Recipes * Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day can be a landmine of food choices – all that chocolate usually equals sugar + dairy, two things we avoid on THM®. Or maybe you indulge in rich foods, and all that fat could float you to China. Perhaps you order one of those “dinner for two” specials, and that means you’re stuck eating red meat.
It’s always good to have a few recipes in the Very Special Meal category. Today’s recipes will tickle your tastebuds, crush your cravings, and give you energy for … well, exercise.
We’ll start with the main dish – one fish, one chicken, and one vegan.
Salmon in Orange-Ginger Cream Sauce
Yellow ~ serves 4
3/4 cup Vegenaise
3/4 cup Whole Soy plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 Tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 6-8 ounce salmon fillets
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Vegenaise, soy yogurt, ginger, orange zest, orange juice, and capers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil 1-1/2 cups water. Add the peppercorns and bay leaf, and simmer for 3 minutes. Place the salmon fillets in a 9×13 baking dish, and pour the water over the fillets. Put the pan in the oven, and let the fish poach for 20-30 minutes, or until the fish is flaky.
Carefully remove the fish from the water, and serve with the chilled cream sauce.
Chicken Paillards with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Wilted Greens
Purple ~ serves 4
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved and trimmed of fat and membranes
1-2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cups assorted organic salad greens
Flatten each breast half into a paillard by pounding it between two pieces of wax paper with a mallet or rolling pin or heavy skillet. You can make them paper-thin, or as thick as 1/4 inch.
Place the garlic, mustard, vinegar, and olive oil in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend until the mixture starts to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place the paillards in a large shallow ceramic or glass container, and pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade over them. Cover and let them sit at room temperature no longer than 1 hour, or refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Refrigerate the remaining marinade separately.
Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Remove as much of the marinade as possible from the paillards and discard. When the skillet is hot, add 2 paillards, reduce heat to medium and dook for about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Repeat with the other 2 paillards.
Serve the hot paillards, whole or shredded, over the greens, which will wilt from the heat. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the paillards.
Lentils and Roasted Leeks
Blue/Green ~ Serves 4
4 organic leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half lengthwise, and carefully washed to remove all sand
4 organic tomatoes, halved
4 Tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
cracked black pepper
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 15-ounce cans lentils
1/2 cup chopped organic flat leaf parsley
3 Tablespoons mirin
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Place the leeks cut side up on a baking sheet and top with the tomatoes, also cut side up. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the leeks and tomatoes are soft. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic for 1 minute or until soft. Add the lentils and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes to let the flavors come together. To serve, place the leeks and tomatoes on serving plates. Stir the parsley, mirin, salt, and pepper to taste into the lentils. Spoon the lentils over the leeks and tomatoes, and serve.
