Lighter, Love-Inducing V-Day Recipes

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Serves 4

The aroma of almonds is thought to induce passion in women, and two chemicals in chocolate—tryptophan, a building block of the brain chemical serotonin, which is involved in sexual arousal, and phenylethylamine, a stimulant related to amphetamine, that’s released in the brain when people fall in love.

Ingredients
3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup crushed almond  slivers (optional)
16 strawberries, washed and dried very well

Directions
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowl of chocolate over the water and stir to melt.

Once the chocolate is melted and smooth remove the bowl from the pan. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate (let any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl). Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with almond crumbs. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.

Refrigerate the berries for 20-30 minutes to set the chocolate.

91 calories, 1.6 g protein, 11.75 g carb, 5.4 g fat, 2.1 g sat fat, 1.24 mg chol, .64 mg sodium, 2.11 f fiber