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For the romantics, Valentine’s day serves as the perfect excuse to go over the top with the expressions of love and romance without feeling out of place since it’s a universal day to celebrate ​Saint Valentine’s and his sacrifice at the altar of love​. We have ancient Greek and Roman gods of love to back this tradition up. But in today’s age, love means more for its ‘instagrammable’ moments rather than the feelings that go behind the actions. You will find a long list of branded gift items or special product lines specially designed to lure in the lovesick and narcissist alike.

Valentine’s Day could prove itself to be quite a daunting event if not prepared well in advance for the significant other in one’s life these days. The search to find the perfect gift, planning a perfect evening, or just a dinner at home could have one go crazy with the number of choices and the corresponding price tags that go with it – add to that the sheer element of surprise that could drive the already-crazed to wits’ ends.

Celebrating this day with an added touch of home-made love and warmth, here is a perfect three-course meal for your partner that is easy on the wallet and the tummy. We have it all covered with the easiest 5-ingredient garlic bread entrée, Mediterranean pasta as a main course, and to satiate the sweet tooth, light as a feather apple puff with maple syrup and nuts. You can also order the pre-packaged ingredients via meal delivery services to make cooking a hassle-free experience on Valentine’s day. Such ​carefully reviewed services could be found here​. The cooking time is not more than an hour or so what are you waiting for? Get your apron out and let the hunger games begin.

Cheesy Garlic Bread ​(Appetizer)

Ingredients​:

• Freshly baked bread – 1 loaf
• Garlic – 1 whole bulb (with 15 cloves approximately)
• Cheese – 6 slices
• Butter – 2 tablespoons
• Salt, pepper, oregano, dill – to taste

Recipe​:

Cut the loaf of bread into 12 slices. Peel garlic and ground it to make a fine paste. Add spices and melted butter and put the mixture on the bread slices with a brush or spatula. Let the garlic butter soak into the bread and put half a slice of cheese on the bread pieces with an extra helping of garlic butter paste on top.

Place it on a baking tray and put it in a pre-heated (​425°F​) oven for 10-15 minutes till golden brown and crispy. Take out and serve.

Mediterranean Pasta with White Sauce ​(Main Course)

Ingredients​:

• Garganelli pasta – 1 packet
• Onion – 1 medium-sized
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Mushrooms – half cup
• Black olives – half cup
• Kale – 1 cup
• Cherry tomatoes – 9
• Pickled jalapeno peppers – 4
• Butter – 2 tablespoons
• Heavy Cream – half cup
• Milk – 1 cup
• Cheese – 3 slices
• Salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, basil leaves – to taste

Recipe:

Put the pan on medium heat and melt the butter. Chop onions and garlic finely and put them in butter to sauté. Once done, add mushrooms and sweat the water out so that it remains dry. Add chopped olives and pickled jalapeno peppers along with diced kale leaves and cook till everything is sautéed down. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to the pan with all the spices. Once the mix becomes fragrant, add cream and milk to give it a runny consistency and cover the pan with the lid on a low flame.

Boil the pasta according to instructions on the package. Add it to the veggies along with half a cup of pasta water and cheese on top. Mix and serve.

You can find many more easy-to-prepare​ ​recipes for Valentine’s day​ menu.

Apple Puffs with Maple Syrup and Nuts ​(Dessert)

Ingredients​:

• Fresh apples – 3 medium-sized
• Puff pastry sheets – 5
• Maple syrup – half cup
• Ground Cinnamon – half teaspoon
• Mixed nuts – half cup
• Butter – 2 tablespoons

Recipe​:

Peel the apples and put them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let them cool and mash with a fork, taking out the seeds and stems. Mix in the maple syrup, nuts, and ground cinnamon.

Take the puff pastry sheets and cut them into 4”x 4” squares. Put a spoonful of apple and maple syrup mixture and fold them into small puff packets. You can make 10 of these. Butter them with a brush and place them on the baking tray and put it in a pre-heated (​425°F​) oven for 10 minutes. Take out when golden brown and ready to serve.