Valentine’s Day on a budget: here are 2 menus for under R500

Knowing that someone has taken time out of their busy day to prepare a meal for you is undeniably a beautiful display of love and affection. This Valentine’s Day, skip the crowded restaurants and rather treat your lover to a romantic dinner, even if you don’t make everything from scratch!

To help make your day special without breaking the bank, we have put together two three-course menus for just under R500.

(Our grocery list does not include prices for kitchen staples such as cooking oil, vinegar, butter, sugar, dried herbs and spices.)

Menu 1

Starter: Portuguese pan mussels served with Portuguese rolls

Main: Honey and lemon chicken thighs, bacon and cheese potato bake and a crunchy Asian slaw (store bought)

Dessert: Malva pudding served with a vanilla custard (store bought)

Ingredients list

 A handful fresh red chillies – R3.71

Red and brown onions mixed onion sack – R11.59

1 whole head garlic- R4.55

1 packet red pepper – R14.99

500g baby plum tomatoes – R29.99

12-pack vegetable stock cubes – R15.99

455g whole frozen mussels – R44.99

1 packet lemons – R19.99

20g fresh parsley – R12.99

250ml fresh cream – R29.99

2 x Portuguese rolls – R5.18

6 chicken thighs – R59.99/kg

340g honey – R54.99

200g wholegrain mustard – R32.99

43g bacon & cheese potato bake mix – R12.99

4 medium potatoes- R12.62

260g crunchy Asian slaw – R44.99

450g malva pudding – R54.99

Parmalat UT Vanilla Custard- R31.99

Paprika

Butter

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Total = R499.51

MENU 2

Starter: Butternut and turmeric glow soup topped with toasted coconut flakes and fresh coriander

If time is not on your side and your plan was to make a delicious soup for starters, just grab the fresh butternut soup from Checkers and some coconut flakes for garnish. When you get home, simply reheat the soup, ladle into bowls and top with toasted coconut flakes and fresh coriander from your garden!

Main: Apricot and orange-glazed snoek served with braaied sweetcorn and potato salad

Dessert: Peppermint Crisp tart ice cream

 

Ingredients list

 600g fresh butternut soup – R36.99

100g raw coconut flakes – R22.99

640g All Gold smooth apricot jam – R31.99

350ml orange juice – R16.99

250ml lemon juice – R14.99

Thumb of fresh ginger – R7.99

1 tub of crushed garlic – R14.99

40g fresh parsley – R16.99

700g whole frozen and butterflied snoek – R89.99

1 pack sweetcorn – R24.99

650g potato salad – R49.99

360g canned caramel – R36.99

500ml fresh cream – R59

3 Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars – R41.97

1 packet coconut biscuits – R23.99

Milk

Vanilla essence

Butter

Total = R490.84

 

ALSO READ: Quiz: Which of these menus should you make on Valentine’s Day?

 

Disclaimer: all items were priced from Checkers. This is not a paid-for article, however Checkers is a previous client of Food24. All prices were correct at time of publishing.