Romantic Recipes for Valentine's Day
From Team Beachbody - Click here for resources, tools and
information to help you to reach your health, fitness and positive lifestyle
goals! It's almost that
day again: you knowthat 24-hour stretch when passions soar and red roses
line our hopes of heart-shaped boxed chocolate dreams: Valentine's Day. Think
of the excitement: deep red everywhere, the promise of true love, and sweets
for the sweetest, my funny valentine. Then there are the presents to be bought,
reservations to be made, long lines to stand in, and overpriced meals with
French nametags a la mode. On second thought . . . why not
spend Valentine's Day chez vous (translation: at home)? You may
not be a five-star chef; not even close. So what if cracking open a recipe book
is "all Greek" to youno problem! L'amour is French, ma chere. Don't let
words like sauté and vichyssoise scare the
soufflé right out of you, and leave the meal planning to us. This
loving and romantic multi-course Valentine's Day meal for two is easy,
delicious (and still good for you!), and aims to hit your target of love more
precisely than Cupid's arrowno French required. (And that's a fact,
Jacques.)
Is it hot in here, or is it just me?
First thing's first: set the mood before you set the table. Come
to your senses to create the perfect atmosphere for a Valentine's Day dinner
that's as hot as your oven and begs for a second helping. It's the combination
of sights, smells, sounds, and tastes that is the appeal of
romantic restaurant atmosphere. The good news is you can create it at home, and
in many ways, it can be even more romantic and intimate when it's tailored for
just the two of you.
See those sparks
fly between you and your significant other by catching the glimmer in those
beautiful eyes gazing towards you like they've never seen you before by dimming
the lightsif you can, light a few candles. The flickering light of a soft
flame is its own aphrodisiac, and while the meal alone will fill the air with
enough salivating scents to excite the senses, a warm-scented candle can only
add to the anticipation of the main event (dinner, of course!).
Equally important
as lighting to set the mood is music, and you're the DJ d'amourunlike
restaurants, you choose the playlist. A romantic home-cooked meal destined to
strike a chord in the key of hearts-on-fire needs music with soothing chords of
its own to accompany your pleasure-seeking palate. Try a little smooth jazz,
old-time big band, or some classic romantic standards. But if Coltrane or Frank
isn't your bag, you can still do it your way: classical, old school R&B
jams, or maybe even a little ambient electronica. Now that you've set the mood,
let's get cooking.
Let's get cooking . . . So, you've set the
stage and named the tune, sweet romancer, and now it's time put your money
where your mouth isin the kitchen. Without further adieu, here is this
year's romantic Valentine's Day menu that will no doubt give rise to a very
happy endingthose restaurant-goers don't know what they're missing! (Total
calories: 853 for vegetarians and 903 for the meat eaters.)
Warmed Vichyssoise
This healthy version of the French classic is served warm rather than
cold to kick your special night off to a heart-warming start. The combination
of leeks, nutmeg, and chives is an excellent accompaniment to the second-course
appetizer of Roasted Garlic on French Bread.
1 lb. Yukon Gold
potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces 2 leeks, washed and white
part sliced 1 Tbsp. olive oil 4 cups vegetable stock 1 cup nonfat
milk 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt Salt Ground black pepper
Nutmeg Chives, to garnish
Sauté the
potatoes in the olive oil, stirring often, until tender. Be sure to not let the
potatoes brown. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Slowly blend the milk
and yogurt into the stock and potato mixture either with a blender or food
processor. Return to pan and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
Garnish with chives before serving. Serves 2.
Nutritional
Breakdown |
Calories 291
|
Carbs 57 g
|
Fiber 4 g |
Fat Total 7 g |
Saturated Fat 1 g |
Protein 16 g |
|
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Roasted Garlic on French
Bread No butter required! Cooking the garlic softens it
into a paste is more tasty and less fattening than butter, while packing an
immunity boost.
1 head of
garlic 1 tsp. of olive oil French bread
Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees. Cut off just the very top-most portion of the garlic head,
exposing the cloves. Drizzle oil over the cloves and wrap tightly in aluminum
foil. Bake for 40 minutes. When finished, the garlic is ready to spread on a
couple of small slices of French bread. Serves 2.
