This Galentine’s Day, three months after Vogue’s iconic “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” article by ChantĂ© Joseph, I am celebrating my freedom as a single woman this Valentine’s Day. I am hosting a get-together next weekend with a plethora of pink foods for all of my galentines to enjoy. My besties will be much more appreciative of the effort than my ex at least, lol. I have included recipes for a drink, appetizers, and a dinner, all vegetarian! And as your local pink-loving gal, everything is pink :)
She-Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are always a hit, but these take a step further by staining the egg whites pink! If you would like to make my pink pasta recipe, I recommend getting a can of shredded beets and soaking them in water from the can. You can reuse the shredded beets later! Otherwise, you may be able to find a jar of beet juice at a health market. Deviled eggs stay good for 2 hours at room temperature, and up to 3 days in the fridge.
Ingredients:
- 12 Hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 4 tsp Mustard
- 1/2 cup Mayo
- 2 tbsp soft Butter
- Beet Juice
- Salt, Black Pepper, and Paprika
Instructions:
- Soak eggs in beet juice for 10-15 minutes
- Slice eggs in half and scoop out the yolks into a mixing bowl
- Smush yolks to break their hemisphere shape (this makes it easier to mix in the other ingredients)
- Add mayo, butter, and mustard and mix thoroughly
- Season to taste (start with a tsp of salt and pepper, taste and increase if needed)
- Scoop a spoonful of your mixture into each egg white half sprinkle with paprika
- Enjoy!
Strawberry F-love-ff
As a girlie from Texas, if I made a recipe article without a Jello Salad-esque creation I would be disappointing myself. This recipe gets its color from the Jello mix and fresh diced strawberries. This recipe can be eaten alone, or scooped with graham crackers, wafer sticks, or my personal favorite, vanilla wafers. For safety, don’t let it sit out for longer than 2 hours at room temperature.
Ingredients:
- Strawberry Jello Mix
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 1/2 cup Diced Strawberries
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups Whipped Cream (1 tub Cool Whip)
- 2 cups Mini Marshmallows
Instructions:
- Beat cream cheese in mixing bowl until smooth
- Add jello mix, strawberries, vanilla extract, and whipped cream into the bowl and mix
- Fold in marshmallows into mixture
- Ready to serve! :)
Ado-Red Hot Cocoa
This is a chocolate I learned of recently, it has an almost fruity flavor and is naturally pink from the cocoa pods it’s derived from. I found a bag from Amazon. Alternatively, you can use white chocolate as a chocolate replacement and red food dye. This recipe will give you 2 cups of hot cocoa, to share with your closest galentine <3
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Milk, I use 2%
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup Chopped Ruby Chocolate
Instructions:
- Warm milk and vanilla extract in a pot over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally
- Remove from heat and add the ruby chocolate, whisk until melted and smooth
- Serve immediately, add whipped cream or any other toppings you like :)
Pinkalicious Pasta
This is a variation on my favorite mac & cheese recipe. It uses smoked gouda (my absolute favorite cheese ever, thank you to the Dutch!) and cottage cheese for some extra protein. You can always add your favorite protein to this recipe, and I often add broccoli or other vegetables I have on hand, but I think the beets give the most beautiful pink color and vegetables for nutrition. This will make 6 servings, enough to serve a big group!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Pasta (your choice, I use rotini)
- 1 can of shredded Beets
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese
- 2/3 cup grated Smoked Gouda Cheese
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- Sprinkle of Black Pepper
Instructions:
- Bring salted water to a boil
- Cook pasta al dente or to preference (keep 1 cup of pasta water!)
- Add beets (drained), cottage cheese, gouda, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1/2 the saved pasta water to a blender
- Blend mixture until smooth
- Pour sauce over cooked pasta and coat (use pasta water to thin if needed)
- Serve!
Galentines Get-Togethers
Of course, not everyone can afford or have the time to spend on cooking all of these items. That’s why the importance of community comes in. Choose a few of these items to prepare, and have everyone pitch in. Or make your favorite shareable dish! To have a village, you must be a villager. If your friend group gets together, watches a silly movie with microwavable popcorn, go for it! If you have a FaceTime call to just catch up, that’s beautiful.
Stay beautiful, darlings. Shine from within, have an amazing Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day.