STAYING in and cooking can sometimes be just as romantic as going out for a Valentine's Day.

Take a look at some of our recipes for inspiration of dishes to cook this February 14.

Whether you’ll be keeping it simple with one course, or going all out with three, this list of ideas will help rustle up a special feast for two.

Beetroot soup with cumin cashew cream

It’s hard to believe this gorgeously creamy pink soup contains no milk or cream but thanks to the clever use of coconut milk in the soup and homemade cashew cream drizzled on top, it’s a dairy free delight.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 4 hrs soaking

Cooking time: 45 minutes

You’ll need:

For the cumin cashew cream:

150g raw cashews, soaked and drained

1 lime, zested

2 tbsp lime juice

80ml coconut milk or water

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

For the coconut beetroot soup:

3 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated and peeled

250g pack of ready cooked (vacuum pack) beetroot

235ml full-fat canned coconut milk

705ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 tsp cider vinegar

Chopped parsley & pumpkin seeds to serve

What to do:

Place raw cashews in a large bowl and cover them with two inches of water. Allow cashew to soak overnight (or at least four hours).

Strain water from the cashews and put them into a small blender or food processor. Add the lime zest, lime juice, coconut milk, sea salt and cumin and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and gently cook the chopped onion, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to brown and smells fragrant (10-12 minutes). Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, and salt. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the sautéed onion/garlic mixture to a blender along with the beetroot, coconut milk, vegetable stock and vinegar. Blend well, until the soup is completely smooth.

Pour the soup into a large saucepan and heat until it’s just under a boil. Serve soup with a drizzle of Cumin Cashew Cream, raw pumpkin seeds and freshly chopped parsley.

Recipe from lovebeetroot.co.uk

Griddled salmon on a bed of broccoli, shallot and chilli stir fry

Very tasty and easy to prepare, the sweetness of the shallots complimenting the hot and crunchy broccoli, perfect for an instant supper or when entertaining on a time budget.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

You’ll need

4 salmon fillets

300g long stemmed broccoli

12 shallots, peeled and quartered

1 large red chilli, finely chopped

50g almonds, toasted

What to do

Brush the salmon steaks with a little oil, griddle or pan fry for approximately 5-7 minutes each side until cooked through, keep warm.

Steam the broccoli for 2 minutes, drain well. Heat the clean griddle pan, toss the shallots in a little oil and cook, turning regularly until softened and beginning to brown at the edges.

Add the chilli to a tablespoon of olive oil and toss into the tenderstem, add to the pan and cook with the shallots until just beginning to show griddle marks, turning at regular intervals. Sprinkle in the toasted almonds.

Divide the stir fry between 4 plates and top with a piece of salmon.

Cook’s tip: Serve with steamed baby new potatoes and a good squeeze of lemon.

Recipe from ukshallot.com

Watercress rainbow salad with feta, beetroot, carrots, lentils, pomegranate and avocado

In this quick rainbow salad, you can enjoy the health benefits of watercress alongside a colourful array of vegetables. Packed with delicious superfoods, such as lentils, avocado, feta and pomegranate seeds, you needn’t feel guilty if you reach for a large helping.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

You’ll need:

2 vacuum packed cooked beetroot

1 yellow pepper

2 medium carrots

1 tin of green lentils (400g)

85g (1 bag) watercress

50g feta cheese

1 pomegranate

2 tbsp fresh parsley

1 avocado

For the dressing

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp honey

3 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of salt

What to do:

Slice the beetroot and yellow pepper into fine matchsticks and grate the carrot. Drain the tin of lentils and combine with the vegetables in a large salad bowl

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey and salt together in a bowl.

Pour the dressing into the bowl of sliced vegetables and lentils and toss so all ingredients are coated in the dressing.

Gently toss the watercress through the salad.

Crumble over the feta cheese followed by the parsley.

Cut the avocado in half, twist and remove the stone. Cut into slices and arrange on top of the salad.

Cut the pomegranate in half and tap the back with a wooden spoon while holding it over the bowl to release the seeds, sprinkle on top to finish the salad.

Recipe from watercress.co.uk

Strawberry, rose petal and pistachio pavlova

Lashings of sweetened cream flavoured with a dash of rose water, loaded onto a huge sticky meringue round, filled with fresh halved strawberries, topped with crushed pistachios and fragrant rose petals – it’s like summer on a plate. It serves eight for will keep you going for a while.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour, plus cooling

You’ll need

6 large egg whites

250g caster sugar

1 tsp rose water extract

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp corn flour

100g crushed pistachios

475ml double cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

450g strawberries cut in half (keep 3-4 whole strawberries aside to garnish)

handful of pale pink rose petals

What to do

Line a baking sheet and pre heat the oven to 180c.

Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, then slowly add the sugar, rose water, vinegar, corn flour and whisk again until the mix becomes very thick and shiny.

Gently fold in half of the pistachios then carefully spoon the mixture onto the lined baking sheet, forming a circle and working the mixture outwards to form an edge and leaving a slight dip in the centre.

Drop the oven temperature to 150c and bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven, leaving the meringue in there to cool. If you have time, make the meringue the night before, and leave it in the cooling oven overnight. The parchment should pull away easily now and you can place the meringue on a plate.

Whip the cream adding in the icing sugar and spread generously over the cooled meringue. Scatter the strawberries over the top, arrange the whole strawberries in the centre, sprinkle with the rest of the pistachios and finally scatter with the rose petals and serve.