This Valentine’s Day, avoid fancy restaurants and have a cooking party with your partner. Try these healthy recipes in the kitchen!
Even though Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14, we can already feel love in the air. If you’re planning to go out and enjoy a meal at a fancy restaurant, change it up. If you’re looking for fun and healthy Valentine’s Day ideas, how about a cooking party with your partner at home? They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so cooking some delicious and healthy meals is just perfect! But why should you do all the work and let him have all the fun? Get on board and try these healthy Valentine’s Day recipes with your partner!
HealthShots contacted Shruti Keluskar, Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Pune, to help you cook healthy food with your partner. After all, cooking is good for mental health!
Valentine’s Day Ideas You Can Plan With Your Kitchen Partner
1. Strawberry Sparkling
Strawberries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties (red fruits to include in a healthy diet). Their flavonoid content helps reduce age-related weight gain, says Keluskar.
Ingredients
• 1 cup of strawberries
• ½ cup ginger
• 1 teaspoon of pink salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Heart-shaped ice cubes
Method
• Store ice cubes in the refrigerator. If you have a heart shaped board, you can have the cubes in a heart shape. Otherwise, regular models will also do the trick.
• Add ginger ale and 1/2 cup strawberries to a blender.
• Use the remaining 1/2 cup strawberries to make a pulp. By adding a little water and sugar.
• When serving, dip the rim of the glass in pink salt and add 1 spoon of strawberry pulp to the bottom.
• Pour the blended mixture in half and carefully add the ice cubes.
2. Multigrain Toasts with Mexican Spinach Dip
Spinach is a source of vitamins and minerals (health benefits of spinach). Being an excellent source of iron, it helps reduce oxidative stress in the body.
Ingredients
• 1 loaf of multigrain bread
• 1/2 cup toasted seeds
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 teaspoon of lime juice
• Chilli powder
• Smoked paprika
• Butter
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Method
• Cut the loaves of bread and toast them with the seeds and butter in a pan.
• For the dip, mix the rest of the ingredients and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Serve the toasts with the delicious creamy dip.
3. Thai paneer skewer
This tasty protein recipe makes a great starter or snack. Breader (benefits of paneer) or cottage cheese is a good source of calcium and fat-soluble vitamins A and D, specifies the expert. Sesame seeds are excellent sources of manganese and calcium.
Ingredients
• 100 grams of paneer
• 1 tablespoon Thai curry paste
• 1 teaspoon of ginger and garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of corn flour
• Chili flakes
• Sesame seeds, black and white
• Sugar and salt for taste
Method
• Cut the paneer into equal sized cubes and put a toothpick in each cube.
• For the marinade, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Place the toothpicks in the marinade so that the paneer cubes remain completely submerged.
• Cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator for an hour.
• To grill, place the cubes in a pan and grill in batches.
• Make sure they are cooked evenly on all sides.
• For garnish, add sesame seeds and chili flakes.
4. Cheesecake
Cheesecake is loved by many, but the calories in a piece of cheesecake are a concern. This cheesecake recipe is perfect if you’re looking for a healthy dessert for Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients
• 10 oatmeal cookies
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 3 packages of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Salt
Method
• For the crust, mix the crushed oatmeal cookies with the melted butter and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour.
• For the cream, combine the remaining ingredients and blend well in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer to a cake tin and bake for 30 minutes until set.
• Take it out of the oven and once it has returned to room temperature, store it in the refrigerator to firm up.
Cooking improves mood. When you choose it as one of your Valentine’s Day ideas, you will realize that it makes foods sweeter. Or even if you end up ruining the dish, you’ll find memories that will last you a lifetime. So, cook it!
