Foodie's Heart

2009-07-21T17:25:00.001-06:00

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Martha G.

Southwest Soup

2009-05-27T11:57:00.003-06:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Southwest Soup
This makes about 8 servings

1 med onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 lb of lean ground beef (or turkey, or tofu)
2 cups cooked black beans drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced no-salt added tomatoes
1 7oz package of uncooked vermicelli (a.k.a. fideo)
5 cups oragnic low sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tsp smoked chipotle powder (I use McCormick's)
1 tsp ancho chile powder (I use McCormick's)
1 tsp New Mexico Chile powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp Wurshitishire sauce
Olive Oil
1/2 a lime

In a medium pot sautee onion until it's translucent
Add garlic and sautee until fragrant
Add ground meat to brown--drain out fat once, it's cooked
Stir in spices (chipotel, ancho and NM chile powders and cumin)
Pour tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, chichen stock and Wurstishire sauce. Stir to combine.
Once liquid is boiling stir in vermicelli.
Cook about 10-13 mins on medium high heat until vermicelli is cooked.
Stir in corn and beans, cook until corn and beans have heated through.
Squeeze half a lime (about 1/2 tsp)onto soup & stir to combine just before serving (it will brighten up flavors).

I love to serve this recipe with home-made tortilla chips (just bake quartered corn tortillas that have been sprayed with olive oil until crispy) and a refreshing salad with avocado.

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!

My Pioneering Friends

2009-05-27T11:41:00.002-06:00

As always I love to boast about great women doing great things and I'm so lucky to know so many great women :). Well recently I received an email from one of my friends up in Canada. Carolyn, who I've written about many times is still blazing trails! She has recently received a prestigious award for all her efforts in educating women about heart disease here's the email they sent her

Dear Carolyn,

We are delighted to let you know that you have been selected as one of 20 'Our Bodies Ourselves' Women's Health Heroes for 2009. Your work has inspired us all.

OBOS named 20 inductees from seven countries for our inaugural 2009 awards as we sought to find a way to celebrate women's health activism in communities around the world.

With our best wishes & congratulations --

Wendy Brovold
Christine Cupaiuolo
Judy Norsigian
Kiki Zeldes
...for the 'Our Bodies Ourselves' Board of Trustees and staff

'Our Bodies Ourselves' (OBOS), also known as the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective (BWHBC), is a nonprofit, public interest women’s health education, advocacy, and consulting organization. Beginning in 1970 with the publication of the landmark book, 'Our Bodies, Ourselves', OBOS has inspired and championed the women’s health activism movement.

I'm so proud of her! And wanted to share her great news with you all :)

Here's to more women like Carolyn blazing trails and educating people about the importance of women's heart health!
Congrats Carolyn!
-M

Grilled Teriaki Chicken w/ Jasmine Rice & Garlic Ginger Veggies

2009-05-27T11:13:00.005-06:00

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Teriaki Chicken

1/2 cup Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriaki Merinade
1 tbs orange juice
1/8 tsp of liquid smoke (if broiled only)
4 Chicken Cutlets*
Toasted Sesame Seeds for garnish

* I recommend chicken cutlets because then you end up eating 1/2 a chicken breast (the recommended portion) but it looks like you are eating an entire chicken breast and my first rule is "you eat with your eyes FIRST!" To make your own chicken cutlets: half a chicken breast length wise, then pound the cutlet to about an 1/8 of an inch thickness, you'll end up with a large "steak". (I'll make a video ASAP b/c it's hard to explain :D )

To make the sauce simply mix the marinade with the orange juice and liquid smoke if you are broiling the chicken, if you are grilling then leave it out in a small bowl and set aside.
To broil:
Broil the chicken cutlets about 5-7 minutes on each side (depends on how far the chicken is from the broiler), you want to cook it until it's starting to char but doesn't char completely. Once the chicken is begining to char on the second side brush on the sauce on each side and cook for another 2 minutes (just long enough for the sauce to heat up).
If grilling:
Grill the chicken about 3-4 minutes on each side, just so you get the grill marks (b/c the chicken is so thin it will cook quickly so keep a close eye on it!) Brush on the sauce as it's done cooking and heat through.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for garnish and serve with Jasmine rice (cooked to package directions) and Garlic Ginger Veggies (recipe follows)

Garlic Ginger Veggies

1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
3 tbsp Smart Balance (or your favorite buttery spread)
4 cups broccoli florets
3 cups baby carrots
Pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine butter spread, garlic and ginger and microwave for about 30-45 seconds (long enough for the butter to melt) and let it sit.
Meanwhile steam broccoli and carrots, I do it in the microwave in a glass container.
When the broccoli and carrots are steamed (I like to do it so that my broccoli just turns bright green this leaves all the veggies crisp, toss with the butter mixture and as much pepper as you like.
It's an easy an flavorfull recipe that will go with any Asian inspired 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!

