Get your Valentine's Day off to a romantic start with a breakfast designed to fit the occasion and send the right message
There's nothing like the morning after with that someone from the night before. Hopefully you'll wake up ravenous from all the, ahem, exercise. Keep the fun going with a sexy breakfast that suits the man and the mood. All these recipes serve two. If you're into foursomes or sixsomes (you kinky thing), just double or triple them.
What you want to do:
Stay in bed
If you have the time to linger lazily in bed, impress him with a modern take on the elegant classic, eggs en cocotte. Perfect for eating while propped up on pillows since it's served in individual ramekins. Delicate and sophisticated yet filling and delicious, these little breakfast pots can be prepared the night before and require only about 15 minutes cooking time. Plus, there's not a crumb in sight to muss the sheets.
'Back to Bed' Eggs and Sausage en Cocotte: The night before take a good quality sausage and snip the skin off with a pair of scissors. Finely chop (not slice) 4 button mushrooms. Heat a very little oil in a small frying pan and fry the sausage, breaking it up as it fries and adding the mushrooms. (For a vegetarian version, use more mushrooms, 2 chopped spring onions, and add a chopped, deseeded tomato once the mushroom mixture is cooked.) Butter two ramekins (if you're into romantic messages, make it in the Le Creuset heart-shaped one shown here), divide the fried mixture between them and keep in the fridge overnight. Next morning preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / gas mark 4 and boil the kettle. Place the ramekins in a small roasting tin, crack an egg into each on top of the sausage and mushroom, season with salt and pepper and put a knob of butter on top. Put the tin with the ramekins in the oven and pour in enough boiled water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes for soft, runny eggs; a few minutes longer for a firmer set. Serve on small plates with a spoon on the side.
Keep it up
If you want to shore up your flagging energy so the passion continues all day, kick-start the morning with a real energy booster: a vitamin-rich smoothie. Forget the quick-fix caffeine option, and use fresh fruits, natural yoghurt and honey to keep him going all morning (and well into the night).
'Power Breakfast' for Stamina: If you have a smoothie maker you probably already know your way around this versatile 'meal in a glass'. For smoothie virgins, start with the athletes' favourite, a banana. Its simple carbs are quickly absorbed and give a quick burst of energy. Pop the peeled fruit into a blender or food processor, add a good splodge of natural yoghurt and a drizzle of honey if you like. Then add any other fruits you like that you have on hand, such as strawberries, raspberries or even orange juice to further sweeten and thin the mixture. Cinnamon was supposedly once used by medieval magicians to make love potions (this claim is still unproven) but a dash will certainly liven up the flavour of your smoothie, if not your libido. Set a small bowl of dried apricots on the bedside table for munching; the concentration of natural sugars plus potassium and iron will keep energy levels topped up.
Satisfy him
If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, this meal will satisfy his tummy and warm his heart.
The Ultimate 'Bloke's Breakfast': Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs. OK, it's not something you'd make every day but give him a taste of nostalgia with a real man's, stick-to-your-ribs breakfast. Fill a medium saucepan with about 7cm / 3 inches of water and bring to the boil. While this is happening, peel 2 medium size potatoes and cut into 1cm / 1/2 inch chunks. Cook in the boiling water until just soft, about 5 minutes. Drain and leave to steam. Chop and fry a small onion in a little oil in a frying pan until soft. Add the potatoes and fry over a medium-high heat so both begin to take on a nice golden brown colour. Season with a little salt and pepper (corned beef can be on the salty side so go easy). Open a 200g can of corned beef and cut it into cubes the same size as the potatoes. Add to the onion and potato mixture, stir everything together until heated through and nicely browned, then splash on a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Spoon on to two plates and keep warm while you fry four eggs in a little butter, and place on top of the hash. Serve with hot buttered wholemeal or granary toast.
Sex it up
If it's decadence you want, roll up your sleeves and prepare a sumptuous feast fit for a sex god.
'The Sexy Crumpet': Start with a cup of foamy chocolate mocha cappuccino (the new instant versions are perfectly acceptable if you don't have an espresso bar installed in your kitchen). While he's enjoying his cuppa, start on building a masterpiece breakfast: a take on the classic Eggs Benedict. First make the Hollandaise. If you're a purist you can make it the traditional way; otherwise a packet is fine and will save time and stress, just follow the instructions. Let it sit while you fry 4 bacon rashers. Toast or grill four crumpets and boil the water for poached eggs. An egg poacher is a really handy pan to have, otherwise swirl them in boiling water (you could also just fry them but they won't stack as nicely). Place the crumpets on two warmed plates and layer each one with a bacon rasher first and then an egg. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce so it drips erotically down the sides and sprinkle the top with chopped chives.
Generate even more heat between you with a Mexican-style breakfast.
'Hot n Spicy': Preheat the grill. Heat a large frying pan (no oil), quickly dry-fry two tortilla wraps and place on a baking sheet. Beat together 4 eggs with a little milk or water and season with salt and pepper. Scramble them in a little butter in the frying pan and divide between the two wraps, spreading almost to the edge. Spoon over some Mexican salsa dip (hot or mild as you prefer), then sprinkle with some grated Cheddar cheese. Pop under the grill for a minute or two until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately on warmed plates.
Nibble together
Dispense with pots and frying pans and put together a no-cook breakfast platter for the two of you to share.
Shared Seduction: Scotch pancakes are the grown-up version of blinis and can be bought in the bread section of supermarkets. A quick dip in the toaster or a blast in the microwave is all they need. Ring them around a large serving plate and put together some quick dips in bowls in the middle. Softened cream cheese with smoked salmon and chives is available ready-made, or you can make your own by sprinkling the chives or flaked salmon over the cheese or stirring it in. For real extravagance buy a jar of caviar or lumpfish roe and dab it on top. Pour a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup into a small bowlful of creme fraiche and dip with a rolled up pancake. Fruity yoghurts, spooned out of the plastic tubs and into ramekins make perfectly respectable dips as well. Cut fruit - strawberries, bananas, berries, or whatever else you like - is also great for dipping and feeding to each other - if it drips or spills, so much the better for licking off!
For the ultimate shared sexy breakfast experience warm through some plain mini croissants (the oven is best if you can wait a few minutes, otherwise soften in the microwave) and dip into a bowl of chocolate sauce. Melt your own while the croissants are warming or just buy a jar of the type that goes with ice cream. An irresistible combination.
Kick him out
If you didn't bag that special Valentine and found yourself with an also-ran candidate, you don't want to tempt him to stick around for a romantic breakfast. Feed him quickly then get dressed to let him know (politely) that it's time to leave.
'The Quickie': A toasted bagel and cream cheese looks like you at least made an effort (but no frying pans or plates to wash up). Tell him you gave the last of the milk to the cat and you only drink herbal infusions so he won't feel like hanging around for a cup of tea. With nothing to wash it down with, he may even pass on the bagel.