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Eat this, not that Valentine’s Day edition

Posted at 4:36 PM, Feb 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-13 18:36:59-05

Dietitian  Jaqueline Neid from the Utah State University Extension in Davis County shared a special edition of "Eat This, Not That" just in time for Valentine's day. Instead of filling up on a bunch sugary treats, Jaqueline has some Valentine's Day substitutions that not only taste good but will have you feeling good too.  Check out some of the recipes below!

Chocolate Pomegranate Heart 

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. of Bitter Sweet Baking Chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 70% Cacao Extra Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar)
  • ¼ cup of Pomegranate Arils / Seeds
  • Heart shaped silicone mold

Directions

  1. Chop the baking bar into small pieces. Pat dry the of pomegranate arils/seeds between two sheets of paper towel. The pomegranate arils/seeds must be completely dry.
  2. Add the chopped chocolate pieces to a double boiler, stirring constantly, until completely melted.
  3. Add a teaspoon of melted chocolate to each cavity of your silicone mold.
  4. Next, add a teaspoon of pomegranate arils on top of the melted chocolates in each cavity.
  5. Fill the rest of the cavity with more melted chocolate. Tap to level.
  6. Refrigerate the filled silicone mold for about an hour, or until the chocolate is firm. You can also freeze it for about half an hour.
  7. Pop it out of the mold and enjoy. Store the leftovers, covered or wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge.

Notes

  1. Use a measuring cup with a spout instead of a spoon to add the melted chocolate to the silicone mold to avoid a big mess.
  2. I never had any problems melting a premium quality chocolate bar. But, if for some reason, the chocolate seems to seize up or is not as vicious as you would like it to be, add a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil or butter to increase the viscosity.

Valentine Coconut Heart Gummies

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups or 28 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 9 Tbsp. gelatin
  • 6 Tbsp. honey {optional}

Directions:

  1. Layer 1: heat the grapefruit juice and whisk in 3 Tbsp. gelatin and 2 Tbsp. honey. Pour into a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Let set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Layer 2: heat 1 can of coconut milk with 3 Tbsp. gelatin and 2 Tbsp. of honey. Pour over layer 1 and let set in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight
  3. Layer 3: repeat step 1 and let it set overnight.
  4. Using a 1" heart cookie cutter, cut the gummies out. Place 5 to each bag and tie with a ribbon. Keep refrigerated.
  5. Enjoy!

Coconut Berry Hearts 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup berries
  • 1/2 cup coconut butter - softened
  • 1/32 tsp of stevia powder (or 1-2 tbsp. of your favorite sweetener) - optional

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl away.
  2. The mixture should be thin enough to pipe into hearts.
  3. If the mixture is not thin enough, warm up in a pot. Just a bit. You do not want it too thin; just thin enough to pipe.
  4. Once the mixture is thin enough, transfer into a pastry bag with a tip (or Ziploc bag with a small snip in the corner).
  5. Pipe mixture into heart shapes on fruit leather dehydrator sheets.
  6. Turn on dehydrator to 130 degrees. Dehydrate for 4-6 hours. Halfway through flip the hearts over very carefully.
  7. Once the hearts have dried out, you can store in an airtight container.