This Valentine's Day, impress your vegan significant other with a number of home-cooked vegan friendly meals. Studies have shown that vegans have overall lower cholesterol levels than other dietary habits, normally due to the intake of fewer saturated fats and more fiber. Veganism is a type of diet that completely excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and any other animal-derived ingredients. If you're new to veganism, you should know that cutting meat from your diet doesn't translate to sacrificing taste. For those trying to be fit and flirty this February 14th, here's a list of vegan options perfect for a romantic full course dinner for two:
Appetizers
To set the mood properly, try sharing a creamy vegan mushroom fondue, perfect for dipping fresh bread or vegetables. Or spice things up with stuffed peppers and dairy-free feta cheese. No one will be able to resist snacking on oven-baked zucchini fries, coated with light breading and drizzled with ranch dressing. You could also try tempeh bacon-wrapped date palms. If you haven't heard of date palms, you probably should – they are widely recognized as a natural aphrodisiac.
Entrees
How about getting in the Valentine's Day spirit with a heart-shaped ravioli and marinara pasta dish? You can also cut out heart-shaped tofu cubes and oven roast them with vegetables for a savory tofu skewer plate. There are plenty of vegan friendly pastas to choose from, including sun-dried tomato and pesto linguini and cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo. Go for a "heartier" meal with Almost Beef Wellington using a prepared mushroom mixture, faux steak strips and Madeira sauce, another way to appeal to any vegan skeptics.
Dessert
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a number of vegan friendly dessert options! Indulge your heart out with vegan pancake cookies, sprinkled with cinnamon and dripping with chocolate. Give into the temptation of raw vegan cherry cheesecake, substituting the cheese in favor of crushed cashews, which take on a creamy texture. Vegan peanut butter frosted cupcakes are a go-to classic, and you can even go Elvis style by topping with sliced banana and chopped up pretzels.
Cooking up a full course vegan meal at home is the perfect way to shake things up this Valentine's Day and try something new with that special someone. Check out PETA's other vegan friendly recipes you can easily serve for a unique and intimate vegan dining experience that is also heart healthy!
