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Free Fruit Smoothie Recipes Online

I haven’t always paid as much attention to my health as I should. There are frequent stretches of time where I stop going to the gym, eat too many meals at fast food restaurants, and don’t get enough sleep. Sure, I have excuses, such as work and family commitments that prevent me from sticking to any kind of steady workout regimen or diet, but in the end these are still just excuses. Well, now I’m ready to make my health a priority again, and I’m starting by hitting the gym and collecting as many fruit smoothie recipes as I can find.

Why the sudden interest in fruit smoothie recipes? After examining my eating habits, I discovered that most of my trips to McDonald’s and Burger King were the result not of an intense desire to pig out on burgers and fries, but by a lack of time to prepare a proper meal. This was especially true after a late night at work. On the drive home, I was simply too exhausted to even think of cooking real food for dinner, so I would just stop off for a quick bite. But I figure if I learn how to make good smoothies, I can whip those up as a meal substitute or as a healthy snack to tide me over until I cook dinner.

I don’t know the first thing about making smoothies, but fortunately there are lots of websites where I can get free fruit smoothie recipes. I’ve already checked out a handful of these sites, and really liked what I saw. For one thing, it seems that smoothies are very quick and easy to make. That’s a definite plus for me, as I’ve already explained. For another thing, there are just so many different fruit smoothie recipes to choose from that I’ll never get tired of them! From your basics like banana, strawberry, and pineapple to more exotic ones like raspberry chocolate and eggnog, I’ll be able to quench my thirst and satisfy my stomach no matter what I’m craving.

Not all the fruit smoothie recipes I’ve seen are low-calorie or healthy in the strictest sense of the word, so I’ll have to pay attention to the ingredients list to make sure I don’t sabotage my diet. But it should be pretty easy to make substitutions or eliminate completely unhealthy additions to the recipe and still come out with something palatable.

Overall, I’m looking forward to trying out some of the free fruit smoothie recipes that I’ve found online. Hopefully this will be just what I need to get back on the right track as far as healthy eating habits go. Then I can concentrate on getting my workouts back up to speed, and eventually I’ll look and feel much better!

Uncategorized Family, Food, Health, Home, Men, Recipe

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Carbohydrate Foods

If you have been on any type of diet in the last two decades, you have probably heard that carbohydrate foods are bad for you. While there is some truth to this, that statement can be deceiving. You do have to limit some types of carbohydrates in your diet, but to say that you should not have any could compromise your health. There are carbohydrates that your body needs to stay healthy. Avoiding some of them and eating the right ones are key to good health and weight loss, if that is a goal that you have. Choose well and you will eat and feel well too.

Any good diet that focuses on food type can tell you what carbohydrate foods you should have, but they also tell you what you should avoid. If you see a diet plan that makes no mention of good carbohydrate foods, you are looking at a diet plan that is not good for you and should be avoided. You may think of carbs as things like sugar and white flour, but there are plenty of good carbs that you have to include in any eating plan to stay healthy and to feel good. You can not enjoy good health by eating zero carbs each day.

White foods are generally carbohydrate foods that you should be avoiding. These are the carbs that generally have empty or near empty calories, spike your blood sugar, and make you feel hungry just a few hours later. It is a vicious cycle. Foods made with white flour, like breads, should be eaten, but with a sensible substitution that has good carbohydrate foods. True whole grain breads are a great, healthy substitution for white breads that are not good for you. Read labels carefully to be sure it is true whole grain. Instead of white rice, go for natural brown rice. You get the picture.

Sugar is one of the worst carbohydrate foods that you can eat. It can be very hard to give it up, and even harder to find foods that do not contain any type of sugar. It can be hard to find them, but it is worth the time and effort to search them out. Find a sugar substitution that you can live with and that tastes the best to you, and use that when you would use sugar. There are great recipes out there for items that might normally be considered bad carbohydrate foods that use sugar substitutions. If you eat these, you consume less calories, don’t have sugar spikes, and are going to feel better about what you are putting into your body.

