Trade out the expensive night out with an intimate home-cooked meal with these romantic recipes.

Oh, Valentine’s Day— you either love it or hate it. A day where mindless consumerism is celebrated as tokens of love? Or a special chance to shower your significant other with unfettered adoration? Whatever your stance on the hallmark holiday is, a home-cooked meal for your loved-one is both intimate and low-key enough to acknowledge the Saint’s special day without giving into the commercial hype.We’ve gathered some of the more date-night friendly (read: won’t leave you bad-breathed or bloated) recipes to woo your partner.

1. Wine-Poached Figs Stuffed with Almond Ricotta

I dare you to not to feel like Roman gods with this stuffed-fig recipe, dreamed up by WL’s 2017 Foodie of the Year Karen McAthy. An elegant beginner to a romantic night in.

2. Swiss Cheese Fondue

Gaze lovingly into each others eyes over a melted mixture of three types of Swiss cheese. We recommend accompaniments of cured sausage, French rye or pumpernickel bread cubes and cauliflower.

3. Pan-Seared Wild Pacific Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Light yet packed with flavour, this subtly-sweet salmon dish won’t leave you bloated or overly full afterwards so you’ll have lots of room for dessert.

4. Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib with Green Peppercorn Cream

Opting for a night in doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a good steak: this prime rib recipe is surprisingly simple, and doesn’t come with nasty steakhouse markups.

5. Halloumi Cheese Salad with Blackberries and Toasted Almonds

HalloumiThis Halloumi, blackberry and toasted almond salad from The Cascade Room’s very own Tim Evans looks like a forager’s fairytale dish.

6. Rosé and Gin Cocktail

Share a glass (or three) of this pretty-in-pink gin and rosé cocktail inspired by the roses of France—an alcoholic ode to traditional Valentine’s day roses.

7. Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Viennese Sablé Wreaths

And for extra brownie (well, cookie) points, bake up these strawberry cookies with a subtle kick of pink peppercorn. You can pipe them into different shapes, so have some fun and make them into shapes you and your partner will enjoy!