This Valentine’s Day, skip the restaurant crowds and overpriced fancy dinners. With our guide, you’ll best any restaurant’s V-day menu with ultra-decadent, romantic (and Paleo-friendly) recipes worthy of sharing with someone special.
From natural aphrodisiacs like figs and oysters, to intense flavors like curry, braised bacon and super dark chocolate, the fact that you cooked all of it with love will only be the cherry on top for your partner.
Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without dessert, so we’ve made sure to compile recipes that blow heart-shaped boxes of candy out of the water. In fact, we’ve even replaced red roses with bacon-wrapped dark chocolate “roses.” You’re welcome.
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Appetizers
Recipe: Paleo Ahi Tuna Salad
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10 minutes
Skip the expensive surf and turf dinner out and make this seared ahi sashimi at home for your lover. Served over a bed of Wasabi and coconut amino-dressed salad, it’s sure to impress.
Recipe: Red Curry Shrimp
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 35 minutes
Luscious shrimp bathed in a red, sweet, and spicy curry sauce—what’s sexier than that? Skip the cauliflower rice if you’re serving this as an app.
Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30 minutes
The salty-sweet pairing of prosciutto and fig makes for a simple appetizer that tastes fancier than it really is. Bonus: figs are aphrodisiacs, according to folklore.
Recipe: Oysters with Zesty Vietnamese Dressing
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Oysters: another legendary aphrodisiac. Served with a zesty and spicy dressing full of fresh ginger, garlic, lime, sesame oil, and more, this is another appetizer that’s even better than those you’d find at the overpriced restaurants.
Recipe: Caramelized Scallops with Strawberry Salsa
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Enjoy the pairing of buttery, silky, deliciously savory caramelized scallops with a cooling and bright complement of strawberry salsa.
Sides
Recipe: Chilled Strawberry Lavender Soup
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 8 hours
This Valentine’s-pink soup makes a refreshingly floral side to any decadent meal.
Recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Zoodles in a bright sun-dried tomato sauce make a great Paleo alternative to the traditional Valentine’s Day holdover of spaghetti in red sauce.
Recipe: Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 hours
With notes of watermelon, cilantro and jalapeno, this gazpacho is another refreshing way to spice up your night.
Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Prosciutto makes another appearance in this traditional pairing for a decadent meal.
Main Dishes
Recipe: Sweet Honey-Baked Salmon
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Make your sweetie this sweet honey-baked salmon with our foolproof and mega-simple recipe.
Recipe: Duck with Sweet Rhubarb
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 35 minutes
Rhubarb roasts in the juices of perfectly seasoned and crispy-skinned duck—need we say more?
Recipe: Pork Chops with Braised Bacon and Cabbage
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
When bacon isn’t decadent enough, braise it with more pork, apple, and cabbage. It’s Valentine’s Day, indulge a little!
Recipe: Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 4 hours
We can get behind red wine for a night—especially when the alcohol is cooked out and it results in this sexy hunk of braised short rib.
Desserts
Recipe: Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10 minutes
Don’t worry, the deep flavor of a good cocoa powder masks the flavor of avocado, leaving you with an impossibly creamy and luscious chocolate mousse. Bonus points for serving it in a heart-shaped bowl.
Recipe: Paleo “Peanut” Butter Truffles
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Instead of a box of cloyingly-sweet truffles, gift your Valentine these homemade truffles, made uber-rich from dark chocolate and almond butter.
Recipe: Paleo Pizookie with Banana Ice Cream
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 30 minutes
Nobody wants to deal with the crowds at that certain Pizookie-serving restaurant. Make this Paleo version at home. The mini cast iron skillet makes a cookie the ideal size for sharing!
Recipe: Rhubarb Sorbet
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
This light and refreshing sorbet is bright pink and makes a perfect palate cleanser after a heavy meal.
Recipe: Queen of Hearts Tart
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
If you’re really looking to thrill your special someone, make these epic heart-shaped raspberry and chocolate tarts.
Recipe: Chocolate Bacon Roses
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 hours, 30 minutes
If red roses are just too cliché for you, you can wrap dark chocolate in “petals” of bacon. We’d rather get these over flowers any day.
One-Pan Paleo Jerky Nachos
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