Keep up the good carbohydrate foods when you are on any eating plan. These include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and other fiber rich foods. If you are unsure as to what are good carbohydrate foods and what foods you should avoid, you can always find a copy of the glycemic index. This lists foods for diabetics and tells you what carbs are good and what ones should be avoided. Go for the carbs listed lowest on the scale for the best results. Include some in each meal for a healthy, well balanced diet

Uncategorized Food, Health, Home, Men, Recipe

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Nine cooking tips for novice ? and experienced ? cooks

Cooking is an art, enjoyed by both men and women. When you’re just beginning to learn to cook, the kitchen may be a mystery of sorts. We’ve all heard the joke, ?I can barely boil water! How am I supposed to make a real meal?? Even experienced cooks have problems with such tasks as making sauces from scratch. Here we have some cooking tips for making the most of your time in the kitchen, with delicious results. These cooking tips will also help you save money on your food budget.

1.Outfitting your kitchen: choosing the right cookware and the most useful gadgets and utensils is a good starting point. What you use to cook your foods makes a world of difference in the results of the dish. Cheap cookware produces poor results, so, no matter what your budget, buy the best you can afford and build up your inventory as your budget allows. Keep in mind that poor quality pots and pans will need to be replaced far more frequently. With just one lidded frying pan and two saucepans, one a two-quart, the other a four-quart, you can cook a large variety of dishes. Basic utensils include a spatula, a large slotted spoon, a soup ladle, a paring knife, chef’s knife an a large meat fork.

2.Look for do-ahead recipes, such as chili, meatloaf and spaghetti sauces, that you can make in large batches and freeze for later use. This allows you to take advantage of meat sales and spend just one afternoon making six or more future meals.

3.Going hand in hand with cooking in large batches, add efficiency in cleanup time to these cooking tips: making several meals at once, you have only one cleanup session, saving on hot water and dish washing time.

4.Cooking tips for the holidays: perhaps you’ve watched Mom or Grandma pop that turkey in the oven, covered in foil, then opening the oven to baste the turkey every hour or so. Here’s how to prepare a turkey that’s truly self-basting. Melt one stick of butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave and season with the herbs of your choice. Lay the cleaned turkey on a platter or clean counter top. Working from the breast back, separate the skin from the meat, being careful not to split the skin, going as far down the legs as you can. Set the turkey on end and pour the butter between the skin and meat, gently distributing the butter all over the turkey meat. Place the turkey on a rack in the roasting pan, cover loosely with foil and let it cook, according to the weight chart on the package. No further monitoring is necessary and your turkey is done to perfection in the time given. You’ll save time and energy ? you won’t be losing heat from those hourly bastings.

5.When mushrooms are on sale, stock up. Clean and slice a pound or two at once. Spread the slices on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. Bag them in a large freezer bag. Just grab a handful or whatever you might need for spaghetti sauce, omelets or a side dish. Mushrooms freeze well.

6.Each of these cooking tips are designed to save you money and time in preparing home cooked meals. Buying produce in bulk, when on sale is one terrific way to serve meals in a hurry, made with quality ingredients. For example, let’s say you love asparagus. The season for this veggie is so short, so when those young spears are available, buy 3-4 pounds and blanch them in boiling, salted water in small batches for just a few minutes (consult a cookbook for precise times for different veggies). Freeze them in bags, ready to use at a moment’s notice. Blanching preserves the color, texture and flavor.

7.Peeling fruits is easy when you blanch them. Use a slotted spoon to gently drop the fruit into a boiling pot of water. Remove after 2-3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, simply rub the skins gently. They’ll slip right off, with no waste.

8.Cooking tips for hard boiled eggs? Seems simple, until you’re peeling them, with big chunks of the white breaking off with the shell. Use eggs which are close to the expiration date. The fresher the eggs, the more difficult to peel! Allow the eggs to come to room temperature before placing in the saucepan of tepid water. Add a teaspoon or two of white vinegar and bring the water slowly to a simmer, cooking for 20-25 minutes. Run cold water over the eggs and then refrigerate before peeling. The eggs will peel easily.

