Healthy Date Night Dinner Ideas

Did you know a romantic meal that won’t derail your weight loss journey is actually possible? Yes I know… we were shocked too. Whether you are celebrating an anniversary, birthday or simply opting to have a date over, these healthy and delicious dinners will wow your sweetheart without making you too exhausted to enjoy the meal… or too full to do anything else after. 

Seared Scallops 

Let’s dive into this with a delicious and nutritious appetizer from delish.com.

Ingredients: 

• 450g large scallops 
• 1-tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2-tablespoons reduced salt butter 
• 2-tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Lemon wedges, for serving 

Method: 

1. In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt better with oil. Blot scallops dry with paper towels, and then season generously with salt and pepper. When foaming of mixture has subdued, and the pan is starting to smoke, add scallops. 
2. Cook, undisturbed, until bottom has developed a golden crust, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter. 
3. Into the same skillet, add butter. When melted, stir in herbs. Serve scallops with butter mixture and lemon wedges.
4. Enjoy!

Sautéed Salmon with Citrus Salsa 

This tart, bright citrus topper cuts through the natural fattiness of the salmon making this dish from Cooking Light a perfect addition to your date over! 

Ingredients: 

• 1-tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 salmon fillets, skinned 
• 1/2-cup grapefruit sections 
• ½ cup orange sections 
• ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots 
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
• 1 & ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Method: 

1. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle fillets evenly with salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side until desired degree of doneness. 
2. Combine remaining 2-teaspoons of oil, grapefruit, orange, shallots, parsley and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly over fillets. 
3. Enjoy!

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower-Pomegranate Salad

This juicy beef tenderloin dish from Woman’s Day is brightened by a tangy cauliflower-pomegranate salad. It is sure to satisfy any crowd and the best part is… you only need one dish! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 whole filet of beef 
• 6-tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 hear cauliflower 
• 5 large shallots 
• 2-tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 2-teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard 
• 1 package baby kale 
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 220°C. place the beef on a large rimmed baking sheet. Rub with 1-tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, toss 2-tablespoons oil with cauliflower and shallots; season with salt and pepper. Quickly scatter vegetables around beef in pan and continue to bake, stirring vegetables once, 20 more minutes (for medium-rare) or until meat reached desired degree of doneness. 
3. Remove beef from pan and cover with foil; let stand 15 minutes. Whisk together remaining 3-tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Stir kale into hot pan with vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil mixture and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Slice beef and serve with cauliflower salad. 
4. Enjoy!

Mushroom Stroganoff 

This dish from Jamie Oliver features crunchy cornichons, fragrant capers and a creamy whisky sauce with parsley, which is sure to please any vegetarian out there! 

Ingredients: 

• 400g mixed mushrooms 
• 1 red onion 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 4 silverskin pickled onions 
• 2 cornichons 
• 4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley 
• 1-tablespoon baby capers 
• 50ml whisky 
• Smoked paprika 
• 80g half-fat crème fraiche
• Olive oil 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Method: 

1. Get all prep done before you start cooking: trim the mushrooms, tearing up any larger ones and leaving any smaller ones whole, peel and finely slice the red onion and garlic, and finely slice the pickled onions and cornichons. Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves, finely chopping the stalks. 
2. Place a large non-stick frying pan over high heat, throw in the mushrooms and red onions, shake into one layer, then dry-fry for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. 
3. Drizzle 1-tablespoon oil, and then add the garlic, pickled onions, cornichons, parsley stalks and capers. 
4. After 3-minutes, pour in the whisky, tilt the pan to carefully flame or light with a long match, and once the flames subside, add ¼ of a teaspoon of paprika, the crème Fraiche and parsley, then toss together. 
5. Loosen with a splash of boiling water to a saucy consistency, and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. 
6. Divide between plates, sprinkle over a little paprika and serve with brown rice. 

No-Bake Peach Tarts with Ginger and Coconut 

This recipe from Shape is the perfect dessert for date night. The tart crust is made from a blend of pitted dates, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds and flaxseed, no worries if your attempt to form the peach flower doesn’t turn out quite as beautifully. We can’t all be professional chefs!

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 2/3 cup sunflower seeds 
• 1/3-cup ground flax seeds 
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1/8-teaspoon sea salt 
• 2/3 cup pitted dates, chopped 
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger 

For the peaches: 

• 3 to 4 ripe peaches 
• Squeeze of lemon juice 
• For the cream filling: 
• ¼ cup coconut butter
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk 
• 1 teaspoon ginger juice (made my pressing grated ginger through a strainer) 

Method: 

1. To prepare the crust, place the sunflower seeds, flax seeds, coconut, and salt in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add 2/3-cup dates and the ginger, and process until well combined and sticky. The mixture may look crumbly, but it should hold together when pinched between fingers. If necessary, add more dates to get the right consistency. 
2. Divide the mixture between 4 tart pans and press evenly onto the bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or freeze for at least 2 hours. If freezing, let soften a bit before assembling. 
3. When ready to assemble the tarts, gently remove the tart shells from their pans. 
4. To make the cream, combine the coconut butter, milk and ginger juice in a small bowl and mix with a fork until smooth. Divide the cream between the four shells and spread it evenly across the bottom. 
5. For the fruit topping, thinly slice the peaches and sprinkle with lemon juice. Arrange the peach slices on top of the cream in concentric circles. 
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

For more healthy date night recipe ideas, click here.