Forget to make Valentine's dinner reservations? Here's what to cook at home

Time to stock up on chocolates, flowers and sappy cards. Valentine's day is just 14 short days away.

You may still have time to book the perfect table for two, but if you're having trouble, have no fear.

In a battle for the best "romantic" dish, students from George Brown College's culinary arts program showed off their skills to win a $2,000 prize to help cover the cost of their studies. The contest, sponsored by No Yolks noodles, required students to incorporate noodles into their culinary dishes. 

Ten students worked at stations set up on the observation deck of the CN Tower. Each dish was tested and ranked by Toronto food experts and bloggers. 

"The creative juices are flowing," said John Morris, Executive Chef for the CN Tower. "I think it's an excellent initiative, it's an opportunity for them to showcase some of the skills they learned in school."

Here's a look at the winning recipes, and their arguments outlining why they would make the perfect Valentine's meal.

Lucas Hum

The dish: Eggless Bacon Carbonara

Why it's romantic: "For myself, what makes a romantic meal is cooking with lots of love, lots of colour and lots of different textures as well — some crispy, some savoury, some sweet, herbaceous greens in there. It's fantastic."

His secret: "Roast your garlic. Wrap it in some tin foil, leave it in the oven for 10 minutes or so. It creates a delicious aroma in the household as well as adds that restaurant quality touch to your dish."

Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 5 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb (450 g)                 bacon, diced
• 4 cups (1 L)                dumpling noodles
• 3 tbsp (45 mL)            butter, unsalted
• 1 head                        garlic, roasted
• 1 cup (150 g)              cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (120 ml)         heavy cream, 35%
• 1/2 cup (65 g)             parmesan cheese, grated
•                                    salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: 1/4 cup leeks, finely sliced and 1/2 bunch basil, chiffonade

Instructions:

• Step 1: Place diced bacon in a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Cook out the fat, stirring occasionally until crispy, about 8 minutes.
• Step 2: Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
• Step 3: Remove crispy bacon bits and set aside. Drain remaining bacon grease on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
• Step 4: Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter to melt. Add garlic and tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute.
• Step 5: Stir in heavy cream, then add the cooked and drained noodles into the skillet and toss to coat. Stir in parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Step 6: Serve hot, topped with crispy bacon bits, leeks and basil to garnish.

Tip: Consider frying the leeks in the bacon fat to create a crispy leek garnish to add texture.

Janikka Blair Murray 

The dish: Mushroom and Bacon Stroganoff

Why it's romantic: "I added champagne for the date night effect. I mean I'm a mother of two, so at home it's really busy for me. I'm a student and I work ... I need to come up with recipes that are cool and creative, and also healthy as well. So, if I'm doing a date night, I'd normally add a little bit of alcohol just for fun."

Her secret: "I've added Greek yogurt to it instead of heavy cream or sour cream, so it adds a nutritional component to it."

Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes
​Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp (5 mL)                olive oil
• 3 slices                       bacon, diced
• 1                                 shallot, diced
• 2 cloves                      garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL)            flour
• 4                                 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 4                                 black oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL)            champagne (any kind) or sparkling wine
• 1/2 cup (125 mL)        mushroom stock or broth
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL)             salt
• Pinch                          pepper
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL)             thyme, dried
• 1 tbsp (15 mL)            Greek yogurt
• 1 cup (250 mL)           wide noodles
• 1 tsp (5 mL)                truffle oil (optional)

Garnish: Goat cheese crumble         

Instructions:

• Step 1: In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
• Step 2: In a separate pot, heat olive oil on medium heat and cook bacon partially. Add the shallot and garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, approximately 3 minutes.
• Step 3: Add flour and mix well for 1 minute or until well coated. Add two types of mushrooms and cook until softened. Add champagne and mix well for 2 minutes.
• Step 4: Add mushroom stock, salt, pepper and thyme and bring to a boil.
• Step 5: Turn heat down to medium low and stir in Greek yogurt. Once fully incorporated, remove from heat.
• Step 6: Once water has boiled in the separate pot, add noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and mix noodles with mushroom sauce.
• Step 7: Serve with truffle oil drizzle, if desired, and crumble goat cheese on top.

Tip: Use homemade or store bought stock. The taste of the stock will determine how much seasoning to add to the sauce.

Kshitiz Sethi

The dish: Royal Rose Pudding

Why it's romantic: "My dish is actually an authentic Indian dessert. This dessert we usually serve in the festive seasons. It's like a sweet ... noodle pudding. You could say a sweet mac and cheese."

His secret: "It has a lot of different textures to it. It's nutty, chewy, smooth, creamy all at the same time."

Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes: 4-5 servings

Ingredients: 

• 6 tbsp (90 mL)            mixed nuts (almonds, pistachio, cashews), chopped
• 4 cups (340g)             fine noodles
• 1 cup (250 mL)           khoya cheese or unsalted ricotta cheese
• 6 cups (1500 mL)       whole milk
• 4 tbsp (60 mL)            desi ghee butter or unsalted butter
• 4-5 pcs                        green cardamom and saffron, ground into a powder
• 10 tbsp (150 mL)        sugar (or to taste)

Garnish: Chopped nuts of your choice and a sprinkle of rose water.

Instructions:

• Step 1: In a pan on high heat, sauté nuts in butter for 2 minutes. Add noodles and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
• Step 2: Add the crumbled khoya or ricotta cheese and mix until it breaks down. Slowly add milk and bring to a boil. Continue to boil on medium high for about 15 minutes until it becomes thick or pale in colour.
• Step 3: Add the cardamom/saffron powder and sugar and boil for 2 minutes.
• Step 4: Finish with rose water and garnish with chopped nuts of your choice.

Tip: Add milk slowly to avoid lump formation and stir continuously to avoid sticking at the bottom. You can skip the ricotta cheese or khoya and increase the amount of milk by 50% and boil to get the right consistency (ricotta cheese makes the cooking faster).

This dish can also be served cold, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with rose jelly and chocolate.