BBQ Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (visible fat discarded)
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend
1 tbsp chili sauce (optional)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/2 tsp salt free chili powder
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp ground chipotle
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp no salt added tomato paste
vegetable spray

Preheat broiler on high. Set rack about 8 inches away from heat.

In a small saucepan combine all ingredients except for chicken and cook for a couple of minutes (just until the preserves have melted).

Cook chicken for about 10-13 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked (the juices run clear) coat with the bbq sauce let it sit under heat for a couple of minutes, turn coat and let it sit under heat for another 2 minutes.

Serve with roasted vegetables or corn on the cob and enjoy!

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Cranberry Orange Muffins

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)



1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh is best)
1 cup oatmeal flour
1 cup whole grain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup 50/50 Smart Balance butter blend- unsalted, softened
1 tsp grated orange zest
2/3 cup granulated sugar (or Splenda)
2 large eggs, at room temperature (or 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters)
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans work best)
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute and set aside to cool and plump.

Lightly spray a 12-muffin tin (the small muffins) with cooking spray.

To make oatmeal flour simply put a cup of old fashion oats in a food processor and pulse to grind the oats into flour. I like to leave it not completely ground up because it gives the muffins a grainy texture.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder and mix with a wisk to "sift". This is important to fluff the flour and get softer, fluffier muffins as whole wheat and oatmeal flour can be very heavy.

In a large bowl, cream butter with the orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold the flour in a 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in cranberries and chopped nuts.

Be careful not to overmix! Divide the batter evenly into muffin tin and bake until golden brown (about 20-25 minutes).

ENJOY!



Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Chicken Roulade

(CLICK TO ENLARGE



4 boneless skinless chicken breast (or 8 chicken thinly cut cutlets)
3 tbsp Tastefully Simple's Pine Nut & Basil Pesto Mix (prepared as directions state)
1 cup pine nuts (toasted and finely chopped)
2 cups part skim motzarella (or Vegan Gourmet's Motzarella)
1 tbsp low fat (or fat free) parmesan cheese (for pesto)
1.5 tbsp olive oil (for pesto)
2 tbsp water (for pesto)
2 tbs fresh chopped basil
cooking spray



Prep chicken...
if you get the cutlets you won't need any prep. If you got the chicken breasts...
Slice chicken breasts in half to create two cutlets (about 1/2" thick).
To create an even thin cutlet place the cutlet in betweent two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to desired thickness.

Assembly...
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Take a chicken cutlet and spread a thin layer of pesto followed by a thin layer of motzarella (NOTE: You should have about a cup of motzarella left for toping)
Roll chicken up and place on an oven safe baking dish (make sure and spray baking dish with cooking spray).
Once you have all the chicken cutlets rolled up, place baking dish in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
While chicken is cooking mix remaining motzarella and parmesan (if you are including it), and roasted and chopped pinenuts and basil, mix well.
After the 15 minutes are up, spread topping on top of the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve with roasted spaghetti squash, roasted vegetables, or white rice and enjoy!

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Turkey Bean Burgers

**This recipe was inspired by one found in the Woman's Day Holiday Menus issue.

2 can-16 oz. black beans (rinsed)
2 cups chopped turkey (can be chicken)
The white from 1 egg
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt free chili powder


Cooking spray
Honey mustard dressing (low fat)
Whole weat hamburger buns
lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado (or any veggies you like on burgers!)

Before you begin make sure and rinse the beans well because canned beans contain subtantial amounts of salt in them. You can also use home baked beans to control the amount of sodium in the beans.
In a medium bowl mash the beans (it's easiest done with a potato masher or a pastry blender.
Spray large skillet and preheat on medium-low heat.
Mix in turkey, egg white and spices.
Once all ingredients are blended well form 4 large burger patties or 6 smaller patties.
Cook 3-4 patties at a time (depending on your skillet size), for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with sweet potato fries and enjoy!

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Turkey burgers

1.5 LBS of Lean Ground Turkey
1/2 TBS of Mrs. Dash Hamburger blend
1 TSP of Wurstishire Sauce
1/4 TSP of Liquid Smoke (omit if you are grilling on a coal grill)
Cooking Spray

In a medium bowl mix ingredient until well blended.
Divide mixture into 4 and create thick round patties with a small dip in the middle (this will keep them from plumping into balls).
If you are cooking these on a stove top--preheat pan over medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray (olive oil preferred).
If you are cooking on a grill--I recommend that you cook them on aluminum foil or grilling pans because ground turkey might not hold together well on the regular grill.
Cook patties on each side for 4-6 minutes or until brown.

