Going out for Valentine's Day dinner is a real treat (plus, you can score some cool deals), but what if you're not in the mood to battle crowds, spend a bunch of money and stay out late on a weeknight?
If you want to impress your Valentine, consider forgoing a needlessly expensive night out and making the meal at home -- you'll save a pretty penny, it will be just as delicious, and you'll have the extra "I did it myself" factor that will score you a lot of points.
1. Perfect Steak and Lobster
You could spend a TON of money at a fancy restaurant, or you can grab a ribeye and lobster tail from the store and realize that these fancy foods are two of the easiest to make. They hardly require any seasonings, and all you have to do is sear one and steam the other. Enjoy with a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to stand up to the beef, or get cute with some Champagne.
2. Blood Orange Glazed Salmon
Sweet, pink and a little spicy, this light yet delicious dinner is particularly great if you want to spruce up a night in without derailing your weeknight healthy-eating goals. Serve this stunning fish with some easy roasted veggies and your favorite grain for the perfect compromise between a fancy evening and a routine dinner.
3. Herb Crusted Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Red Wine Reduction
These lamb chops are not nearly as much work as they look. You can have the whole thing done in about 40 minutes, and most of that is oven time anyway. The delicious, buttery, herbed lamb is totally doable on a weeknight, and it will be sure to impress your date. Score!
4. Beet Linguini
If you're looking for something cute, festive and PINK, this is the way to go. In order to get that vibrant color, all the noodles need is a quick toss in the pan with beet puree and you'll be in business. Serve with a nice glass of rose wine or a cosmopolitan cocktail to complete the look!
5. Be-My-Valentine Pizza
Pulling that dough into the perfect heart shape is actually way easier than you'd think. Take additional shortcuts by buying or pre-making your dough. Serve with one of these unexpectedly great cocktail combos.
6. Valentine's Day Scallops With Marinated Tomatoes
Scallops are super easy and pretty difficult to mess up -- if you want to give them a little flavor, you can add a glug of white wine (make sure to cook out the alcohol), garlic and/or lemon, and feel free to swap out the ghee for butter if needed. However you do it, they'll be delicious! Consider making them heart-shaped for added effect, with only a tiny bit more effort.