Appetizer
Start off your romantic and easy meal with shrimp cocktail. Shrimp cocktail is one of my favorite appetizers because a) you can eat a ton of it for not a lot of calories (12 large shrimp contain approximately 99 calories) b) it is super easy but totally glamorous and c) everyone loves shrimp cocktail! Go to your local seafood shop and purchase pre-cleaned and pre-cooked shrimp and a nice cocktail sauce. Shrimp is an excellent source of protein and like other shellfish have been shown to protect against heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
Main
There is a market near my apartment that I occasionally food shop in called Grace’s Marketplace. This past week I wasn’t feeling very well but needed to make some dinner so I popped in there and purchased a jarred marinara sauce and some fresh raviolis. My husband and I enjoyed a great dinner and it was on the table in less than 20 minutes. Now, there are lots of jarred sauces on the market and some are good and some are great but this one was wonderful and very low in fat and sodium. The company is called Cucina Antica and their sauces are made with all natural ingredients. For a special Valentine’s Day dinner try out one of their sauces over fresh spinach raviolis (try to eat extra vegetables anyway you can) or some whole wheat pasta. Serve with a nice salad or some sautéed broccoli rabe and you are in business. Quick, easy, healthy and delicious!
Dessert
Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches are loved by all and by making your own cookie sandwiches you can control the portions and use some low fat alternatives. Pop into your local bakery and buy some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (obviously cookies aren’t exactly healthy but you can get in some cholesterol lowering oats at the same time). Next purchase low fat vanilla yogurt or ice cream and pecans or walnuts. Assemble mini ice cream cookie sandwiches by placing a small scoopful of vanilla ice cream in between two cookies and roll the sides through a plateful of chopped nuts. Yum!
Cucina-Antica-16oz-Tomato-Basil