9.The last, but perhaps the best of our cooking tips: making sauces. Begin with 3-4 tablespoons of butter, melted in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Pour the butter into a small saucepan over low heat. Add an equal amount of flour, a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a whisk all the while. When this roux forms a paste, continue whisking, adding more butter for a thinner consistency, as you prefer. Cook, over low heat for at least ten minutes, which gets rid of the ‘floury’ taste. Add hot chicken or beef broth, just a half cup or so at a time, stirring constantly. When the sauce is of the consistency you like, salt to taste and serve.

These nine easy cooking tips can get you started on the path to gourmet meals! Pass them on to your friends!

Uncategorized Design, Food, Home, Men, Recipe, Women

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Looking for a simple salmon recipe you can write home about? Look no further …

Surely you’ve had occasion to want to serve an elegant meal that doesn’t require a degree in the culinary arts, yet will be impressive and memorable. Search as you might through a flock of cook books, a simple salmon recipe can’t be beat. Cooking salmon to perfection requires no special gourmet techniques, little time and delivers a heavenly entree your guests will remember with pleasure. The delicate pink-orange color, rich but understated flavor and flaky texture all contribute to diner satisfaction. You really don’t need to be an experienced cook to deliver Heaven-on-a-plate. In fact, you can make a nice reputation as a gourmet, based on a single, simple salmon recipe. Let’s see just how easy it is.

For some reason I haven’t yet divined, salmon is still a reasonably priced food. It’s available fresh or frozen, year around. While the best of the best is at the other end of your fishing line, barring that availability, the supermarket has a quite admirable facsimile. Commercial salmon fishing boats have facilities to process and freeze the fish within minutes of the catch. This salmon is marked on the package as ‘wild’, meaning that it was caught on the open seas. Alternatively, there’s the ‘farm-raised’ salmon, raised in contained sea beds and harvested at a certain size.

So what’s the difference? Wild salmon is more costly at the market, for obvious reasons. The fisherman can’t count on his catch. Farm-raised salmon yields a predictable catch, and so commands a lesser price. Various cooking magazines have conducted ‘blind tastings’ to see if diners can discern a difference in taste between the wild and farm-raised salmon. The conclusion? Some gifted individuals seem to be able to detect a superior taste and texture in the wild salmon, but such individuals are few and far between. Unless you have the nose of a perfumier, it’s unlikely you’ll notice a difference. Freshness is what really counts. With modern freezing techniques, you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Now that we have those product differences out of the way, let’s move on to how to prepare the perfect simple salmon recipe, the one prompting a postcard to your guests’ Mom.

If you’ve purchased fresh salmon, plan to cook it that day. Frozen salmon should be placed in the frig the morning of your dinner. The fish will be thawed by evening. All you need do is choose the method of cooking, all of which produce a perfect result. You can microwave, broil, grill or poach. All fish cooks well in the microwave. Unlike beef, which becomes tough in microwave cooking, fish cooks easily, with a perfect texture, in a matter of minutes. With fish, the microwave oven is quite forgiving. Depending on the thickness of the cut, the salmon will cook within 1-2 minutes per side. You can open the door and check as often as you like. When one side is done (the meat is opaque and not transparent), you turn it over. Cook until done. Now that’s a simple salmon recipe! If you choose to broil, grill, or poach, the same rules apply.

You can see that the actual cooking time of your simple salmon recipes is so brief, that you’ll want to have the rest of the meal at the ready. For example, if you’re serving the salmon on a bed of rice, cook the rice first! If a dinner salad is your first course, have it ready. Warm your bread. Once you’ve used this simple salmon recipe, you’ll see that it’s the rest of the meal that involves work and some culinary skill!

The beauty of the easy salmon recipe is that this food stands on its own. All you need to add is a fresh sprig of dill or tarragon and a slice or two of fresh lemon. At the risk of gilding the lily, how about some Hollandaise sauce? (There are some excellent packaged mixes.) Now, set the table and light the candelabra!

