A sexy meal for Valentine's Day crafted to get you in the mood. This recipe uses ingredients that taste great and provide the sensory cues and nutritional profile to activate important hormonal and neurotransmitter responses in your body for a natural dopamine and serotonin boost. Check out this recipe for Hot Sex on a Platter and cook with us on our Feed Your Fire podcast.
Ingredients:
Roasted Beets:
4 whole raw beets (roots only, stems trimmed)
3 T. olive oil
1 T. orange juice
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
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Pickled Onion:
1/2 small red onion
1/2 C. white vinegar
1/2 C. water
1 t. salt
2. t. sugar
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Goat Cheese Balls:
2 oz. goat cheese
1/4 C. Pro-Chi Lentil Crunch or chopped almonds
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4 strawberries, thinly sliced, stems trimmed
1/4 C. baby arugula or micro-greens
2 oz. dark chocolate
To Make the Salad:
This is a very easy salad. You can roast the beets and pickle the onion a day or two in advance if you prefer.
To roast the beets, place beet roots on a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzle with 2 T. olive oil. Roast in the oven for about an hour until tender. When beets are cool, using gloves (recommended), peel or slice away the outside skin of the beets. Dice and toss with remaining 1 T. olive oil, orange juice, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, pickle the onion. Thinly slice the onion and place it in a container. Add water, white vinegar, salt and sugar. Let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour. Reserve any onion not used for another recipe.
Slice small pieces of the goat cheese and form into balls. It will be a little crumbly so use a small bit of water on your fingertips if need be. Coat in Pro-Chi Lentil Crunch or almonds.
Arrange ingredients artfully on a plate. I like to start with the beets in the center since they are the star ingredient and then use the strawberries, pickled onion and goat cheese balls as accents. Arrange a few sprigs of the arugula or micro-greens on the plate for peppery flavor and color.
Place chocolate in small microwave-safe dish and heat for about 1 minute, stirring once in between, until melted. Using the back of a spoon smear a few traces of chocolate on the outside of the plate.
Enjoy and happy Valentine's Day!
