Great Tasting, Low-Cost Valentine's Day Mains
Updated: 22 February, 2024
Whether you're planning a Valentine's meal at home, or looking for menu inspiration, these ideas won't break the bank!
Your main course is the star of the show, following on from your incredible starter dish. It's your chance to wow your guests even more with a fantastic meal using chef-quality ingredients.
Stunning Sea Bass Fillets
Our premium, fresh sea bass fillets are the perfect, affordable option to wow your guests this Valentine's Day. It's light and flavourful, with little room for error, and is a great base for pairing with an abundance of different flavours.
  • Season the meaty side of the fillets with salt, and lightly coat the fleshy side of the fish in some plain flour, then shake off the excess
  • In a large frying pan, heat some olive oil until super-hot, and gently place the fillets in the pan with the skin side facing up. Cook them for around three minutes on a medium heat
  • Carefully turn the fillets over and cook for a further two to three minutes. Once cooked through, gently remove the fillets onto a plate
  • Turn the pan down slightly, and add two tablespoons of drained capers, four cloves of minced garlic, and three tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Cook for around a minute until the garlic has softened slightly, then remove the pan from the heat and add in two tablespoons of butter
  • Stir the sauce until the butter melts, and the sauce has become slightly creamy
  • Add the fish back into the pan, then spoon over the sauce and serve alongside a herby risotto, crushed baby potatoes, or roasted seasonal vegetables
Our fresh seabass fillets are priced at only £2.49 each.
Luscious Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks are super comforting and can be incorporated into so many different dishes like curries, stews and pies.
We recommend slow cooking the lamb shanks until meltingly tender, and serving with creamy mashed potato and a rich, red wine sauce.
  • Pre-heat your oven to 160°C
  • Simply season the shanks with salt and pepper and sear them in a hot, deep, frying pan or cast-iron pot, until browned all over, then remove and set aside
  • In the same pan, fry until soft:
- One finely chopped onion
- Two, large, peeled and finely chopped carrots
- Two finely chopped celery sticks
- Four cloves of thinly sliced garlic
  • Add in two tablespoons of tomato puree, two sprigs of fresh rosemary and one bay leaf
  • Cook for 30 seconds then pour in 350ml of red wine, and 470ml of lamb or beef stock
  • Allow the liquid to come to a simmer, then pop the lamb shanks back into the pan (if your pan isn't ovenproof, we suggest transferring to a pre-heat, deep baking tray or roasting tin)
  • Cover the pan with a lid or some tin foil, and transfer to the oven - allow to cook slowly for 2-3 hours until the lamb is succulent
  • Halfway through, check on the shanks, and add some more stock if it's needed
  • Once they're ready, take them out of the oven and rest for 10 minutes, then serve
Priced at approximately £7.11 per lamb shank, they are fantastic value for money!
Spaghetti alla Norma (one for the veggies!)
Originating from Sicily, this dish is perfect for impressing your veggie guests, and uses a handful of ingredients you probably have already!
Although traditionally made with spaghetti, this dish can be made with any shape pasta of your choice.
You will need:
To make the dish:
  • Pop the aubergine chunks into a colander in the sink, sprinkle with sea salt and leave them aside for 20 minutes. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper
  • Place the aubergine into a large bowl, and add the oregano, chilli flakes, a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together so everything is combined
  • Pop a large frying pan on the hob and heat a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add in some of the aubergine (so the pan isn't too crowded), and fry for five to eight minutes until softened and golden. Remove from the pan and repeat until it‘s all cooked
  • In the same pan, add some more oil, the garlic, capers and a few chopped fresh basil leaves, along with all of the cooked aubergine - fry for roughly two minutes
  • Stir in the red wine vinegar and plum tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes as they cook
  • Turn the heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes. While that's cooking, add your chosen pasta to a pan of boiling salted water, and cook until al dente
  • When the pasta has cooked, take one mugful of pasta water from the pan and drain the remaining
  • Add some of the pasta water to the aubergine sauce, grate in 25g of pecorino cheese (or a similar alternative), and tear in a few more basil leaves
  • Season to taste, and add a glug of more olive oil if it is needed, then add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until combined
  • Serve in a bowl with some more grated pecorino and basil leaves
Shop the ingredients to make these dishes here.