Sizzling with health this Valentine's Day

It's time to pull out all the stops for the one you love. If money is tight and it's it is not possible to whisk your loved one off to the nearest posh restaurant. One option is to do-it-yourself - cook them a meal. You're bound to get extra brownie points in the long run! Go for ingredients that show you care about their health as well as their taste buds. Starter: Go for something light; you don't want to fill up the tummy too early - how about a salad? Why not add some pomegranate seeds, which are reputed to be an aphrodisiac, so should help put you and your loved one in the mood. Sizzling main course: Spice up your life. A great choice is a vegetable curry, and it couldn't be simpler. The beauty is that this can be made in advance, as flavours develop over a few hours. All those and the vegetables are a great source of fibre, because let's face it being constipated is not a recipe for love! And now for dessert: This course may take a bit of thought - how can I make this healthy? - So think about a fruit based pudding! Fruit is full of fibre and the antioxidant vitamins (ACE) are great for your heart. One way to cut calories would be to share your dessert - well it is Valentine's! Time to get on that apron, turn up the heat and create a meal fit for the one you love! Recipes below might give you some ideas to try. For more information or for more information on diet and nutrition, please contact: The Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service, HSE Dublin-Mid Leinster Tel: (044) 9353220 or email community.dietitians@hse.ie. Pomegranate Feta Salad Ingredients: 1 pomegranate - cut in two/ 'knock out' the seeds 4 oz feta cheese Bag of mixed lettuce 1 lemon - zested and juiced 3 tablesp red wine vinegar 3 tablesp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1. Into a serving bowl put the lettuce, break in the feta cheese and add the pomegranate seeds. 2. For the Dressing: In a jug put the lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil - whisk well, taste and add salt/ pepper as required. 3. Just before serving drizzle the dressing over the salad; serve immediately. Vegetable curry Ingredients 1 dessertspoon olive oil / rapeseed oil (both heart healthy oils) 1 onion - chopped finely 1 Apple - peeled, core and chopped 2 dessertspoon curry powder 1 dessertspoon flour 1 pt/ 575mls stock 2lb of mixed vegetables (eg mushrooms, carrots, celery etc) - all peeled, washed, chopped into slices/ cubed 1 dessertspoon desiccated coconut 2oz/50g sultanas 1 teasp brown sugar 1 teasp lemon juice 2 oz frozen peas 1 dessertspoon chutney 1. Put all the chopped vegetables, apple, lemon juice, coconut, sultanas, brown sugar and chutney. Add ¾pt/ 425mls of stock, bring mixture to the boil, turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes 2. Heat the oil and fry the onions until they are soft, stir in the curry powder, flour and the remainder of the stock, bring to the boil and add to the other mixture. 3. Simmer for 10 mins, reduce the heat and cook slowly for at least another 20 minutes. Summer Berry Crush Ingredients 200g/7oz frozen mixed summer berries, defrosted 200g carton virtually fat free fromage frais 1 tablespoon caster sugar or artificial sweetener to taste 25g/1oz Amarreti biscuits lightly crushed 1. Gently fold together all the ingredients, and spoon into serving glasses. Cara Cunningham is a Community Dietitian with the HSE