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!).

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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!

Zesty Avocado Salad

After eating a big bowl of homemade vegetable soup, I was craving something fresh and raw. So I looked in my refrigerator and put these simple ingredients together. But don't let the simplicity of this salad fool you. I was surprised to find it bursting with flavor and extremely satisfying! (This is why you should always have lots of fresh, raw foods in your fridge... you never know what tasty meals you can create!)

Zesty Avocado Salad

(Vegan, almost raw)

1 avocado, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 cup organic corn (Raw is ideal, frozen (but thawed) is next best, or canned... but make sure you get organic or else it will have GMOs in it)

Lemon juice

Chili powder

Cayenne pepper

Salt

Toss the avocado, tomato, and corn together. Squeeze some lemon juice on top (from the lemons you always keep in your fridge because they are so good for you & great additions to salads and smoothies :) ). Season with chili powder, a dash of cayenne (more if you want it spicier), and salt (if your corn is salt free). Add beans for a heartier and more filling salad. Sprouts would also be a welcome addition. :)

Fresh Beet Salad

Yes, you can eat beets raw. I used to think you had to cook them. They can taste a little...rooty...if you take a bite of a raw beet, but grating them and adding to salads can taste truly wonderful and refreshing! (Not to mention an easy dish and great way to get some Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Fiber, Folate, Potassium, and Manganese-- click here for a full description of nutrition facts for beets.)

Fresh Beet Salad

1 beet, peeled and grated

Choice of greens (I used a Spring Mix here)

Garbanzo or other beans (if you want to eat completely raw then omit this ingredient)

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Salt

Fill your plate with greens. Top with grated beets and garbanzo beans. Squeeze lemon juice from 1/4 lemon (to taste), drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt.

I had 3 platefuls of this and was incredibly satisfied. It was almost as if I could feel the live energy from the raw beets and all the leafy greens I had piled on my plate so generously. The beans definitely made it more hearty, if you are not eating 100% raw and need some extra plant-based protein. :)

Day 10- Spinach Pesto Pasta & Bell Pepper Salad

Tonight I made a delicious and very easy pesto to add to my pasta. It was inspired by a recipe in my book "Going Raw" by Judita Wignall. 

Spinach Pesto Pasta

1 package cooked Rotini pasta (I used Quinoa pasta)

Pesto:
2 cups fresh spinach, packed
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts (soaked for 6-8 hours)

To make pesto: blend spinach, garlic, salt, lemon juice & olive oil in food processor until smooth. Add walnuts and blend until as smooth as you like (she suggests you make it chunky, but I liked it more smooth).

(Note: This pesto is all raw ingredients (nothing is cooked), so it won't be hot when you add it to the pasta. If your pasta is warm, it will make the sauce a little warmer, and that is how I ate it. If you want you can heat up the pesto, but just realize that you won't get as much nutrition out of it that way.)

Bell Pepper Salad

The salad was simply romaine lettuce, with chopped bell peppers of every color (red, yellow, orange, and green). It was great with some organic italian dressing, but would have been better with more veggies to add more flavor & texture. (The next day I added avocado & sunflower seeds to the leftover salad & it was 10 times better. More filling too.)

Day 3- Pear Cashew Salad & Broccoli Carrot Salad

Today's menu:

Breakfast- 5 grain hot cereal* with blueberries & walnuts, & a banana
Lunch- Pear Cashew Salad
Snack- Kale Smoothie (kale, water, 2 bananas, an orange, frozen mangoes, flax seed oil, cashews, walnuts, & hemp seeds)
Dinner- Broccoli Carrot Salad

* = not raw

Today the highlight was my completely invented Pear Cashew Salad. I am creating my own dishes because I don't have all the ingredients yet to make the recipes in my new raw food books. So I'm experimenting with what I do have. I liked this Pear salad. The pear gave a sweeter taste to the kale which I really liked. It was fresh, and even a little nutty, with the cashews.

Pear Cashew Salad

Kale

Pears, chopped

Raw cashews

Hemp seed

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Broccoli Carrot Salad

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets

Carrots, grated

Apple, chopped

Avocado, diced

Hemp seed

Goji berries (soaked for 20 mins)

Lemon juice

Olive oil  

This still needs some tweaking. I will let you know when I come up with a broccoli salad that I like more.  

Day 1- Super Waldorf Salad

Today I created a definite raw food winner! It looked so beautiful with all the colors, & almost radiated positive energy before I even took a bite. Of course, the taste didn't disappoint & I have a feeling this will become a weekly standard.

Super Waldorf Salad

Ingredients: 

Organic spinach

Organic romaine hearts

Organic apple, chopped

Organic carrot, grated

Raw walnuts

Organic, Raw Hemp seeds

Dried Cranberries

Green bell pepper

Lemon juice

A touch of organic Raspberry Viniagrette 

First I placed a handful of spinach on a plate, followed by a handful of chopped romaine hearts. I combined the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and mixed well. Then I topped the greens with the "waldorf" mixture. Pretty easy!

The superfoods in this salad (hemp seeds & spinach) make this Super Waldorf Salad. :)

From my reading so far, I have found that hemp seeds are a great addition to salads, smoothies, etc, because they have a high amount of protein (10 grams per 3 Tbsp). They are very soft seeds and taste great too! You can find them in a health food store.

This was a very delicious & filling dinner!