By LYDIA BOLEN
EATING HEART HEALTHY
Healthy eating is one of the most important things you can do for your body. A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons in the fight against heart disease. Make smart choices with food to benefit your heart and your overall health. At the heart of good health is good nutrition.
My Zucchini Bread is a healthy recipe and will cater to your sweet tooth!
Grapefruit Spinach Salad is refreshing and pretty. It can be served as a main dish for a small meal, or as a side to a larger meal.
One of my favorites is Pork Medallions with Mustard Sauce. Pair this dish with a salad, and wild rice or roasted potatoes.
ZUCCHINI BREAD
- 6 egg whites
- 1 /4 cup canola oil
- 1 /2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 /2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1 /4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1 /4 whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 /2 cups walnuts. chopped
- 1 1/2 cups crushed, unsweetened pineapple
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 9×5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the egg whites, canola oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low speed until thick and foamy.
In a small bowl, stir together the flours. Set 1 /2 cup aside. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon to the small bowl of flour.
Add the flour mixture to the egg white mixture and mix on medium speed; beat until well blended. Add the zucchini, walnuts and pineapple and stir until combined. Adjust consistency of the batter with the remaining 1 /2 cup flour, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. The batter should be thick.
Pour half of the batter into each prepared pan. Bake 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.
Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaves out of the pans onto the rack and let cool completely.
Serves 18 (2 loaves)
(Adapted from The Mayo Clinic, Healthy Recipes)
GRAPEFRUIT SPINACH SALAD
Salad:
- 1 /2 cup baby spinach
- 1 Bosc pear
- 1 large grapefruit (can use canned red grapefruit)
- 1 /4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 /2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 /2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Combine sliced almonds with the raw honey, if using.
Put parchment paper on a cooking sheet and place almonds on it.
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until the almonds are browned.
Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk well.
Cut the pear into thin slices and the grapefruit into large pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the baby spinach, pear slices, dried cranberries, and grapefruit.
Add the vinaigrette and combine.
Serve salad on a plate and sprinkle with honey-roasted almonds.
Serves 4.
(Adapted from paleoleap.com)
PORK MEDALLIONS WITH MUSTARD SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, cut into 8 slices
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 /2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 and 1 /2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 /2 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Gently flatten pork slices and sprinkle pork with 1 /4 teaspoon salt and 1 /4 teaspoon pepper.
Add pork to pan; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove pork from pan and keep warm.
Add mustard and butter to pan, stirring until butter melts. Add stock and flour to pan, stirring with a whisk.
Add remaining 1 /4 teaspoons of salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Cook one minute and let thicken, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Serve sauce over pork medallions.
Serves 4.
(Adapted from Cooking Light 2016)
