Top Ideas: Things to Do on Valentine’s Day!
Ranging from romantic to adrenaline-filled to laid-back to outright ridiculous, we've taken all the hassle out of trying to think of something to do on Valentine's Day and come up with a complete list, just for you, for whatever kind of day you want your Valentine's to be. Read on...
£££ High Budget Ideas
££ Mid-Range Budget:
Are you a foodie with or without a flair for cooking? Cook up a dead-easy slap-up 6 course meal
(see below for a menu we've put together for you with everything you need to cook it up and really impress!).
Very easy (but long and impressive!) sample menu:
1. Amuse-bouche: Lemon sorbet (cleans your pallet and prepares your taste buds)Prep-time: 10 min
Cut a lemon in half, carve the insides out, and put a scoop of lemon sorbet in the middle. Lemon sorbet can be found at any local supermarket for around £2-3.
2. Canapé: Canteloupe wrapped in Parma ham with rocket garnishPrep time: 10 min
Make these bite-sized. Get a cantaloupe melon from any grocery shop and chop up, then wrap parma ham around each cube. Garnish with rocket.
3. Entrée: Crab Mango & Avocado mini-salad or Classic Prawn CocktailCrab Mango & Avocado mini-salad
Prep time: 30 min
This recipe from www.simplyrecipes.com is absolutely gorgeous, tried and tested! The fresh crab can be substituted for canned crab (available at any grocery shop for around £2-3 for time and money-saving).
For full recipe visit http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/crab_mango_and_avocado_salad/
Classic Prawn CocktailPrep time: 5 min
This recipe from http://britishfood.about.com/od/recipeindex/r/prawncocktail.htm is delicious and extremely easy to make. Ready-to-eat prawns are available at most grocery shops, and mayonnaise and tomato ketchup to make up the marie-rose sauce are probably already in your kitchen at home. Add some chopped lettuce (and avocado if you want to be fancy!) and serve with a slice of lemon. Done! (prawns £3-4)
4. Main course: Steak with Truffle Chips & Parmesan or Sole Meniere Wrapped AsparagusSteak:
Prep time: 20-25 min
A succulent, juicy steak which, in our opinion, rivals the quality of even the top steakhouses around, and at a fraction of the price, is the Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference 21 Day Slow Matured Fillet Steak. (Steak for a meal for 2: £10-12).
Grill, or fry in butter in a pan for 4-5 min on each side for a medium-cooked steak that is still pink in the middle. Increase/decrease cooking times according to preference. Enjoy with a oaky smoky red wine.
Truffle Chips: Good old-fashioned chips, oven fried, deep fried, or however you like them, drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese (available at any grocery shop, truffle oil: from £2, parmesan: from £2).
Sole Meniere:Prep Time: 20-25 min
Buy fresh dover sole from your local fishmongers or pre-order at your grocery store fishmonger’s (2 fishes: £8-10). Rinse the fish under cold water, rub the skin with sea salt, then cover the skin with flour. Fry in butter for 5 minutes on each side. Check fish is piping hot in the middle to make sure it’s cooked. Once cooked, fillet the fish, and wrap around several asparagus sticks.
Asparagus sticks: pan fry in butter until cooked (2-3 min).
5. Cheese Platter ( parmesan, blue cheese, camembert) with crackersPrep time: 5 min
For the extra mile: add grapes & figs.
6. DessertPrep time: 0 min.
We love the Gu chocolate dessert collection, easily available at most grocery shops (around £3).
£ Low Range Budget/Creative Thinkers:
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