Top Meal Ideas for this Love Month

February is the month of Valentine’s Day and is famously known as the month of love. Many couples try to celebrate their love this month often with a romantic night out that includes a dinner and basically a time to just spend with each other. With the pandemic, however, many are looking for alternatives, with some of them choosing to cook a home-cooked meal instead. Here are just some top meal ideas for this month that are easy to prepare and can level up any ordinary meals into something special.

Burger Steak With Cream Mushroom Sauce and Parsley Rice

One meal idea that you may want to try is burger steak, but make it fancier by adding in a creamy mushroom sauce and a side of special parsley rice. Not only does it sound like a great meal, but it also looks appetizing, and tastes great too.

Ingredients:

• 6 pcs CDO Ulam Burger
• 3 tbsp All-purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/4 cup Button Mushrooms, canned or fresh, quartered
• 1/2 cube Beef Bouillon Cube
• 3/4 cup Water
• 1 cup All-purpose Cream
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 8 pcs Asparagus Spears, blanched, soaked in cold water
• 4 cups Cooked Rice
• 3 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

Cooking Instructions:

1. Pan fry CDO Ulam Burger using vegetable oil over medium heat. Set aside.
2. Make the mushroom sauce. Pour flour over medium-low heat until brown in color and with a nutty aroma. Turn off heat. Add butter and mix well. Transfer the mixture into a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Sauté mushrooms, add water, and bouillon cube. Simmer on low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and flour mixture little by little until the liquid thickens. Add cream. Let it simmer until the mushroom sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
4. Parsley rice: – Mix cooked rice with softened butter and chopped fresh parsley.
5. Plate the cooked CDO Ulam Burger patties, asparagus spears, and parsley rice.
   Top each patty with the mushroom sauce.

This recipe serves two to three people so it’s perfect for any dinner date and there can be extra if you’re a little bit on the hungrier side.

Pasta Marinara with Stuffed Meatballs

Another special meal option is to go with pasta. While Filipino-style spaghetti is always an option, you may want to go with something that’s a little bit different than the usual. For special occasions, how about this recipe for Pasta Marinara with Stuffed Meatballs? It’s a great mix of pasta sauce, meat, and a favorite ingredient, cheese.

Ingredients:

• 500 gms Cooked Spaghetti
• 180 gms pack Danes Cheese Classic or Danes Quickmelt, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 500 gms Ground Beef, seasoned with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, mixed well
• 1 pc Egg (medium)
• 1 tbsp Garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup Onions, chopped
• 2 cans Chunky Tomato Sauce (medium)
• Vegetable Oil
• Sugar
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh Basil

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix egg with seasoned ground beef. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, scoop seasoned ground beef mixture into a small bowl – about 2 tbsps and press 1 cube Danes Cheese into the center, sealing meat tightly around cheese. Keep doing so with the remaining mixture and cheese until it’s all gone. Then steam for 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. Saute garlic and onions. Then add the steamed meatballs and gently stir. Add the tomato sauce, season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer everything over low heat for 2 minutes.
4. While you are preparing the meatballs and marinara sauce, prepare and cook the pasta based on the package instructions. Plate cooked spaghetti. Pour the sauce and arrange meatballs on top. Don’t forget to garnish with fresh basil.

This meal is easy to make but can be very fancy and special. It also yields 4 servings, so it can also be served if you have more family members around.

Ham and Eggs Benedict on Bagels

An interesting meal you can try for a wonderful romantic meal is Ham and Eggs Benedict on Bagels. Most people have not tried this recipe and so it can be something to try to spice up your meals with your loved one. It’s fairly easy to make but will sure wow your loved one when they see it.

Ingredients:

• 250 gms CDO Sweet Ham
• 2 pcs Bagels, cut horizontally, lightly toasted
• 2 pcs Eggs, poached
• 1 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
• Curly Lettuce (optional)
• Chili Flakes (optional)

For the Hollandaise sauce:

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 pcs Egg yolk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Cooking Instructions:

1. Make the hollandaise sauce by combining mayonnaise and butter. Mix very well. Add poached egg yolks. Mix until smooth and well-blended.
2. Drizzle in the lemon juice. Mix well. Set aside.
3. Smear the bottom half of the bagel with a thin coat of Hollandaise Sauce. Top with lettuce.
4. Lay CDO Sweet Ham slices on the lettuce. Carefully place a poached egg on the ham.Add a spoonful of Hollandaise sauce to the poached egg. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and chili flakes. Put the bagel’s top-half is on the side.

Your loved one is surely going to enjoy the beautiful spectacle prepared before them and it’s going to taste even great. This is a perfect starter for your meal if you are planning something heavy or can be great for light snacks or a picnic for that romantic date.

Whatever your plan is for this month, CDO has got your back with all these fantastic meal ideas that are great for any romantic date or getaway. Try our other recipes by clicking here.

You may purchase CDO Ulam Burger, Danes Cheese, and CDO Ham at your leading groceries and supermarkets nationwide. You may also shop online via CDO Home Delivery, Shopee, and Lazada.