Eating can be a sensual experience and sharing food with the one you love on holiday, deeply romantic. A self-catering holiday or short break away is an ideal time for food lovers to try romantic recipes together and what better ingredients to use than exciting love-inducing aphrodisiacs? Here are my quickest and easiest aphrodisiac-inspired recipe ideas for a very special breakfast in bed, a picnic in nature and a cosy dinner in, each ready in under 15 minutes, with vegetarian and vegan alternatives for a deliciously fun romantic escape to remember forever.

Aphrodisiac Foods

Aphrodisiacs are said to put us in the mood for love and spice up our sex lives; they include strawberries, dark chocolate, salmon, asparagus, chilli peppers, honey, watermelon, figs and red wine. These recipe ideas use a combination of all these aphrodisiac foods and are convenient enough for a self-catering holiday with readymade cheat’s ingredients so you can make amazing meals without spending hours in the kitchen – giving you more time for kisses!

Breakfast: Pancakes with Strawberries and Runny Honey

Is there anything more lovely than breakfast in bed with the one you love? Surprise your partner with this simple and delicious concoction of pancakes topped with fresh strawberries and runny honey or maple syrup. For added creaminess, add yogurt. Just remember to make enough for two.

Ingredients

• Pancakes, either 2-4 large or 6-8 small, which you can buy readymade from most supermarkets

• Fresh strawberries or a mix of strawberries, figs, raspberries and blueberries

• Runny honey (or maple syrup for vegans)

• Yogurt or dairy-free yogurt (optional)

You will need

• A frying pan

• A colander

Method

1. Wash and drain the fruit in the colander and leave to one side

2. Heat the pancakes through, one at a time, in the dry frying pan (or add a little butter if you prefer) for 1-2 mins each or until heated through, turning them over midway, and lift carefully onto the plate

3. Simply add the fruit to the top of each pancake and drizzle the honey over, or if making 2 large pancakes, fold them in half with the yogurt and fruit inside and drizzle the honey over the top

4. Serve with tea or coffee on a large tray, perhaps add a bunch of flowers and wear something amazing…

Once you eventually surface from your bed, it will probably be time to start thinking about lunch.

Lunch: Pick and Mix Picnic

There’s nothing quite like a picnic in wonderful woodland, on the beach or in the glorious British countryside with spectacular views to make you fall head over heels in love with your partner all over again. Choose from any of the following and if you want to make a vegan picnic simply omit the animal products and take a wander through the vegan aisle of your local food shop. For aphrodisiacs, add watermelon, figs, smoked salmon and red wine. Watermelon slices are so refreshing on a sultry, hot summer’s day, red wine - not so much.

Ingredients

• Freshly baked bread (a crusty French stick is perfect) with salted butter

• Cold meats and/or smoked salmon/ vegan deli slices

• Hummus, guacamole or your favourite dips with olives and corn chips

• A mixed cheese selection with grapes, olives or cherry tomatoes to complement the flavours

• A pasta salad or a quiche

• Watermelon slices or fresh figs (don’t eat too many figs, they’re very high in fibre - one or two is enough!)

• A bottle of water if it’s a hot day and you’re driving and a bottle of bubbly or aphrodisiac red wine (or vegan alternative)

You will need

• Your choice of ingredients listed above

• A picnic basket or large bag

• A picnic blanket

• Plates, glasses, cutlery and napkins

Method

1. Check the weather forecast - if it rains all day, have the picnic in your holiday home, on the blanket laid out on the floor for fun!

2. Eat, drink, talk and admire the view…

When you get back from your picnic you could relax in a hot tub or rest for a while before making your evening meal. This salmon dish is very easy and can be ready in under 15 minutes.

Dinner: Crispy Pan-Fried Salmon with Steamed Asparagus, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine and Rice

Using the aphrodisiacs, salmon and asparagus, this dish is full of amazing tastes and textures and the flavours of the main ingredients are enhanced by the lemon, tomato and parsley sauce. Alternatively, top pan-fried salmon or crispy fried tofu with ready-made sweet chilli sauce for another aphrodisiac ingredient with a hot and spicy kick. The shaped rice makes the dish look particularly impressive and special.

Ingredients

• Salmon fillets x 2/ tofu block cut into 2 sections

• White Basmati rice

• Lemons x 2

• Mayonnaise (or vegan alternative) and tomato sauce

• Fresh asparagus

• A tablespoon of oil and a little salted butter

• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, salt and black pepper

You will need

• A non-stick frying pan

• A lidded saucepan

• 2 oven-proof ramekins

• A small jug or bowl

Method

1. Rice

Boil the rice in slightly salted water for around 10 minutes (or according to instructions), stirring only once before covering and leaving to simmer. Then spoon into a ramekin and place the empty plate upside down on top, before turning straight and topping with a squeeze of lemon and a sprig of fresh parsley. Cook the rice before the salmon because it will keep warm under the ramekin until the fish is cooked.

2. Sauce

While the rice is simmering, prepare the sauce by mixing the juice from one small lemon with a tablespoon of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of tomato sauce and a teaspoon of chopped parsley. Mix well until it becomes a pouring consistency and season with black pepper to taste, then set aside.

3. Tomatoes

Wash the cherry tomatoes, still on the vine, drizzle with oil and roast at 180 degrees for around 10 minutes or until the skins start to burst. Take care not to overcook or they will lose their shape.

4. Asparagus

Wash and then trim the stems before steaming or boiling for around 4-5 minutes or slightly longer the larger they are. Check they are ready with a fork and take care not to overcook

5. Salmon/ tofu

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper, then heat the oil and butter over a low to medium heat in the pan and fry the fillets skin-side down for around 5-10 minutes, turning over carefully to fry the tops for a further 5-10 minutes. The fillets are cooked through when the centres are no longer a deeper pink. Don’t fry for more than 11-15 minutes, depending on size, or they will be overcooked. Transfer to the plate (after the rice) and drizzle with the butter from the pan plus a squeeze of lemon juice and a twist of freshly ground black peppercorns. Tofu can be pan-fried in the same way (without butter for vegans) and also marinated in lemon juice and your favourite spices beforehand to give it more flavour. You can’t undercook tofu so just fry it until crispy.

6. Arrange the salmon, alongside the rice, asparagus and tomatoes and serve with a wedge of fresh lemon, freshly ground black pepper and a generous drizzle of sauce.

Dessert: Dark Chocolate-Coated Strawberries

Fresh ripe strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate is a simple aphrodisiac dessert that’s delicious and fun to make and finishes off a meal perfectly.

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries

• Dark chocolate (the higher the cocoa content the better)

What you will need

• A heat-proof glass bowl

• A saucepan

• A plate

Method

1. Melt the dark chocolate in the heat-proof bowl over the saucepan of boiled water

2. Dip each strawberry into the melted chocolate, holding them by the stalk, and set aside on a plate to cool

3. Devour together with red wine or bubbly

If this sounds like fun, all you need to do is decide where to go! And if you book a holiday home near restaurants you could also treat yourselves to going out for fine dining the following night. Be inspired by these unique romantic escapes for quirky lovers.