Valentine's Day Vegetarian-style

Valentine's Day dinners can be special...warm...romantic...or they can be full of normal stuff like kids, parties, and pets. This special menu works well for all tastes.

What makes a Valentine's Day dinner special? It could be candlelight, or a fun theme like "red" or "pink"? It could be heart-shaped pancakes, or include traditional aphrodisiacs like figs. SO, just how to pamper the loved ones on the 14th?

Searching the Internet or regular cookbooks for inspiring Valentine's Day meal ideas yields plenty of recipes for steaks and seafood, but not very many vegetarian options.

The menu I've come up with is perfect for sophisticated tastes, but is not too labour-intensive for a weeknight meal. Remember - it's ok if you both eat onions.

Jill

Vegetarian Valentine's Day Menu

• Beverages are up to you. Try red wine, a dark beer, or a Valentine's Day-inspired cranberry cocktail or pop.
• As a first course, a spinach salad with a sweet vinaigrette (or the aforementioned figs!) is a great way to start. Try a fruit-based dressing for a mild taste, and a few almonds or walnuts for crunch.
• As a main course, bold vegetarian or vegan French onion soup is cozy and tastes like it took all day to make. Not too heavy, you'll still have room for dessert and won't be too bloated to snuggle afterwards.
• A romantic dessert of tofu chocolate mousse can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Try using it as a fondue for whole strawberries - which of course are begging to be hand-fed to your love.