Surprise your partner with a thoughtful Valentine’s gift and card. Red roses are always a good choice when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Consider having red roses delivered to your partner’s office to impress their coworkers. You will need to order your roses early because Valentine’s day is a big day for florists. If you make dinner at home, place a special centerpiece in the middle of the table. Choose red napkins and wine to make your meal together even more memorable. Valentine’s Day is the best time to celebrate together.

Spice up meals with foods from India such as lamb vindaloo and curries or keep it mild with tandoori chicken. You don’t have to own a wok to prepare some Oriental dishes, but it helps. Egg fried rice, noodles and one-pot beef recipes will get you started. For those with fancier tastes, head to France for a classic onion-based soup or try boulangere potatoes as a flavorful casserole.

Choices for fresh and healthy foods abound with recipes originating in the Mediterranean. Feta cheese will pair nicely with baked figs and a variety of seafood options. Italy is also a popular stop for recipes that range from pasta dishes to a luscious chocolate semifreddo. International recipes of all types bring the world to your own kitchen.

- 2 quarts vegetable oil
- 8 (4 ounce) fillets flounder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
- 1 large bowl
- One large pan (high walls)
- Tongs

1. Mix the egg, beer, salt and flour into the bowl. When it is all mixed, place the smooth batter into the refrigerator.

2. Pour the oil into the frying pan and turn up the heat. You will know when the oil is ready when you wet your fingers and flick a few drops onto the oil. If it makes a strange, chattering noise that means the oil is hot enough for frying.

3. Take the batter out of the fridge and, using the tongs, dip each individual piece of fish into the batter and then drop them into the oil. Make sure each side is evenly browned and then remove them. You can put multiple pieces in the pan at the same time, but make sure you keep an eye on them.

4. Let the fish cool, then enjoy!

2. Quick Chicken Parmesan
. Sautee four chicken breasts in two to three tablespoons of olive oil
. When chicken is browned, place one slice of Swiss cheese or provolone cheese across each piece of chicken and cover with your favorite spaghetti sauce. Add one small can of diced tomatoes, optional.
. Sprinkle with brown sugar to cut the acid in the tomato, and let simmer.
Cook spaghetti until done and serve chicken over the spaghetti

3. Quick and healthy chicken salad
. Defrost one half pound of chicken strips and dice into small pieces
. Add one small can crushed pineapple
. Add red seedless grapes cut in half
. One small stalk of celery diced small
. One small delicious apple unpeeled and diced small
. One cup chopped walnuts
Mix
. One cup salad dressing
. One Tablespoon Lemon juice
. One to two Tbsp sugar or sweetener

4. Left over chicken and dressing
. Mix two cups cooked chicken
. One small package broccoli
. One to two packages of stuffing mix and water as directed
. One tablespoon butter
. One small minced sweet onion
. One stalk of celery minced
. One can cream of chicken soup
Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes

5. Quick stuffed chicken breasts
. Slice chicken breasts
. Place one slice honey ham and one slice Swiss cheese
Brown until chicken is done. Remove from pan and stir in one large bottle of chicken gravy mix. Replace chicken and simmer slowly for one hour.

While some Greek food does use ordinary seasonings such as garlic, onion, and oregano, other dishes have more exotic ingredients and spices. Greek food makes great use of olives, cheeses, eggplant, and yogurt. While these are ordinary foods, when combined as the Greek make their food, it gives the tastebuds the excitement they long for. Other spices used to sweeten meat that are not generally used are cinnamon and cloves.

The Japanese also use ordinary foods, such as rice and noodles, in their cooking. The new flavors come in to play when meat, vegetables, and tofu are added. They also use dashi, miso, and soy sauce to flavor their food. These flavor combinations and new foods will add excitement to any dish.

Mix a tablespoon of cinnamon, a tablespoon of Italian-style seasoning, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of garlic powder in a bowl. Put four boneless and skinless chicken breasts in a lightly-greased baking dish. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly across the top of the chicken breasts. Then cook the chicken in an oven for 45 minutes to one hour at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and serve to four people.

An additional recipe for chicken with spices uses oregano. Melt half a stick of butter, then stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice. Next, mix in one tablespoon of dried oregano and one tablespoon of Italian-style seasoning. Pour this mixture over four boneless and skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes to one hour at 350 degrees.

A vegetarian diet can also be a great benefit to health. People who have chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease can see improvements in their conditions by switching to a non-meat based diet.Check out this link ‘http://celestehealthyliving.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/just-finished-new-book-vegetarian-and-vegan-an-introduction-267-pgs/’>here. Some people think that eating a vegetarian diet necessarily means they will have to consume large amounts of beans or other legumes, and some people have trouble digesting these foods. But there are many vegetarian recipes that don’t require beans and still provide ample protein from other sources.

Many vegetarian recipes makes use of eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products to provide protein in place of meat, chicken and fish. A wide variety of nuts and seeds can also add flavor and nutrition to vegetarian dishes. Mushrooms, vegetables of all kinds and healthful grains can all add up to easy and delicious vegetarian meals that are quick and easy to prepare.