Healthy Romantic Dinner for Two

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This healthy and romantic dinner for two is super easy and sure to impress. With mouth-watering garlic ghee sauce drizzled over butterflied lobster tails, the perfect crisp on the outside, soft on the inside baked potatoes, and candied pecans sprinkled over balsamic roasted Brussel sprouts. This whole meal is gluten-free and can be cooked using only the oven. I will be showing you exactly how to butterfly a lobster tail like a pro, and make a dinner that is sure to leave an impression. Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, your anniversary, or just a date night in, you NEED to make this delicious meal.

This is just one of those meals that look super fancy and complicated, but in reality, it’s super easy. I break this one out when I’m really looking to showcase my culinary skills, without the risk that it won’t turn out. I love the fact that you can make this whole dinner in the oven, skipping the stovetop messes.

So it’s time to pour the organic wine and break out the sexy lingerie in the back of your closet because someone is definitely getting some extra love tonight after serving this feast.

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How to make this healthy romantic dinner for two

Let’s start by prepping the candied pecans. These things are seriously soo addicting. The best part is they are sweetened with just a bit of 100% real maple syrup.

You simply start by preheating the oven to 350F. Then you place the chopped pecans in a bowl with the cinnamon, smoked paprika, sea salt, and maple syrup. Mix together and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10-12 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

Now for the baked potatoes. They sound so basic but are far from it. I’ve mastered the perfect technique to create a baked potato that’s fluffy and soft on the inside while keeping the skin crispy and salty. Growing up I never ate the skin of a baked potato, but now that’s my favorite part.

I always try to get organic potatoes, since they are part of the dirty dozen. Potatoes are often villainized in the media as unhealthy, and I strongly disagree. It all depends on how you prepare the potato, using non-inflammatory oil, and making sure to pair it with the proper amount of protein and healthy fats.

Potatoes are full of potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, fiber, vitamin b6, vitamin C, and folate. Sounds like healthy food to me right?

So now you will want to turn the oven up to 400F. Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly, then liberally apply avocado oil all over the skins. Sprinkle the skins generously with sea salt and pepper, and poke a few holes into both sides using a fork.

Then you can place in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about an hour, depending on how big your potatoes are. The goal is that you want a fork to easily pierce through the center of the potato without resistance. Now while that’s on cruise control, we can move on to the rest of the meal.

Now onto the Brussels. These yummy little mini cabbage-looking things were seriously never a part of my life until the last year or so. They are now one of my favorite veggies. Even my 8 years old loves them!

I started incorporating brussel sprouts into my diet because I was trying to eat more cruciferous veggies to help my body with estrogen detoxification. For many women, estrogen tends to build up in the body and cause a whole array of symptoms like irregular periods, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and even breast cancer.

Turns out brussel sprouts are full of nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber. The possible health benefits of this magical veggie range from blood sugar regulation to reducing inflammation.

I start by washing the Brussel sprouts and cutting the ends off. I may even remove the outer layer if it doesn’t look so good.

Then I cut them into quarters.

I place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle them with avocado oil. Then I season with salt and pepper and place in the 400F oven for about 20 minutes. When they are ready I will drizzle some balsamic vinegar, and toss in the candied pecans.

Okay, now it’s time for the star of the show, the lobster tails. I mean how much fancier can it get? I find that a lot of people are intimidated by them, but they are way easier than you may think. I’m going to show you step by step how to butterfly and broil this lobster to perfection.

First you are going to cut the shell straight down the center.

Then you will use your fingers to get under the shell and gently pull the shell a part. You kind of have to pull the meat away from the shell with your fingers.

Lastly, you will wedge your fingers underneath the meat of the lobster, and pull it up and out of the shell. You can place the meat right on top of the shell, and voila you have successfully butterflied a lobster. Easier than you would think huh? You may have to rinse the lobster in order to get rid of any shell fragments.

Now it doesn’t stop there. The lobster wouldn’t be complete without my garlic ghee sauce. Ghee is clarified butter, meaning that the butter was cooked and strained to remove the water. This process removes casein and lactose, making it suitable for dairy-sensitive folks like me.

All you need to do is melt a bit of ghee and fresh minced garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Then you will add a squeeze of lemon. This mouth-watering sauce can be drizzled all over your baked potato as well.

After quickly preparing the sauce, you can drizzle it over the uncooked lobster tails. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle with a bit of garlic powder and sea salt. Now you can place them in the oven under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes. The shell should turn bright red, and the meat will no longer be translucent.

Top with some extra sauce!

Now, what am I cooking for dessert? You know this meal isn’t complete without a warm, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-filled dessert. I highly recommend this paleo + vegan strawberry chocolate chunk skillet cookie by one of my all-time favorite food bloggers, Bakerita. I will definitely be topping it with some of my favorite vegan vanilla ice cream by the brand Vixen Kitchen. I find them at my local Whole Foods.

If you decide to make my recipe, I would love it if you share a photo and tag me on Instagram @amandajolopez . Also, please comment down below telling me how it turned out.