Looking to show your love (or eat yourself into an all-natural sugar coma) for Valentine’s Day? You’ve come to the right place! With these five vegan recipes, the CU Independent arts section has your last-minute Valentine’s Day cooking covered, whether you are celebrating with your partner, your squad or by yourself. Plus, as you cook, you turn up the jams and sing along to our romantic Valentine’s Day playlist, which can be accessed here.

Rose Tea Boba

Song pairing: “La Vie en Rose” by Zaz

What could be more romantic than a bouquet of roses? Rose tea boba! If your partner loves you enough to make it through this long recipe, it must be true love! Be patient — I promise you will have two romantic, delicious, Instagram-worthy drinks by the end. 

Servings: 2

Rose tea:

2 tbsp rose petals

2 tsp hibiscus

Teabag

2 cups water

(Can substitute home-made tea for 6 store-bought tea bags)

Tapioca pearls:

2/3 cup dry tapioca pearls

7 cups water

Assembly:

2/3-1 cup non-dairy milk, preferably coconut 

Honey or maple syrup to taste

Steps:

1. In a medium pot over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. 
2. Then, prepare the loose leaf tea bag with rose petals and hibiscus. 
3. Remove the pot from heat, and steep the tea bag for 5-10 minutes, to desired strength. 
4. Pour the tea into mason jars and chill in the fridge for roughly an hour. 
5. Cook the tapioca pearls. Boil 7 cups of water and then add 2/3 cup of boba for 2-3 minutes, until they rise to the surface. 
6. Once the tea has cooled, add non-dairy milk to taste (at least 1/3 cup per jar), cooked tapioca pearls and honey or maple syrup, to desired sweetness.  
7. Add a large straw and enjoy! 

— Arts editor, Izzy Fincher

Stuffed Dates

Song pairing: “Shame” by Freddie Gibbs, Madlib & BJ The Chicago Kid

Date sandwiches are one of the most underrated Middle Eastern snacks. Although they follow the classic PB&J flavor profile, they outdo it by sticking to only whole foods. Also, the finesse from the date’s caramel-like flavor rounds out the sweetness and fattiness. For an extra Middle Eastern touch, opt for a drizzle of tahini instead of the usual nut butters, which pairs best with tangier berries like blackberries and blueberries. Not only does the visual and gooey texture of this recipe fit the occasion, the high sugar content should also fuel you for the energy-intensive activities that might be planned for later in the day. 

Ingredients:

Dried dates

Nut or seed butters, e.g. almond, peanut or tahini

Fresh fruit for stuffing, e.g. raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries 

Steps:

1. Slice and pit the dates.
2. Drizzle some nut butter in the slit until the date is halfway full.
3. Top it with fresh berries to finish.
4. Repeat with different nut butter and berry combinations until you are in a sugar coma.

Recommended combinations:

• Almond butter with raspberries and blueberries
• Peanut butter with blueberries and strawberries
• Tahini with blackberries and raspberries

— Staff Writer, Altug Karakurt

Red Velvet Pancakes

Song pairing: “Velvet” by Adam Lambert 

Craving red velvet pancakes, but don’t want the synthetic red dye? Try beets instead! Beets enhance the rich, chocolatey flavor and add a subtle merlot coloring without affecting the taste. Plus you can feel good about hiding vegetables in your sugar-filled breakfast. Bonus points if you can make your red velvet pancakes into hearts. 

Servings: 15-20 medium pancakes 

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3-1/2 cup cocoa powder 

4 tsp baking powder 

Wet ingredients:

1 flax egg**

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup applesauce

2 small beets, steamed

1-1.5 cup non-dairy milk

Oil, avocado or vegetable recommended

** Mix 1 tbsp flaxseed and 3 tbsp water. Let sit for 15-30 minutes. 

Suggested toppings:

Chocolate chips 

Maple syrup and chocolate drizzle

Fresh fruit, e.g. strawberries or raspberries 

Coconut sprinkles 

Dairy-free whipped cream

Steps:

1. Skin the raw beets and steam or bake until soft. If pre-cooked, the beets can be added directly. 
2. Put the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. 
3. In a large blender, add all wet ingredients and steamed beets.
4. Blend on high until smooth. 
5. Pour the wet blended mixture into the bowl and mix gently. 
6. Heat up a pancake griddle to 300 F, or heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Grease it lightly with oil and scoop pancake batter in a heart shape. Sprinkle in chocolate chips! 
7. Top the finished pancakes with any or all of the suggested toppings. 

— Arts editor, Izzy Fincher

Golden Raisin Oat Cookies

Song pairing: “Golden” by Harry Styles

Oatmeal raisin is my all-time favorite type of cookie, a timeless classic. I was playing around with ideas for an out-of-the-ordinary oatmeal cookie and developed this recipe. Egg-free, naturally sweet and made with organic, healthy ingredients, these cookies will rock your world. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Servings: about 8

Dry ingredients:

1/4 cup oat flour**

1/4 cup almond flour

3/4 cup raw, dry organic oats

1/2 tsp baking powder 

**Blend raw oats on high in a food processor to create a flour texture.

Wet ingredients:

dash of vanilla

1/2 cup raw honey 

1 tsp melted coconut butter

golden raisins

Steps:

1. Prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set the oven to 350 F.
2. Stir all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. 
3. Add in the wet ingredients. Then, fold in golden raisins to taste. 
4.  Grab a large spoon and scoop a spoonful of batter onto your cookie sheet for each cookie.
5. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown.
6. Enjoy!

— Staff Writer, Bailey Diamond

Lobster-less Rolls

Song pairing: “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin

When the urge for lobster rolls—an East Coast classic—strikes, why not look beyond the sea for a vegan substitute? When prepared with the proper marinate, canned hearts of palm veggies serve as excellent faux-lobster to be served over crunchy, toasted buns. It takes a day of preparation in advance, but the wait will be worth it for a romantic, maritime-themed meal.

Servings: 4 

Ingredients:

2 14-oz cans hearts of palm

½ cup celery

½ cup onion

1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 lemon

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp vegan butter, melted

4 brioche hot dog buns

Steps:

1. Cut the hearts of palm into meat-like chunks and place in a bowl.
2. Add the chopped vegetables, Old Bay Seasoning and butter to the bowl. 
3. Toss well. Then, store in the fridge overnight to marinade the hearts of palm.
4. The next day, preheat the oven to 400 F and bake the hearts of palm on a sheet until they reach golden brown color on the edges.
5. Butter the buns and then toast until golden brown.
6. Place the hearts of palm chunks into the buns and garnish with paprika or lemon for extra flavor.

— Arts editor, Ben Berman