Valentine’s day is officially round the corner and there can be a lot of pressure to book an expensive restaurant for the special day. But you don’t need to fork out the big bucks to show your partner or friend how much you care about them.
There are loads of affordable ways you can treat that special person in your life, including a blow-out brunch at home. The team at bottomlessbrunch.com have compiled a selection of simple and delicious recipes for you to try this weekend.
And if you don’t have someone to cook with? Nothing says self-love like a huge stack of pancakes. Enjoy.
Heart-shaped pancakes
If sweet treats put a smile on your loved one’s face, then heart-shaped pancakes have to be on the menu for your romantic brunch. You can top your tasty stack with any ingredients you fancy, but if you’re wanting to give your pancakes that Valentine’s Day feel, then use fresh red fruit like strawberries and raspberries.
Ingredients
- 135g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 130ml milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly)
Method
- Gently sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a mixing bowl. In a separate jug, carefully whisk together the milk and egg and then whisk in the melted butter.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and use a fork to beat the mixtures together until you create a smooth batter.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and melt a knob of butter around the pan. Place your heart-shaped cutter or stencil into the pan and add a ladle of batter into it.
- Cook for around 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pancake, then remove your stencil swiftly and flip the pancake over to cook the other side.
- Repeat until all the batter is used up and serve with drizzles of sauce and your favourite toppings.
Eggs florentine with smoked salmon
The brunch classic, eggs florentine with smoked salmon, is a great savoury option. This tasty dish is not only full of flavour but its key ingredients salmon and spinach have the added benefit of being an aphrodisiac – perfect to set sparks flying if you’re cooking with a date.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 450g spinach
- 110g unsalted butter
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 eggs
- Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 white muffins, halved
- 100g smoked salmon
Method
- Put your spinach into a large colander and place it over the sink. Pour boiling water over it to allow the spinach to wilt, then refresh it afterwards with cold water, before squeezing out any excess water.
- Take a small handful of spinach and chop it up and set aside, using the rest of the spinach, place it into a saucepan with 10g of butter and put it to one side.
- For the hollandaise, melt the remaining 100g of butter in a small pan. Then pour the lemon juice and 2 tsp vinegar into a small, heatproof bowl, before adding the egg yolks and whisking.
- Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture thickens slightly. Gradually add in the melted butter in small amounts, whisking constantly until a glossy sauce forms. The sauce should be spoonable, if it’s too thick add in a tablespoon of water and whisk.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in 2 tsp of vinegar. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and one by one, crack the eggs into a cup and gently slide them into the water. Cook for 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
- Warm up the pan of wilted spinach and butter with a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and toast the halved muffins.
- Once toasted, top with the buttery spinach and smoked salmon, add an egg to each one and cover with the spinach hollandaise
Red velvet waffles
Is there a better way to say ‘I love you,’ than with mouth-wateringly good waffles? This recipe gives you a reason to bring the delicious dessert favourite, red velvet, to your brunch and certainly makes a big red Valentine’s Day statement.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1/3 cup butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp red food colouring
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter together using a hand mixer until smooth. Carefully add in the sugar, then the vanilla and milk. Beat until the glaze appears smooth and then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and salt and set aside. Then in another medium-sized bowl, create your buttermilk mixture by beating the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and vinegar together until smooth, and then stir in the red food colouring. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients in your large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Switch on your waffle iron and let it heat up, spray it with nonstick cooking spray and pour about 1 cup of the waffle batter onto the waffle grid.
- Close the waffle iron and cook for about 3 minutes until the waffle is a deep red colour and crisp on the outside.
- Repeat with the remaining waffle batter and serve each waffle drizzled with the cream cheese glaze.
Fried egg hearts, bacon, avocado and sriracha toast
Eggs, bacon and avo on toast is a classic combination that is great for every brunch, but if you’re looking for a way to turn up the romance, heart-shaped fried eggs are the way to go.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 8 rashers free-range British streaky bacon
- 4 thick slices of bread
- Olive oil for frying
- 2 medium free-range eggs
- Butter for spreading
- 1 ripe avocado
- Juice 1 lime
- Small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
- Sriracha sauce
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and place the bacon on a bacon tray, making sure they’re not overlapping. Cook for 10 12 minutes, turning once throughout to allow them to crisp.
- Place a pan on a medium heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil to it before placing your heart-shaped cookie cutter into the middle. Crack your fried egg into it and cook 3-4 minutes until the top is cooked through. Repeat to make more eggs.
- Meanwhile, mash the avocado in a bowl with the lime juice, chopped coriander and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Pop your toast in the toaster and once it’s ready, top it with the avocado, bacon and the heart eggs, before finishing with a drizzle of sriracha.
Nutella and strawberry French toast roll-ups
Just like you and your loved one, chocolate and strawberries make the perfect pair, especially rolled up in a french toast roll. This indulgent brunch is great for anyone with a sweet tooth and will definitely cure any chocolate cravings.
Ingredients
- 6 slices of fresh white bread with crusts removed
- 1/2 punnet of strawberries, diced into small chunks
- 4 tbsp Nutella
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp milk
- Pinch of salt
Method:
- Combine the egg, 2 tbsp of milk and a pinch of salt in a large bowl with a large flat base and whisk the ingredients together.
- Spread the caster sugar out in a small dish
- Use a rolling pin to roll the bread flat and thinner, this makes them easier to roll up and stay rolled.
- Spread each piece of bread with around ¾ of a tbsp of Nutella and add strawberries along the bottom of each piece of bread, then roll up each slice of bread and set to one side.
- Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat, then roll each roll up in the egg mixture, shake off any excess and place it into the pan. Repeat with remaining roll-ups.
- Cook for around 4 minutes until all sides are golden, rotating every 1 minute or so.
- Remove them from the pan and immediately roll them in the sugar, remove and serve warm.
Pomegranate Mimosas
Ruby-red pomegranate mimosas are a great boozy accompaniment to any brunch dish this V-Day. This cocktail is also super easy to create with only three ingredients, making it a great choice if you’re having a bottomless brunch.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of sweetened pomegranate juice
- 1 bottle of champagne
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish
Method:
- In champagne flutes, fill 1/4 of the cup with sweetened pomegranate juice.
- Top off the rest of the glass with champagne and garnish with some pomegranate seeds
Virgin Cosmopolitan
If your significant other loves a cocktail but is deciding to sit the booze out on this occasion, then this is the ultimate mocktail recipe to try. Bringing you all of the flavours of a classic cosmopolitan, you won’t miss the alcohol in this mocktail.
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 90ml reduced sugar cranberry juice
- 30ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 60ml sparkling water
- 30ml orange juice
- Strawberry to garnish
Method:
- Add the cranberry juice, lime and sparkling water into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake gently.
- Using a strainer to collect the leftover ice, pour the cocktail into a martini glass.
- Add in a splash of orange juice and serve with a strawberry on the side of the glass as a garnish