Published by

Abbie on 11th February 2021

This Valentine’s Day, why not try cooking something that is not only new, healthy and delicious but also boasts health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties.  The recipes below are easy to prepare and helpful for anyone with chronic pain, aches and or even fatigue. 

Mussels, salmon, potatoes and strawberries are just some of the ingredients these recipes offer to please the most demanding palate while meeting your nutritional and pain needs. All in a special dinner for two.

1. Creamy Masala Mussels

This easy meal from Drizzle and Dip is mainly made up of mussels, which are rich with iron and haemoglobin to help reduce migraines and headaches.

The rich sea taste of fresh mussels runs right through a delicious, creamy traditional masala flavour, elevating two tried and tested ingredients into a brilliant, hearty home meal. 

The high protein levels in the mussels are good for your muscles, the vitamin B complex for your nerves and the omega-3s for your heart. All of that helps with chronic pain. 

This recipe works just as well with half the quantities for a tasty starter. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg mussels (beards removed and cleaned)
• 30 ml of olive oil
• 2 celery sticks finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp masala or mild curry powder
• 180 ml / ¾ cup medium cream sherry
• 250 ml fresh cream
• A sprinkle of salt and pepper
• Fresh lime wedges and coriander leaves to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large cooking pot and sautée the onions and celery until soft and glassy. Do this for about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic with a light seasoning of salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
3. Add the masala/curry powder and stir.
4. Add the sherry and the mussels and put the lid on the pot.
5. Cook for 5 or 7 minutes on a medium to high heat while gently shaking the pot.
6. Add the cream to the pot and heat through.
7. Serve with a spritz of lime wedges and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

2. Marinated Air Fryer Salmon

Next, Country Living have this mouth-watering salmon main course. It is high in protein, but low in fat. Among other nutrients, there are omega-3s, B vitamins and antioxidants – good for your brain, and chronic pain.

The light, crispy texture of the outside of air-fried salmon carries a delicious sweet-salt combo of the maple syrup and soy sauce. The delicate fillet itself, a result of the controlled frying process, rounds out an incredible dish.

As an alternative to air-frying,  you can bake your salmon in an oven with some coconut oil for 12 minutes to have it medium rare. Bake longer if you like your salmon well done. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 15 ml pure maple syrup
• 15 ml of soy sauce
• 4 (110-gram) fillets of skin-on wild-caught salmon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix lime zest and juice, maple syrup, and soy sauce in a quart freezer bag. 
2. Put salmon fillets in the bag and seal it. Make sure air is removed as much as possible before marinating for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat air-fryer for 2 to 3 minutes at 204°C.
4. Take out fillets from the bag and lay them skin-side up in the basket.
5. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 49°C.
6. While the salmon cooks, simmer the marinade over a medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.
7. Pour marinade over salom

3. Peppered Filet Steak with Parsley Potatoes

A medley of old favourites come together in this dish – tasty steak and potatoes with a kick of parsley. Comforting, simple and great.

This recipe from BBC Good Food has a high amount of iron, zinc and vitamin B12 that are good for immunity. The potatoes that come as a side-dish are also one of the best sources of carbohydrates, high in fibre and antioxidants.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large red-skinned potatoes.
• 30 ml olive oil, plus an extra drizzle 
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 (each 140g) beef fillet steaks
• Cracked black pepper
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Small knob of butter
• Watercress, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel and cut potatoes into large cubes before dropping into a pan of boiling water. Simmer for 2 minutes, then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan before adding the potatoes. Fry them gently for 20 minutes until all sides are golden and crispy.
3. As the potatoes are cooked, add the minced garlic to the pan and fry for another minute.
4. Toss through the parsley, season with sea salt and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, rub the steaks with a drizzle of oil and black pepper. You can have your partner help you with this.
6. Heat a griddle pan, and cook both steaks to your liking.
7. Rest steaks for 5 minutes before adding a knob of butter on top.
8. Serve with the potatoes and some watercress for garnish.

4. Strawberry and Snickers Sticks for Dessert

Finally, you can make a simple, appealing and sweet dessert to end a beautiful Valentine’s Day with your partner. Rich, delicious strawberry and Snickers kebabs!

This recipe from Woman’s Day combines the sweet caramel, nut and chocolate of the Snickers with acidity from the strawberries. They also have anti-inflammatory elements and together with a healthy dose of indulgence. 

INGREDIENTS

• 16 small strawberries or 8 large (halved if large)
• 6 fun-size Snickers bars, halved
• Dulce de Leche (or other caramel sauce), for serving
• Coarse sea salt, for serving
• 4 Bamboo skewers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Thread cut strawberries onto skewers, alternating with the cut Snickers pieces.
3. Put them on the prepared baking sheet and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
4. When ready to serve, move the frozen kebabs to a serving platter, drizzle with the Dulce de Leche, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. 

5. Vegan Burgers

Wait, what if one of you is a vegan? No worries, this yummy burger from Nora Cooks is a tasty and healthy dish that everyone will enjoy, especially vegans.

There’s delicious cashews and paprika and chilli for a nice deep flavour profile. 

The main ingredient is hearty black beans, which contain isoflavone, a type of antioxidant that improves blood circulation and respiration, and can reduce

headaches and fatigue. Over time, consuming isoflavones may help you manage chronic pain in the knees, shoulders, neck and lower back. They are even linked to the prevention of cancer and diabetes.  

Recipe for 2 servings.

INGREDIENTS 

• 65g ground flax
• 110ml water
• 700g cooked black beans (2 430-g cans, drained and rinsed)
• 235g cashews
• 350g cooked brown rice
• 110g chopped parsley
• 350g shredded carrots
• 75g chopped green onions
• 235g bread crumbs
• 30g smoked paprika
• 15g chilli powder
• 7.5g salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mash the black beans in a large bowl, leaving a few beans whole. Mix in the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and stir with a large spoon.
2. Shape into patties about 2 cm thick.
3. Pan-fry, bake or grill them. 
4. Eat! 

If this sounds brilliant to you click here for more easy, healthy and delicious vegan recipes.

If you want to find healthy tips to share with your partner, head over to our Facebook Group: Together For Better Days. It’s a perfect place to share and learn about healthy recipes and lifestyles.

To Better Days has a range of active patches that help those experiencing sustained discomfort. Our easy to use adhesive patches contain a patented combination of vitamin D and dextrose to offer a topical and targeted option that supports the health of joints, muscles and nerves.

Here’s to being on the move, having more ‘get up and go’ and a feeling of freedom. Here’s To Better Days.