I’ve always viewed Valentine’s Day as more of a holiday for kids to celebrate. Making little cards for your classmates at school, trading conversation hearts with your friends, and eating excessive amounts of chocolate (okay maybe the last one applies to adults too).
However, I believe that in a relationship, especially one that’s been pretty long running, you have to still put in the effort to stay romantic. For Dan and me, that means a nice dinner for two at home on Valentine’s Day. [blockquote size=”full|half|third|fourth|two-thirds|three-fourths” align=”left|center|right”]I like the idea of getting dressed up in a red dress and going out to dinner with all the other couples but to be completely honest, I don’t like pre-fix menus that most restaurants offer on V-day. I need options, especially when it comes to food.[/blockquote]
I love cooking something special for dinner. However, I’ve done this enough times to know that feeling like your gut is going to burst because you’ve gorged out on too much food is not very romantic. I’ve learned the following tips to prepare a meal that is still indulgent and special, but not insanely heavy or unhealthy.
- Keep it simple or you’ll just end up with way too much food for two people
- Pick a fancy salad or lighter appetizer, you don’t want to fill up before the main entree
- If you have a heavier side dish or bread-based appetizer, skip the extra rolls or bread with dinner
- Try to avoid heavy sauces to accompany your main entree
- Remember to eat your veggies! They can really lighten up a meal but still add great flavor. Add a little pizazz by trying a new vegetable recipe or top them off with fresh parmesan cheese or toasted almonds
- Indulge in dessert, but keep portion sizes small or even better, make just one and share it together
I’ve rounded up some of my Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two meal ideas on pinterest! Below are my top choices for the big day, with the links to the recipe sources below.
Picture sources, from top left:
Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Tart
Pancetta and Brussels Sprouts Linguini
Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower Pomegranate Salad
Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil Curry Mayo
Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake
Follow me on pinterest to see more of my Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas and all kinds of other great boards to follow!
[…] using Pinterest to create meal inspiration boards for upcoming holidays. You can see my previous Valentine’s Day Inspiration Board here. Easter is no exception and I’ve created a collection of Healthier Easter Recipe […]