Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner and Dessert Recipes
Easily pound chicken… without a mess! Michelle Dudash, Registered Dietitian, Chef and Creator of the 4Real Food Reboot, shares tips on to create an amazing Valentine’s Day dinner, along with some romance for dessert!
- Kick off the romance with a Champagne cocktail.
Champagne is so romantic and I just love starting out a meal with some bubbly. You can make it more special by shaking up a Champagne cocktail, like this POMtini Royale.
I work with The POM Wonderful and I love their 100% pomegranate juice since it is made with just pomegranates! There are 2 whole pomegranates in this 8-ounce bottle, giving you antioxidants from the rind, pith and arils, and no added sugar. I love using it in recipes, too, with its slightly sweet, slightly tart taste.
- My Boozy Chicken Marsala is a fan favorite, offering something special, but with simple ingredients.
My husband absolutely loves this recipe! It’s pretty simple to prepare and keeps you feeling light, with under 350 calories and 28 g protein per serving.
You can serve this with rice pilaf.
- Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Encrusted with Pistachios
This combination is a match made in heaven!
I love using the no-shell Wonderful Pistachios, which are really convenient and ready to go into your favorite recipes.
Pistachios offer a trio of fiber, plant-protein, and good-for-you fats to help you feel full, and they’re one of the lowest fat snack nuts giving you 49 nuts per 1-ounce serving.
I just crush the pistachios in a bag. Dip the strawberries in melted dark chocolate, then roll in the pistachios. The presentation is really striking and they’re a crowd pleaser, too!To learn more, visit www.get4real.com.
POMtini Royale
1 oz. freshly squeezed pomegranate juice* or POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
3/4 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur**
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. triple syrup***
Champagne
- Assemble the first five ingredients in a mixing glass and shake well with ice.
- Strain into a flute and top with champagne
* This cocktail can be made with freshly squeezed juice from a large POM Wonderful Pomegranate or by using POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. To juice the pomegranate, cut it in half (as you would a grapefruit) and juice using a citrus reamer or a juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. One large POM Wonderful Pomegranate will produce about 1/2 cup of juice.
*** Triple syrup is a combination of simple syrup, honey syrup and agave syrup. All the syrups are made by dissolving the sweet ingredient into an equal amount of water. To make 1 pint of triple syrup, mix 5 ounces of each syrup together.Michelle’s tips:
**Or you may substitute with Gran Marnier
***Or for two cocktail servings you may simply dissolve 2 tsp. agave syrup or honey with 2 tsp. water in place of the triple syrup.https://www.pomwonderful.com/recipes/drinks/pom-mimosa-mocktailhttps://www.michelledudash.com/2012/01/25/chicken-marsala-with-cremini-mushrooms-and-garlic-recipe/
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries Encrusted with Pistachios
1 container strawberries, long-stem strawberries preferred
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 cup no-shell Wonderful Pistachios
Wash and blot dry the strawberries.
Crush the pistachios in a bag with a spoon or mallet.
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in 30-second increments in the microwave. Stirring frequently. Stir in the coconut oil.
Dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off, then roll in the pistachios.