and onions separate from other veggies).
- Chop the lettuce and put in a Ziploc bag in the fridge
- Make the salad dressing and store it in the fridge
- Peel the potatoes, dice, and put in cold water in the fridge
Before making the cocktails and appetizers, do the following:
- Execute steps 1 through 5 in the short ribs recipes. This will cook in your instant pot for 1 hour while you enjoy your apéro and appetizers.
Once the instant pot is done and the 15-minute natural release is over, return to the kitchen to complete steps 6 through 8. Assemble the salad and serve everything.
I love to pair this dinner with a Cabernet Sauvignon. I find that it enhances the rich flavor of the meat.
Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert
Last but not least, we have a delicious sweet dessert to end the meal. This dessert isn’t your average Valentine’s menu dessert and is sure to delight you and your partner.
The recipe can be found on Christina’s Cucina website.
You can easily make the cake and the toffee sauce earlier in the day and simply warm it up when the time comes.
Grocery List
Click here to print the grocery list.
In conclusion
There is no need to leave the house for a date night. Create the perfect romantic ambiance and use this phenomenal Valentine’s menu for a magical night with your partner.
Bon apétit!
Cat xx