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Canadian Food Recipes

Canadian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the ethnic make up of the area. The Canadians enjoy the Canadian food recipes they grew up with. Fast food is popular as it is in other countries but Canadians still know the value of a home cooked meal. French Canada has its own traditions and other influences include British, as in British Columbia, and Chinese Canadian. Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces chiefly eat British and Irish dishes. The UK’s fondness for ‘fish and chips’ is seen in restaurants and chip stands that sell Haddock and Chips. The Western Provinces cuisine is a diverse mix of dishes originating from Poland, the Ukraine, Germany and Scandinavia. Of course, neighboring USA also contributes favorites to the menu.

Common ingredients to be found across the country are caribou, bison, native berries, locally made cheese, and wild rice. Seafood is very popular too, particularly salmon, lobster, cod, halibut and mussels. Wild game is often to be found on the menu with venison a national favorite. Seal meat is also eaten in the Canadian North, Labrador, Newfoundland and the Maritimes. Canadians have a sweet tooth too and people outside of Canada associate maple syrup with recipes for Canadian food. Fruit pies and tarts are often made with gooseberries, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries and blackberries. Canada has its own home industry for producing beer and wine and there is also the unusual ice wine, a dessert wine made from grapes that are frozen on the vine. There is also locally produced whisky.

Canada, particularly in the far north, is often very cold and comfort food is the order of the day. Poutine is a dish that is popular in the Quebec area and comprises of French Fries with a topping of fresh cheese curds and covered with gravy. The residents of Montreal favour Shish Taouk, a traditional chicken shish kebab that hails from Turkey. To start the working day, nothing beats the Lumberjack’s Breakfast, a feast of three or more eggs, sausages, bacon, and ham accompanied by large pancakes. A traditional welcoming supper in Newfoundland is known as Jigg’s Dinner. This is a tasty and filling Canadian food recipe with salt beef, peas pudding and cabbage. Nova Scotia has its classic dishes too, one of which is Rappie Pie, a casserole containing grated potato, onions and chicken, beef or pork.

Hectic modern lifestyles are prominent in Canada as well as everywhere else and there isn’t always time to cook a meal from scratch. Hot dogs and pizzas are popular choices. The classic Canadian Pizza topping is bacon, mushrooms and pepperoni. A TV snack is likely to be a bag of potato chips dipped in dill pickle. Tea and coffee are the everyday beverages and Canada Dry ginger ale is a common soft drink. This ginger ale has exported around the world and is particularly popular in the US and the UK.

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Five easy coffee drink recipes: from your morning Joe to after dinner specials

No question about it – coffee is the number one American beverage. While you’ve probably got your favorite pot of brew for everyday morning consumption, the true coffee lover is always looking for a new twist. Here, we’ve got five coffee drink recipes that span the gamut, from morning ’til night. They are all simple to prepare, but have that extra zip to make your coffee time special.

1.Mexican coffee is good at any hour of the day. All you need is a teaspoon of cinnamon, sprinkled over your coffee in the basket portion of your brewer. Brew as usual, pour into a big mug and add about two to three tablespoons of whipped cream, according to your taste. On top of the whipping cream, sprinkle just a pinch of nutmeg. Drink from the mug, or sip with a straw. Delicious!

2.Elegant coffee drink recipes need not be fussy to succeed! Make a pot of your favorite brew, a bit stronger than usual. Add un-whipped whipping cream, right from the carton. Rich, elegant and easy. Yes, there are a few extra calories involved, but it’s oh, such a treat.

3.After dinner coffee drink recipes can do double duty as dessert. Coffee and Kahlua(R) is just such a recipe. Just add a shot of Kahlua to a mug of coffee and top it off with whipped cream. This coffee drink can be served hot or cold. In either case, provide each diner with a spoon to mix as desired ? or not. It’s delicious both ways.

4.Irish coffee is a classic winner. Traditionally served in special Irish coffee mugs, which are thinner than a regular cup, tall and with a handle, it’s a snap to make. Pour in a shot of good quality Irish whiskey, then pour the hot coffee in, leaving enough room for a good dose of whipped cream. Sip and enjoy! As with many of the hot after dinner coffee drink recipes, this one is great on a chilly evening.

