The I love fruit and veg from Europe project on the day of love puts on the table a greedy but light menu prepared with fresh vegetables and fruit.

This year the party of lovers is light, tasty and elegant.

We love each other every day, but on February 14 the partner must be taken by the throat.

And why not do it in a healthy way? Also to avoid the risk of an after dinner in bed based on plaids and TV series.

In this regard, the project co-financed by the European Commission “I love fruit & veg from Europe”, which promotes the consumption of fresh products, conceiving a tasty but light menu, seasoned with aphrodisiac ingredients such as chilli, chocolate and coffee, a marriage between food and eros.

A loving dinner for two with wholemeal spaghetti with baked cherry tomatoes, oriental chicken with almonds and light tiramisu.

It will only be necessary to decide whether he or she will cook.

History.

The feast of St. Valentine dates back to the ancient pagan rites of the so-called “lupercalia”, which were celebrated in Roman times on February 15 in honor of Luperco, god of fertility.

During the anniversary, masked people paraded in procession and the women voluntarily offered themselves to the whipping of a group of naked men devoted to the god, because according to the belief, in this way, they would have obtained the gift of fertility.

In 496 Pope Gelasius I, judging this rite offensive and harmful to human dignity, decided to transform it into a feast linked to the Christian concept of love and to move it to the previous day, February 14, or to the day dedicated to Valentine’s Day, which he had consecrated all his life and his works to this noble sentiment.

He was the first to celebrate the union between a Christian woman and a pagan legionary, and for this decision, he was condemned and executed.

Having become a martyr, he is a revered Saint, he is considered the protector of lovers.

And now let’s get to the stove to amaze with this delicious and light menu for two, our half.

Wholemeal spaghetti with baked cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

• 400 g cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 chilli
• salt and pepper
• 200 g wholemeal spaghetti
• 100 g mozzarella basil

Method 

Take the cherry tomatoes and place them in a pan, season with salt, pepper, sugar and a tablespoon of oil and bake at 180 ° C for 30 minutes.

Once they are ready, keep half of them and put half into the blender to obtain a sauce.

Take a pan and heat the tablespoon of oil with the clove of garlic and chilli.

Once the garlic is golden, add the sauce, a pinch of salt and cook for five minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the water in a large pot to cook the spaghetti.

Halfway through cooking, drain the spaghetti and finish cooking in the pan with the sauce by adding a ladle of hot water, mozzarella and basil.

Once ready, serve adding the baked cherry tomatoes and serve with love to your partner.

Oriental chicken with almonds

Ingredients 

• 500 g of chicken breast
• 25 almonds
• 1 bunch of fresh leeks
• 1 piece of fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons of seed oil
• 1 cup of soy sauce
• rice flour

Method

Wash the chicken thoroughly, cut it into small pieces and bread it in rice flour.

Toast the peeled almonds for 5 minutes in a hot pan and turn them from time to time, being careful not to burn.

Put the oil in a wok and sauté the spring onions cut into slices with the peeled and grated ginger for a couple of minutes.

Add the chicken and brown it for 10 minutes until a golden crust has formed.

Pour the soy sauce and a little hot water, add the almonds and cook for 2-3 minutes.

The chicken with almonds will be creamy and delicious, serve it immediately!

Tiramisù light

Ingredients 

• coffee
• 100 g of lean ricotta
• 60 g of white yogurt 0.1% fat
• 40 g of powdered sugar
• Cookies
• bitter cocoa
• currants to decorate

Method

First, prepare some fresh coffee.

Then, in a bowl, mix the ricotta, yogurt and icing sugar until smooth.

Take glasses or single-portion cups and have fun creating your light tiramisu.

Dip the biscuits in the coffee and, alternating them with the cream, fill the glasses in layers.

The last one, cover it with the sifted bitter cocoa.

Put everything in the fridge for at least four hours before the Valentine’s dinner and then serve adding the currants.

Federica Riccio