Garden of Love

On past Valentines Days I have blogged about creating meals with aphrodisiac ingredients. It seems fitting, right? Well it turns out I'm not the only one. Mele Cotte has been hosting the "Kitchen of Love" for the past 3 years on Valentine's Day, highlighting aphrodisiac foods.

Some foods are just given aphrodisiacs, Melle Cotte lists many of them on her blog. And then there are some foods that are aphrodisiacs particular to a specific person. In the middle of winter, there is something about crisp greens that turns me on like nothing else. Lettuce can have that effect on some people. It has also been known to cause uncontrollable laughter attacks in my family, which is usually a far cry from sexy, so proceed with caution.

There have been some gorgeous salads on the interwebs this past week, and I had to join in. I picked up a bag of mixed greens from the farmers' market. And this is a good time of year for greens. I couldn't find any other colors this week other than some beautiful oranges, which as usual, I am going through in mass quantities. So let's throw some of them on there too. And of course, nothing says Valentine's Day to me quite like lush strawberries. I can't think of a sexier fruit.

Topped with a creamy dressing, could this salad get any more seductive? Yes, just toss some almonds on top. Almonds have been considered a fertility symbol throughout the ages, purported to arouse passion in females.

I know most of you don't consider salad to be your ultimate turn on food, but trust me on this one - a bite of this and you'll never think of salad the same way again!

Valentine's Salad

• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
  
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast
• Mixed greens
• 1 orange, sliced (if you don't know how to cut an orange, check out branny's tutorial)
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
  

1. Make the dressing. Combine sugar, vinegar, salt, and mustard. Gradually and slowly, pour in the canola oil, whisking to emulsify. Add in the poppy seeds.
2. Grill the chicken, occasionally brushing with a little of the dressing. Slice chicken.
3. Place greens on plate and top with chicken, orange slices, and strawberries.
4. Sprinkle with almonds and top with dressing.