Valentine's Day is fast approaching and the pressure is on to put in that bit of extra effort when it comes to date night. As students we aren't exactly blessed with mountains of money, so if you're pockets are a little shy this Valentine's Day, this is the article for you. Nothing says effort like a homemade meal and we have a great and easy and cheap 3 course menu for you!
The Starter: Bruschetta
Cost: Around £2
You will need:
Bread
Garlic
Cherry/Plum Tomatoes
Red Onion
Salt and Pepper
Optional: Basil
1. For the bread, I would recommend using a ciabatta roll that you can get from the in store bakery of most supermarkets (Tesco on Eccy Road has a small one). You can pick these up for about 40p. Slice it in half long ways.
2. Wipe the bread with a small amount of oil and grill for 1 - 3 minutes (just keep an eye on it that it doesn't burn!) If you have George Foreman Grill you can grill them on that or if you're feeling extra lazy you can toast the slices instead.
3. To make the bruschetta topping, finely chop up the plum tomatoes (cherry tomatoes will work too). You can pick up a tray of either type of tomato for about £1.
4. Finely chop up the red onion (about half will do - you will need the other half later) and mix them in a bowl with chopped tomatoes. (Top Tip: buy the red onion loose to save money. You will only need one and can pick one up for as little as around 18p)
5. Add a small amount of finely chopped garlic to the tomato and onion mix. Season with a little salt and pepper and mix again.
6. Take the grilled ciabatta slices and spoon on the bruchetta topping.
OPTIONAL:
7. Top with a little basil and serve.
The Main: Chicken Pesto Pasta
Cost: Around £4 - £5
You will need:
(2) Chicken Breasts
Garlic
Pasta Bows
Red Onion
Pesto
1. Fill the kettle with water and boil. Once boiled, add the water to the pan and turn on the heat. Season the water with salt and add the pasta bows (or penne/twists - any pasta will do really!) I used the pasta bows from Tesco that I picked up for 89p (500g)
TIP: If you are unsure of how to measure how much pasta you will need, pour the pasta into two bowls before cooking to get an idea of portion size.
2. Slice your chicken breasts into short strips. (You will not need much chicken. You can pick up two chicken breasts from your local Tesco for as little as around £2.10)
2. Heat a splash of oil in a pan and add chopped garlic. Quickly add the chicken strips before the garlic begins to burn.
3. Finely chop the other half of the red onion and add it to the pan when the chicken is cooked and beginning to brown.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, empty it into a colander and then put back into the pan and add the chicken and onions.
5. Now it’s time to add the pesto. It's up to you how much you add but I would recommend using between 1 - 2 tablespoons. Remember: you can always add but you can't take away. Pesto can be quite overwhelming if too much is used. Just test and taste as you go along.
6. Plate up and serve. If you topped the starter with a little basil feel free to do so on this dish as well.
The Dessert: Chocolate Fondue and Strawberries/Chocolate covered Strawberries
Cost: £2.60
You will need:
2 bars of chocolate
A pack of strawberries
This is a very easy yet indulgent dessert and perfect for a romantic evening. You will need a small sauce pan and Pyrex bowl for this. You can pick up a Pyrex for about £2 if you don't already have one. They do come in quite handy.
1. Fill the kettle and pour into a small saucepan on a medium heat once boiled.
2. Place the Pyrex bowl on top of the saucepan. If the water is touching the bowl pour some out and bring back to the boil. You do NOT want the water from the pan touching the bottom of your bowl.
3. Snap up the two bars of chocolate into small squares and put them in the bowl. You don't need to use fancy chocolate. I used Tesco Everyday Basics chocolate that I got for 30p each.
4. The chocolate will usually take between 5 - 10 mins to melt. Keep an eye on it and stir from time to time making sure all chocolate is reaching the heat and is beginning to melt.
5. Its up to you if you want to cut the stalks off the strawberries whilst waiting for the chocolate to melt. I did, as I think it saves a lot of mess. I also cut mine into thinner strips as some of the strawberries were quite large. Strawberries can be quite expensive. I got mine from Sainsbury's for £2 and they had a fair amount in. A lot of the time supermarkets charge either a lot for strawberries or very little and you get about 5 in. I think the Sainsbury's ones were good value for what you got.
6. Put your strawberries into a bowl and serve with the melted chocolate.
Use this however you like. I used it as a fondue and dipped the strawberries in as I went along but you can prepare this dessert earlier and pre dip the strawberries in the chocolate and place in the fridge to harder for a later serving.
So there you have a romantic, Italian style meal-for-two, all for under £10! If you are wanting to splash out a little more and spoil your date, I recommend picking up a bottle of prosecco. Getting a bottle from Aldi means you don't have to break the bank, as you can pick some up for as little as £5/£6. Add one of the dessert strawberries to the bubbles for an extra touch!
Have a great Valentine's Day!
Olivia x
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