A Red-Themed Dinner for Valentine’s Day: What to Cook

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to create not just a dinner, but an atmosphere. Red tones in dishes symbolize passion, warmth, and love, making them perfect for a romantic evening. We at joy-pup have prepared a harmonious menu of appetizers, main courses, and desserts with simple step-by-step recipes that are easy to recreate at home.

Baked Beetroot Cream Soup

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Beets – 2 medium
• Cream 20% – 150 ml
• Onion – 1
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Thyme or rosemary, optional

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Wrap the beets in foil and bake for 40–50 minutes, until soft.
• Peel and dice the cooked beets.
• Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté in olive oil until translucent.
• Add the beets, pour in 200 ml of water, and simmer for 5–7 minutes.
• Purify the mixture in a blender until creamy.
• Pour in the cream, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
• Serving: Top with a spoonful of cream cheese or pomegranate seeds.

Pomegranate, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

• Arugula — 1 bunch
• Goat cheese — 80–100 g
• Pomegranate — ½ Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Balsamic cream – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Preparation:

• Rinse and dry the arugula.
• Cut the cheese into slices or crumble it by hand.
• Place the arugula on a plate, add the cheese and pomegranate seeds.
• Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic cream, and season lightly with salt.

Salmon in Pomegranate Sauce

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillet – 2 pieces
• Pomegranate juice – 150 ml
• Honey – 1 tsp
• Soy sauce – 1 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt and pepper – to taste

Preparation:

• Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
• Fry the fillets in olive oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. In a separate pan, combine the pomegranate juice, honey, and soy sauce.
• Simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened (5-7 minutes).
• Pour the sauce over the cooked salmon before serving.

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Pasta (penne or spaghetti) – 200 g
• Cherry tomatoes – 200 g
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Olive oil – 3 tbsp
• Basil – a few leaves
• Salt – to taste
• Parmesan – for serving

Directions:

• Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente.
• Finely chop the garlic and fry in olive oil for 30 seconds.
• Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
• Toss the pasta with the sauce, add the basil, and heat through for 1 minute.

Red Velvet Dessert

Ingredients:

• Red Velvet sponge cake — 1 layer (pre-made)
• Cream cheese — 200 g
• Icing sugar — 2 tbsp
• 33% heavy cream — 100 ml

Instructions:

• Whip the cream until fluffy.
• Mix the cream cheese with the icing sugar.
• Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the heavy cream.
• Cut the sponge cake into cubes and layer it with the cream in glasses.

To be continued…