5.Iced coffee drink recipes require a few minutes of advance preparation for the perfect cup. Make an extra strong pot of coffee and allow to cool. Freeze the coffee in ice trays. When frozen, you can bag it up in a freezer bag for instant access at serving time. A few hours before you plan to serve, make a pot of regular strength coffee. Allow to cool and refrigerate in a plastic container with a pouring spout. Fill a tall glass with the coffee cubes, pour the cold coffee over and garnish with whipped cream. Drizzle caramel sauce over the whipped cream.

So now you have five new coffee drink recipes to enjoy year ’round, from morning ’til night.

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Cheap-christmas-gift-33: word count = 456, keyword density = 0.7% or 1.8% with 5 plurals.

When your economy is not booming, and you’re struggling just to make ends meet, getting gifts for everyone on your list may seem a daunting prospect. Your budget does not allow extravagance, and everything’s so expensive!

Somehow you need to find a way to get a thoughtful but cheap Christmas gift for everyone. Even the phrase ?cheap Christmas gift? seems in contrast to the meaning of the season, and many of us become depressed thinking our only possibilities will be of low quality.

Not so! With a little imagination and a lot of fun, you can have beautiful, personalized yet cheap Christmas gifts for everyone on your list.

Here are some possible sources for superior cheap Christmas gifts:

Arts and Crafts Fairs: Every community holds numerous fairs in December. Schools and churches also have fund raising events or bazaars in the season. You’ll find lots of quality, unusual and one-of-a-kind work at these events that fill the bill for a cheap Christmas gift.

Second-hand stores: Visit the thrift shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul’s. You may be surprised to find some very nice (sometimes designer label) clothing as well as accessories, jewelry, watches, table settings, baskets, candlesticks, glassware, kitchen equipment and books.

There are also the so-called ?upscale? thrift shops. Some specialize in clothing and shoes, while others also have jewelry, toys and popular kid’s movies. Many carry new, discounted socks and stockings, jewelry and accessories to round out their offerings.

Vintage stores are definitely worth a visit. All of these stores are potential gold mines of cheap Christmas gifts.

Used book stores are excellent sources for children’s books at good prices, as well as cook books at a fraction of the cost of new. Who doesn’t have a child or cook on their list?

Food and herb gift baskets make yummy and cheap Christmas gifts that can be personalized to the recipient’s palate. A few design ideas follow:

Purchase a balsa wood box from the crafts store, and hand-paint with acrylics. Seal the design with a coat of clear acrylic. Fill with an assortment of truffles. Tie with a big red bow.

Line a basket with printed tissue or confetti. Fill with cookies or bars, fresh fruit and cheese. Tie a fancy bow around the handle, or wrap a plain basket in cellophane.

Search online food sites for seasoning and spice recipes. Make a basket of herbal mixes with recipes tied to each mixture with pretty little bows.

All of these are loving and caring, albeit cheap Christmas gifts. It really is, after all, the thought that counts! Merry Christmas!

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Comfort food recipes that are healthy, filling and not fattening!

During the cold, blustery days of winter, everyone burns plenty of calories, just staying warm as they go about their daily activities. By the time dinner time rolls around, the family is looking to sit down to a hearty, filling meal to dispel that winter chill. However, we all know that many of the supposed comfort food recipes are so hearty and calorie rich, they often result in unwanted pounds creeping on, in the most undesirable places.

Most commonly, waistlines expand and thigh measurements increase. Some people gain weight, evenly distributed all over the body. In any case, your clothes don’t fit! This means a diet ensues when the weather warms and you’re wondering how to look good in your bathing suit. In addition to this, gaining and losing weight quickly tends to throw off your metabolism, which is not a good thing. This can lead to health problems, as well as the psychological discouragement of being on a diet, several times a year. Here we offer some strategies that allow you to serve comfort food recipes that are satisfying and nutritious, but won’t put on the pounds.

