Make Breakfast In Bed For Two - Valentine's Day Food

Breakfast In Bed For Two

By Cybele Pascal

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to enjoy breakfast in bed. These five sublime recipes all showcase natural aphrodisiacs from your kitchen – featuring love enhancing bananas, chocolate, honey, oats, strawberries, avocado, asparagus, tomatoes, and vanilla. These recipes for love are sure to get you cookin', and back into bed!

Banana Chocolate Swirl Bread

Not your momma's fruitcake, this recipe is chock-full of natural aphrodisiacs like chocolate, bananas, oats, and honey. Plus, you can make this recipe vegan, dairy-free and refined sugar-free by using dairy-free chocolate chips and "flax eggs."

Ingredients:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate or 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (also available in a dairy-free option)
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup honey (or agave nectar)
3 ripe medium-sized bananas (1 1/4 cups mashed)
2 Tablespoons flax seed meal mixed with 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons hot water (or 2 eggs)
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour
2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Chop chocolate into pieces the size of an almond or smaller, and set aside in a microwave safe bowl.
3. Use an electric mixer to combine canola oil and honey on medium speed. Mash the bananas, add to bowl, and blend thoroughly. Add "flax eggs", lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In a separate bowl, combine white whole-wheat flour, oat flour, (to measure flour, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the back of a knife or straightedge), baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix until combined.
5. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, at 30-second increments, stirring between each with a wooden spoon. Do not overheat the chocolate as it burns very easily. Once melted, scoop out 11/2 cups of batter and mix thoroughly into the melted chocolate.
6. Oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan and dust with a little flour. Spoon the batters into the loaf pan in two layers, alternating spoonfuls of banana and chocolate to simulate a checkerboard. To create swirls, run a knife or skewer through the batters in a swirling motion. Bake 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through. To test for doneness, insert a skewer into the center of the bread. It should come out clean (perhaps with a little melted chocolate). Let cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Then invert onto rack, flip and let cool completely before slicing.

"Apples of Love" (Baked Stuffed Tomatoes)

In France they call it "Pomme D'Amour". It also goes by "Love Apple". Did you know that the tomato has long been prized for its amorous qualities? Perfect for a healthy (and vegetarian) Valentines brunch, this recipe is easy to make, and brimming with lycopene, vitamin C, calcium, and protein. Serve alongside a latte or a mimosa, and let your love bloom.

Ingredients:

2 large firm tomatoes (not overripe, or they will split when you bake them)  
kosher salt
2 Tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra to sprinkle
2 Tablespoons pesto
freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
chopped parsley
2 English muffins (gluten-free, if you like), split

Instructions:

1. Using a sharp knife cut a lid into the tomato. Remove and set aside for later. Gently scoop out the pulp and seeds using a teaspoon, and set aside. Sprinkle the tomato with kosher salt, invert on a paper towel and let drain 15 minutes.

2.Preheat oven to 400F. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, and pesto. Divide between the two tomatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Break in the egg, being careful not to break the yolk. Top each with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Replace the lid (trim the underside down if necessary). Drizzle a little olive oil in the base of a shallow baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes until egg has set. Set out two breakfast plates. Toast English muffins. Put one half on each plate. Remove the tomatoes from oven, place a tomato on top of each muffin half, remove their lids, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with chopped parsley, add other muffin half to plate, and serve!

Asparagus, Avocado, and Tomato Frittata

Asparagus, Avocado, and Tomato are a love-boosting trifecta. Grab a couple croissants the night before, for the easiest go-to crust you'll ever make.

Ingredients:

2 large day-old croissants
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 lb. asparagus, rough ends discarded, cut into bite-sized pieces (1/2 cup)
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
pinch pepper
1 small tomato, seeded and diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded or diced
1/2 a ripe avocado, cut into 6 1/2-inch slices lengthwise

Instrcutions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Oil an 8x2-inch round cake pan, then line bottom with day old torn up croissants, crust side down. You can overlap them a bit, and make sure to have them coming up the sides of the pan. (think deep dish pizza)
3. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.
4. Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and sauté until al-dente, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the tomato and a pinch of salt and sauté 1 minute longer.
5. Spoon asparagus and tomatoes over croissant crust. Distribute avocado in a pinwheel pattern, pour egg mixture over top, and sprinkle top with cheese. Bake until the eggs have puffed and are set, about 35 minutes. Cut into pie-shaped wedges. Serve warm, or room temperature.

"Crazy in Love" Brioche French Toast with Strawberries
Strawberries are the ultimate Valentines fruit, shaped like perfect little red hearts. Touted as an aphrodisiac since Ancient Roman times, the strawberry is a symbol of Venus. Celebrate Valentines Day this year with this decadent berry French toast.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon butter
4 3/4-inch slices day old brioche bread (or challah)
1/4 cup whipped cream or crème fraiche
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
fresh mint (optional)

Instructions:
1. Separate out the two most beautiful strawberries. Set aside.
2. De-stem remaining strawberries, halve and chop them roughly. Place in medium bowl. Add granulated sugar and lemon juice, toss, and then mash together a bit with a fork. Set aside.
3. Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or pie dish.
4. Melt butter in a large skillet (cast-iron is best for this) over medium heat. Working quickly, dip brioche slices in the egg mixture, turning once, until moistened by not soggy. Transfer to the skillet, and cook about 5 minutes, turning once, until golden on both sides and cooked through. Reduce heat if they are browning too quickly.
5. Plate one piece of French Toast onto each of the two plates.
6. Top each piece with 2 Tablespoons of the whipped cream or crème fraiche, top with other pieces of French Toast, (angled is pretty) then spoon 2 Tablespoons of the crushed strawberries over that, sprinkle with powdered sugar, top each with a whole strawberry, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Biscuits
Vegan, Gluten-Free

The luscious aroma of vanilla has been used as an aphrodisiac since as far back as the Aztecs. Serve these delicate biscuits alongside a cup of ginseng tea, which has been prized for more than 5000 years as a potent love potion that gives you energy and reduces stress. Sounds like a perfect Sunday morning breakfast to me!