Valentine’s Day 2019: Make a healthy meal at home with these recipes

Valentine’s Day 2019: Skip the crowd and check out a restaurant-worthy Valentine’s Day menu you can make at home. The best part? These recipes are healthy and easy to make, so you can actually enjoy an evening with your loved one.

Frankly, going out to eat on Valentine’s Day can feel forced for some couples, and even singles. The prices are often inflated, while the service and food can sometimes be subpar; as restaurants typically cram in as many guests as they can. If you still haven’t booked a table somewhere special, or want to dine in and have a relaxed date with your significant other (or some friends or even alone), there might be no better way to achieve that than cooking at home. It’s a simple and sweet way to spend Valentine’s Day, and when you get into the kitchen yourself, you’ll know exactly what’s going into your meal (or, more importantly, what’s not).

We’ve put together six recipes that will give you the luxe restaurant feel at home, with minimum stress (much of the work is or can be done ahead of time), so you can actually enjoy your time with your loved one. The dishes on this list can help you create a complete Valentine’s Day menu that’s both healthy and indulgent and that feels personalised to you. Because between the chocolates and the drinks, you may need a light, nutrient-rich dinner to balance things out this February 14. Have a really fun night in!

Quinoa avocado salad

Ingredients

3 tablespoons

Lime juice

2 tablespoons avocado oil

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

3 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

2 medium avocados, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, halved

1 cup cucumber, diced

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 scallion, sliced

Method

Whisk lime juice, oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl: Add quinoa, avocados, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro and scallion: Stir gently until combined: Refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

-- recipe by Sujeet Singh, Executive Chief at Radisson Noida

Orange and green salad

Ingredients

Green mix - Arugula and baby spinach leaves

Berries - strawberry, cranberries( packed)

Orange pieces

Grapefruit

Pine nuts

Shaving of almonds and pieces of walnut (you can use caramelised version)

Parmesan cheese or blue cheese

Method

Wash all greens thoroughly in drinking water. Use salad spinner to rinse water off. Shred with hand. In a large glass bowl mix the greens, with chopped strawberry, cranberries, orange pieces and grapefruit. Add orange sesame dressing. Add nuts and mix. Garnish with grated Parmesan or blue cheese crumble.

-- recipe by Dr Aditi Govtrikar

Aubergine ravioli

Ingredients

Pine nuts: 5g

Fennel seeds: 5g

Capers: 5g;

Raisin: 10g

Yellow zucchini: 10g

Green zucchini: 10g

Red pepper: 10g

Yellow pepper: 10g

Red wine: 10ml

Baby mozzarella: 10g

Aubergine: 8 slices

Tomato sauce: 30g

Basil: 2g

Method

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes. Soak raisins in red wine. Slice the aubergine (each slice should be 1mm thick). Bake the slices for 20 to 30 seconds at 180 to 200 degree Celsius. Heat the oil in a pan. Add onion, garlic, chopped vegetables and fennel seeds. Once the vegetables are cooked (they should wear a charred look), add the tomato sauce. Take the pan off the flame. Add basil, pine nuts, capers and chopped soaked raisins. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Take two aubergine slices, lay a teaspoon of mixture and mozzarella on it. Fold it into a half moon shape. Heat some oil in a pan and place the stuffed aubergine pieces and cook till golden brown.

-- recipe by Anil Jayprakash, executive chef, AKA

Hummus

Ingredients

Chickpea

Tahini

Garlic

Ice cold lemon juice

Strained yogurt

Sumac powder

Method

Put all the ingredients in a blender until smooth & creamy. Refrigerate for 30 min. Put in a serving bowl top with strained yogurt & garnish with sumac Serve chilled with pita bread

-- recipe by Ajay Thakur, corporate chef at Bayroute

Sicilian mushrooms

Ingredients

200 gm/1 packet fresh button mushroom quarters

2 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp chili flakes

5 basil leaves chopped

50 ml olive oil

10 cherry tomatoes (halved)

Salt to taste

Black pepper a pinch

Method

Heat pan, add olive oil. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds on medium heat. Add basil, and tomatoes. Increase the heat, add mushrooms, and cook till almost dry. Add chili flakes and season. Serve hot, with crusty bread/pav

-- recipe by chef Anindya Chatterjee from The Kettlery

Gulab jamun cheesecake

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

90gm sugar

200gm non-dairy cream

30gm mascarpone cheese

150gm crushed gulab jamun

50gm digestive biscuits

10gm gelatin

Whipped cream

Water

Pistachio and almond flakes for garnish

Method

Beat two egg yolks. Make sugar syrup by boiling 60gm sugar with 30gm water. Mix this syrup with eggs and beat it again. In another bowl, whip 200gm non-dairy cream and 30gm mascarpone cheese. Mix 100gm crushed gulab jamun in this cream. Crush 50gm digestive biscuits, add 30gm sugar and 50gm gulab jamun and mix it well. Put the mixture of biscuits in a mould and spread it evenly by pressing it. Mix 10gm gelatin, 25gm water and mix in whipped cream. Pour this in the mould on top of biscuits. Keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set. Garnish with pistachio and almond flakes before serving.

-- recipe by chef Aavika Chhawchharia, Honey & Dough

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