Must-try dishes for a dinner date with a friend, yourself, or your boo!

By Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa

If you’re a university student who has been struggling to cook freshly cooked meals every day, you’re most definitely in need of a dinner date. Whether that date is a self-care date, one with a friend or one with your significant other, here are some meal ideas that you should try!

Heart-Shaped Personal Pizza

What other way to show your love to your S.O. than to make heart-shaped foods? This recipe from the Food Network will allow you to have the main dish, but also some aesthetic pictures to post to your feed!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of store-bought pizza dough 
• 1.5 tablespoons of oil (preferably olive oil or canola oil)
• 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour 
• 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup of pizza sauce or tomato sauce
• Vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, mushrooms) Optional*
• Meat (Pepperoni and/or grilled chicken and/or ham, etc) Optional*

Steps

1. Spread the pizza dough with some olive oil and place it in a bowl, cover it with parchment paper, and let it sit for an hour
2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit 
3. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough nicely on a board and using a pizza cutter, carefully cut a heart shape of the dough 
4. Fold up the edges of the circle to make a crust
5. Spread the pizza sauce onto the dough 
6. Sprinkle the cheese all over 
7. Place your veggies and meat
8. Transfer the parchment paper to the oven
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes 
10. Let it cool for a few minutes
11. Enjoy!

Thai Red Curry Chicken and Rice from a friend

Spice up your nights with some Thai Red Curry Chicken and Rice! Everyone has their own way of making Thai Red curry. Here is a recipe my friend gave me back in high school that I have been following ever since. As a big fan of Thai cuisine, and someone with a Tamil- Canadian background, I have always loved spicy foods. That being said, this is my go-to meal:

Ingredients

Chicken 

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken
• 2.5 tablespoons of water 
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon of canola oil

Curry 

• 115g of Thai Red curry Paste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 slices of ginger 
• 2 tablespoons of neutral oil 
• 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 oil 
• ½ Red bell pepper
• 7-8 Green Beans 
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• ½ cup of cilantro

Rice 

• 1 Cup Rice 
• 2.5 cups of Water 

Steps

1. Combine all ingredients for the chicken and let it sit for 15-20 minutes 
2. Oil a pan and cook the chicken until chicken is fully cooked
3. Boil the rice
4. In another pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil with garlic and ginger 
5. Add the curry paste and stir in the brown sugar 
6. Add onions, bell peppers, green beans and cilantro
7. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes 
8. Add in the chicken and cook for a few minutes 
9. Garnish with cilantro 

Hearty Vegetable Soup 

There may be a day of the week where you may want a freshly-cooked meal, but feel a bit too lazy to do so. On a day like this, try out this Hearty vegetable soup recipe from the Taste of Home website.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
• 7-8 sliced carrots
• 2 large chopped onions
• 4 celery ribs
• 1 large pepper
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 cups of chopped green beans
• 2 cups of peas or frozen peas
• 1 cup of corn or frozen corn
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1.5 teaspoons of ground parsley flakes
• ¼ teaspoon of pepper
• 4 cups of water
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of V8 juice

Steps

1. In a pot, add oil over medium heat and add in the carrots, onions, celery, and green pepper.
2. After this, add the garlic
3. Slowly add the remaining ingredients 
4. Stir all the ingredients and let it boil
5. Serve!

Naan and Paneer Butter Masala 

If you are craving a warm and flavourful meal, try this Naan and Paneer Butter Masala Recipe inspired by the Allrecipes webpage with your S.O. This meal packs a punch to your taste buds and will make you want more!

Ingredients

Naan:

• Store-bought Naan (The Crispy brand’s garlic Naan is really good!)
• 1 teaspoon of butter

Paneer Butter Masala:

• ½ cup of vegetable oil or canola oil
• ½ pound paneer (cut into cubes)
• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• 1 big onion (diced)
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon cashews
• 1 teaspoon ground red chillies
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tomatoes
• ½ cup half-and-half
• ½ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-2 bay leaves

Steps

1. In a pan, heat up the oil and fry paneer cubes till they are golden brown from the outside. After this, keep it aside
2. Once it is melted, add onions, ginger garlic paste, cashews, cumin red chillies, coriander powder, and garam masala. Stir for around 5-7 minutes on medium heat
3. Add in the tomatoes, half-and-half, milk, sugar, and salt. Let it cook for around 5 minutes and adjust the heat accordingly
4. Place mixture into the blender and blend!
5. After it is nicely blended, transfer back into the pan at low heat, add the fried paneer cubes, and stir on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Ensure it maintains a creamy consistency. If not, add a little bit of water. 
6. In another pan, add the butter you have kept aside for the naan and let that melt
7. Add in naan pieces and let it become nice and crispy
8. After this, transfer your naan and paneer butter masala onto a plate and enjoy!

Rice Krispie treats

Finish off your meal with homemade Rice Krispie treats! The recipe is from the Rice Krispies website, but with a twist of my own!

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine 
• 40 Jet-Puffed marshmallows 
• 6 cups of Rice Krispie Cereal
• ¼ cup of Pink and Red Smarties
• Heart-shape cookie cutter 

Steps 

1. In a saucepan add the butter/ margarine and melt it on low heat
2. Add in Marshmallows and melt it 
3. Add the Rice Krispie cereals and mix until it’s coated
4. Add in the Smarties 
5. Transfer onto parchment paper and pat down 
6. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes till completely cooled off 
7. Use the cookie cutter to make heart shapes! 

Everyone deserves a nutritious cozy meal. So what are you waiting for? Go and try these recipes and play a good movie to enjoy a toasty night with yourself, your friend or your significant other!