HEALTHY VALENTINE’S DAY

Being that it’s the month of love, the incurable romantic in me is screaming to be let free and instead of making this month’s blog topic all about heart health (as one would expect from a reflexologist) I have opted to rather bring you a healthy 3 course Valentine’s Dinner menu.

Menu Prawns with Asparagus and Avocado Green Salad with Chicken Breast Nut & Fig Hearts

I hope you will enjoy making this meal for that special someone as much as I enjoyed compiling the menu. Seeing that life is short and uncertain eat dessert first (well in this case start making the nut hearts first, as in 48hrs before Valentine's Day) I would suggest on the day that you tackle the mains first and lastly the prawn starter as you would want this dish as fresh as possible to get the most of the flavours and textures.

Nut & Fig Hearts

(with mango, rose water & rose petals)

Prep & Cook Time: 20 min Drying Time: 48h Difficulty: Easy Makes 12 Hearts

Cannot be frozen

Ingredients:

75g | ½ cup whole almonds 75g | ½ cup pistachios 4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 400g| 2 cups dried figs, stalks removed 1 tbsp raw honey 1 tbsp rose water

To Serve: Fresh Mango Slices Rose Petal

Method:

Place the almonds, pistachios & sesame seeds in a food processor, pulse until they are finely chopped then pour into a bowl.
Roughly chop the figs then place in the processor and blend to make a paste. Scrape the paste into the bowl of nuts, add the honey and rose water and mix together with your hands.
Press the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to set for 48hrs.
Cut heart shapes from the mixture and serve garnished with rose petals and fresh mango slices. Recipe from Tasty Guides: Paleo Recipes p.109

Green Salad with Chicken Breast

Prep & Cook Time: 40 min Difficulty: Easy Serves: 2

Cannot be frozen

Ingredients:

50g | ½ cup pine nuts 4 tbsp flaxseed oil or olive oil 4 small pears, cut in half 2 kiwi fruit, peeled & sliced

2 handfuls mixed salad leaves

2 sprigs dill, finely chopped

Optional for those not on a Paleo Diet Crumbled blue cheese scattered over the salad.

Method:

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the oil to the pan and fry the pear halves, cut side down, until lightly browned. Remove the pears and set aside.
Fry the chicken breasts until cooked through then remove from the pan and slice.
Arrange the pears, chicken slices, kiwi fruit and leaves on serving plates. Scatter over the pine nuts and chopped dill and serve Recipe from Tasty Guides: Paleo Recipes p.36

Prawns with Asparagus and Avocado

Prep & Cook Time: 30 min

Difficulty: Moderately easy Serves: 4

Cannot be frozen

Ingredients:

Prawns 30ml | 2 tbsp butter

30ml | 2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

30ml | 2 tbsp Italian parsley

16 prawns, in their shells, deveined

Juice of 2 lemons

Asparagus

100g young asparagus spears (6 per portion)

10ml | 2 tsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Avocado

1 avocado

5 ml | 2 tsp lemon juice

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

Tomato & Chilli Sauce

2 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced

pinch of sugar

1 red chilli, seeded & finely chopped

10ml | 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

10ml | 2 tsp soya sauce

Method:

To prepare the prawns Melt the butter with the olive oil in a pan / wok, add the garlic, chilli and parsley and fry for 1 minute. Add the prawns and stir-fry until done. *Prawns turn pink when cooked.* Pour the lemon juice over.
For the asparagus Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the asparagus and salt and boil for about 2 minutes, until al dente. Drain. Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the asparagus quickly (30 seconds) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
The avocado should be mashed with a fork until smooth. Add the lemon juice, chilli, salt and pepper and mix well.
To make the tomato and chilli sauce Heat the tomatoes in a saucepan and the sugar, chilli, balsamic vinegar and soya sauce. Boil over medium heat until soft. Blend in a food processor until smooth.

To Serve: Arrange the asparagus in a warm glass. Spoon the avocado alongside the asparagus with the prawns on top. Drizzle with tomato and chilli sauce and serve.

Recipe from Pasella Cooks – Book 1 p.122