Nutritional
Breakdown |
Calories 144
|
Carbs 31 g
|
Fiber 3 g |
Fat Total 5 g |
Saturated Fat 0 g |
Protein 12 g |
|
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Lemon Crush Keep
that crush alive long past the garlic! Here is a light, refreshing
palate-pleaser to lead you into the main course.
2-1/2 cups of
plain (no sugar) seltzer 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. honey
Divide the lemon
juice and honey between two glasses and fill each to the top with seltzer.
Serves 2.
Nutritional
Breakdown |
Calories 20
|
Carbs 6 g |
Fiber 0 g |
Fat Total 0 g |
Saturated Fat 0 g |
Protein 0 g |
|
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Poulet (Chicken) Tarragon* or Tofu
Tarragon (*Substitute extra-firm tofu for
a vegetarian version) This hearty and romantic main course nicely
complements the succulent, but simple, side dish, Green Beans
with Scallions.
12 oz. boneless
skinless chicken breast* (*substitute extra-firm tofu for vegetarian
version) 1/4 cup fry, fruity wine (like Chardonnay) 1/2 cup chopped
onion 1/2 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock 1 bay leaf 1 spring
fresh thyme 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. whole wheat
flour dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1 tsp.
chopped fresh tarragon, to garnish
Place the chicken
(or tofu), wine, onion, stock, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a saucepan, and
bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer chicken (or tofu)
to a dish, leaving the cooking liquid behind in the pan. Add flour and yogurt
to the cooking liquid in the saucepan and return to a boil. Add the chicken (or
tofu) back to the cooking liquid and heat through. Sprinkle with the fresh
tarragon before serving. Serves 2.
Nutritional
Breakdown (Tofu/Chicken) |
Calories
236/286 |
Carbs 11 g/16 g
|
Fiber 1 g/3 g
|
Fat Total 3 g/12 g |
Saturated Fat 0.5 g/1.5 g
|
Protein 25 g/20 g |
|
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Green Beans with
Scallions 1/3 lb. fresh green beans 4 cups water 1
Tbsp. scallions, finely chopped Ground black pepper, to taste
Wash the beans,
trim the ends, and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Bring the water to a boil in a
saucepan and place the beans into the water and boil for five minutes. Drain
and add scallions. Season with pepper before serving with Poulet (Chicken) Tarragon. Serves 2.
Nutritional
Breakdown |
Calories 12
|
Carbs 2 g |
Fiber 3 g |
Fat Total 0 g |
Saturated Fat 0 g |
Protein 1 g |
|
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Berry Custard
Brûlée This low-calorie and
low-fat dessert is the perfect finale to your Valentine's Day meal. The
caramelized sugar topping serves as the brûlée in this recipe. It
can be tailored to suit your individual tastes, depending on which berries are
available to you, and which ones you prefer. The custard can also be made one
day ahead of your feast, if you prefer.
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch 1/2 cup fat-free milk 1/2 beaten egg 1 Tbsp.
light sour cream 1 tsp. vanilla 1-1/2 cups fresh berries: raspberries,
blackberries, blueberries, or halved strawberries (any combination to equal
1-1/2 cups)
In a small
saucepan, combine one tablespoon of sugar and the cornstarch. Add the milk and
egg and cook on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to
bubble. Remove immediately and let mixture cool at least 5 minutes. Whisk in
sour cream and vanilla and chill for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve,
divide the berries evenly between two dessert goblets or dishes and spoon
chilled custard over the berries. To make crispy sugar topping, heat remaining
tablespoon of sugar in a small saucepan over medium to high heat until sugar
begins to melt, shaking occasionally to heat evenly (do not stir). Reduce heat
to low and stir as necessary until golden brown in color. Quickly drizzle
caramelized sugar over each custard dish and serve. Serves 2.
Nutritional
Breakdown |
Calories 150
|
Carbs 29 g
|
Fiber 4 g |
Fat Total 2 g |
Saturated Fat 1 g |
Protein 5 g |
|
|