Serve on whole grain hamburger buns with your favorite "fixings" and sweet potato fries.
My favorite are with mixed greens, tomatoes, and avocado...try it you'll love it!

If you want to cut some carbs out, use whole grain sandwich bread, use a whole wheat flour tortilla to make a wrap or make it a lettuce wrap!


Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Healthy eating starts in your pantry!

Here's a great article about stocking your kitchen with heart healthy options that a friend shared with me (thanks Ecksunbeam!)...

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/high-cholesterol-tips-7/healthy-foods
(copy and paste)

The one thing I cannot stress enough is play with spices and herbs. Fresh basil on your home-made pasta sauce (recipes's coming!) makes such a big difference! Mrs. Dash has a fabulous variety of herb/spice blends that will keep you from using high sodium alternatives. My favorite? Mrs Dash Hamburger blend, with this blend you don't need any condiments or pickles on your hamburgers (check out my burger recipe!). Another great product from Mrs. Dash is their marinades. My favorite Mrs Dash marinades are the Chipotle, Smokey Mesquite, and Teriaki (great for stir fry!).

I hope this article inspires you to look at your pantry as an opportunity to better your (and your family's) health.

To Your Health!
M.

Sweet Potato Fries/Chips

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tbs of grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs of Mrs. Dash original blend
1 tsp of paprika
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Chop sweet potatoes into slices, wedges, or thin circles (for chips!)--your favorite frie/chip shape.

Lightly spray cookie sheets (you will need 1 large cookie sheet per potato) with cooking spray and line up the fries, side by side leaving a little bit of space in between them.

Lightly spray fries with cooking spray and cook for 15-18 minutes.

Half way through the cooking time (about 8-10 minutes in) flip fries to allow for even cooking.

Once fries are golden brown take them out of the oven sprinkle spices and cheese on top and toss before serving.

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Honey Habanero Chicken

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1/4 cup of Honey
2 tbs of Orange Juice
2 tsp of Paprika
1 tsp New Mexico Chile Powder
1-2 Habanero Chiles (seeded and deveined) finely chopped
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.
Spray baking dish with cooking spray.
Trim all visible fat from chicken and place in cooking dish.
In a medium bowl wisk together honey, orange juice, paprika, chile powder, and habaneros.
With a basting brush lightly coat the chicken with the honey mixture and cook for 10 minutes. You want to place the chicken at least 5 inches from the top of the broiler.
Once the chicken has cooked for 10 minutes or so brush a little more of the honey mixture, turn the chicken pieces over and cook for 5-10 (depending on the size of your chicken pieces) more minutes.

Recipe Tips & Recommendations
>This recipe works as a great alternative to buffalo wings.
>Serve with sweet potoatoe fries for a "junk food" meal. It also goes great with a side salad (or even in a salad with some honey mustard dressing or your favorite vinagrette!).
>For a milder flavor use jalapenos instead of habaneros.
>Don't be afraid of habaneros though! The honey and orange juice give pleanty of sweetness to balance out the heat of the peppers.

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Carolyn's Story

In my search for answers I found a great group of girls that all share one common challenge, heart disease. In that group I have made many wonderful friends with many interesting, inspiring stories. One of those friends got interviewed for the Vancouver office of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Her story is like an unfortunate number of stories. She began to feel symptoms that are related to heart disease yet every time she went to the ER she was told she was fine. Finally, a couple of weeks after her ER trip she finally got to see a cardiologist only to find out that she had significant blockage. Luckily, my friend is still with us inspiring everyone she meets, but this is not always the case. Because the medical community does not fully understand that heart disease that afflicts women is different than the heart disease that afflicts men and that often times one or two tests isn't enough women dies of heart disease more than they die of anything else. Those who are lucky enough to survive heart disease often do not recover fully. It is important to share stories like Carolyn's to open the eyes of the people caring for us and to give us motivation to seek the treatments and tests that will get us the answers we so desperately seek!

