Back  |  Email to a Friend  |  Print  |   Send in Your Comment

Valentine's low-fat love-feast

Sharing a sexy dinner date is still the most romantic way to celebrate Valentine's. But can the right foods really get you in the mood?

Certain foods have been believed to have aphrodisiac qualities for centuries – usually because they look sexual.  So oysters and figs are supposed to resemble a woman’s sexual parts and bananas…well, use your imagination!

Sexual suggestion

The boring old truth is, there are no foods which will physically make you more desirable,  aroused or long-lasting in bed.

But who needs truth? Some foods, like oysters and asparagus,  have been linked with sex for so long that they can have the effect of making us feel more sexy, simply by the power of suggestion.

So we've made a low-fat love feast to get you going. Hot things up even more by sharing your food sexily as part of your seduction technique.  Think 9 ½ weeks….

Your Valentine's love-feast

Before you begin....

A glass of champagne with a fresh strawberry popped in…(89 cals per 120ml glass)

Then start with...

Asparagus and tomato salad for 2

Ingredients
110g asparagus tips (29Kcal)
225g vine ripened British classic tomatoes, thickly sliced (38Kcal)

For the dressing:
1 tsp hot horseradish sauce  (7Kcal)
2 tsp garlic wine vinegar   (0Kcal)
4 tsp extra virgin oil (180Kcal)

Total: 254 Kcal

Method
1. Cook asparagus in boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Place asparagus and tomatoes in a bowl.
3. Whisk dressing ingredients together, then pour over asparagus and toss together.
4. Serve.

For the main event…

Oysters au gratin for 2

Ingredients
6 fresh oysters, cleaned and shucked (108 Kcal)
2 streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped (132 Kcal )
30g/1oz celery, finely chopped (0 Kcal)
4 baby asparagus tips, finely chopped (7Kcalsper 28g)
salt and ground black pepper
30g/1oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese, grated (51 Kcals)
 
Total: 298 Kcals
 
Method
1. In a small pan cook the bacon for 1-2 minutes until crispy. Add the celery and asparagus. Season.
2. Spoon the bacon and asparagus mixture over the oysters. Sprinkle over the cheese.
3. Cook the oysters under a medium grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and melts.

Serve with a fresh green salad (including finely chopped celery, said to boost the hormone androsterone, which is released through male perspiration and sometimes referred to as the scent of love…)  (practically no Kcals at all…)

and a few baby new potatoes  (135 Kcals per 180g serving)

Afterwards…

Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate  (100 Kcals per portion)

Method
Melt a 20g serving of Green and Black’s organic dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids for a couple of minutes by breaking up and crumbling into a glass bowl, placed in a pan of boiling water.

Dip in the strawberries and enjoy…

And don’t forget the….

Popcorn, if you’re snuggling up to watch a romantic movie together. It contains arginine, an amino acid that is said to send blood flowing directly to the sexual organs…(Try Sainsbury’s sea salt version, just 46 Kcals for a 10g serving)

Total: 555Kcals per person