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During Valentine’s Day, there’s no better way to show appreciation for your lover – whether that’s your spouse, significant other, best friend, or even (especially) yourself – than to spend quality time with them over a special at-home dinner. You don’t have to spend all day to cook a romantic dinner. It’s possible to keep it simple and uncomplicated, but still opt for something outside your regular meal rotation that feels a bit more indulgent and luxurious.
Romantic Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
These are some of the most impressive plant-based meals we know.
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Salt and Vinegar Potato Soup This vegan and budget-friendly dinner soup pulls inspiration from a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips. If you and your partner love crunchy bits on top of soup, don't worry this recipe comes garnished with a crispy potato skin topping.
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Brussels Sprout Melts If you think the magic of the patty melt feels out of reach for vegetarians, this gooey Brussels sprouts sandwich will make you reconsider.
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French Onion GaletteThis rustic savory pie features an easy homemade crust and is filled to the brim with deeply caramelized onions and melty Gruyère cheese.
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Onion and Mushroom TartThis vegetarian tart has vinegar-roasted onions, mushrooms, and ricotta cheese, making it a great appetizer for a group, or a dinner for two when served with a side salad.
Go to Recipe Romantic Chicken Dinner Ideas
Sure chicken is a weeknight staple, but there’s also quick a few ways to jazz it up for a special dinner.
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Chicken Vesuvio Braised chicken and bursting-with-flavor potatoes are the stars of this impossibly easy and delicious recipe.
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Zuni Roast ChickenThere may be a million ways to roast a chicken, but there is one in particular that truly stands head and shoulders above the rest: the Zuni chicken.
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Weeknight Coq au VinThis version of Coq au Vin takes a whole lot of the legwork out of the equation and transforms it into a weeknight dinner that couldn’t be easier to pull off
Go to Recipe Romantic Seafood Dinner Ideas
You definitely can’t go wrong with a special seafood spread on the table.
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Mahi-Mahi Tacos Tacos for Valentine's Day? Yes please! Here, mild mahi-mahi are stuffed into warm tortillas with a creamy avocado and crisp red cabbage slaw.
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Cioppino (Seafood Stew) A seafood stew of briny abundance, Cioppino is a large bowl filled with a wide assortment of seafood swimming in hot broth, ideally shared among a crowd of people who love seafood.
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Grilled Oysters at Home A quick shuck, a little dab of chili-butter, and a brief spell in the sauna of the grill. Smoky, tender, and a little spicy: they’re perfect every time.
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Nobu's Miso-Marinated Black Cod This cod recipe makes a very light yet filling meal that is elegant and looks like it took a lot of work, but it really doesn’t. The miso marinade adds a sweetness to the silky and buttery black cod.
Go to Recipe Other Easy Romantic Dinner Ideas
You don’t think we’d forget the steak, do you? Here’s a few of our favorites, along with other great options, like a fancy ravioli skillet, lamb shanks, and pork chops.
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Steak au PoivreSteak au poivre has become a bistro mainstay for good reason. Lean, mild-flavored filet mignon might appear to be center stage, but make no mistake: This dish is all about the peppercorns and Cognac cream pan sauce.
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Individual Beef Wellingtons Single servings of the traditional English meat dish starring tender filet mignon perched on a blanket of prosciutto and mushrooms, all wrapped neatly together in buttery, golden brown puff pastry like the perfect romantic gesture.
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Creamy Gnocchi with Kale and SausageAs opposed to making a béchamel or Mornay, the creamy cheese in this recipe acts as the sauce, melting into the sausage and kale, ringing out punchy flavors from the garlic and spotlighting the delicate notes from the herbs.
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Slow-Cooked Boeuf BourguignonBoeuf bourguignon is so much more than just another beef stew. This classic French dish, made so popular by a certain Ms. Julia Child, is the kind of stew that moves you from one level of home cooking to the next.
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Prosciutto and Arugula PizzaTopped with a layer of chewy, crisp-edged prosciutto and finished with a couple of handfuls of fresh, peppery arugula, this pizza comes together in a flash — no chopping or precooking necessary.
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