Serving a dinner salad before your entree, with a side of whole grain French bread, brushed with olive oil instead of butter, garnished with red bell peppers and sliced olives and then broiled, whets the appetite and lets you fill up and have a smaller portion of the entree. This strategy works well as an accompaniment to almost any comfort food recipe.

Beef stew is a winter time favorite. Properly prepared, this comfort food recipe can be a satisfying meal that is low in calories. Instead of using a highly salted beef broth, opt for the low sodium beef broth. You can also use a mix of one half low sodium beef broth and one half vegetable broth, naturally low in sodium. Seasoned with the classic combination of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme adds complexity of flavor and virtually no calories. Go light on the potatoes, making up the difference with carrots, onions, green beans, celery and mushrooms. This provides a high protein, high fiber dish which is low in calories.

Seafood chowders are another great choice in comfort food recipes. White chowders, made with 2% milk as the broth base, a variety of seafood, such as clams, shrimp, Krab(TM) and catfish nuggets, make an economical comfort food recipe. Add plenty of veggies of your choice. Sliced celery, kernel corn, red bell peppers, mushrooms and water chestnuts go well with chowder, adding few calories, lots of fiber and plenty of those valuable antioxidants. Add a dash of cayenne to brighten the taste, along with some fresh dill and you’ve got a filling, healthy comfort food recipe.

Gumbo is yet another healthy and nutritious comfort food dish to add to your repertoire. This dish can be made with either chicken and andouille sausage, or seafood as the meat. The secret to a good gumbo is using the classic ‘trinity’ of vegetables, onions, celery and sweet bell peppers, which give this soup its distinctive flavor. The classic seasonings are thyme, cayenne pepper and gumbo file. Served in a bowl, over rice, this comfort food is incredibly filling, but keeps your waistline intact!

So there you have three nights of comfort food recipes that win you praise on all fronts. Delicious, healthy and low calorie dishes your family will love, especially when they weigh in come springtime!

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Good Morning America

There is a lot of competition to be the most watched morning news show in America and Good Morning America has been one of the most popular since its inception in 1975 on the ABC network. The mix of news, weather, entertainment and features helps to wake up Americans across the country with their first cup of coffee of the day. The show is broadcast live from Times Square Studios in New York City, co-hosted by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. Its closest rival is the Today show on NBC.

Critics like it as much as viewers and the show won the Emmy award for Outstanding Morning Program in 2007, sharing the accolade with Today. However, Good Morning America won outright in 2008. The show’s producers have kept up with current trends and there is a well designed web site for the show. The news headlines are presented with news items from the USA and across the world. Articles are divided into sections, which include Money, Health, Politics, Entertainment, Sports, and Travel. There are also features on family life and recipes. Clips from the show can be viewed in the Video Vault.

Over the years, many famous celebrity guests have been in the Good Morning America studio including movie stars, Sylvester Stallone, Audrey Hepburn, and John Travolta. TV Superman actor Dean Cain has appeared and legendary singers, Liza Minnelli, Peggy Lee and Barbra Streisand. The Monkees, Ringo Starr and Madonna have also been invited.

The show has also expanded its audience into other countries outside the USA. It is aired in Australia and the Philippines and the Orbit Satellite Television network broadcasts it in Europe and the Middle East. Good Morning America launched a one-hour weekend edition on Saturdays and Sundays in 2004 with Ron Claiborne as the news anchor and Marysol Castro as the weather anchor who also presents special features. Good Morning America Now is the version that is one hour longer that has aired exclusively since 2007 on ABC News Now, the 24-hour news channel.

The show also has a radio version on XM Radio that debuted in 2006. In addition to news and features, listeners can take part in discussions on current topics. The four-hour show is broadcast on Mondays through Saturdays and is hosted by Hilarie Barksy. Good Morning America then is easily accessible and offers Americans living abroad a flavor of home.

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Heart healthy recipes that become elegant, delicious party fare!

We all know that the holiday season is fraught with delicious temptations for the dieter, diabetic and heart patient. Wouldn’t it be nice if you attended a party that filled the table with heart healthy foods tasty enough to please a gourmet? Is this possible? Yes! Here we’ve got some ideas for entrees, side dishes and desserts you’ll be proud to serve and happy to eat.

