No-Fuss Romantic Dinner For Two

Sometimes when you want a special dinner, you can't go wrong with simple things that you can buy ready-made (or nearly ready-made) from the supermarket. That way, you're guaranteed a hassle-free, delicious dinner without having to spend hours in the kitchen, or having to pay restaurant prices for it. This meal came in under £40 total, including wine, and took less than half an hour to prepare.

Menu

Starter: Smoked salmon terrine with warmed pitta breads
Main: Steak and salad
Dessert: Lemon meringue roulade (with dessert wine, because we like to fancy it up now and again)

Firstly take your roulade out of its box and let it defrost at room temperature, unless you've been canny enough to avoid the freezer section of the supermarket.

Next, prepare your steaks - lay them on a plate, and cover with freshly milled salt, pepper, and thinly sliced garlic.

At this point, you can kick back in the garden/living room/pool house (if it's the latter, please invite me over) with an aperatif.

When you start to get a bit hungry, prepare your starter. Slice some white mini pitta breads in half, so that they're really thin, and toast for a couple of minutes until warm. Lay a wodge of smoked salmon terrine on each plate, and pile the pitta breads alongside. Finish the breads with a drizzle of olive oil and a twist of pepper.

After your starter, you can prepare the main course. Tip some bagged salad leaves into a bowl, add some cherry tomatoes, ready-made croutons, and dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. You can now do the steaks. Add a generous slice of butter to a hot pan, let it melt, then cook your steaks. I find that a minute-and-a-half on each side cooks the steak to the perfect, nicely reddish, medium state that I love. Don't judge! I know it's girly but it's how I like it.

Mmmmm....STEAK.

When you're ready for dessert, slice up your now nicely defrosted lemon meringue roulade, pop it on a plate, and dust with a sprinkling of that old and slightly dried-up icing sugar from the back of your cupboard. This will trick your brain into thinking it's home-made. Nice work! You made a roulade!

You can even serve up a wee dram of dessert wine alongside it, if:

- You like incredibly sweet, strangely-coloured wine (I REALLY do)

- You own tiny glasses to put it in. We don't (the ones above aren't ours), but have in the past made do with espresso cups. Which add a certain something, I think you'll agree.

If you can be bothered, whip up a pot of coffee and collapse on the sofa to rejoice in how little washing-up there is to be done.