Valentine’s Day dinner isn’t really about impressing your S.O. Or spending all day working on a fancy recipe that your partner will swoon over. Or paying an arm and a leg for filet mignon, whole lobster and the like. We all know that, but it can be easy to get so caught up in making the holiday special that you stress yourself out in the process. This year, cut yourself a break. Whether you’re cooking for your boo, your friends, your family or yourself, these seven dinners are Cupid-approved and oozing with TLC. Consider your week planned.
Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (February 14 – 20)
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Published Feb 10, 2022
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Shopping List
Produce
2 sweet onions
2 heads garlic
7 lemons
1 medium shallot
20 ounces mushrooms (one kind, like cremini, shiitake or oyster, or a mixture)
1 pound trumpet mushrooms
½ pound baby red potatoes
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 pound marble potatoes
1 pound butternut squash
1 bunch asparagus
2 bunches thyme
2 bunches rosemary
2 bunches chives
2 bunches parsley
1 bunch mint
1 bunch oregano or marjoram
Meat
4 small or 2 large lobster tails
8 ounces thick-cut bacon
1½ pounds sirloin or strip steak
Three or four 8- to 10-ounce swordfish steaks
4 Cornish hens
Dairy
3 sticks unsalted butter
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 quarts whole milk
4 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Grains
4 ounces arborio rice
8 ounces polenta
12 ounces linguine
1 pound bite-size pasta (like elbow macaroni or small shells)
Canned and Packaged Goods
36 ounces chicken broth
17 ounces Castelvetrano olives (or similar mild green olives)
16 sheets frozen phyllo dough
Pantry Ingredients: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, canola or vegetable oil, extra-virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, white wine vinegar, all-purpose flour, Dijon mustard
Monday: Lobster Risotto
Tuesday: Polenta With Roasted Mushrooms And Bacon
Wednesday: Easy Skillet Linguine With Trumpet Mushroom ‘scallops’
This uncanny seafood substitute is just the ticket for the plant-based eaters on your guestlist. Use non-dairy butter to make the dish vegan.
Thursday: Skillet Steak With Asparagus And Potatoes
Nothing screams dinner date like a juicy, impeccably seared steak. Don’t let the meat intimidate you: Your oven will handle most of the heavy lifting.
Friday: Alison Roman’s Swordfish With Crushed Olives And Oregano
A mélange of fresh herbs and briny olives make this lightning-fast main look way fussier than it is. Pair the swordfish with rice pilaf or Greek salad.
Saturday: Mac And Cheese With Crispy Parmesan-phyllo Crust
Shatteringly crisp phyllo dough rosettes atop cheddar-Jack mac are a million times more romantic than a bouquet of roses, if you ask us. Serve it with salad or dairy-free soup.
Sunday: Lemon-rosemary Sheet Pan Cornish Hens
This crowd-pleaser is only nine ingredients away. Even better, it comes together on a single sheet pan, because no one wants to spend Sunday night washing dishes. Feel free to substitute a standard broiler chicken if you can’t find Cornish hens near you.
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
