Valentine’s Day menu

Looking for an easy Valentine’s Day menu? We have the perfect dishes for you and your loved one. Get ideas for the perfect romantic night in. Our recipes include a morish ruby-red mocktail as an aperitif, delicious wild seabass and crunchy greens as main, and easy jam tarts for dessert. If romance is in the air, it’s the perfect menu for Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day’s mocktail

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients:  

150ml cranberry juice

handful of ice

1 lime wedge

4 raspberries

chilled non-alcoholic prosecco to top up

Instructions:  

• Add the cranberry juice to a jug with a handful of ice. Or use a cocktail shaker. Squeeze over the lime wedge and stir with a mixing spoon or shake briefly if using a cocktail shaker.
• Strain the cocktail into two champagne glasses. Drop two raspberries into each glass, then top up with non-alcoholic to serve. 

Why this is good for you  

Drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in women, and heavy drinking increases the risk in men. So, our pink mocktail is a great alternative to an alcoholic cocktail.

Sea bass with asparagus and new potatoes

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:  

For the sides

Pinch of salt

1 –2 tbsps of olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Two handfuls of organic baby/ new potatoes

A bundle of asparagus

1 tsp of mixed dried herbs

For the sea bass

2 garlic cloves – thinly sliced

3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsps of mixed dried herbs

2 x sea bass fillets

Instructions:  

• Rinse and wash your potatoes. Put the potatoes in a pan, fill with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Remove the lid and cook until tender (you’ll be able to stick a fork in, and they will slide off). Drain, toss with oil and add the mixed herbs; set aside and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
• Add the 2 seabass fillets (skin side up) and asparagus to a glass dish. Drizzle with olive oil, garlic and mixed herbs. Cook for 15 mins until seabass skin is slightly crispy.
• To serve: slice the potatoes in half and arrange a layer in the middle of each of the dinner plates. Scatter the asparagus over the potatoes, squeeze over some lemon juice and finish with a grind of black pepper. Top each plate with a fillet of sea bass. Optional: add a dollop of mayonnaise and an extra squeeze of lemon juice. 

Why this is good for you 

Sea bass is one of the lean sea fish that is a perfect choice for people who want to lose weight. It also contains high-quality and easily digestible protein, making it a great alternative to red or processed meat. There is evidence that processed meat may slightly increase breast cancer risk. Sea bass also contains important omega-3 fatty acids.

Easy jam tarts

Makes: 12

Preparation time: 1 hour 

Ingredients:  

250 g whole meal plain flour, plus extra for dusting

125 g butter, chilled and diced, plus extra for the tart tin

Pinch of salt

1 medium egg

1 vanilla pod – seeds scraped (optional)

100 g low-sugar jam, fruit curd or marmalade of your choice (this is your filling)

1 tbsp of water

Instructions:  

• Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl and rub them together with your fingertips.
• When the mixture looks and feels like fresh breadcrumbs, stir in the egg and vanilla seeds with a spoon.
• Add 1 tbsp cold water, then start to bring the dough together in one lump with your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Butter a 12-hole tart tin (where possible, avoid using non-stick cookware), then dust your work surface with flour.
• Unwrap and roll out the chilled pastry so it’s about the thickness of a £1 coin, then use a round cutter to cut out 12 circles, big enough to line the holes in the tin.
• Dollop 1-2 tsp of your chosen filling into each one and cut out little pastry hearts of any remaining dough and pop them on top.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and the filling starts to bubble a little. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Why this is good for you 

Wholemeal flour has a higher fibre content than white flour. More and more studies show that a diet high in fibre is associated with a decreased breast cancer risk.  

Enjoyed this Valentine’s Day menu recipe and are craving more like this? Breast Cancer Uk’s brand new recipe e-book is out now! Download (for free) ‘Organic Flavours’ today. What are you waiting for? Get cooking. 

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