How To Create Heart Healthy Dishes For Valentine’s Day
Every time Valentine’s or Heart’s Day comes, people become fond of sweets. Chocolates from their special someone is common and everyone enjoys receiving and then eating those yummy chocolates.
These days, everyone is quite health conscious so they keep checking their health during holidays or festivities. So, when you cannot enjoy the sweets every Valentine’s or Heart’s Day, create a wholesome or healthy meal to compensate for the missed sweet treat.
It is perfectly alright to savor a few healthy treats during Valentine’s or Heart’s Day. There are a few tips on how you’ll make healthy food which you could serve not only to your special partner but also for the whole family. Just apply some new cooking techniques to create these wholesome meals.
Since Valentine’s or Heart’s Day is more on baked goodies, why not plan and cook an entirely different meal that is healthier. Instead of serving candies, chocolates or cookies, try to offer your guests and family a bunch of fresh vegetables and juicy fruits.
The veggies may be garnished with creamy or grated cheese or drizzled with a bit of ranch salad dressing. The fruits may also be served with tasty sauces or fruit-flavored yoghurts.
When you will serve white meat like chicken for appetizer, use breaded chunks of chicken rather than the typical wings. You’ll have chicken meat but with lesser calories.
Breasts of a chicken or turkey are healthier and even better if you could serve them skinless or boneless. Just roll it in butter and cook. Another way to serve your chicken is to accompany it with hot or spicy sauce. This allows everybody to stimulate their cravings.
If you’re going to serve salad, first wash the croutons with a little bit of butter and then bake them. They will become crunchier and contain little fats. When you want your salad to be crunchier, a dash of seeds from sunflower can do the trick.
For those who do not like to munch vegetables, you may still serve them some veggies, just conceal them inside their soup. Vegetable soup fills your stomach easier. This day just requires very simple but flavorful soup. You just need to keep in mind to match your soup to the meals that you’re planning to serve.
Cooking healthy main dishes for the occasion is probably the most challenging part since it’s hard to eat wholesome or healthy food when there is a celebration ongoing.
Valentine’s or Heart’s day is no exemption since you hardly check your health or body when you are enjoying the occasion. On the other hand, you will be fine when you just focus on lean meats such as beef and chicken. When you still want healthier substitutes, you are free to add sea foods in your recipes.
To create a wholesome Valentine’s or Heart’s Day dishes, serve your food with wholesome and non-fattening ingredients. If the recipe needs heavy or whipped cream, you are allowed to replace it with a light one.
As much as possible, refrain from using huge amounts of salt in your dishes. A dash of spice and seasoning is enough to create that taste you’re looking for and add flavor as well. Don’t overdo it.
Your Valentine’s or Hart’s Day may be healthy. You just need some skills in creating sumptuous meals and some low-calorie ingredients. Besides, when you adore and love somebody you want him or her to live longer so you two can have many Valentine’s or Heart’s Day together. Eat well and eat healthier.
7 Fish Feast For A Sumptuous & Traditional Start Of The Italian Holiday
Aside from Christmas, Italians commemorate another festival loaded with great food and merry making. Italian people particularly the Italian Christians observe this 1 night of festive and delicious fish dishes.
The night before Christmas, Italian Seven-Fishes-Feast is observed and enjoyed. This rich belief is considered a big gathering because families, friends and loved ones meet and share some sumptuous meals made from several kinds of fishes.
Almost all fishes found in the Mediterranean territory are served during this occasion. All kinds of fishes including Anchovies and Eel are prepared to bring color and fun to this special festivity. The special event is observed by almost all Italians all over the globe.
How The Celebration Started
There’s no definite explanation for the Seven-Fishes-Feast. Some people just merely give assumptions and opinions. Many agree that Seven-Fish-Feast is based on the number of days when God created Earth. Although no factual evidence can prove this notion, Italians who are Christians believe in it. Aside from this thought, many people claim the Seven-Fish-Feast is based on the 7 major sins of mankind.
Every fish symbolizes a sin. However, it’s another speculation. Regardless of how it started or where it was derived from, almost all Italians believe in celebrating this festivity event even if they’re in their country or overseas.
Delicious Recipes For The Unique Event
Just like other traditions and events, Seven-Fishes-Feast isn’t explained through science. No explanations on how and why this occasion exists. But believers of this tradition do not need any certain explanations about the occasion.
They prepare food and enjoy the festivity based on their understanding of the said tradition. They even prepare the yummy fish menus according to tastes and discretion. You cook or prepare the fishes according to your liking. There were no exact rules given on how you are going to prepare the menus.
Even if you make a yummy casserole dish of tasty Anchovies or sea bass coked using some kosher salt, one thing is common – everything is plain. You use recipes according to how you interpret the festivity. The rules aren’t cut and dried.
You are likely to savor several seafood recipes prepared and served during the occasion. The most important thing about this festivity is to bring relatives, friends and families together. The tasty fish menus are just bonuses they get from the great occasion. The important thing is all the family gathers.
Why Include Eel?
Technically, Eel cannot be classified as fish. However, Italians agree that Eel plays a vital part during the celebration during the night of Christmas. Eel recipes are commonly created using a special sauce which the party hosts prepares.
During the occasion, no guest will bring any Eel dishes since its part of their tradition to let the party host make this recipe. Everyone will have a chance to taste this delicious Eel menu and enjoy knowing it symbolizes fortune.
Turkey Minestrone Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 c of chopped turkey
Pepper
Salt
1/4 c of cooked Orzo pasta
2 chopped tomatoes
1 c of cooked spinach; chopped
6 c of turkey broth
1 c of peeled potatoes; cut into squares
1 c of peeled carrots; chopped
2 garlic cloves; minced
1 chopped onion
1 celery stalks
1 c of chopped string-beans
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of sage
3 Tbsps of oil (olive)
Instructions:
Saute spices, garlic, celery & onions in oil ’til veggies turn opaque. You add potatoes & carrots then saute about 5 mins. You add the turkey, stock, tomatoes, spinach & beans then simmer for 20 mins. You add the orzo five minutes prior to serving.
>> Turkey Minestrone Recipe
Soba Noodle Soup with Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
4 Tbsps of chopped cilantro
1 c of beansprouts
1 teaspoon of rice-vinegar
1 Tablespoon of soysauce
1/2 c of chopped turkey
1-inch pc whole ginger
3 minced scallions
4 c of chicken broth
1/2 pack of cooked soba-noodles
Instructions:
Have broth simmered w/ vinegar, soysauce, ginger, scallions & turkey about 10 mins. Then discard the ginger. You place the noodles onto 2 bowls w/ cilantro & sprouts . Add the broth then serve.
>> Soba Noodle Soup with Turkey Recipe
Ginger-Pecan Shortbread Coins Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of finely-diced ginger (crystallized)
1/2 c of toasted pecans
1/8 teaspoon of seasalt
1 c of flour
1/4 c of Florida-Crystals sugar
1 cold butter stick; cut onto 8 pcs
Instructions:
Cream sugar & butter together w/ electric mixer about 3 mins. You add ginger, pecans, salt & flour. You gather dough then place it on waxpaper & roll it into log. Have it chilled about half an hour.
You unroll the log & slice it into half-inch coins then bake them on flat bake sheet at three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 mins ’til golden. Cool on racks once done.
>> Ginger-Pecan Shortbread Coins Recipe