Guilt Free Valentine’s Day Desert and Libations

Some readers may be wondering what I am going to do for Valentine’s Day. With a plethora of deserts and chocolates made available for this sweet occasion and the custom of gift giving revolving around sweets, it does not make it easy for those of us who have held on tightly to our New Year’s resolution up to this point.

The amazing thing about my resolution to follow the Metabolism Miracle Diet is that I eat most normal things. For Valentine’s Day I can dine at a lovely restaurant and order a steak and lobster with a healthy salad and be guilt free. As long as I don’t choose to order a breaded steak or deep fried shrimp, I’m more than likely going to be ok. The only common beverage that I will have to pass on this Valentine’s Day is the wine. I will probably just order a diet coke. If you do decide to cheat a little, stick to one glass of dry wine. You probably won’t do too much damage that way and dry wine has the least amount of sugar.

Libations

Here are some options for good wines with low sugar content.

Dry Reds

Pinot Noir: 0.68g carbs per ounce

Cabernet Franc: 0.71g carbs per ounce

Merlot: 0.74g carbs per ounce

Cabernet Sauvignon: 0.75g carbs per ounce

Shiraz/Syrah: 0.76g carbs per ounce

Zinfandel: 0.84g carbs per ounce

Dry Whites

Pinot Blanc: 0.57g carbs per ounce

Sauvignon Blanc: 0.6g carbs per ounce

Pinot Grigio: 0.6g carbs per ounce

With the above wines, you could essentially have a small 4 oz. glass of wine for dinner, if you are not having any other type of carb in your meal. If you really want to watch your carb, you could create a spritzer with an equal proportion of seltzer in your wine (1:1 ratio of 2 oz. wine and 2 oz. seltzer). This is actually a peek into Phase II of the Metabolism Miracle Diet, as it is the kind of carbohydrate enriched foods you will be able add back into your diet in the next phase.

Desert

Now let’s talk desert. Here is where you may come across a dilemma. Not every restaurant will have a sugar free and low carb option. In my case, we tend to always take desert home after a rich meal, because we simply never have the room for desert. Besides, it is nice to have desert at home in an intimate setting without a bunch of other couples around you in a crowded restaurant. So, this year I plan on skipping the take out bag and having a sweet treat already prepared at home. This way, if I have desert almost five hours after dinner, it is very possible to truly indulge or you can just save your 5 grams of carb for desert. I know you are intensely wondering what desert I came up with that only has 5 grams of carb. Believe me I created a truly romantic and luscious treat. It is a Chocolate Truffle Cup. Made with velvety dark chocolate and smooth heavy cream, and it is unbelievably simple to make. This is essentially a homemade chocolate truffle in a cup. Won’t it be romantic to share spoonfuls of creamy chocolate out of a single porcelain cup!

This recipe makes two cups, but it is very rich and you could just share one cup, which will also cut down on the carb.

Chocolate Truffle Cup For Two

Ingredients:

2 oz. of Dark Chocolate (I use chocolate that is at least 80% Cacao to ensure the appropriate carb quantity. It is best to find something that is 5 grams per ounce.)

4 tablespoons of Heavy Cream

2 small cups or Espresso Cups

Hand full of berries and 1 teaspoon of pure cocoa powder (optional, extra carb)

Method:

Grate Chocolate or cut into chip size pieces. If you are using premium chocolate chips than you can skip this step.
Heat the cream over medium high heat, but don’t let it boil.
Remove the cream from the heat and whisk in chocolate until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into your cups and cool in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. You can leave it to cool overnight and serve the next day if necessary.
Serve topped with berries and a dash of cocoa powder (optional)