It’s that time of year again; the shops are exploding with heart-themed tat, shop windows are filled with promotional messages instructing you to buy your way to true love, and the couples in your life are even more emotionally suffocating than normal. Yep, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, rearing its ugly, seemingly inescapable head once again. You would be correct to say that this is a rather pessimistic view of what is, in its essence, a harmless holiday, but I think it’s easy for people in devoted relationships to underestimate how isolated and alone a single Valentine’s Day can make you feel. This year I want to make an effort to combat these feelings of inadequacy by making Valentine’s a day dedicated to self-love rather than self-hatred, and to put a positive spin on a day which can be tricky to navigate and send many people, myself included, into a negative spiral. My attempt to do so starts here by providing a day full of recipes which can help you show yourself some love on this often-tricky day.

Let’s start the day with a breakfast of delicious red velvet pancakes. I know, on a day like this, it can be easy to have a lie in, stay in bed all morning, and then wake up late for a sad lunch, but I think making an effort can actually be really helpful for your mental health, showing yourself that you do matter, one act at a time. This recipe is from taste & tell and makes 4 servings. Feel free to make a quarter of these quantities for one, make all of it for you and some friends, or half it and give yourself double servings; why not? It’s your special day, after all.

Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

For the pancakes:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons red liquid food colouring

For the cream cheese icing:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Method

To make the pancakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, vegetable oil and food colouring. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. The batter will still have some lumps.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the pancake batter to lighten it. Then fold the remaining egg whites into the batter gently but thoroughly.
5. Heat a large griddle over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray or brush melted butter over the griddle. For each pancake, pour 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until the surface of the pancake starts to bubble and the edges dry out, then flip and cook the second side. Put the pancakes not a baking sheet and place the sheet in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining batter.

To make the cream cheese icing:

6. Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Beat in enough of the milk to make a pourable consistency.
7. Serve the pancakes topped with the cream cheese drizzle.

Next, I had a think about what the most comforting lunch could be. This was a tricky one for me because I am a firm believer that the most delicious lunches are ones that other people have made for me. What is better than a simple sandwich made lovingly by someone else’s hand? So, although this was my first thought, I knew I had to up my game for this Valentine’s treat and upgrade lunch from a simple sandwich to a glorious, golden-brown toastie. From there, I had to decide what to put in this toastie, and I landed on a two-cheese toastie, classic but special. I knew I was nearly there, but it still wasn’t good enough for a day of self-love, and I thought, what could be more indulgent than making yourself a homemade tomato soup to accompany your two-cheese toastie? I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering at the thought of such a delicacy. This recipe is from Daen’s Kitchen and serves 4.  

Roasted Tomato Soup and Cheese Toastie

Ingredients

For the tomato soup:

• 800 g tomatoes
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 onions
• 1 head of garlic
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• heavy cream (optional)

For the Cheese Toastie:

• 4 slices white sourdough
• 30 g cheddar cheese grated
• 30 g Jarlsberg cheese grated
• 20 g parmesan or pecorino Romano grated + extra for the crust
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp butter
• olive oil

Method

For the tomato soup:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Skin the onions, de-seed the capsicums and cut the tomatoes, capsicum and onions in half. Place into an oven proof dish with the rosemary and drizzle the olive oil all over. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the top off the head of the garlic and place into a small oven proof pot with a lid or into a sheet of alfoil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and bake everything for 1 hour. Allow the garlic to slightly cool and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin. Remove the rosemary leaves from their stem and discard the stem.
3. Place all ingredients into a large pot with the chicken stock and 3/4 of the basil. On a high heat, bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to low and leave to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until the soup is at a consistency you desire. Allow the soup to slightly cool then place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use a stick blender for this step.
4. Serve the soup into individual bowls and finish off with a drizzle of heavy cream and fresh basil leaves.

