If you have a special someone you would like to give a valentine to, think outside the box this year.
Cards, flowers and chocolate are traditional Valentine gifts. They’re great, but what if you decide to make dinner and dessert?
Dinner can be overwhelming if you think of it as one job. Thinking of all the steps at one time can be mind-boggling. Break the meal into pieces and tackle one at a time.
First, plan what you want to serve. Think of your Valentine’s favorite foods. Balance the meal with a salad, vegetable, protein source and starch. Each item can have one or more steps to prepare.
Next, think about how you would like to serve the meal. Dinner in a bowl can speed serving and clean up a lot. Instead of serving each food item separately, layer the meal in an individual bowl, starting with chopped greens on the bottom.
Make the longest cooking time item first. Most likely it is the protein item. If you are short on time, purchase precooked chicken or ham cubes from the deli. This is also an opportunity to use leftover meats like grilled chicken. Canned tuna or chicken work well, too.
Next item, the starch. Whole grains are easy to cook on top of the stove. Whole grain rice makes a great next layer.
A vegetable item gives color and crunch to the meal. Choose a vegetable which is easy to cook. Frozen French style green beans, shredded raw carrots or black bean corn salsa all work.
Finally, add a topping. Croutons, crunchy noodles, chopped olives, whatever your Valentine favors.
Putting it all together will give you a true sense of accomplishment. If you want to keep chocolate on the menu, here is a great recipe that uses a secret ingredient — black beans. It uses a brownie mix which speeds up the preparation time and makes the recipe full proof. Enjoy!
Black Bean Brownies
15 oz black beans, canned rinsed
1 package brownie mix, no fudge
1 cup water
In a blender, mix rinsed black beans and water. Blend until smooth. Combine with brownie mix and bake according to package directions.
