Hey friends – are you ready for Valentine’s Day tomorrow? Whether you’re spending the day with a significant other, family member, or friend, cooking for them is always a nice way to show you care. I’ve put together a list of my favorite Easy & Healthy Valentine’s Day Recipes for you to make to show someone you love them – and care about their health – without spending all day in the kitchen. :)
Vegan Strawberry Scones – These easy vegan scones are also impressive and delicious enough to serve for a special Valentine’s Day breakfast! If you get to sleep in this Valentine’s Day, serve these scones alongside eggs, fruit, and coffee for a beautiful breakfast in bed. These heart-shaped Lemon Wild Blueberry Scones (that I developed a couple years ago for client Wild Blueberries) are also perfect here! :)
Tart Cherry Oatmeal – No time to lounge around in the morning? This super quick oatmeal gets its vibrant pink color from tart cherry juice, which adds flavor and an antioxidant boost. It’s perfect if you’ll be on the run tomorrow morning, yet still want to make a festive breakfast!
Savory Oatmeal – I love savory breakfasts, like my go-to avocado toast with a fried egg, but sometimes I like to switch it up a bit! This savory oatmeal is so gorgeous and unexpected that it makes a perfect breakfast for special occasions.
Creamy Vegan Garlic & Herb Pasta – This rich, creamy pasta feels luxurious and decadent – but it’s incredibly easy and dairy free. Perfect for a celebratory vegan dinner or even a special packed lunch!
Almond Crusted Tilapia – Fish definitely tops my list of most impressive dinners. However, that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful to make! This foolproof recipe packs in a ton of flavor with the crunchy almond crust – serve it alongside colorful veggies (like my Lemon Garlic String Beans) and roasted potatoes or quinoa for a colorful, balanced meal.
Salmon with Lemon Mustard Dill Sauce – Here’s another one of my go-to fish recipes that’s as beautiful as it is easy! The simple lemon mustard dill sauce packs in a ton of flavor and makes the dish feel fancy, while remaining healthy and quick. This is Matt’s favorite salmon recipe – he requests it often, which says a lot since he’s still not a huge fish person!
Tart Cherry, Kale, and Feta Stuffed Chicken – If you want to make an extra special Valentine’s Day meal, this recipe is the one for you! Stuffing the chicken makes it look like you’ve spent tons of time and effort on dinner, yet it’s such an easy meal to throw together! I love that the filling balances sweet tart cherries and salty feta, too. Feta always makes it betta. ;)
Rigatoni with Slow Cooked Lamb and Vegetables – I love using my crockpot to make rich, flavorful meals with minimal effort. Cooking lamb sounds intimidating, but this recipe makes it easy to tackle. You can set the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a romantic meal!
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – For dessert, keep it simple and classic. These chocolate chip cookies are more nutrition packed than your average cookie, but they still have that crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture that makes chocolate chip cookies the perfect dessert.
What will you be making for Valentine’s Day (or Gal-entine’s Day!) tomorrow? Matt and I actually decided to go out to dinner this year to mix it up – we usually alternate going out and staying in! I love going out to eat, but my favorite Valentine’s with Matt was probably one we had way back in the day (2005 or 2006?). He was living in a big group house with a bunch of guys, but wanted to make us a romantic dinner at his place without his roommates busting into the middle of it, so he brought a small table down into his basement room and set it up all pretty for us. It was so sweet because of all the effort he put in! I don’t remember what we ate but I’m sure the food was good, too. I’m lucky that Matt loves to cook! I actually just had fun reminiscing and re-living our home-cooked 2012 Valentine’s Day in Chapel Hill, too. Those cinnamon roll muffins he made us were awesome – but omg that kitchen mess! Ha.
Anyway, have a great Monday – and I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap from my fun weekend in Charleston for my friend Sarah’s bachelorette! You can see a sneak preview on Instagram. :)