Click here To read CAROLYN'S STORY in it's entirety

Do you have a story to tell?

If you would like to share your story, email me and I will gladly post it in my new section of "Inspiring Stories"

Also, make sure and check out the "Heart Friendly Links" for useful information about PPCM and heart disease in general!

Mexican Chorizo

One of the biggest challenges of giving up salt as a Mexican-American woman was giving up chorizo, and so my quest began for the perfect, homemade, heart friendly chorizo!

1 lb. ground pork (the leaner the better!)
3 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbs. water
3 garlic cloves (grated or finely chopped)
3 tbs. ground chile (I used 1 tbs Cheyenne, 1 tbs New Mexico Chile, 1 tbs Chipotle)
2 tsp. oregano
1 tbs. paprika
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp. sugar

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl for even distribution.
Using a fork, combine pork and liquid ingredients (vinegar & water) in another bowl.
Pour half of the spice mix onto the pork mix and combine thoroughly, then pour the other half and combine thoroughly. I broke this step down to allow the spices to combine well with the meat mixture.
Knead the mixture (either with your hands or the fork) until everything is well combined and put the mixture in zip locks.
Let it cure for at least 24 hrs, although letting it cure for 48 hrs will yield a much better result.

Tips...
Frozen the chorizo will last up to 1 month.
Refrigerated the chorizo must be consumed within 2 weeks.
When thawing out frozen chorizo make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator.


Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Refried Beans

3 cups Baked Beans (with cooking liquid)
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Olive Oil

In a frying pan coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and add beans with it's liquid (careful not to splash!). Sprinkle the cumin on top and let the beans heat up a bit. Once beans have been heated use a potato smasher to smash the beans. If you don't have a potato smasher you can "smash" your beans in a food processor or blender before you pour them into the pan. Stir beans to combine well with cumin and to further cook the beans. They will begin to turn a darker brown. You will know that your beans are done when their color has turned into that darker brown (thus having been re-fried!). Serve hot and enjoy!


Variation...

Sauteee some chorizo (check out my recipe!) in olive oil until almost fully cooked (it will shrink and change to a darker color) before you pour on the beans for a delicious dip or spicy side dish!

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Baked Beans

1 onion (sliced or chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
2 cups of dry pinto beans (sorted and washed)
1 tsp of sea salt (optional)

In a medium-to-large stock pot, combine ingredients and pour water so that it goes about 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, add sea salt (if using). Boil for about 5 minutes and then bring it down to a simmer for about 3 hours or until the beans are fully cooked (they will turn brown and become soft and less starchy) checking on it about every 30 minutes and adding water as needed.

Variations...

If you would like to intensify the flavors of the onion and garlic add a teaspoon of olive oil (or enough to cover the botton of your pot) and caramalize the onion and garlic before pouring the beans and water in.

If you would like spicy beans, add one large jalapeno (seed it and remove veins for a mild flavor)when you caramelize the onions and garlic.

Tips...
Remember to sort and wash your beans before you use them. You want to remove beans that have been split or just don't look good as well as any debris (rocks, etc) that may have snuck into the bag.

For a quicker cooking time, soak your beans overnight. It will shorten the cooking time by as much as 2 hours! And make sure that you pour the water that you soaked the beans in because it will add taste.

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Chili Tostadas

(click to enlarge)



2 servings

4 Corn Tortillas
1 Cup Refried Beans
1 Cup Martha's Chili
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese
1 Tomato (diced)
1 Cup Lettuce--or your favorite leafy green (shredded)
Cooking Spray

Preheat broiler.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lay tortillas on the cookie sheet and lightly spray cooking spray on top of tortillas. Place tortillas in preheated broiler for 3 minutes, flip tortillas and cook for another 2 minutes.
Meanwhile heat beans and chili.
Once the tortillas have been toasted, top them with the refried beans, chili and cheese (put in microwave for 30 seconds if you would like to melt the cheese), top with lettuce and tomatoes.


Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Texas Enchiladas

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3 cups Chili (check out my recipe for a heart healthy version!)

