When I started to prepare for this blog, I thought about all the Valentine’s food we consume. Most of it is sugar, in one form or another, mixed with grease and flour. Well, that didn’t fit with my style of eating or writing about food. You know, I want the food to be tasty AND good for you. So, I thought a lot regarding what I could cook and write about. Then, the idea came to me – the colors red and pink, and heart shapes! Foods in this category could be raspberries, strawberries, cherries, beets, tomatoes, radishes, pomegranates, and so forth. To make your Valentine’s Day festive, I am presenting you with two recipes and a simply decorated table for a romantic dinner.

As an aside, Valentine’s Day dates to way back to the 5th century. There was a Roman holiday of fertility celebrated February 13th-15th called Lupercalia. It was deemed “un-Christian” by Pope Gelasius and was replaced with Saint Valentine’s Day. It was thought that there were actually three Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs. Sainthood was established 196 AD and revoked in 1969, when the day became known simply as Valentine’s Day. Sending greetings on that day goes back to the middle-ages.

Stuffed Red Peppers for Valentine's Day

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely minced and rested 15 minutes before cooking
1/4 cup plant-based ground “beef” I used the Gardein brand
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf finely crumbled
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato pulp (halve and remove seeds and jell-like material)
1 cup cooked grain*
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
2 Tablespoons raisins
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2-4 bell peppers I used red for Valentine’s Day
Lemon wedges when serving

Instructions

Water-sauté onions in a frying pan over medium heat. Do this by adding water a Tablespoon-full at a time, just enough to keep the onions from sticking.
When the onions are soft, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Thoroughly mix-in the "meat", grain, pine nuts, raisins, and parsley.
Taste for seasonings. I to avoid over salting, sprinkle lightly with salt, if needed. If you like spice, add a couple of shakes of cayenne pepper. Remove pan from the heat.
Now is the fun part. Cut tops off peppers and clean out seeds and membranes. Carve a little heart into the widest part of the pepper and cut 2 hearts out of the tops.
Fill the peppers with the “meat” and grain mixture and place the small hearts on the top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven of 350-degree F for 25-30 minutes.
They can be served hot or cold with a lemon wedge.

Notes

*I used a wonderful mixture of bulgur and red quinoa that I cooked in a vegetable broth, which had a nice nutty flavor. You might also use Italian Farro, barley, quinoa, or brown rice.

Valentine Salad

Cut strawberries and cooked beets into heart-shapes. Thinly slice radishes. Chop 1/2 a red pepper in smallish chunks. Slice a small red onion thinly. Add all these vegetables to spring mix of greens.

Serve with the following pretty pink dressing from “The China Study All-Star Collection” cookbook by Leanne Campbell, PhD.

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Ingredients

Pomegranate Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons pomegranate juice
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons vegetable stock or wattle
5-7 raw cashews that have been soaked in very hot water until soft
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Pinch of salt
Ground pepper freshly ground, if possible

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Serve in a pretty dish so each person can see the lovely color to their own salad.

Lastly, how about a nice, simple table decoration for that romantic dinner. Or perhaps not so romantic, but enjoyable! I have used a light pink tablecloth. I saved back some Christmas ribbon and made a bow for the center piece and added a couple of votive candles in red containers. To continue with the pink theme, I added pink glasses.

Have a fun, festive, and healthy holiday!