Valentine's Dinner: Pomegranate Salad, Beet Soup, Tomato Pizza, and Brownies

I decided to make a 4 course meal for dinner this Valentine's Day. My husband would normally make me dinner on this holiday, or we would go out, but due to his work schedule, and my desire to try out some new dishes, I decided to do it. So I chose a theme...Red (I know, very original), and from there, came up with these fun dishes, most of which are raw too!

Pomegranate Salad

3 cups fresh spinach

Seeds from 1 Pomegranate

1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw cashews

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1-2 tsp pomegranate juice

Makes 2 big servings.

Divide spinach and place on each plate. Sprinkle on pomegranate seeds. Top with cashews. Splash with lemon and pomegranate juices and enjoy!

I loved the sweetness of the pomegranates and the creaminess of the cashews. The dressing was light and sweet. A perfect start to the meal. :) 

Beet Soup

(This is from my book "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz)

2 beets, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 avocado

First peel and chop up the beets and add to the blender. Since I don't have a high speed blender, I put them in the food processor first, then once they were pretty well processed, put them in the blender and added the apple and lemon juice and a little water. Last I added the avocado. You just add water until you have a consistency you are happy with. I recommend eating this right away. I made it the day before and it tasted great, but when I pulled it out of the fridge the next day, it was not as good (probably because of the avocado- they are always best when eaten immediately after peeled).

I would probably not try this for someone who is not used to raw foods, and isn't used to the earthy, root flavor of the raw beets. This was not my husband's favorite. However, he didn't taste it right after I made it; he might have liked it better if he had.

Veggie Pizza

You can see my veggie pizza post here. I made it with marinated mushroom, a little marinated zucchini, and with lots of tomatoes and basil, since I was trying to keep with the Valentine's Day theme of RED. :)


Last but not least...

Raw Brownies!

(I based this off of a recipe in Judita Wignall's book "Going Raw," but made some changes.) 

I admit I was skeptical at first, looking at the ingredients. How good can these be with just raisins, dates, almonds, and unsweetened chocolate powder? Let me tell you...they are amazing! My husband and son both loved them (for those who know them both, you know this is HUGE!). My husband said they were more like fudge than brownies. I made half the brownie recipe and the full frosting recipe, and the frosting did taste like fudge, so that is probably why. Try them and see for yourself how good a raw brownie can be!

Brownie ingredients:
4 cups raw almonds, soaked 8 hours and dehydrated (the original recipe calls for walnuts, which I couldn't use since my son is allergic, but I'm sure they would be great as well.)
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup dates
2/3 cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa if you don't have raw cacao)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla (alcohol free- such as from Trader Joe's)
pinch sea salt
2 Tbsp water 

Frosting ingredients: 
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
2/3 cup cacao powder

Blend nuts (in food processor or high speed blender) into a fine meal. Add raisins and dates and blend until well combined. Add cacao, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and blend until mixed. Transfer to a bowl and add the water (you might need to add a little more if needed). Mix with your hands until you have a nice big ball that resembles dough (be careful not to put too much water in though- it should not be sticky, just nicely moistened). Press the dough firmly into a glass square baking pan. Spread the frosting on top and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.

To make frosting:
Add maple syrup (must be room temperature or warm) to the blender or food processor. Then add liquid coconut oil and blend. Finally add cacao powder. You will end up with a very rich dark chocolate frosting (this would probably be great for cupcakes or other desserts as well- no hydrogenated oil or refined sugar!).

------------------------------------------

I had a great Valentine's Day. For the first time I realized that I don't need candy or sugary baked goods to celebrate this holiday. We gave each other valentine's cards and presents, I got a great work out, went to the park with my boys, and ate highly energizing REAL food that tasted great, but most importantly, made me feel great. :)

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day as well and hope you enjoy these recipes!