Love fills the air as Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, crowding the quad with roses and chocolates. Show your appreciation and affection for family, friends, a significant other, or even yourself with one of these homemade meals that will surpass any other gift!
Roasted Beet, Grapefruit, and Warm Honey Salad (FoodandWine.com)
A bright red saccharine delight, every ingredient in this coquette salad fits the Valentine’s Day aesthetic and has a natural sweetness. The warm, fragrant honey with rosemary ties together the polar opposite of earthy beets and juicy grapefruit. Add ingredients like pomegranate, edible rose petals, cherries, or strawberries for a delectable scarlet surprise!
Ingredients:
♥ Grapefruits
♥ Beets
♥ 2 tablespoons honey
♥ Olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Season whole beets with olive oil and salt. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
2. Cut beets and grapefruits to bite size pieces. Scatter on plate.
3. Warm honey on a saucepan and add rosemary. Pour onto salad. Enjoy!
Chickpea-Stuffed Mushrooms (our own recipe!)
These mushrooms are stuffed to the brim with nutty chickpeas, sweet peppers, piquant garlic, and love. From the crunchy parmesan to the soft, chewy mushroom, each bite introduces an explosion of flavor that will simply melt you away. Serve either as the star to a romantic dinner or an appetizing side dish that steals the show.
Ingredients:
♥ Mushrooms
♥ Parmesan cheese
♥ Chickpeas
♥ Vegetables to stuff (ex. Peppers, spinach)
♥ Garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, any spices
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove stems from mushrooms.
2. Sauté the chickpeas, vegetables, and chopped stems with oil and spices in a pan. Blend these ingredients in a food processor and stuff the mixture into the empty mushroom caps.
3. Top mushrooms with cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Fettuccine with Mushroom Alfredo Sauce (tastesoflizzyt.com)
A classic staple as a fulfilling dinner, this creamy and savory fettuccine alfredo is the perfect way to treat yourself on a Wednesday night. The secret is in the sauce: add plenty of spices like cajun and basil for a sharp and tangy twist. Aside from umami mushroom, including chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, or spinach will elevate the dish to your preferences.
Ingredients:
♥ Fettuccine
♥ Mushrooms
♥ Heavy cream
♥ Parmasean cheese
♥ Butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, flour
1. Cook fettuccine, drain. In a skillet, cook mushrooms with olive oil until tender and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a skillet and whisk in the flour. Add in the chicken broth, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and garlic. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir constantly for one minute.
3. Add mushrooms, other optional ingredients, and fettuccine into the sauce and stir.
These simple, yet mouth-watering recipes can act as a kitchen adventure filled with chaos, a romantic rendezvous surrounded with warm candles, or a picnic amongst lovely scenery. No matter what, cooking these meals will leave you with a smile and plenty of joyful memories this Valentine’s Day!
