Which Valentine’s ready meals will make you hungry for LOVE

VALENTINE’S Day: will you go out or stay in on Saturday night? I’m firmly in the latter camp — the idea of going out for dinner on February 14 fills me with absolute horror!

Instead, we’ll stay in (an option made even more appealing by the current weather), and cook something nice.

This year, most of the supermarkets have brought out special Valentine’s Day dishes and meal deals, and the latter offer particularly good value.

But if you don’t want the vast quantity which they entail, you might be better off with just a dish or two.

either way, there are some seriously tempting options. Here are some of the best . . .

M&S

has a Valentine’s Day Dine In For £20 deal running from tomorrow to February 16, which buys you a vast amount.

You get: a starter, main course, side dish, pudding (all serve two), bottle of drink and a box of chocolates. If you are still in the mood for love after all of that, I take my hat off to you.

We tried its Cocquilles St Jacques, Gastropub Fillets of Beef Wellington with a Mushroom & Chicken liver Pate Duxelle wrapped in buttery puff pastry, Mediterranean Roasting Vegetables with a Basil Dressing, and Marc de Champagne Chocolate Dessert, plus a bottle of Romeral Crianza 2010 Rioja.

The scallops were fantastic — creamy and succulent — and the Beef Wellington perfect with decent pastry, a rich duxelle, and tender meat. The roast veg were also very good, and the basil dressing added a lovely sweet note. We managed a mouthful of the chocolate pud, which was indulgent and creamy, but couldn’t go any further.

all delicious, not to mention good value — but you’d need to be hungry.

Asda

ITS Valentine’s Day meal deal offers one main course (serves two), two side dishes, and one pudding (serves two) for £10 — an absolute bargain compared with the cost of eating out. For another fiver, you can add a bottle of red or white wine.

I tried their extra Special lamb Shanks, Creamy Dauphinoise Potatoes, Crushed Carrot, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash, and Millionaire’s Melt In The Middle Sponge.

There are other options, including smoked salmon fillets with peppercorns, an Italian pasta bake, and a venison hot pot, plus sides such as cauliflower cheese and garlic bread, and puds including a peanut butter cheesecake and a strawberry and Champagne trifle.

The lamb shanks came with a sachet of thick, glossy mint and balsamic vinegar sauce, and needed just 45 minutes in a medium oven before you pour the sauce sachet over them, then another ten minutes.

The meat was quite good, though a little greasy, the dauphinoise was creamy and well seasoned, and the crushed root veg were the best bit. The sponge puddings with toffee sauce required heating for just a few seconds in the microwave — all in all, a pretty good dinner for a tenner.

Sainsbury’s

SaINSBuRY’S has a rather fun and different idea for February 14.

Instead of steak and pink fizz, they’ve come up with a ‘love Well for less’ promotion which, for £15, gets you a main meal, two side dishes, a bottle of wine or soft drink, pudding, and an online film rental.

Brilliant, particularly for those who’ve been together long enough to lust after nothing more than supper on their laps in front of the telly.

I tried their Just Cook British Chicken with a black pepper, rosemary and smoked salt sprinkle, Taste The Difference Potato Dauphinoise, bag of Italian Style Salad, Chocolate and amaretto Cheesecake, and South african Sauvignon Blanc.

The chicken is ready seasoned and spatchcocked in a baking tray, so all you have to do is put it in the oven, then add the cheesy, garlicky dauphinoise a little later, and dress the salad.

The film part comes from Sainsbury’s entertainment, and options include P.S. I love You, Marley & Me, Casablanca and The Bodyguard.

Tesco

aNOTHeR one offering a £20 deal, Tesco has a finest* a la carte deal that, it says, saves you up to £16 off the cost of the products if bought separately.

You can pick two main dishes, two side dishes, two puddings, and a bottle of wine (options include Prosecco, Cava, or Sancerre Rosé) or a box of Belgian chocolates, all of which come from their premium finest* range.

Tempting dishes include Venison lasagne, Beef Bourgignon and Salmon & asparagus Filo Tart, plus side dishes ranging from Mushroom & Spinach Gratin to Triple Cooked Chips and Green Vegetable Trio.

For puddings, you can have a nice and light Heritage Raspberry & Sicilian lemon Dessert, Belgian Chocolate Profiterole Cheesecake, and Swiss Chocolate eclair with Swiss Chocolate Pen.

Waitrose

LIKE M&S, Waitrose is offering a £20 deal, which includes a starter, main course, side dish, pudding, box of Belgian chocs and a bottle of wine or fizz. Options include Breaded Camembert, Sirloin Steak with Brandy and Pink Peppercorn Sauce, and for pud a Seriously from Waitrose Chocolate Torte with Heart Dusting plus, if you like bubbles, a bottle of Rosamore Spumante NV. Given that the booze would cost you £9.99 alone, the whole deal is good value for money.

The steak with peppercorn and

brandy sauce is an indulgent treat, and the chocolate torte rich and delicious.

Morrisons

STARTING tomorrow, morrisons has a Dine in for Two deal which, for £15, provides one main course, two side dishes, one pudding, and a bottle of wine or box of chocolates. Dishes include British rump steak, m signature Pork shanks with a honey & mustard sauce, and Cheddar Chestnut and apple Wellington for those wanting a meat-free option.

it has a nice choice of side dishes including roasting veg, skin-on chips and garlic mash, while there are only three puddings: m Kitchen signature Panna Cotta, m signature Chocolate Pudding, and m signature millionaires Delight — irresistibly indulgent with layers of biscuit crumbs and toffee sauce.

The chocolates are Thornton’s Premium Collection, or you can choose from a decent selection of red wine, white wine, and regular or pink Prosecco, each of which costs £9.99 normally.

Lidl

LIDL’s not doing a specific Valentine’s deal, but it has some good options for a romantic dinner in. some of its nicest dishes are frozen — we tried the Deluxe Beef Wellington with a red wine and port jus (£6.99, serves two), which was surprisingly good, and the awardwinning (and delicious!) Deluxe strawberry eton mess (£2.99, serves four).

Other options include chilled Ocean sea scottish mussels with a White Wine sauce, £1.79, or two frozen Chicken and Chorizo Pies (£ 2.29).

Donald Russell

WANTING to blow the budget? mail order and online firm Donald russell holds a royal Warrant to provide meat and poultry to the Queen, and also supplies its produce many of the country’s best restaurants and hotels.

it’s offering an Ultimate Valentine’s Box which, for £54.50, comprises two scallop shells filled with a delicious creamy fish pie of scallops, plaice and prawns, Chateaubriand cut from succulent British beef fillet, potato rosti, and two decadent chocolate pecan brownies which you just warm in the microwave for a few seconds.

if you are out to woo someone this Valentine’s Day, this really is worth the money as the quality is top notch. Postage is free on orders over £80.

Aldi

ALDI isn’t doing a meal deal but it has a number of well-priced dishes that will set the scene for a nice night in.

Treats include specially selected British Lamb rack with a garlic and herb Crust (£14.99), a lovely specially selected green Vegetable selection (£ 1.79 for 260g), and a specially selected melt in the middle Chocolate Pudding (£1.49).

specially selected is aldi’s premium range, which it has expanded to meet demand from its growing middle class customer base. They’re on sale in store from Thursday while stocks last.