How to Make a Romantic Dinner for Your Sweetie

Steps to a healthy Valentine’s dinner with your significant other:

Step 1: Set a date. How does February 14 sound?

Step 2: Find a date (preferably someone who loves food, and you.)

Step 3: Plan the menu. Keep it healthy because you love your sweetie and you want him or her to live a long, healthy, and happy life! (We have taken the liberty of doing this step for you: Seafood Alfredo, Side Salad, Dark Chocolate Hearts, Wine)

Step 4: Go Shopping. Here is what you will need:

-1 yellow onion
-1 large rutabaga
-bottled minced garlic
-salt
-1/2 lb each of cooked shrimp, crab, and scallops
-8 oz of parmesan cheese
-1 lb of whole grain linguine or fettucine
-3 oz of baby greens
-A few grape tomatoes
-1 carrot
-Balsamic vinegar
-olive oil
-A bottle of wine
-Dark chocolate cocoa powder
-coconut oil
-honey
-Vanilla extract

Step 5: Prepare your dessert. (this can be done up to several days in advance!) Heat 1/2 c. coconut oil in small saucepan until melted. 1/2 c each cocoa and coconut oil, 3 T honey and 1/2 t vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour into silicone cupcake molds. Refrigerate until hard. Remove from molds and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Step 6: Prepare your sauce. Cut onion into 4ths. Peel and cut rutabaga into large chunks. Place in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and place them in a blender. (Save the water.) Puree vegetables, adding 3/4 c. of the reserved water to the blender. Add more water if you want your sauce thinner. Add 3 heaping tablespoons of bottled minced garlic to the blender along with 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 c. of parmesan to the blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Step 7: Cook noodles according to package directions.

Step 8: Prepare your seafood. (The shrimp and crab are already cooked, so you just need to sear your scallops. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet. Add scallops. Cook 4 minutes per side or until browned on each side and cooked through.) Add shrimp and crab to the pan for the last two
minutes to heat them up.
While scallops are cooking, make your salads. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Drain pasta. Top pasta with seafood and pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve with a nice bottle of wine and a smile. 4 servings. (enough for you and your love to have seconds or leftovers!)