Romantic and Healthy Meal

When you have kids, celebrating Valentine's day can be a bit...anticlimactic. It's hard to find a sitter, it's easy to get exhausted just planning a date (never mind actually going on one), and the money isn't always rolling through our wallets just waiting to be spent on an extravagant dinner.

A tradition we began several years ago still holds a tender place in our hearts, and we can't wait to do it again this year.

We stay home, get the kids in bed early, cook a special - healthy - meal, and turn off everything. Lights, tv, computers. The only thing left on is music {wink}.

Our meal of choice is easy but so delicious -

Main course - a simple broiled filet minon. Broil until it's 140 degrees in the middle (for medium rare), and if you want to get really fancy, spread mustard all over the sides of each filet and roll in some chopped herbs (I love thyme for this).

Greens - include a really great salad - romaine lettuce, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and your favorite balsamic dressing really make the beef taste that much better.

Side dish - we stick to a gluten free meal whenever possible because we just feel better that way. Our favorite pairing with the fillet is my potato pouches. Use russet or golden potatoes and chop up into one inch pieces, place onto a square of foil and add a tbsp of butter, some chopped onions, a skosh of heavy cream (in my world a "skosh" is probably a tbsp or two) and salt, pepper and paprika. Wrap the foil up to create a little package and bake at 400 for 40 min or so (until everything is tender). These pouches are a HUGE hit.

Dessert - I can't round out Valentine's Day without chocolate. I just can't. A simple fudge is the best way for me to get a good dose of the dark stuff without having to eat a ton of it.  I throw 12oz of chocolate chips, 1 can of evaporated milk and a tbsp of butter into a pot and melt. When melted through I add in a handful or two of crushed pistachios (or your nut of choice). Pour into one of those disposable foil shallow pans and cover and throw into the fridge. When it's hard, you can easily pop it out of the pan by tearing the pan and slice into small pieces.

All of this is served by candlelight and with no rush. Sometimes we even "picnic" it by throwing a tablecloth over a box and sitting on floor pillows. Anything special we can do - like using cloth napkins - makes us feel the romance.

Enjoy your romantic dinner, and here's to keeping it simple and healthy!