After striking up a rapport with another single, you’ll be eager to take your relationship to the next level with a romantic get-together, perhaps in a wine bar or a trendy coffeehouse? But a dinner date is also a great way to bond with someone you’ve met on a dating site. The romantic atmosphere and tasty food will allow you to be more relaxed. There’s something about the enticing aroma of freshly-prepared food and the promise of fine wine and stimulating conversation that always proves to be an irresistibly romantic combination.

Here are five examples of excellent snacks:

1) Butternut Squash Risotto

This meal is bursting with flavors and is also extremely healthy, perfect for a first date dinner. It’s also so straightforward to prepare. Firstly, roast your butternut squash, which then gets pureed. Pop this into the pan along with short grain brown rice. Add a white dash to give it some zing before injecting this with a pre-prepared vegetable broth. Simmer until the rice has become nice and tender. Avoid overcooking the risotto, which will turn it to mush, losing much of the flavor.

2) Salmon with Salsa

Salmon is another healthy date choice, full of natural Omega acids that are great for preventing cholesterol buildup. Lay the fillets on a bed of olive oil and heat until the pink fish turns a beautiful golden brown. Prepare a salsa dish by stirring chopped avocado, red peppers, and red onion together. Toss in some lime juice and coriander for that extra burst of flavor. Job has been done.

3) Chicken Meatballs

A much more adventurous take on that date night favorite ‘spag bol,’ involves a simple preparation that provides a mouth-watering conclusion. Rather than the traditional beef meatballs, chicken provides a subtler alternative. Peel an onion, then mash some garlic. Add to your tomato sauce and allow to bubble away, throwing in the lightly-fried chicken balls to bring all the wonderful flavors together.

4) Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

Cook the beef strips over a light bed of oil until browned to your personal taste (the darker the meat, the less flavorsome). Garnish with rosemary and garlic, then pan sear and complete cooking in the oven. Whether you choose to make your creamy wild mushroom sauce from scratch or purchase a packet (our little secret), add the beef to simmer, then season with herbs. Serve with crispy roast potato wedges.

5) Braised Ribs

Another easy-to-prepare dish (who wants to be slaving over a cooker when they’ve got company?) All your needs are ribs, mushroom sauce, herbs, dijon mustard, and parmesan. Cook the ribs in a pot until brown, add the other ingredients, serve over potato mash or noodles. Add a dash of white wine, too.

5) Is She Vegetarian? – Pasta is a Right Choice

An important consideration is whether or not your new date has particular dating requirements. If they are vegetarian or vegan, they might well take offense if you were to go ahead and prepare a steak pie dinner, working on the assumption their tastes were identical to yours. It’s easy enough to drop polite inquiries into the conversation when you’re at the stage of inviting her round for a meal, then plan accordingly. This will avoid red faces should she decline your offering on principle, an action that would prove to be a total passion-killer.

6) Pick up a Bottle of Good Dry Wine

If you’ve invited someone particular round for a first date dinner, there’s one ingredient that’s almost as crucial as the meal itself – the wine you will wash it down with. Don’t scrimp at this point and grab the cheapest bottle from your local supermarket. Put some effort into choosing one suitable for the meal you’ll be serving. Your guest will appreciate you having taken the trouble to splash out a bit – indicating you consider her to be unique, too.

And Finally, Dessert

If you’ve still got room for something sweet to offset the savory overload, go for something basic. Why not go down the ‘easy but yummy’ route rather than attempting to bake from scratch? Obtain a selection of tempting cakes from your local baker, and present on a platter.