Bring on the veggies!

2009-05-27T10:56:00.003-06:00

As some of you may know I am getting ready to try to have another baby! Well, I have to take more precautionary steps than most. First I needed to get off my heart meds...check! Now I need to get off my cholesterol meds...O-Oh!
It's widely known that pregnancy increases your cholesterol. And why shouldn't it right? I mean cholesterol is an essential part of developing the brain and who doesn't want to have a baby with a healthy brain? However, it can become an issue when you are blessed with genes that assist in naturally producing a ridiculous amount of cholesterol like myself. So what can one do to help prevent dangerous amounts of cholesterol during pregnancy? Eat more veggies!
At least that's my theory. I figured that if I can have a more vegetable based diet while reducing the amount of animal based protein I will be more successful at controling my cholesterol without meds. Who knows maybe after this adventure I won't need cholesterol meds! That would be great :).
So why blog about it? Well, for one I've decided to do more personal blogging, but also because this will affect the recipes I add to the site. You can expect more veggie based recipes as well as even leaner recipes and tips on reducing the amount of animal protein you are intaking.

Here's to a healthier YOU!
M.

Oh No, My links!

2009-04-19T10:46:00.003-06:00

So in all my re-decorating I've lost all my links :(...so bare with me while I restore everything I had there if you have some good links for me leave me a comment or EMAIL ME!

Great Food Articles

2009-04-19T10:23:00.004-06:00

I get a newsletter from HealthyEats.com and they often have some great articles! This time I thought I would share some of them....

Cocunut Oil: Good or Bad?
With the great demise of trans fats in the fast food industry the rise of coconut and palm oil has gone back up---that's right back up...they used to be the oils du'jour in the 80's (or so I'm told :) ). So the big question is...is coconut oil good or bad? Well, this article does a great job at displaying both sides of the argument. Bottom line? Well cocunut (and palm for that matter) oil is one of the very few plant based products that is a natural source of saturated fat and like the article explains "there’s strong evidence that suggests the various fatty acids found in coconut oil, including lauric, palmitic and myristic acid (all medium-chained triglycerides), raise both LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol and total cholesterol." That's right, it means that coconut oil is considered a medium-chained triglyceride...that's one of the feared words by those of us that suffer of high cholesterol. So that means that for those of us with heart issues, high cholesterol, or just have a healthy respect for high fat, high cholesterol foods coconut oil is a no-no.
What's that? You say that you like to eat out once in a while? Well then there's no avoiding high fat, high cholesterol, high sodium, high everything you shouldn't be eating foods but like my Dr. always says, there's no harm done in doing things you're not supposed to do in moderation...moderation, now THAT'S the challenge! ;D

Top 5 Herbs for Healthy Cooking

Top 5 Spices for Healthy Cooking

Herbs and Spices are the lifeline of a heart-conscious foodie! So naturally I was curious as to what Heatlhy Eats considered their top 5. And these articles certainly did not disapoint! They not only give an excellent explanation of the herbs and spices but also links to great recipes! So definitely take a look!

My favorite herbs and spice? Well, it's funny you ask...here they are!

Herbs
1. Cilandro (hey I'm Mexican, what do expect ;D )
2. Italian Parsley
3. Dill
4. Basil
5. Chives

Sure my fav aren't all necessarily practical for every kitchen but I use them like they are going out of style!

Spices
1. Paprika
2. Cinnamon (my oatmeal would not be the same without it!)
3. Cumin
4. New Mexico Chile
5. Nutmeg

So what's your top herbs and spices? Leave me a comment!

Blog Changes

2009-04-15T11:40:00.004-06:00

I'm doing a little update on my blog to make it more user friendly and make my recipes more easily accesible, so I'm going to be working on a little sidebar where I will post links to each of my recipes by name (vs. month posted as it is now) but since I have to work on the html code for it, it's going to take a while.

