Valentine's Day Dinner for Two When It's Too Cold to Go Out

February 14th falls on a Friday this year, which sounds perfect for a romantic dinner out. Except for one problem: it's the middle of February, and chances are, the weather outside is miserable.

Ice on the roads. Snow is piling up. Temperatures are hovering in the teens. Even if the roads are clear, do you really want to bundle up, scrape your windshield, fight for a parking spot, and wait an hour for an overpriced prix fixe menu at a crowded restaurant?

Here's a better plan: stay home, turn up the heat, light some candles, and cook something that actually tastes better than what you'd get at a restaurant. Valentine's Day dinner for two doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to be good.

The recipes below are designed for couples who want to cook together (or for one person to impress the other). They use winter ingredients that are actually in season right now, they don't require advanced culinary skills, and most importantly, they taste as if you put in way more effort than you actually did.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce