Red and Pink Valentine's Day Dishes

Pink and Red Valentine’s Day Dishes

Who says Valentine’s Day is for pink chocolates and red cakes? Sure we spend $1.7 billion on Valentine’s Day candy, but that’s even more reason to think outside the box. This year, rather than shelling out dough for sugary treats, consider treating your sweetie to a savory spread of naturally red food.

When it comes to red and pink Valentine’s Day dishes, there are plenty savory options. From appetizers to soups and salads, pink hues are essential on V-day. We’re talking natural, delicious red foods that will have your sweetie swooning. No food coloring necessary.

To make this super easy, here’s a complete menu of red and pink Valentine’s Day dishes.

Red Caviar

Indulge your sweetie in authentic red caviar. Savor this savory treat piled onto fresh baguette bread slices that have been lightly smeared with butter. The well formed salmon eggs have a delicate texture and bursting with deliciously salty flavor.

Smoked Salmon Roses

Create an edible bouquet of smoked salmon roses. All you need is premium salmon and your favorite cream cheese. To make the roses, spread a layer of cream cheese onto a thin slice of salmon (about 1/4 inch wide) and roll into a small flower. Serve the salmon rosette on a piece of your favorite dark rye bread or easy to make blinis.

Roasted Red Beet Bites

Roasting red beets brings out their natural sugar. The luxuriously balanced flavors of sweet and savory pairs well with tangy cheese and peppery greens. It’s why you usually find roasted red beets in an arugula and goat cheese salad. You can make delicious red beet bites by cutting a roasted beet into 1/4 inch cubes. Top with your favorite goat cheese and walnuts or pine nuts. Or, take it up a notch with home-made candied walnuts. How’s that for a sweet and savory Valentine’s Day dish!

Pink Borscht

Borscht gets its deep red color from beets. To bring out the deep-crimson color, saute the beets with finely chopped onion and shredded carrots. Add the mixture to a large pot of water, throw in diced potatoes and bring to a boil. Add shredded cabbage, a bit of tomato paste or sauce, pepper corns, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to another boil and turn off the heat. Add a dollop of fresh sour cream to get that beautiful pink tint. Get the full borscht recipe here.

Blood Orange Mimosa

Sweet and juicy, blood oranges are notorious for their scarlet hue. Their bright color and deep orange flavor are perfect for making blood orange mimosas. Squeeze fresh juice from 3-4 oranges and mix with your favorite champagne or sparkling wine. Or add some ginger beer for a non-alcoholic option.

Cranberry Mors Sorbet

Cleanse your palet with a refreshing cranberry morse sorbet. It’ll satisfy your sweet tooth without the extra fat and calories in ice cream. We love this DIY recipe from Epicurious, but substitute 1/4 cup of lemon juice with cranberry mors.