Healthy Dinners Designed to WOW on Valentine’s Day

12 Feb Healthy Dinners Designed to WOW on Valentine’s Day

Posted at 15:21h in FITTEAM Nutrition, FITTEAM Recipes by fitteam

Valentine’s Day… a time to surround yourself with those that you love and of course a decadent meal! Although delicious, most of the decedant Valetnie’s Day meals enjoyed on this special day do not take your health into consideration. However, we are here to share some great tasting, sure to please, healthy recipes you and your loved ones will enjoy this Valentine’s day!

For the MEAT lover:

Seared Lamb Chops with Raspberry Marsala Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries
1/2 cup marsala
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove
8 1- ½ inch thick lamb chops
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
1 medium shallot, finely minced
Raspberries and chopped mint, for garnish

Instructions:

Place the raspberries, marsala, honey and garlic clove in a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth.
Heat a cast iron pan over high heat.
Season the lamb chops with sea salt and pepper on both sides. When the pan is hot, add the oil then immediately add the lamb chops. Sear the lamb for 3-5 minutes then turn it over and sear it for another 3-5 minutes on the other side. (3 minutes per side for medium-rare, 5 minutes per side for medium.) Remove the lamb from the pan and reduce the heat to medium high.
Add the shallot to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the raspberry marsala sauce to the pan and let it boil rapidly until it begins to thicken, 3-5 minutes.
Serve the lamb with the sauce over top, some chopped mint and extra raspberries.

Calories:

418 per serving size. Serving size is 2 lamb chops and ¼ of the sauce.

For the CHICKEN lover:

Honey Balsamic & Lemon Brussel Spout Chicken with Goat Cheese Polenta.

Ingredients:

CREAMY GOAT CHEESE POLENTA

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup dry polenta
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces goat cheese
salt and pepper

BALSAMIC CHICKEN

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or tenderloins, cut into bit size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound shredded brussels sprouts if your brussels are really small you may just halve them
juice of 1 lemon + fresh lemon wedges for serving
1 bunch fresh basil chopped
goat cheese or parmesan for topping (optional)

Instructions:

CREAMY GOAT CHEESE POLENTA

Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups milk to a low boil in a medium size pot. Whisk in the polenta and cook 15-20 minutes until thickened. Stir in the butter and goat cheese, season with salt and pepper.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and once hot, add the chicken. Season with salt + pepper.
Cook until the chicken is browned all over and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic, honey, dijon, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper. Slowly pour the balsamic mixture into the skillet with the chicken. Cook until the balsamic thickens and coats the chicken, about 5 minutes. Watch close, you don’t want to cook the sauce so much that it ends up sticking to the bottom of your pan.
Once the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat and toss in the brussels sprouts. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the brussels sprouts have just begun to cook down. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil + lemon juice.
To serve, divide the polenta among low pasta bowls or plate. Top with the chicken and brussels sprouts. Garnish with fresh basil + lemon. EAT.

Calories:

521 per serving. Total servings in prepared dish 4.

For the SEAFOOD lover:

Broiled Halibut with Ricotta-Pea Puree

Ingredients:

3 small carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 6-ounce center-cut skinless halibut fillets (1 3/4 inches thick)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions:

Preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil and preheat 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush the carrots and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the paprika; brush to coat the fish evenly with paprika.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven, place the fish in the center and scatter the onion and carrots around. Broil until the fish is golden and just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave the peas in a bowl with 1/4 cup water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the peas and liquid to a food processor and pulse with the ricotta, butter and a pinch of salt to make a slightly chunky puree. Divide the puree among plates and top with the fish, carrots, onion and pan juices.

Calories:

429 per serving. There are 4 serving sizes total.

For the VEGETABLE lover:

Beetroot & Leek Gratin

Ingredients:

4 large beetroots
2 large leeks
½ cup cashews, soaked overnight or in hot water for at least 30 minutes
1 (400g) tin coconut milk
½ cup non-dairy milk
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
½ tsp black pepper
½ salt
5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

Instructions:

Pre heat your oven to 390F.
Slice your beetroots with a mandolin (you want it a few centimeters thick) or use a sharp knife to thinly slice your beetroots.
Slice your leeks about half an inch thick.
Layer your beetroot and leeks on top of each other in a large baking tray
Drain your cashews, add to a blender along with coconut milk, non-dairy milk, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, mustard, black pepper, salt. Blend until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan, pull the thyme leaves off the twigs and add the bay leaves. Heat on medium heat until just boiling.
Pour the mixture over the veggies, cover in foil and bake for 40 mins.
Remove from the oven, take off the tin foil and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Serve hot!