Whether you are celebrating valentines day with your honey or hosting galentine’s day with your best girl friends, a delicious spread is the perfect way to elevate the festivities.
First, put a nutritious twist on the popular butter board by serving a pink hummus board.
The star ingredient? Plant protein-packed pistachios! In a food processor, combine ½ cup of shelled pistachios, 1 can of chickpeas, ¼ cup roasted beets, ¼ cup olive oil, the juice of ½ a lemon and 2 minced garlic cloves with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the hummus evenly over a serving board and serve your nutritious dippers on the side like radishes, bell pepper and rainbow carrots. Pistachios are one of the few plant-based sources of complete protein with 6 grams of protein per serving. Pistachios also contain healthy fat and are a good source of fiber. A recent study out of Cornell University found that pistachios are very high in antioxidants. In fact, the level of antioxidants in pistachios rival that of other popular foods commonly thought of as high in antioxidants – including pomegranates, blueberries and red wine.
Next up we have superfood sweet potato tacos!
My 2-ingredient tortillas are made with flour and sweet potatoes! Sweetpotatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables and are easy to add to a variety of recipes to enhance flavor and nutrition content. Simply combine 1 cup of cooked and mashed sweet potato with 1 cup of flour. Divide and roll out the flour into tortillas, cook in a skillet and then serve with protein, veggies and good fats. According to the American Diabetes Association, sweet potatoes are a “diabetes superfood” because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, all of which are good for overall health and may help prevent disease. There is a sweetpotato dish that will delight just about everyone, for any reason you can think of and any season of the year!
Next serve up a festive and heart-friendly dish: hot honey salmon
Start with your salmon. As a registered dietitian, I look for salmon from Chile because it’s especially high in omega-3 fats, responsibly-raised, and considered a great choice for pregnant women and children because of its extremely low levels of mercury. To make your hot honey sauce combine ¼ cup of honey 2 tsp Dijon mustard, the juice of half a lemon, a 1/2 tsp each of paprika, red pepper flakes and sriracha and 2 minced garlic cloves. Brush over your salmon and cook for 8-10 min at 400 F. Serve over mashed sweet potatoes and asparagus. Chilean salmon is a nutrition powerhouse and packed with hard-to-find nutrients including inflammation-fighting omega-3 fats and vitamin D. It’s available both fresh and frozen, year-round. You can find it at your local fish counter and in the frozen aisle.
Finally it’s not Valentines day without something sweet!
The Strawberry Lil’ Love Crunchie Cake from Carvel is perfect for the occasion made with real strawberry & vanilla ice cream and strawberry crunchies. It’s the perfect size for a romantic date night, Galentines gathering or Valentines kids party. Find it in the bakery freezer case and visit ILoveIceCreamCakes.com to find this cake and other fun flavors at a grocery store near you.
