Heart Healthy Recipes & Hints

[lashbear]

Hi all !

OK, so you've had your first heart attack, and you've got to trim that figure to keep your heart healthy. Where do we begin?

I have been given a little list of life-savers (no, not the candy) by my dietician, and I thought I'd start this thread and share some of them with you, after all, I want to keep on chatting with you at LEAST until Disneyland's 100th.

My dietician has told me that you've gotta have carbs, because if you don't and your diabetic (which a lot of larger folk are) then you can go into ketosis which is NOT good for your internal organs. Therefore some of the following do contain carbs. but I try to keep them to about 30g per meal (which is two serves.)

Subsitutes For Those Gotta-Have-Em Items.

Allright, now first up we're talking Diet Jello. THis is your friend. No calories and if you melt it with boiling water (just a little) and then make up the rest with sparkling mineral water, you get Fizzy Jello (No kidding.)

Cream. Gotta have it. IF you need it, buy a tub of Skim Ricotta and beat it up with some splenda and vanilla. Then, beat 2 egg-whites and when stiff (the EGG-WHITES, Kevy) fold them into the ricotta, and you have a very decent substitute for whipped cream with NO fat.

Candy - there is a good range of sugar-free available nowadays. Use them instead. Treat yourself once a fortnight to a real candy bar, just one. Bite size if you can get it.

Snacks. Bruschetta is good. Chop 2 Tomatoes, basil, capers, onion, capsicums (I think you folk call them bell-peppers) and salt (just a touch) and pepper. Add a splash of Olive Oil (extra virgin for good flavour) and pile the mixture on top of crunchy crusty italian bread (no butter). Yummy !

Entree of the day. Note that for international readers I AM being Bi-lingual in my measurements.

Todays entree idea is

Delicious & Legal Souffled Macaroni Cheese.

Ingredients:
170 g (6oz) Macaroni
30 g (2 Tablespoons) pro-activ margarine (or other cholesterol-lowering spread with plant sterols)
1 Medium Onion, peeled and finely chopped
30 g (1 oz) Plain flour
285ml (9 fl oz) Skim Milk (Use Soy if you can stand it)
1/4 Tsp nutmeg
85 g (3 oz) Skim Marscapone
1 Large Egg yolk lightly beaten
55 g (2 oz) cheese finely grated (try to use reduced fat cheese, but avoid any that are fat-free cos they won't work right)
50 g (2 oz) Parmesan, finely grated
2 Large Egg whites
Freshly milled black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 200c (390F)
You will need a shallow ovenproof baking dish with a base measurement of 8" x 6" (20cm x 15cm) and 2" (5cm) deep, lightly buttered.
1 Weigh out all your ingredients and grate the cheese. Fill a large saucepan with 2.25 litres (about 2.5 quarts) water and boil on the heat.
2 In a small saucepan melt the pro-activ margarine on a gentle heat, add the onions and soften, without browning and uncovered for five minutes. Add the flour, stir to make a smooth paste and slowly add the milk, a little at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.
3 Switch to a balloon whisk and keep whisking so you have a smooth sauce. Add black pepper and the nutmeg, and cook the sauce gently for five minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the Mascarpone, egg yolk, followed by the cheese and half the Parmesan.
4 Heat the baking dish in the oven, add the macaroni into the boiling water and simmer for 4-6 minutes until al dente (it will cook again in the oven).
5 When it has a minute's cooking time left, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Drain the pasta in a colander, shake to get rid of the water, tip back into the pan and stir in the cheese sauce, evenly coating the pasta.
6 Lightly fold in the egg whites, using a cutting and folding movement so as to retain as much air as possible.
7 Remove the warm dish from the oven, pour the pasta mixture into it,, give it a gentle shake to even the top and scatter over the reserved Parmesan. Put the dish in the oven on a high shelf for 12 minutes or until the top is puffy and lightly browned.

Buon Appetit !!