Date Night In — A Healthy, Simple + Delicious Valentine’s Dinner You Can Make At Home
Healthy Recipes
Whether you’re celebrating with your S.O., friends (“Galentines Day” anyone?!) or yourself (#selflove) this Valentine’s Day — there’s almost nothing that expresses love and care quite like a nourishing, delicious, healthy-ish home-cooked meal.
It’s also a great way to avoid booking a practically-impossible-to-get reservation, eating a stuffy set menu you don’t really want, spending a ton of money on said menu, and feeling too bloated/stuffed/gassy post-meal to indulge in some extra-curricular V-Day activities (if you catch my drift).
This is why I’m all about meals that taste good and make you FEEL good too.
Because real talk — those uncomfortable symptoms may be common but they are NOT normal, and you shouldn’t have to go through life experiencing them constantly. Especially because if there’s one thing I’m pretty certain you don’t have time for in your busy life, it’s to NOT feel good.
Enter in this super-impressive, delicious, digestion-friendly meal you can easily make at home. While the idea of an herb-roasted chicken may seem daunting, it’s actually very simple and hands-off — just prep and pop in the oven for about an hour — which gives you plenty of time to enjoy your date or sneak in some extra #selfcare.
Add on a simple salad and some libido-boosting, feel good fudgey dark chocolate brownies and you’ve got one helluva lover’s meal on your hands — not to mention serious leftover goals (multi-tasking FTW).
Happy Valentines Day lovers.
xx //
Lauren
Simple Herb-Roasted Chicken w/ Root Veggies
A meal that's just as impressive as it is hands-off, this simple herb-roasted chicken is the perfect dish to cook when you're entertaining guests or want a week's worth of delicious leftovers (#mealprepgoals).
Ingredients
- 1 organic, free-range whole chicken, defrosted
- 1-2 cups clean mayo, such as Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- fresh black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ cup fresh herbs (I prefer tarragon, thyme or sage)
- 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, rinsed and chopped into bitesize pieces
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, rinsed and halved
- 1 small sweet onion, peeled and chopped into wedges
Preparation
- Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Remove any innards, rinse chicken and pat dry.
- Coat chicken with mayo (should only take about a cup, but use enough so the entire chicken is evenly coated). I know this step may sound strange but the mayo keeps the chicken super moist on the inside and gives it a nice crispy, golden brown skin.
- Rub half of the garlic cloves, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sea salt, fresh black pepper, herbs in with the mayo coating (or sprinkle all over).
- Set chicken on a large pan coated with parchment paper. Toss chopped roasted root veggies in the same pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp avocado oil, the remaining garlic cloves, sea salt and pepper. You want the veggies in the same pan as the chicken to soak up its juices for additional flavor. Feel free to sprinkle more herbs on the veggies as well.
- Place in the oven at 375 and roast for 45 minute to 1 hour, until skin is golden brown and chicken is white (no pink remaining).
- Pairs well with both white and red wine, a simple salad and a decadent dark chocolate dessert.
Lauren Chambers
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