12 Corn Tortillas

6-8 cups shredded Cheese (it depends on how much YOU love cheese :D)

Cooking Spray



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 3 qt. glass baking dish with cooking spray, coat the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of chili. Heat tortillas one by one on a pan or "comal" (cast iron skillet), as they are being heated stuff with 1 tbs of chili and some cheese (just sprinkle across on top of the chili), roll up each tortilla around its stuffing and lay them in the cooking dish seam side down, and side-by-side so they do not unroll. Once you have all the enchiladas in the dish spread the remaining chili on top of the entire dish and top with the remaining cheese. Put in preheated oven until cheese has melted and has begun to brown.



Serve with refried beans and rice.


Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

Martha's Chilli

1 med Onion
3 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
1.25 lbs Ground Turkey
3 Md Jalapenos (remove seeds & veins if you desire a mild flavor)
1tsp Coriander
1tbs Cumin
1 tbs Chili Powder
1 tbs Paprika
1tbs Smoked Paprika
1 tbs New Mexico Chile Powder
2 tsp Chipotle Powder
2 Roma Tomatoes (diced, chunky)
1 can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
6 cups Baked Beans
1 can No Salt Added Tomato Sauce
2 cups Frozen (or Fresh) Corn
3 1/2 cups Low Sodium, Organic Chicken Broth
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

In a large stock pot, caramelize onion and garlic in a medium low heat until the onion has began to brown (it becomes a dark orange-caramel color). About half way through the onions will become transparent, at this point add the jalapenos.
Add the ground turkey and begin to brown the meat, stir occasionally until the turkey meat is almost completely cooked. Turkey unlike regular ground beef will not truly brown, so how do you know when it's cooked? When the meat begins to cook it will give off liquid (as will any meat) when that liquid is clear and begins to evaporate your meat should be cooked.
After about 4-5 minutes the meat should be almost completely cooked, at this point you should add all your seasonings and stir.
Add tomatoes (canned & fresh), tomato sauce, and beans (with some of the liquid of the beans), and frozen corn. Stir to combine thoroughly.
Add chicken broth and worcestershire sauce, stir to combine and simmer for 40 minutes.

A few tips,
I used home baked beans to control the amount of sodium in them (check out my recipe!).
My favorite brand of organic, low sodium chicken broth is from Albertson's because it only has 70 mg of sodium per cup!
This recipe yields a mild-to-hot heat, so if you want more heat add more chili powder (my favorite is New Mexico Chile) or leave the veins/seeds in the jalapeno, for milder flavor decrease the amount of jalapeno and/or chili powder.
Look out for recipes that will show you what to do with this chili recipe!

Enjoy!

Do you have a special request or a recipe that you love and would like to get it made over into a heart healthy version? CLICK HERE and I will try help you!

A Foodie's Heart, My Story

My name is Martha, I am 27 years old, I am happily married to what seems like the most wonderful man in the world and my best friend. I am the mother of one angel and this is my story...


When I was 25 my husband and I decided to try and have a baby. We got pregnant right away and my pregnancy was great! Up until the last month of my pregnancy. Two weeks before my due date I went to the hospital thinking I was going into labor only to find out my daughter was dead and I was going into heart failure. I had what is known as Peripartum (or postpartum) Cardiomyopathy. It happens in 1 or 3-4000 pregnancies and little is known about the condition. My particular case is believed to have been caused by undiagnosed preeclamsia.


I left the hospital with an ejection fraction (EF) of 15-25%, a bag full of meds and a new diet. I was on a sodium restricted diet of 2000 mg a day and a liquid restricted diet of 2 liters a day. I am a self-proclaimed foodie. I love to cook food, bake food, eat food, watch food shows, read about food in three words....I LOVE FOOD! And here I found myself unable to use salt, it was a big challenge for me. However, through a lot of research and experiementation I have found that through a wider use of foods, herbs, and spices one can achieve food bliss without the use of too much (if any) salt! Through good food choices, exercise and a decreasing amount of medication I am happy to report that today (9 months after my heart failure) my heart has an EF of 65-75%, my LDL & Triglycerides are in the low 50's and I am beginning on a year-long journey to pregnancy and then hopefully parenthood!





So what have I learned, I've learned life's short so don't waste it! I've learned that with determination and the appropriate research you can live a healthy life without giving up flavor.


My purpose for this blog is to raise awareness of heart issues that can affect women of all ages and to share information that I find on the internet from reliable sources and recipes that I find and/or come up with to help others lead a happy & healthy life!





To Your Health!


M.