Meanwhile you can look forward to some new recipes coming like Southwest Soup, Low Sodium Pickles, and yes I'm still planning on working on the breakfast sausage and italian sausage but just haven't had time to nail those down yet...pickles are harder to perfect than expected! Oh! And I'm planning on testing out some how-to videos on tougher recipes...so we'll see how that goes! As always I'm just an email away if you have any questions or comments :)

To Your Health!
M.

The Perfect Pickle Pursuit

2009-04-13T19:59:00.005-06:00

I miss pickles! My burgers aren't the same, my movie watching isn't the same...I never realized how big of a part of my life they were until I couldn't have them anymore. And so I did what I always do when it comes to food...I hit the internet and searched for pickle recipes for inspiration.

My first recipe involved apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, sugar, alum, pickling spice and dill (and cucumbers of course). However it ended up tasting too much like cloves and even though I like cloves (in small amounts) I wanted a more dill-y pickle. So I simplified my recipe by just using pickling cucumbers, white vinegar, water, sugar, alum and dill. It improved greatly, but it's still missing something. I think I'm going to try adding lemons for some sourness. And so my journey continues. If you have ideas leave me a comment!

Spicy Beef & Veggie Stir Fry

2009-04-07T12:41:00.004-06:00

Who misses Chinese food? I DO!!!! Well I came across a great product a while ago and even though it's meant to be a marinade I immediately though "stir fry!" So I came up with this recipe, it's easy and very quick. Enjoy!!

(click to enlarge)

1/2 lb. Lean beef thinly sliced & choppend into bite size pieces
12 oz bag of stir fry medley veggies
1/2 cup Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriaki Marinade
1 Orange (just the juice and zest)
2 tsp minced garlic (if you want a mild taste just do 1 tsp)
2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 large onion sliced thin
1 cup sliced mushrooms
pinch of dried red pepper flakes (optional)
3 green onions chopped (for garnish)
olive oil
I also highly recommend a wok

Preheat large pan (medium high heat) or wok (medium heat). Pour enouogh olive oil to lightly coat the bottom (b/c you are using olive oil you want to wait until the wok is completely hot and immediately add ingredients or the oil will burn)

Stir fry onions for about 1 minute stirring constantly only until they begin to look translucent.

Add garlic & ginger and continue stirring for about another minute to give the garlic and ginger a chance to begin cooking.

Stir in meat & mushrooms. Once everything is well incorporated cover and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally. If you are using a regular pan you might need to add 1-2 tbsp of water so that the meat has some liquid to steam in.

Take the lid off and stir until almost all the liquid is gone (about 1 minute)

Stir in the rest of the veggies, orange zest and orange juice and stir to combine.

Once everything is well combined and the veggies have begun to cook, pour Mrs. Dash marinade.

Stir to combine and cover for another 2-4 minutes, stirring occassionally until veggies are almost completely cooked (if you like them crunchy; their colors would have brighted and the brocoli will begin to wilt but not quite) or completely cooked (if you like the veggies soft; the brocoli will be wilted and soft).

Serve over steamed rice and topped with chopped green onions.

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!

New Article!

2009-04-07T12:08:00.005-06:00

OK, so as a member of Women's Heart I get a newsletter with all sorts of articles in it. This month There were two that stood out to me....

"Consuming A Little Less Salt Could Mean Fewer Deaths"
It's a very interesting article About how in the American Heart Association's 49th Annual conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention researchers discussed that "for every gram of salt that Americans reduce in their diets daily, a quarter of a million fewer new heart disease cases and over 200,000 fewer deaths would occur over a decade"...a quarter of a million fewere new heart disease cases for just one gram of salt less!!!! Let's do the math shall we?

2.5 grams of salt = 1 gram of sodium
1/4 tsp of table salt = 590 mg of sodium
So that puts 1 gram of salt at less than 1/4 tsp!
If American's reduce their salt consumption by 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt a day there could be more than 250,000 less cases of heart disease and over 200,000 fewer deaths related to heart disease over the next decade! That would mean over 200,000 fewer families that wouldn't have to suffer the loss of a loved one, and a quarter of a million less people that would not have to change their entire lives, wouldn't have to loose their independance, wouldn't have to feel less whole as a human being; wouldn't have to feel "weak" or "broken." It's amazin to me how 1/4 of a teaspoon can make such a big difference!

