Valentine’s Day Heart-Healthy Dinner (Recipe)

This three-course healthy holiday dinner is courtesy of Gretchen Hanson, executive chef at Hobos Restaurant and Bar in Rehoboth Beach. Enjoy!

Watercress and Arugula Salad with Truffled Sweet Potato Straws and Asiago

Ingredients:

One small bunch each hydroponic watercress and arugula
One organic sweet potato
4 ounces asiago
1 TB organic safflower oil
1 TB dark truffle oil
1 TB champagne pear vinegar or white pear balsamic
½ tsp fresh oregano leaves
Pinch sea salt flakes
Pinch white pepper
One hydroponic cucumber

Instructions:

- Advertisement -

Mandoline sweet potato very fine (like skinny shoelaces) and put in cold water bath. Clean roots from lettuce wash SO carefully and pat dry. Grate asiago. Clean cucumber and slice thinly. Right before cooking dry sweet potato shreds, toss with safflower oil and put in 450-degree oven in heavy pan. Let cook through (about 10-12 minutes) and they will begin to crisp and brown, keep hot till right before you are ready to serve. Toss all ingredients in large bowl. Serve immediately.

 

Shallot and Cranberry Confit

Ingredients:

Splash white-wine vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1 TB sea salt
1 pinch white pepper 
4 cups thinly sliced shallot
½ cup Earth balance
½ cup organic brown sugar

Instructions:

- Partner Content -

Put everything in a very heavy pot and put over a very low flame for two to five hours. Stir frequently but it should never be hot enough to stick. Confit will be a deep brown color.

 

Faro Island Salmon

Instructions:

Have fishmonger cut pieces about 6 to 7 ounces with skin on. Heat heavy oven-safe pan on stovetop and glaze with safflower oil. Season salmon with sea salt flakes and white pepper and place flesh down when pan sizzles. When crust begins to form (2 minutes) flip over to skin side down. Top each filet with a sprinkle of sumac (very lightly) and 2 TB of confit. Put in 450-degree oven for 8-10 minutes depending on thickness of filets. Salmon should not be cooked to anymore than a mid-rare temperature. To test, squeeze the outside flesh together. It should bounce back and not be too firm to the touch.

 

- Advertisement -

Glazed Carrots with Sumac Butter

Ingredients:

1 pound baby carrots, peeled and cleaned but leave on one inch of stems
1 TB organic unsalted butter
½ tsp sumac
Pinch nutmeg
½ tsp sea salt flakes
¼ tsp white pepper
1 TB dark organic agave nectar
Splash of white wine

Instructions:

Steam 1 pound baby carrots. When fork tender blanch in cold water. Heat 1 TB butter over medium heat and add sumac, sea salt, white pepper and nutmeg. When carrots are warm, deglaze with agave nectar and splash of white wine.

 

Baby Kale

Ingredients:

Two large handfuls of baby kale
Extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Pinch white pepper
½ shot of tequila
Optional: ¼ tsp of za’atar

Instructions:

Heat pan over very high heat and glaze with EVOO. When a drop of water sizzles add kale to the pan and almost immediately a dash of tequila. Move quickly so the kale doesn’t singe.

 

Kiss Me Mousse

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dark chocolate
4 avocados
1/4 cup vanilla coconut or almond milk
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup light agave
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt flakes
Pinch cayenne
One packet Starbucks Via Italian Roast

Instructions:

Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly. In a food processor or Ninja, blend your avocados till creamy. Add all remaining ingredients and pulse on high speed for three to four minutes. Chill before serving.

Our Best of Delaware Elimination Ballot is open through February 22!

Holiday flash sale ... subscribe and save 50%

Limited time offer. New subscribers only.