When Valentine’s Day or an anniversary comes around it can be tempting to head to the mall and buy your girlfriend or boyfriend a gift. It’s a lot easier spending money in stores rather than thinking up fun and interesting gift ideas on your own. Unfortunately, presents that are bought at the mall are usually pretty generic and boring. There isn’t that special feeling that comes with a personal and unique gift. In order to get a truly memorable present, people should consider making romantic dinners for special occasions and events. It doesn’t matter if the food isn’t spectacular, all that counts is the effort and love that is put into the cooking. Here are some healthy meals that can be prepared for romantic occasions.
Roast beef and pan-seared vegetables
While this might not sounds like a particularly healthy dish, it can be as long as it’s prepared properly. Instead of choosing cuts that are high in fat, like prime rib, you should choose leaner cuts such as round or rump roasts. The fat content in these cuts is a lot lower and the amount of healthy proteins in them is a lot higher. It’s also really important to marinate the meats with low fat seasonings such as fresh herbs and olive oil. Try to avoid marinades that are high in artificial flavors such as pre-packaged seasonings and bottled sauces. Heavy sauces and marinades can increase the fat content in roasts by quite a bit. If you keep the marinades fresh and seasonal then roasts will come out tasty but still healthy. Pan-searing the vegetables in olive oil is a great way to give them flavor while retaining all of the nutrients and crunchiness in them.
Steamed salmon and mashed potatoes
Salmon is a great dish because it tastes great and it’s easy to prepare. As long as you have an oven and a bit of tinfoil, it’s possible to make an elegant but tasty salmon dinner. The first thing that needs to be done is the marinating of the salmon fillets. A few drops of olive oil and some springs of rosemary should be placed on the fillets which should then be placed on sheets of tinfoil. The foil should then be folded over the salmon fillets and placed into an oven that’s heated to 375 degrees. After about 15 minutes the salmon should be done and about ready to serve. In order to avoid the cream and butter that’s usually put into mashed potatoes, skimmed milk and low-fat margarine can be used instead. It’s also important to whip the potatoes well since this will give them a fluffy and creamy texture. This is a simple but still healthy meal that comes across as very impressive and thoughtful.
These are two terrific dishes that you can make for any romantic occasion. Instead of wracking your brain for gift ideas for boyfriends or girlfriends, consider making them a home cooked meal. The fact that you’ve spent time in the kitchen making a meal from the heart makes this one of the most romantic giftsanyone can give.
Marination (Photo credit: moyrj)
