Valentine’s Day may be a week away, but love of food is already in the air. If you’re planning to prepare a meal for someone special — yourself included — it never hurts to try out the recipe beforehand. Not only does it help prevent kitchen mishaps that make cooking much less romantic (cue a burnt entree), but it also gives you an excuse to enjoy a delicious dish twice. To serve up some inspiration ahead of the holiday, “Fit Men Cook” founder Kevin Curry stopped by TODAY to share easy Valentine’s Day dinners guaranteed to give you heart eyes.
Nothing says “I care about you” like Curry’s take on chicken piccata. It’s gluten- and dairy-free to accommodate dietary restrictions, but still full of flavor thanks to a creamy coconut milk sauce. For extra presentation points, make the golden brown chicken filets pop on top of a bed of bright green zucchini noodles. If you’re looking to celebrate the special occasion with a classic, whip up his Cajun surf and turf with fajita roasted vegetables. Pairing seafood and steak adds a wow factor to any plate, but this recipe stays budget-friendly by opting for shrimp and a sirloin cut. Round out the week with some quick dinner options like Curry’s beef and broccoli, chicken gyros or rotisserie chicken quiche. Self-love is about treating yourself in many different ways, including treating yourself to a little extra time at the end of the day.
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Kevin Curry's easy Valentine’s Day dinner recipes
One of my favorite Italian meals of all time is chicken piccata. For those that have some food allergies or are looking for a low-carb option, this version is gluten-free and dairy-free while still being rich with flavor. While I use coconut cream for the creamy piccata sauce, the chicken is breaded with egg wash so this recipe is not vegan.
While you can easily prep and serve this shrimp any day of the week, for special occasions, why not make it a surf and turf meal? Here, you can cook the steak and shrimp in the same cast-iron skillet and serve the two alongside an herb-roasted vegetable medley (think: zucchini, squash, fingerling potatoes, carrots, onion and bell peppers).
More recipes to make this week
This is a 25-minute takeout-inspired meal that is easy to pull together, utilizes common ingredients and has that fresh, made-from-scratch flavor with a restaurant look — all on a budget. The sauce has the same luscious, sweet and salty quality as the irresistible Chinese-American takeout classic but with no added sugar and low-sodium.
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This simple and incredibly flavorful recipe for homemade chicken gyros comes together in less than 30 minutes. The beauty of my take on this iconic Greek dish is that it draws on ingredients that, when combined, create the most juicy, bright and refreshing notes. Instead of waiting hours for spit-cooked meat, the thin chicken breast grills up in no time. Topped with crisp lettuce, sweet tomatoes and fresh cucumber tzatziki sauce, these sandwiches will be a true hero for your lunch or dinner menu.
Quiche is such a great dish for using up the last bits and pieces of food in the fridge, from proteins to a variety of veggies. Here, leftover chicken, some leafy greens, sun-dried tomatoes and feta add big, fresh flavor to creamy eggs. Serve this with a side salad and you've got a filling meal for lunch or dinner.
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