VALENTINE DAY MEAL IDEAS

There were a couple of recipes, that I had in mind, to share here but the past few weeks have been very busy and taxing, leaving me no time or energy, to share what I had in mind. One of the posts involved lots of chocolaty deliciousness but in a healthy way. Will probably try and share it later this month. But for those of you, who celebrate the V. Day, I have compiled a few recipes that will help you plan your special day. Some of these recipes are make–ahead kind, others require little effort and a few others are love’s labour. After all, the way to one’s heart, is through the stomach 😀

For breakfast, I have picked up both sweet and savory options. The sweet ones, that I have shared here, include gluten free, vegan Orange & Chocolate Chickpea Flour Pancakes and a few chia puddings, since they come together fast, deliver on taste and most people love them. So, there are two chia pudding parfait – the Chocolate Masala Milk and Pumpkin & Espresso. Then there is Millet Porridge that I mostly serve with strawberry compote and Dahi Chiwda which is a rice based Indian breakfast (does not require cooking) which is flattened rice that is served with yogurt and fresh fruits. (you can find the picture for all these dishes, below)

For those who prefer savory for their breakfast, there are pancakes and sandwiches. For a quick bite, make the filling for the sandwiches the night before and all you need to do the next morning is fill the bread and toast it. Simple! A few delicious options I have shared here include the Herbed Mushroom Toasties, Pickled Scrambled Egg Toasties and Peas & Paneer Toasties. And if pancakes are your thing, then there are these beautifully light and delicious Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Pancakes. While the Curried Quinoa Pumpkin Pancakes are crispy and spicy. The protein rich  Mung Bean Pancakes are another great way to kick start your day. These pancakes can be paired with a light salad and turned into brunch. (all dishes are shown in the pictures below)

Speaking of salad, I have handpicked these favorites – Potato Beetroot Salad (this pairs great with mutton chops or any grilled food), Fruit ColeslawPuy Lentil Salad (feel free to add any protein of your choice instead of egg) Quinoa Chickpea Salad and Sprouted Mung Bean Salad Canapes (they are great for parties too).

Since we are teetotalers, I can only share some natural healthy drinks such as the non-alcoholic Hibiscus Kinnow Sangria or the Pom Limeade and the Pineapple Jaljeera (this sweet, sour, spicy drink acts as an appetizer and a digestive) You can check the rest of the drinks recipes here (use ‘drinks & beverages’ search word) as some are served hot and can be enjoyed as nightcap drink.

Non vegetarians can indulge in this really healthy, tasty, easy and quick Oregano Chicken or you can go for Moroccan Spiced Chicken Drumsticks. Both the recipes need the chicken to be marinated and that is all the work you are required to do – preparing the marinade. Or you can try the shallow fried Pepper Chicken (this recipe is fool proof and I promise you, the chicken won’t turn out dry). For those of you, who do not mind having garlic, I highly recommend trying these Yogurt Garlic Mutton Chops.

Interested in a curry? There is Goan Prawn Curry that is delightfully simple and easy, comes together in under half an hour and is finger licking good. And so is this tangy Tamarind Coconut Fish Curry. For those wanting to have something not too spicy, there is Cream Chicken (it is not a rich curry as the name suggests…it is made sans cream) and Baked Chicken Korma (give it a shot. It requires very little preparation time and apart from making the marinade, all the work is done by the oven)

Vegetarians have an option for these Baked Layered Potatoes in Sour Cream (so good!), not in picture though. How I wish I had shared my Vegetable Au Gratin recipe here. It is my family’s favorite. Will try and share soon. Anyways, there is Malabar Vegetable Stew that is a delicately spiced, coconut milk based vegan curry. An easy and deliciously creamy yogurt-based curry is the Tadka Dahi Aloo (Tempered Yogurt Potatoes) that can be enjoyed with any Indian flatbread of your choice. There is also an easy recipe (that also happens to be a mild curry) for the Paneer Kofta Curry. It is kofta curry in a hurry kind of recipe. Since Dal Makhani requires time, so I won’t recommend making it on the d-day. Instead, I vehemently suggest making it a day in advance because it tastes way better the next day. So it is a win-win kind of recipe.

And if you are looking for rice based dish, the vegetarians have an option for Kale Moti Biryani (Black Chickpea Biryani) while the non vegetarians can enjoy Yakhni Pulav (a delicately spiced, mutton pilaf) and the Awadhi Murg Biryani (chicken biryani) that really needs no introduction. The Lemon Rice goes well with the Goan Prawn Curry and even the Mutton Chops.

The options for Indian desserts is pretty huge and I have picked up some easy recipes that require little time and can be made ahead. Nariyal Ladoo (Coconut Laddu), Sabudana Kheer (Pearl Sago Pudding), Samvat Chawal Kheer (Barnyard Millet Pudding), Instant Kalakand (Milk & Ricotta Cheese Fudge), Strawberry Shrikhand (Indian version of Strawberry Greek Yogurt). For the shrikhand, you can add any fruit of your choice instead of strawberry, if you wish to. And last but not the least, the Seviyan which is a pudding made from thin, long cut vermicelli. Most desserts mentioned here are refined sugar free.

But if you are a game for something indulgent and do not mind spending some time on it, here are your options (all can be made a day ahead) Kesari Kheer (Saffron Rice Pudding), Gajar Burfi (Carrot Fudge), Chhena Poda (Burnt Indian Cheesecake) and these fancy Mava & Nuts Pop Tarts or these Baked Nutella Samosas.

If Indian desserts did not manage to entice you, there are some fancy western / European desserts that might catch your attention. I will begin with the French dessert called Iles Flottante which has vanilla perfumed marshmallowy meringue that sits atop custard perfumed with orange zest…a delicate and beautiful pudding. Since I am a sucker for citrus in my bakes and puddings, another French favorite is the Orange Crème Caramel (not in the picture). There three kinds of chocolate mousse recipes that I shared earlier. One is an Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse, which is gluten free and vegan, the other is Avocado Nutella Mousse, which is egg free and which that I love to serve in ice cream cones. You also can try these gluten free and vegan Chocolate Chia Mousse Tartlets. And how can I not share Tiramisu! For the chocolate lovers, there is another delicious treat which is the Thandai Chocolate Bark (you can use additives of your choice)

And before I wind up the post, here are some dessert cookies. Dulce de Leche Oats Sandwich Cookies (a mixed bag I would say, since there are the healthy oats and the indulgent dulce de leche), Figs & Walnuts Espresso Walnut Cookies (filled with glossy chocolate ganache, these cookies are a treat especially for coffee lovers), Custard Powder Thumbprint Cookies (these are melt in the mouth kind of cookies and raspberry chia jam brings a lovely mild tangy hit), Nankhatai (cardamom spiced Indian shortbread cookies) and No bake Pinwheel Cookies (these ‘cookies’ require basic kitchen staples and turn out delicious with very little work involved). Enjoy!

Thank you for your visit and see you soon again with another exciting post!

4 thoughts on “VALENTINE DAY MEAL IDEAS

  1. To heck with Valentine’s Day. I think you just laid out several months of meal planning. thanks! BTW – I love your herbed mushrooms toasties. I’ve made them a couple of times using my toas-tite.

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