CÉLINE GRIMARD

Are you ever stuck for a date idea with a grumbling stomach and an ever-shrinking student budget? Here is your step-by-step guide to creating a special evening for two without ever leaving the house. Get creative and use your own variant recipes, but this will get things started!

Begin with a clean cooking area — nothing kills the mood more than a messy countertop. Prep ingredients in advance to facilitate the evening. Have a playlist set to cover any awkward silences and for extra fun, add some dance tunes that the two of you can groove to between courses.

Step one: The overture

An easy, classic appetizer like these mini filo red pepper jelly pastries can be just the fix a student needs at the end of a long day!

Ingredients:

1 package of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

1 jar of red pepper jelly (or preferred other jelly)

1 package of frozen mini filo pastry shells

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pastry shells on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for roughly 10 minutes. Remove, allow to cool for five minutes, then add a substantial layer of cream cheese and top with jelly. Et voilà! Your date will love not only the taste but the presentation as well.

Step Two: The main event

Continue to impress your date with a simple and fun spinach and pasta dish that looks and tastes more advanced than it is. Before tackling the main course, open a bottle of red wine and enjoy a glass while cooking together — try tasty but affordable Apothic Red. This recipe is from budgetbytes.com.

Ingredients:

8 oz. mushrooms

One 14 oz. can artichoke hearts

4 cloves garlic

1 medium yellow onion

5 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp olive oil

12 oz. fettuccine

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

Freshly cracked pepper (15-20 cranks)

4 oz. frozen cut spinach

Directions:

Split the tasks of slicing the mushrooms, onions, garlic and artichoke hearts. Place these vegetables in a large pot with the broth and olive oil. Break the fettucine in half and add to a pot with oregano, thyme and black pepper. Make sure all ingredients are covered with the broth, then cover the pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir and reduce the heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed, making sure to stir throughout. Once the pasta is cooked, add the spinach and stir to break up the clumps. Serve hot.

Step Three: The star of the show

By this time in the evening, you are most likely all cooked out. Make this impressive Nutella semifreddo dessert ahead of time. This recipe is from buzzfeed.com.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cups Nutella

1 cup heavy whipping cream, plus more for serving

Directions:

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhanging edge on all sides.

In a large bowl, whip eggs until frothy — about two minutes. Then, slowly add the sugar while beating the eggs on high speed until the mixture triples in volume, about five to seven minutes.  Add the Nutella and mix on low for about 15 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. You will notice the eggs have lost a lot of volume since the addition of the Nutella — that’s normal.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream with clean beaters to create medium-sized peaks. Pour into the Nutella mixture, whisk and pour into the prepared loaf pan. Freeze for a minimum of eight hours.

When ready to serve, remove the dessert from the pan and slice thickly. Top with chopped nuts or fresh whipped cream as desired.

Step Four: The encore

Pair dessert with an Amarula Brown Elephant cocktail and there’s no telling what your evening will bring.

Mix equal parts regular milk and Coke over ice. Add in Amarula liqueur to taste and stir.

Before moving on to other evening activities, it is highly advised to make sure your stove is turned off. The dishes, however, can wait. Bon appétit!

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Image: Ashley Britz