A Valentines Day Menu from The Vegetarian Reset
And other good things
Want a Valentine’s Day dinner that will feel indulgent but won’t derail you from your 2023 resolutions? Look no further than this menu from my cookbook, The Vegetarian Reset!
We don’t have a specific reason for this (well maybe it’s 10 years of marriage), but my husband and I tend to prefer a fairly dull Valentine’s. It always feels too salesy, it’s super hard to get reservations and you end up paying for an overpriced and mediocre meal. Sometimes we’ll go out of our way to order in South Indian food, which is the ultimate unromantic cuisine (sorry - sad but true and yet delicious!).
This year, I’m going to cook a few dishes from my book and thought I’d pass along my menu suggestions that would work beautifully for Valentine’s or Galentine’s along with a dry red.
To start, we’re going to do the Caprese Salad, but with a seasonal citrusy twist - use oranges instead of tomatoes! I wanted blood oranges but they seem to be notoriously hard to source, so I went with a navel orange. This is really a non-recipe: slice mozzarella, oranges and layer them so they look pretty. Dot with pesto, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Maldon salt, and voila! (Side note: Oranges + flaky salt = heaven). Oh, and you want to use a fairly large orange, else the slices will be too small :)
Next up, the Curried Lentil Mushroom Bolognese. This is a fabulously hearty “bolognese” with a little bit of me thrown in, in the form of an Indian influence. You really just need a few ingredients from your pantry, and this recipe has gotten a ton of rave reviews. In the book, I serve it over zucchini noodles but I would do butternut squash noodles or beet spirals for a seasonal twist. (Or lentil/chickpea/whole grain noodles, you do you!) My friend
was kind enough to publish this recipe on her Substack.
Okay, dessert. It’s gotta be chocolate, right? My uber-fudgy Hazelnut Brownies are a pretty good reason to get the book, so (and sorry for the clickbait:)) I’m going to tell you to go ahead and order now if you don’t have it! They are made with almond flour and hazelnut butter, for that hint of Nutella (although you can use any nut or seed butter of your choice). But the best part is, they are sweetened with DATES. Just dates. A fabulous dessert and a guilt-free snack.
But wait, there’s more! This brownie scored a perfect 10 on my Levels CGM when I tested it - i.e., my blood sugar stayed steady, which is no small feat for a brownie. (And if you haven’t read my post on experimenting with a CGM, there is no time like the present.)
If you want this brownie in your life, get the book - I promise you there’s a lot more to love. Pro-tip, dust yours with orange zest since you will already have that orange on hand!
Thinking about this menu? I would love to hear from you and I’m always happy to answer any questions - just comment below or hit reply to this email.
v8well Good Things
Brand new recommendations section - tell me if you like this!
To read
Check out my friend and photographer
's brand new Substack - ! If you like my content, you will love hers. Here is a great post on her 30 plants per week rule.
To listen
I listened, albeit belatedly, to this conversation between
and Senator Cory Booker. In the first 20 minutes, you'll get a bird's eye view of everything that is wrong with our current food system which prioritizes cheap calories above all else.
To eat
I’ve bookmarked Via Carota’s Insalata Verde, a.k.a The Best Salad in the World to make as soon as I possibly can. If nothing else, the dressing will be a keeper.
I made a spontaneous video on Trader Joe’s recommendations yesterday, you can watch it here.
Cookbook News
India friends and family - I am thrilled to say my cookbook is now available on Amazon.in. Get your order in and share away!
I received a glowing review from Shelf Awareness, an indie bookstore newsletter who named this the best book of the week in the Food & Wine category! Read the review here.
If you are on Facebook, join my cookbook group here and share your pictures as you cook along from the book! You can also ask questions about recipes and I will help in any way I can.
Australia friends, I know people who just got their book so I live in hope that Amazon is close to sorting out this issue!
Write a review. Pretty Please. It is the most impactful way to support my work and help others.
Get your copy of The Vegetarian Reset now!
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