Want to cook a special meal that is heart healthy for your valentine this week? These are my favorite picks for a special heart healthy meal created by award winning chef and author, Amy Riolo’s that you can easily make for your loved ones.
Heart Healthy Valentine Menu
• Corsican Prawns with Chickpea Cream
• Tarragon Supreme Chicken with Mushroom
• Sauteed dandelion Greens with Garlic, Oil, and Chile
• Strawberry Mascarpone Parfaits
The recipes:
Corsican Prawns with Chickpea Cream
Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1/3 cup puree plus 3 shrimp
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: approximately 5 minutes
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or canned no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2-lb colossal or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined*
- dash crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Place chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and 2 tbsp olive oil in a food processor. Puree, adding 1/4 cup water, or enough to make the puree smooth.
- Heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add prawns or shrimp, crushed red pepper, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes per side or until prawns or shrimp turn pink.
- Evenly spoon chickpea puree onto small plates. Flatten with the back of a spoon. Place prawns or shrimp on top, and serve immediately.
*if possible, use fresh (never-frozen) shrimp or shrimp that are free of preservatives (for example, shrimp that have not been treated with salt or STPP [sodium tripolyphosphate]).
Calories 190
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8.0 g | Saturated Fat 1.1 g | Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 90 mg
Sodium 180 mg
Potassium 290 mg
Total Carbohydrate 15 g | Dietary Fiber 4 g | Sugars 3 g
Protein 16 g
Phosphorus 200 mg
Tarragon Supreme Chicken with Mushroom
Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1/2 chicken breast
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive ol
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 pint button mushrooms, scrubbed and trimmed
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lb total), sliced in half and lightly pounded
- Heat olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and tarragon, and saute until garlic begins to release its aroma. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, stock, mushrooms, and pepper.
- Add the chicken, and saute on each side until opaque and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a warm serving platter.
- Increase heat to high. Cook 3-5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and mushrooms are tender. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately.
Calories 170
Calories from Fat 50
Total Fat 6.0 g | Saturated Fat 1.3 g | Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 65 mg
Sodium 70 mg
Potassium 280 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2 g | Dietary Fiber 0 g | Sugars 1 g
Protein 25 g
Phosphorus 195 mg
Sauteed dandelion Greens with Garlic, Oil, and Chile
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: approximately 1/2 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 1/4-lb dandelion greens, trimmed, well washed, and dried
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch crushed red pepper
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, quartered
- Heat olive oil over high heat in a very large skillet until very hot. Add the dandelion greens (you may need to work in batches) and cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes; the dandelion should turn bright green and wilt slightly.
- Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to release its aroma, approximately 30 seconds.
- Remove the greens from the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Calories 120
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8.0 g | Saturated Fat 1.1 g | Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 150 mg
Potassium 470 mg
Total Carbohydrate 12 g | Dietary Fiber 4 g | Sugars 1 g
Protein 3 g
Phosphorus 80 mg
Strawberry Mascarpone Parfaits
Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours refrigeration time | Cook Time: none
- 1 1/2 cups trimmed strawberries, thinly sliced, divided
- 3/4 oz mascarpone
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup flaxseed
- 1 tsp organic Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, drained
- 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) low-fat almond granola
- Place 1 cup strawberries, mascarpone, sugar, flaxseed, and cinnamon in a blender, and whip until light.
- Stir in yogurt. Pour 1/3 cup of mixture into each of 6 clear parfait glasses. Top with 1 layer of remaining strawberry slices (reserving 6 for garnish).
- Scatter 1 tbsp granola on top of the strawberry slices in each glass, then top each glass with another layer of remaining strawberry mixture. Add another layer of 1 tbsp granola on top of the strawberry mixture in each glass.
- Garnish each glass with 1 remaining strawberry slice. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to a maximum of overnight before serving.
Calories 140
Calories from Fat 50
Total Fat 6.0 g | Saturated Fat 1.6 g | Trans Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 35 mg
Potassium 200 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19 g | Dietary Fiber 4 g | Sugars 10 g
Protein 4 g
Phosphorus 115 mg
You don’t have to be diabetic to enjoy these delicious and easy, healthy recipes from, The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook by Amy Riolo. Just last weekend I made the Strawberry Mascarpone Parfaits (used mixed berries) from her cookbook and they were fabulous!
More about Chef Amy Riolo
Amy Riolo
Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author, Chef, Television Personality, Cuisine and Culture Expert, Columnist, Mediterranean Diet Advocate
Blog: www.amyriolo.blogspot.com
Website: www.amyriolo.com
Click here to purchase Amy’s amazing cookbooks.
Want help with creating your own heart healthy food plan? Don’t worry. Just give me a call. We’ll make an appointment for your complimentary consult and see what’s right for you. Call at 301-869-1787 or click here to set up an appointment with me as my free gift to you.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
To your Joy and Health,
Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
International Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian