Valentine's day menu: recipes to make you fall in love 

Love is to be celebrated throughout the year, it's true. But if there is one globally recognised date to celebrate it, it is 14 February, Valentine's Day. There are lots of ways to plan something special for that day, and one of them, of course, is to prepare something delicious to eat which will make our partner fall in love with us (even more). Indeed, dedicating time and effort to preparing a special menu for Valentine's Day is often valued even more highly than buying something as a direct gift, so it is definitely worth taking into account.

A nutritionally well-structured menu with easy, simple and seasonal ingredients can elevate your culinary proposal to the level of top chefs.

Prepare your Valentine's menu

Apple bite with cheese, cranberries and walnuts

Ingredients (2 people)

• 120 g Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• 50g Burgos cheese, cut into wedges
• 50g blue cheese, crumbled
• 10g pomegranate kernels
• 20g dried cranberries
• 20g shelled walnuts
• 10g honey
• 2g chives
• 2g parsley
• 20g rocket
• 20ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Place a few slices of apple on an attractive dish.
• Next, assemble some of the crumbled blue cheese, a wedge of Burgos cheese, rocket, pomegranate, cranberries, and walnuts.
• Add another layer of apple slices and finish the dish with the rest of the ingredients.
• To prepare the dressing, mix olive oil, honey, water, chives, parsley and salt in a bowl. Trick: we can leave the rocket to one side to prevent it from getting moist and losing its texture.
  

Energy: 314 kcal
Carbohydrates: 8.22 g
Simple sugars: 7.82 g
Protein: 11.05 g
Fat: 26.33 g
of which saturates: 7.91 g
polyunsaturates: 5.35 g
monounsaturates: 10.67 g
Cholesterol: 22.63
Fibre: 1.71 g

Time: 15-20 minutes.

Brie, olive and onion bite

Ingredients (2 people)

• 100g Brie
• 20g black olives, chopped
• 10g sugar
• 10g flour
• 1 egg

For the onion with honey:

• 120g onion
• 20g honey
• 20g butter
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Peel the onion and slice very finely with a mandolin. Place it in a saucepan with the salt, pepper and butter. Cook the onion in the saucepan, cover it and leave it over low heat until it is soft. Once ready, add the honey and let it cool.
• Pour the egg into the whisk blender jar and start beating it, adding sugar and a pinch of salt (until it doubles in volume, about 10 minutes). Then sift the flour and add it to the egg, alternating with the olives.
• Pour the preparation onto a baking sheet lined with paper. Spread it gently with a spatula and bake it in a preheated oven at 170ºC for 10-12 minutes. Take it out of the oven before it starts to brown.
• To finish, spread the still-warm cake with the cream cheese, fill it with the onion, and roll it up. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Energy: 374 kcal
Carbohydrates: 19.53 g
Simple sugars: 15.67 g
Protein: 14.32 g
Fat: 26.41 g
of which saturates: 14.04 g
polyunsaturates: 1.14 g
monounsaturates: 8.21 g
Cholesterol: 174.64
Fibre: 1.31 g

Time: 25 minutes.

Pork tenderloin and honey delight with potato pie

Ingredients (2 people)

• 240 g pork tenderloin
• 240 g potatoes
• 50 g diced cooked ham
• 40 g grated cheese
• 40 g honey
• 100 ml of liquid cream
• 100 ml white wine
• 20ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Thyme
• Rosemary

Method

• Mix the honey, wine, herbs and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Season the tenderloins with salt and pepper and let them marinate in the mixture for 4-5 hours.
• Once the time has passed, drain the meat, reserving the marinade, and tie it with butcher's twine, folding the ends inside.
• Sauté the ham with a few drops of oil. Peel the potatoes, cut them into slices, and place them in an ovenproof dish with the ham. Season, add the cream, and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake for 45 minutes at 180º.
• To cook the meat, heat a pan or griddle with oil and brown the tenderloins on all sides. Once the meat is seared, add the marinade and let it reduce over low heat until it becomes a sauce. Cut the meat into medallions and serve with the sauce and a portion of the potato pie.

Energy: 831 kcal
Carbohydrates: 46.8 g
Simple sugars: 18.57 g
Protein: 40.39 g
Fat: 53 g
of which saturates: 22.31 g
polyunsaturates: 4 g
monounsaturates: 20.34 g
Cholesterol: 184
Fibre: 2.2 g

Time: 1 hour.

Crispy orange with chocolate mousse

Ingredients (2 people)

For the crisp:

• 25g dark confectioner's chocolate (70%)
• 10 g cornflakes
• 5 g candied orange

For the mousse:

• 60ml whipping cream
• 45g dark confectioner's chocolate (70%)
• 45 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 sheet gelatine

Method

For the crisp:

• Place two mousse rings on a flat tray lined with baking paper and that fits in the refrigerator. Then melt the chocolate in a bowl for about a minute in the microwave at medium power, being careful to stir it so it doesn't burn.
• Add the slightly crushed cornflakes and the chopped candied orange peel to the chocolate. Stir until it forms a paste. Using a teaspoon, line the base of the rings and press well to stick and make everything the same thickness. Place it in the fridge for a few minutes until it hardens.

For the mousse:

• Hydrate the gelatine sheet in a bowl with plenty of cold water for a minimum of 10 minutes. With the help of a blender or whisk, beat the cold cream until it is frothy, but not stiff like when we use it for decoration. Set it to one side
• Heat the milk until it boils and melt the drained gelatine sheet in it. Then, melt the chocolate in the microwave in a bowl and slowly add the milk and gelatine mixture, stirring with a silicone spatula. Let it cool to 35°C or for 15 minutes or so, and then gently fold in the semi-whipped cream, incorporating it into the mixture of milk, gelatine, and chocolate.
• Spread it on top of the crispy and let it refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours before serving. To unmould it from the ring, you will need to give it a little heat with a kitchen torch around the outside.

Energy: 370 kcal
Carbohydrates: 23.43 g
Simple sugars: 18.95 g
Protein: 3.95 g
Fat: 29g
of which saturates: 16.56 g
polyunsaturates: 0.81 g
monounsaturates: 8.4 g
Cholesterol: 43.58
Fibre: 5.06 g

Time: 30 minutes.