Table of Contents
Valentine’s day is just around the corner and if you’re like me, all you can think about is making the day special for you and your partner. But when I picture my valentine’s day aesthetic, I don’t want it to be loaded with fried food or unhealthy ingredients. Which is why I curated these special healthy yet easy valentine’s day recipes so that you don’t have to do tons of work on the big day to make it romantic.
When people think of tasty dishes and delicious cocktails, it’s always junk food and alcohol but the perfect dinner night menu can be healthy and alcohol free too! Trust me when I say, these recipes are perfect to make valentine’s day dinner 2024 a day to remember!
An Amazingly Scrumptious Starter: Avocado and Tomato Caprese Salad
If you’re looking for an easy yet healthy starter to make that will leave more time on your hands, then this fresh avocado caprese salad will make the perfect start to your dinner and will work up an appetite without being too much.
Avocado and Tomato Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- Ripe avocados
- Fresh tomatoes preferably heirloom
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
- Balsamic glaze or Pomegranate molasses
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- All you have to do is slice some ripe avocados, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in equal sized pieces, rounds work too. Take a beautiful serving plate and arrange them in an alternating pattern.
- Balsamic glaze is a must have to drizzle over this salad but pomegranate molasses will work too. You can make both of them at home or buy it from the store. Top with a good drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
A Divine Main Course: Baked Lemon Herb Salmon with Quinoa
If you’re like me, you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen but you do want the meal to be delicious, so what’s the solution? Let the oven do the work for you with this easy yet divine lemon herb salmon recipe which takes the cake as one of the best valentine’s day recipes in my book.
Baked Lemon Herb Salmon with Quinoa
Ingredients
- Salmon fillets
- Lemon
- mixed herbs rosemary and thyme
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Quinoa
- Mixed vegetables broccoli, cherry tomatoes, asparagus
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- All you need to do is a minimum of prep, marinate the salmon for about half an hour with lemon juice, minced garlic, mixed herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It takes only 20 minutes to bake so you can put it in the over while you prepare the quinoa and steam some mixed vegetable.
- Serve the salmon over a layering of quinoa and place the vegetables on the side. Et voile, healthy and delicious!
An Irresistible Dessert: Dark Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
The key to a successful romantic dinner is the dessert. The end should always be amazing, shouldn’t it? But why should dessert also be unhealthy? One of the most fun valentine’s day recipes in my opinion are dark chocolate covered strawberries, and they just so happen to be healthy too!
Dark Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries
- Dark chocolate 70% bitter or higher
- Chopped nuts
Instructions
- The instructions are super simple! Melt 70% dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, take it out and stir it until smooth and shiny. Big and fresh strawberries are very important. Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate, coating it halfway. Place the strawberries to dry on a parchment-lined tray. If you want, you can also sprinkle with chopped nuts while the chocolate is still wet. Set the chocolate by refrigerating the strawberries for about 30 minutes. The last instruction is to enjoy!
The Best Valentine’s (Alcohol Free) Cocktail to Set the Mood: Cape Codder
Valentine’s Day isn’t complete without a drink to set the mood and of course the drink has to not only be delicious but should also be visually appealing and of course its alcohol free. Who says you need alcohol to enjoy the night!
Try making the classic Cape Codder cocktail for your partner which pairs well with any menu. The drink is a gorgeous red color that will definitely fit in with your romantic theme and is super simple to make.
Cape Codder
Ingredients
- Cranberry Juice
- Lime Juice
- Club Soda
- Optional lime wedge/fresh mint
Instructions
- You can build this drink in a highball glass over ice. Use a one to three ratio for the perfect cocktail, so one part cranberry juice, one part lime juice, and one part club soda. Garnish with a wedge of lime and your beautiful, romantic alcohol-free cape codder cocktail is ready to serve!
