Your Valentine’s Day date night in menu has arrived!!! Perfectly simple mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, a spectacular no-fuss tomato sauce, and easy marinated salmon that is to die for. I don’t know about you, but I HATE going out on Valentine’s Day. It’s expensive and crowded, and has just never been a very important holiday in my books.
But I still like to celebrate a little. Preston and I just keep it pretty simple and I make a nice meal in. At least with a nice meal in, some candles, and a meal without TV or cellphones. Actually, our first Valentine’s Day together was one of those super awkwardly timed moments because we’d been dating just over a couple weeks and didn’t even acknowledge the existence of Valentine’s Day until I think day of. 😛
Anyway, for those of you who aren’t into making a HUGE deal of Valentine’s Day but want an easy romantic night in, this menu is KILLER. It is incredibly simple. The flavors are light but fantastic (think: plenty of flavor but no garlic breath), and the payoff-to-effort ratio is awesome. I also went with flavors that go well with pretty much any protein or veggie you want to use. I made salmon for me, steak for Preston. But this little marinade would be great with tofu, any kind of fish, shrimp, chicken, or steak. Cool beans.
- 2 large salmon filets
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed but not chopped
- 1/2 t crushed red pepper
- 1 T white balsamic vinegar
- 3 T olive oil (an herbed flavored olive oil would be PERFECT in this recipe)
- 1 T avocado oil (or any high-heat cooking oil)
- 1/2 t garlic salt
- 1 t dried oregano
- 2 very large Yukon gold potatoes (4 average sized ones)
- 2 T butter or margarine
- 1/2 C cream non-dairy creamer
- 1 C haricot verts
- 3 large carrots (I used heirloom), cut into thick matchsticks
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 T avocado oil
- 1 t garlic salt
- 1 1/2 t dried oregano
- 1 small can tomato sauce
- 3/4 t garlic salt (or just do it to taste)
- 1 t dried oregano
- 2 t red wine vinegar
- Combine garlic cloves, red pepper, vinegar, and olive oil in a shallow container. Add the salmon, make sure the flesh is coated with the marinade. Let it marinate for at least an hour and up to 3.
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Cook for about 4 minutes per side.
- Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil until fork tender. Add margarine and creamer and mash everything together! Season with just salt and pepper to taste, that’s all you need 🙂
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss all veggies with oil and seasonings and roast for about 35-45 minutes, until tender.
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat just for about 10 minutes. Allow it to simmer until the sauce gets just a little thicker.
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