Feed your heart: keep your ticker in tune with our no-fuss, heart-healthy, three-course menu

Natural Health, Feb, 2007 by Rozanne Gold

PROTECTING YOUR HEART from disease doesn't mean a lifetime of boring or flavorless meals. Quite the opposite. By using three fresh, heart-healthy ingredients and a few techniques to coax forth vivid, inviting flavors, you can eat like a gourmand for the rest of your life. Think rich, garlic-infused olive oil instead of cholesterol-saturated butter as an ultracreamy herb sauce for fish. Or a "cocktail" of fresh orange juice and extra-virgin olive oil emulsified into a nifty dressing for crisp fennel and orange salad. Or a small amount of walnut oil and a simple steaming technique to transform grape tomatoes into a sultry side dish.

I've been using my signature 1-2-3 approach for years to help everyday cooks prepare healthful meals with minimal fuss and maximum flavor. This heart-focused menu features ingredients such as olive oil, oily fish, fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruit--foods that researchers have determined keep our hearts in great shape.

"Richly colored fruits and vegetables have compounds that help strengthen blood vessels and overall heart health," explains Dale Bellisfield, R.N., a clinical herbalist practicing in northern New Jersey. "Garlic, onion, and scallions also have properties that help improve peripheral circulation." Bellisfield suggests adding dark, leafy greens; mushrooms; hot peppers; and ginger to any dish to help cut cholesterol levels and benefit overall heart health.

Best of all, working with only three ingredients per recipe (not counting salt and pepper and water) reduces shopping, prep, and cooking time. Every recipe is low in fat and completely free of trans fatty acids; and each can be prepared in less than 20 minutes. Serve them together as a tasty meal, or mix and match them with your own heart-healthy favorites. A votre sante!

THE MENU

Shaved Fennel Salad with Blood Orange Dressing

Broiled Salmon with Parsley-Garlic Sauce

Whole Wheat Couscous--Parmesan Timbales

Burst Grape Tomatoes with Scallions

Marinated Strawberries with Warm Maple-Lemon Syrup