Furthermore, the article talks about how "currently, americans eat 9-12 grams of salt per day (or 3600-4800 mg of sodium). This amount is far in excess than recommended by most health organizations (5-6 grams/day of salt or 2000-24000 mg sodium)." Not to mention that what we SHOULD be intaking is actually considered by most people the diet that only heart patients have!!!

This article certainly opened my eyes to the fact that although I began this blog as an attempt to make heart patients' lives easier by aiding with the reality that salt does not necessarily equal taste and that yes you can survive a low sodium, low fat, low cholesterol diet, it's become so much more to me. If I can help people become more aware of what they are putting into their bodies and help them become aware that heart disease has become the number one killer in America for both men and women. Then perhaps we as a whole can help future generations cure this epidemic. Perhaps, by teaching mothers to cook "heart healthy" children will think twice about what they are eating and how much exercise they are getting for reasons other than those based on vanity. That is my hope, my goal, my dream.

For the full article CLICK HERE!

Garlic Spaghetti Squash

2009-03-03T14:56:00.006-07:00

Speghetti Squash is a great way to make your italian pasta inspired dishes low carb and so much more healthy!

Roasting Speghetti Squash
You can do this in many different ways but I preffer the easy way :D

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Wash your squash, poke holes throughout the squash and then place it on a cookie sheet or baking dish (lightly spray the baking dish so the squash won't stick). Bake for 40-60 minutes until the squash is fork tender.

Let squash cool for about 15 minutes.
Then slice the squash length wise, scoop out the seeds and run a fork through the squash "meat" to loosen up the "noodles" that the spaghetti squash becomes.

For the Garlic Spahetti Squash...

(click to enlarge)

2 tbs olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
a pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp italian seasonings

While you are roasting the squash, sautee onion and galic in a tablespoon and a half of the olive oil. Once the onion is beginning to caramelize include pepper flakes and italian seasoning and shut heat off.
Once you have the noodles ready, toss them with the onion and galic mixture and add the other half tablespoon of oil (in needed) so that the noodles are completely coated.

Serve with grilled or breaded chicken and your favorite veggetables!

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!

Italian Sausage (alike) Spicy Spaghetti

2009-02-09T17:28:00.005-07:00

OK, so one of my friends makes a kickin' italian sausage spaghetti sauce the problem is italian sausage houses a lot of sodium and fat that are not heart healthy. Then one of my internet buddies asked me to work on finding out how to make italian sausage. Sooo I decided to make my own version with all the flavors of italian sausage minus the salt and fat! This one's for you Marie! Enjoy...

1 med onion (finely chopped)
4 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (salt-free)
2 8oz. no salt added tomato sauce
1 14.5oz no salt added diced tomato
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 lb whole grain spaghetti
Fresh parsley for garnish.

In a large pot cook spaghetti as directed in the package omitting the salt.

Drizzle olive oil in a medium saucepan and caramalize onions and garlic (in other words, sautee them until they are nice and golden to intensify their flavors)over medium heat

Once the onions and garlic are just about done, toss in the ground turkey to cook.

When the turkey is completely opaque, sprinkle all the spices onto the meat, mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Pour the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce and vinegar into the meat mixture and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occassionally.

Toss with the pasta for even coverage garnish with some fresh parsley 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!

BBQ Chicken

2008-12-09T15:00:00.005-07:00

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

2008-12-09T14:34:00.004-07:00

(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

2008-12-04T16:54:00.008-07:00

(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

2008-12-04T16:28:00.004-07:00

**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

2008-10-16T10:12:00.006-06:00

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!

2008-10-16T09:57:00.004-06:00

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

2008-10-09T14:41:00.003-06:00

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

2008-10-09T14:12:00.003-06:00

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

2008-09-29T13:19:00.005-06:00

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?

2008-09-29T12:43:00.004-06:00

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

2008-09-23T11:37:00.005-06:00

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

2008-09-23T11:25:00.005-06:00

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

2008-09-23T11:14:00.004-06:00

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

2008-09-22T13:44:00.004-06:00

(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

2008-09-22T13:07:00.006-06:00

(click to enlarge)

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

2008-09-22T12:27:00.008-06:00

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

2008-09-17T12:59:00.001-06:00

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.