For the cheese toastie:

5. Spread the garlic confit and a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto the bottom slice of bread per toastie. Evenly distribute the cheese across the toasties then top with the second slice of bread. Brush the top and bottom slice of bread with mayonnaise and some grated parmesan.
6. On a medium heat, melt the butter in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Turn the heat to low and cook the toastie for 10 – 15 minutes per side to get that golden and crunchy layer. Serve with the tomato soup.

For me, the most comforting dinner will always be lasagne, but I tried to think of ways to glamourise this simple dish, and my mind was blank. I think what I love about lasagne is its shareability and the way in which the family comes together to appreciate it and fight over the last piece of garlic bread. However, I considered this some more and concluded that the comforting aspects of the lasagne, the pasta, the creamy sauce, and its universally adored flavour were all characteristics that also applied to another Italian favourite, a carbonara. A carbonara has scalability and can be easily elevated, so it is perfect for a solo treat day. This recipe is from good food and serves 2.  

Next Level Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150g rindless unsmoked fatty pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, bashed
• 200g spaghetti or fettuccine
• 4 good quality egg yolks, (2 of them are optional)
• 50g parmesan, finely grated
• a few drops of truffle oil (optional)

Method:

1. First, warm your serving dishes in a low oven or in the microwave. Heat the oil gently in a large, shallow pan. Fry the guanciale or pancetta and garlic for 10 mins, or until all the fat has rendered off and the meat is golden and crisp. Remove and discard the garlic clove, then turn off the heat.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to a simmer and cook the pasta until it’s al dente (about a minute less than the pack instructions). Meanwhile, whisk 2 egg yolks in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.
3. Using kitchen tongs, lift the pasta from the water into the pancetta pan along with any dripping water. Use a wooden spoon to stir it into the rendered fat. If the pan looks dry, add a small ladleful of pasta water and mix it in. Keep adding until you see a little pasta water at the bottom of the pan – you’ll be surprised how much will be absorbed.
4. Working quickly, tip the beaten yolks in with the pasta and stir vigorously. Rinse the yolk bowl out with a little more pasta water and pour that in too. Add most of the parmesan and beat again. If at any time it’s becoming claggy or starting to scramble, pour in a little more water. If you’ve added too much, stir the pasta over the lowest heat for a few moments. You’re aiming for a smooth sauce that is the consistency of double cream. Season with a couple of pinches of ground black pepper and taste for salt.
5. Transfer the pasta to the warmed serving dishes, scatter over the remaining parmesan and nestle the last two egg yolks on top, if using. Season them with some salt and pepper, and drizzle over the truffle oil, if you have it, just before serving.

Finally, is Valentine’s Day really a day of self-love if you don’t finish it off with a brownie? I think not. That’s why I decided to end this day of indulgence with a brownie for one. This individual recipe saves the dilemma of the tray of brownies which you inevitably have to share with family or friends to save you from yourself. Whilst you bake and enjoy this delicious treat, relish your single life, and consider the ways in which those in relationships would have to share their slice, but not you; you made the correct choice and stayed single, so your sweet treats are safe from prying eyes and greedy paws. Enjoy this recipe from kitchn with vanilla ice cream safe in the fact that nobody will or can judge you for eating this entire batch to yourself.

1. Nobody’s watching… lick the spoon (I know you want to).

Brownie for One

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon cold coffee or water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oven and prep the pan: Arrange a rack in the middle of a regular or toaster oven and heat to 180 degrees. Place the butter in a mini square or round metal pie pan and place the pan on top of the toaster oven or inside the regular oven as it heats to melt. Pour the melted butter into a small heatproof bowl. Use a brush to coat the pan with the residual butter left in the pan; set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cocoa powder in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Add the melted butter, egg yolk, coffee or water, and vanilla. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Do not overmix.
4. Bake the brownie: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with chocolate chips or walnuts if using. Bake for 15 minutes for a gooey centre or 20 minutes for a cakey brownie.
5. Cool the brownie: Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before enjoying. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Featured Image: Monstera on Pexels with Licence.