Eating Your way to a Healthy Heart

Eating healthy can be fun…

…if you have a plan and some good recipes. This week on Thursday the 21^st at 7:45pm I will be doing a free cooking lesson at Hazelden in Chisago Lakes, Minnesota at the 19^th Annual Women’s Health Conference. This year’s theme is: Take Charge of Your Health.

Eating healthy can taste good and is easy to prepare. Please join us on Thursday or try these heart healthy recipes. Eat healthy every day, all day!

Breakfast:

Breakfast Smoothies

1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt

1 cup plain almond milk

2 cups assorted frozen berries

1 Tablespoon of Trader Joe’s flax seed oil

½ of a banana

Optional items

Walnuts

Oatmeal

Spinach

Carrots

Place all ingredients in a large pitcher and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Lunch:

Thinkingout side the box…or can.

Sweet Potato Chili

1lb of ground turkey, pheasant or chicken

2 cans black beans drained

1 can green chilies

2 cloves of garlic

1 medium onion chopped

¼ cup olive oil

2 stalks of celery

1 carrot

½ cup chopped red pepper

2-4 cups of low sodium chicken broth

2 cups of cooked sweet potatoes, mashed

Fresh cilantro and jalapeños

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and meat. Cook until meat is browned. Set cooked meat aside. Add the remaining olive oil and sauté the celery, carrot, garlic, onion, and red pepper until tender. Add the meat back to the pan along with the green chilies, sweet potatoes, beans and 2 cups of chicken broth. Simmer on low for 1 hour stirring every so often. Add additional broth if the chili gets to thick. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro or jalapeños.

Dinner:

Pan seared Maple Salmon

2 wild salmon steaks

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

Brown rice and almond pilaf

2 cups cooked hot brown rice

¼ cup toasted slivered almonds

Cook brown rice according the to package directions. In a small fry pan, toast nuts over medium heat until nuts are fragrant. Sprinkle toasted nuts over rice.

Oven roasted asparagus and carrots

1 bunch on asparagus cut in half

2 carrots peeled and cut into diagonal pieces

Olive oil cooking spray

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimed sheet pan, spray with olive oil and spread out carrots and lightly mist with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes and add asparagus and cook additional 5 minutes until edges are beginning to char.

 

Dessert:

Healthy and funny looking!

Heart Healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Truffles w/Fresh Berries

12 oz bittersweet chocolate (62% coca), melted

3 cups Bran flakes, lightly crushed

½ toasted old fashion oats

½ cup slivered and toasted Almonds

½ cup dried cherries, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, toss cereal, nuts and cherries. Melt chocolate in a separate bowl and pour over cereal mixture.

Drop by Tbsp on to parchment paper and let cool for 1 hour. Serve with fresh berries.

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