Chef Michelle Tadeo-Hernandez from Catering To Your Tastebuds shows food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone how to make an easy three course Valentine’s Day dinner using some foods that are considered to be aphrodisiacs. View recipes below from Chef Michelle Tadeo-Hernandez.Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston
For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston,
listen to Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until Noon on CBS Sports Radio 650.
(By the way, she gives out restaurant gift cards on every radio show!)
A Simple 3 Course Valentines Day Dinner ~ Featuring Foods to Get You in the Mood
Appetizer: Oyster Ceviche
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
8 Oysters (4 per serving)
1 Diced Pepper of your choice, add as much as your palate can tolerate (jalapeño, bell peppers-red or yellow)
1/4 cup Rough Chopped Cilantro
1 Diced Red Onion
3-4 Limes, Juiced
Salt to taste
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together well and let chill until ready to serve.
Note: If you prefer another seafood option you can substitute the oysters for shrimp already cooked and chopped,
or fresh white sea bass cut into cubes. Follow the same directions above for protein substitutions. ENJOY!
Entree: Salmon Veracruz
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
4 Fresh Wild Caught Salmon Fillets with skin on
Salon Seasoning/or your choice of Seasoning
16 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup Of Diced Onions
3-4 Rough Chopped Thai Basil Leaves (you can use regular basil in place of Thai basil)
3 Cloves of Garlic, Smashed (do not chop)
1 Fresh Jalapeño, Sliced
4 Jumbo Olives, Sliced
4 Green Queen Olives Sliced (with or without pimento)
2-3 Tbs. of Olive oil
2 Limes (1 for garnish & 1 for its juice)
Directions
1. Heat a medium sauté pan with olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of you pan).
Season all fillets with your desired choice of seafood seasonings.
When your pan begins to slightly smoke add your salmon fillets skin side down.
2. When the skin starts to release from the pan (approx. 2 mins.) turn over and heat the opposite side for another 2 mins.
3. Once you have completed this process with all your fillets let them rest in a baking pan.
4. Next in the same sauté pan, sauté your onions and smashed garlic, deglazing the pan from the salmon.
5. Next add your tomatoes and mix well let cook for another 2-3 mins.
6. Finally you will add your rough chopped Thai basil leaves, both olives, and Jalapeño slices.
Stir and cook for another 2-3 mins.
7. Finally top your Salmon with the Veracruz sauce mixture and garnish with a slice of lime. ENJOY!
Dessert: Wonton Sweet Fruit Stack
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
6 Wonton Wrappers (round or square)
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
1 can of Reddy Whip Whipped Cream
1 Banana, sliced on diagonal
6 Strawberries, sliced
Melted Chocolate, in a squeeze bottle
Honey, in a squeeze bottle
Caramel, in a squeeze bottle
Powdered Sugar
Almonds for garnish
Directions
1. In a medium sauce pan heat oil to 350 degrees, place 2-3 wontons at a time and remove when golden brown onto a dry paper towel.
2. Once all your wontons are finished start to assemble: First place some whipped cream on the plate to add security for your final product
so it will not slide off the plate.
3. Next add a fried wonton on top of the whipped cream, then add some more whipped cream and sliced bananas and strawberries.
Then add another wonton on top of this creating a sandwich effect.
4. You will use 3 wontons per serving and end with whipped cream and fruit on top.
5. Drizzle with honey, chocolate, and caramel if you desire.
6. Finally garnish with almonds and powdered sugar. ENJOY!
Top Ten List ~ Aphrodisiac Foods
10 – ASPARAGUS
In 19th century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of asparagus spears at their prenuptial dinners.
Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin and folic acid.
9 – ALMONDS
Through antiquity, almonds were regarded as fertility symbols. The aroma of almond supposedly arouses passion in females, or so thought the poets and scribes. Scientists say that almonds provide high doses of vitamin E, magnesium and even fiber.
8 – AVOCADO
Avocado is rich with folic acid, vitamin B6 and potassium. They are also said to boost immune system.
7 – BANANAS
Bananas are loaded with potassium, magnesium and B vitamins. It also contains chelating minerals and the bromeliad enzyme, said to enhance the male libido.
6 – BASIL
Basil not only makes the meals smell and taste better, but it also has a lot of beneficial effects on human body.
Basil has a fantastic aroma that is said to have an aphrodisiac effect; it is also very stimulating.
Using sweet basil in a pasta sauce will be sure to get your heart racing! Maybe this explains why Italians are so romantic.
5 – CHOCOLATE
Pure chocolate, the king of natural aphrodisiacs, contains a host of compounds including anandamide, the psychoactive feel-good chemical,
and PEA (phenylethylamine), the “love chemical,” which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain. PEA is said to help induce
feelings of excitement, attraction and euphoria. Cacao also contains tryptophan, a key component of the neurotransmitter serotonin known
to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation.
4 – FIGS
Figs are steeped in history and are one of the oldest-recorded fruits. They are mentioned in the Bible (Adam and Eve wore fig leaves).
Figs are said to have been Cleopatra’s favorite fruit and the ancient Greeks held them as sacred and associated them with love and fertility.
3 – GARLIC
Garlic is chockfull of allicin, an ingredient that will increase blood flow.
2 – OYSTERS
Oysters are probably the food most associated with being an aphrodisiac. This may be due to their high zinc content, which may help to increase libido.
Raw oysters are best served with a glass of chilled Champagne for a truly romantic meal.
1 – HONEY
Honey is a great source of boron, a trace mineral that helps the body use and metabolize estrogen, the female sex hormone.
Studies have shown that this mineral may also enhance testosterone levels in the blood.
In addition, honey contains B vitamins needed for testosterone, as well as other nutrients, enzymes and phytochemicals.
Source: Chef Michelle Tadeo-Hernandez via www.alternet.org.