Valentine’s Day is oftentimes associated with a dozen red roses, handwritten love letters, and romantic candlelit dinners with your partner.
Sometimes overlooked are the people spending this holiday alone, trying to do anything to take their minds off of the happy couples celebrating this day together.
One way to reclaim this holiday for us singles is to make food that can “cure” a heartbreak, creating a spread that can be enjoyed by your lonesome or even with your galentines.
Comfort foods are sure to make us feel good temporarily, explained registered dietitian Nikki Flynn Cummings with ProMedica, but eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is what will make us feel better in the long run.
“There’s definitely a link to the way that we’re feeling and the way that we’re eating through a variety of different mechanisms,” she said. “It might help you cope with the situation better, and maybe a little bit less stress here leads to a little bit less stress there, a little bit less heartbreaking.”
Finding ways to enjoy comfort foods in moderation is essential, Cummings added, to not have such a restricted lifestyle. Adopting a more well-rounded diet can lead to improvements both physically and mentally, and will be sure to benefit us in the long term.
If someone wants to indulge, the dietitian said dark chocolate is an ingredient that’s rich in antioxidants, and can act as a good sweet treat in comparison to milk or white chocolate. Red wine also has antioxidants, Cummings said, but she recommends limited intake and limiting added sugar in our diets as well.
“It can be tough this time of year,” she added. “A lot of people are committed to bettering themselves in some ways. … Taking it slow, setting those small goals, something that is measurable, attainable, realistic, that’s really going to be where they start to get some of that gratification, and hopefully start improving how they’re feeling.”
Much like Cummings’ nod to a healthier diet working to improve both your mind and body, Georgette’s Grounds & Gifts in Maumee strives to include menu items that are better for you overall — including organic ingredients and recipes with limited added sugar.
“We use honey, we use blue agave, we use monk fruit as a sweetener,” explained Tiffany Regent, retail manager at Georgette’s. “Finding healthier, non-chemical alternatives has definitely been a big change.”
Georgette’s Date Delight Bark is a recipe at the cafe that is indulgent, but doesn’t make you feel guilty, Regent said.
“I love that it’s made with dates, and you would never know,” she added. “It’s almost like a caramel alternative.”
Regent compared this recipe to a healthy Snicker’s bar, since the recipe features chocolate, dates — that taste like caramel — and the chopped peanuts on top.
“You feel like you’re being bad, but you’re really not,” she continued.
“It’s something you can make, and it can stay. It’s not something that you have to bake and make and have to eat it right away. You can go out with your girlfriends, you can go to a movie, and you can come back, and you can have this sweet and salty treat.”
Pasta with a Red Wine and Meat Ragu is a savory recipe I chose to make to celebrate the upcoming holiday, since it’s full of vegetables — like celery, carrots, and onions — and has the addition of red wine to add some antioxidants, but also some richness to the dish.
This is a meal that comes together in just 30 minutes, which will be perfect for Valentine’s Day, so you can spend the rest of the day watching your favorite movies, reading a new book, and cozying up with your galentines.
A sweet drink to go alongside Georgette’s Date Delight Bark is an Earl Grey Hot Chocolate that has 60 percent dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and more.
The recipe starts with steeping an Earl Grey tea bag in your milk of choice, along with some spoonfuls of brown sugar, and a few drops of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Once the milk is scented with the tea, the chocolate is whisked in, and then the drink is finally topped with a homemade honey-infused whipped cream.
If this Valentine’s Day consists of comforting pasta alongside decadent, yet heart-healthy sweets, maybe the single life isn’t so bad.
Georgette’s Date Delight Bark
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups of organic pitted dates
2 ½ cups of organic dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon raw, organic, cold-pressed coconut oil
1 cup nut butter of choice
½ cup chopped peanuts
Himalayan pink salt or flaky salt, to top
Directions:
Roll out your dates on parchment paper and put into the freezer until semi-frozen. (They should reach this point by the time the following steps are completed.)
Melt your dark chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.
To assemble your bark, spread a layer of your melted chocolate on parchment, saving some chocolate to drizzle on top.
Sprinkle with salt, and let this set in the refrigerator or freezer, about 20 minutes or so.
Once set, peel the rolled dates from parchment and lay them on top of set chocolate. Then, soften the nut butter in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Spread the softened nut butter to cover your layer of dates, and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of the nut butter. Finally, drizzle your remaining chocolate on top and sprinkle with some more salt to finish.
Place in the freezer to set for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Once completely set, slice the date bark into squares and serve!
Store the bars in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to a week or so.
Source: Adapted from Georgette’s
Pasta with a Red Wine and Meat Ragu
Yield: 6 servings
Time: 30 minutes
1 pound bucatini, or pasta of choice
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
2 medium celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, very finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 thyme sprigs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a medium heatproof bowl, cover the porcini mushrooms with the cup of boiling water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Lift the mushrooms from the water and coarsely chop them. Reserve the soaking liquid.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the porcini, pancetta, celery, carrot, onion, and thyme sprigs, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until the vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Add the ground beef and turkey, season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomato puree. Pour in the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Bring to a boil and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavorful, about 12 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the bucatini (or pasta of choice) until al dente.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss with the butter and then add half of the ragu and toss well.
Season with a touch more salt and pepper to taste, and toss with the ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
Transfer the pasta to bowls, top with the remaining ragu, and serve. Pass additional Parmesan at the table.
Source: Adapted from Food & Wine
Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
Yield: 2 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk, or milk of your choice
2 to 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, to taste
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Pinch of kosher salt
1 bag earl grey tea
4 ounces (60 percent) dark chocolate, chopped, plus a bit extra for grating at the end
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
Honey whipped cream, for serving (heavy cream, honey, vanilla, salt)
Grated dark chocolate, for garnish
Directions:
Add milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt to a small sauce pot.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Do not bring it to a full boil.
Add in the tea bag, cover, and turn off the heat. Let steep for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bag (pressing out all the liquid) and return heat to low. Add in chopped chocolate and cocoa powder.
Simmer and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
Serve topped with honey whipped cream and grated chocolate.
Note: To make the whipped cream, whip about a cup of heavy cream with a tablespoon of honey, a splash of vanilla bean paste or extract, and dash of salt until soft peaks form.
Source: Adapted from Hailee Catalano
For recipe suggestions, contact Maddie Coppel at: mcoppel@theblade.com.
First Published February 9, 2025, 8:30 p.m.
