Cooking for two often leads to repeated recipes, but it’s time to spice things up. Here are some delightful date night recipes designed to impress without extensive effort. These dishes look exquisite yet are straightforward to prepare. Let’s keep the romance alive with these enjoyable meals!

Don’t let the length of the ingredient list intimidate you; it results in a mouthwatering sauce inspired by the renowned l’Entrecôte de Paris. The original recipe is a well-kept secret, but this version aims to capture its essence.

Preparation time: 45 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 high-quality sirloin steaks, approximately 2cm thick and 230g each
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 25g salted butter
• Oven chips, prepared as instructed on the package
• Green salad, for serving

For the sauce:

• 125g unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
• 2 basil leaves
• 5 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 tsp capers from brine
• 3 walnut halves, coarsely chopped
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 small egg yolk
• Juice of half a lemon
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Begin by taking the steaks out of the fridge an hour prior to cooking to bring them to room temperature and allow them to dry out.
2. For the sauce, melt 25g of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft without browning. Lower the heat and incorporate the remaining 100g of butter. Once melted, mix in the tarragon, parsley, basil, anchovies, capers, walnuts, and nutmeg. Stir well and set aside to cool slightly. Blend the mixture until smooth with a stick blender or in a food processor.
3. Coat the steaks with about 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a large frying pan on high heat until extremely hot, then place the steaks in the pan. Avoid moving them to allow a crust to form. After 3-4 minutes, flip the steaks, adding the garlic clove and butter, swirling it around the meat as it melts. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a chopping board and cover loosely with foil, resting for 5-10 minutes.
4. As the steak rests, whisk together the egg yolk, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard in a jug. Gradually add the melted butter mixture while whisking until you achieve a thick, creamy consistency. Transfer to the previously used saucepan and gently reheat for a few minutes, adjusting seasoning as necessary.
5. Slice the steaks and divide them onto two warmed plates. Drizzle with the sauce and serve with the oven chips and a peppery green salad, such as watercress or arugula.

2. Salt and Pepper Sea Bream or Sea Bass

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 8-10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 sea bream or sea bass fillets
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 fat garlic clove, sliced thin
• 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 pak choi, halved lengthwise
• 1 small red chili, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• Juice of half a lime
• Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

For the seasoning:

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice
• ¼ tsp crushed chili flakes
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the seasoning ingredients, breaking up any large sugar lumps.
2. Pat the fish fillets dry and season generously on both sides with the mixture, rubbing it into the meat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir-frying for 1 minute, before pushing to one side of the pan. Add the pak choi and fish fillets skin-side down, cooking for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp. Flip the fish and pak choi, cooking for another minute before removing from the pan.
4. Add the chopped chili and spring onion to the pan with the soy sauce and lime juice, stirring vigorously to release flavors.
5. Serve the fish and pak choi over rice, drizzling the pan juices over the top.

3. Crab and Avocado Eggs Benedict

Making hollandaise sauce seemed daunting, but this recipe simplifies the process. Keep the sauce in a Thermos Flask to relieve pressure, allowing you to focus on the other components.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 150g fresh white crabmeat
• Salt and pepper
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• 4 crumpets (or 2 halved English muffins)
• 1 avocado, stoned, peeled, and sliced
• 2 tbsp mixed seeds for topping

For the hollandaise sauce:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 100g unsalted butter, diced
• Juice of half a lemon, plus more for seasoning
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt

Directions

1. Start by preparing the hollandaise sauce. Place the egg yolks in a glass bowl above a small saucepan filled with simmering water; ensure the bowl does not touch the water.
2. Melt the cubed butter and keep it warm on low heat.
3. Combine lemon juice and mustard with the yolks in the bowl, seasoning lightly. Whisk vigorously for a minute as the yolks thicken.
4. Gradually whisk in the warm butter until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add a tsp of water to adjust the consistency, then pour into a Thermos to keep warm.
5. Prepare the eggs by simmering them in water, cracking them into a ramekin first. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes until the whites are firm.
6. In a bowl, mix crabmeat with seasoning and lemon zest/juice.
7. Toast crumpets or muffin halves, and assemble by layering avocado, crabmeat, poached eggs, and hollandaise on each. Season and sprinkle with seeds before serving.

4. Baked Camembert with Sticky Dates

This simple appetizer redefines “date” night. A gooey cheese, sticky dates wrapped in crisp bacon or pancetta, maple syrup, and toasted pecans—perfect for dipping with bread.

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 camembert wheel (about 250g)
• 75g diced bacon or pancetta
• 25g chopped pecans
• 3 Medjool dates, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 sprig rosemary
• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas 6. Place the camembert in a small baking dish or its box lined with parchment. Score the top in a circle about 1cm from the edge.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and squidgy.
3. Fry bacon or pancetta until crisp, then add pecans and dates, cooking for a couple more minutes until blistered. Stir in maple syrup and rosemary.
4. Open the camembert by removing the circle of rind and filling it with the sticky mixture. Bake for another 2-3 minutes to meld the flavors, then serve hot with fresh bread.

5. Padron Peppers

This quick starter is ready in mere minutes, bursting with flavor from zesty lime and smoky paprika.

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 4-5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150g Padron peppers, whole
• Juice of half a lime
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch of sea salt flakes

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Ensure the peppers are dry before adding them to the pan, cooking for 4-5 minutes and turning frequently until blistered.
2. Squeeze lime juice over the peppers, toss, and sprinkle with paprika and salt. Serve immediately, ideally alongside Spanish wine or a cocktail.