I’ve scanned the many heart healthy recipe books and magazines to get a sense of how they differ from ordinary cuisine. My impression was that, well, they didn’t sound too interesting and a little on the stingy side. I decided to come up with some generic heart healthy recipes, where you might ‘mix and match’, swapping out a zucchini for broccoli, for example. Or, substituting wild rice for white and mushrooms for corn. Most cooks have a good sense of color, texture and size, as well as intuitively knowing combinations of foods that taste good together. In terms of ingredients and a variety of food groups, what makes heart healthy recipes that are tasty and satisfying and even elegant?

Perhaps the first signature is that the dish is low in fat and sodium. Being low in fat or salt does not at all negate a resulting gourmet pleaser. Olive oil is the recommended oil for cooking. Next, use the freshest, top quality produce you can buy. Learn to use seasonings, both for salt and fat substitutes in the flavor arena. Use lean meats, fish, seafood and poultry. When you shop for grains, pasta and breads, choose whole grain products, rich in fiber. Use 2% dairy products to keep the fat down. For dessert, a fruit cup with sherbet and sprigs of mint make simple, heart healthy recipes that are just right after dinner. Following the basic shopping guidelines and with a little creative imagination, you can create the most amazing gourmet delights, ones your heart will love as well.

You’ll soon become a master of your own heart healthy recipes by just getting online and searching out sites with food and seasoning compatibility charts. For example, did you know that thyme makes a plain green bean taste like a whole new food? Studying these charts can become fascinating when you begin to learn how these humble herbs and spices can enhance the taste of a particular food. You can also check the bookstores for books that match foods with seasonings. You’ll benefit from purchasing (or checking out from the library) a good nutritional reference guide, a wealth of information on nutritive value of various foods. This helps you pair the right ingredients when creating heart healthy recipes on your own.

When you cook produce, steaming the veggies in a steam basket retains the maximum amount of nutrients, as well as delivering all of the fresh flavor with a good crunch.

There are several herbs which make perfect additions to heart healthy recipes:

1.Cayenne pepper may be used in its whole, fresh form or used in powdered form in a spicy blend to bring a little zip to a bland side of rice, or lightly sprinkled on a shrimp or crab Louie. Cayenne reduces both your blood pressure and pulse rate, as well as toning and strengthening the heart muscle. Good stuff!

2.Garlic is a powerfully valuable addition to any heart healthy recipes and is so versatile, it may be used in salads, to marinate meats or as a spread for breads. Garlic has some pretty impressive credentials: it reduces your blood pressure, LDLs and triglycerides, while increasing the HDLs. This superstar helps eliminate fats from your blood and promotes good circulation. Fresh slivers of garlic are best, but garlic packed in a jar may be more convenient. Use liberally to realize these many benefits.

3.Rosemary is a tonic for your heart, toning and strengthening the function of the heart, as well as helping to normalize blood pressure. Happily, it also makes a delicious garnish for poultry, beef and mild-flavored fish, such as snapper or tilapia. A sprig of fresh rosemary adds great flavor to roasted potatoes.

4.The common seasoning, celery seed, is one of the most effective ways to lower blood pressure, promoting good circulation and a healthy flow of blood to the heart. Celery seed is good in a rice stuffing for poultry. Cook the rice in chicken broth, adding celery seed, fresh parsley, sliced black olives and green onions. Not only is this good for your heart, but tastes wonderful with the poultry. Try adding celery seed to a potato salad, along with diced onions (which also reduce BP) and freshly snipped parsley.

5.Artichokes contain a substance known as cynarin, which helps control cholesterol levels, accomplished by suppressing the production of cholesterol in the liver. Cynarin works in much the same way as the statin drugs. In addition, cynarin flushes old deposits of cholesterol from the liver, ultimately resulting in the breakdown and flushing of fats. That’s not all: artichokes help reduce the LDLs and raise the HDLs. Steamed artichoke hearts make a great side dish, while marinated artichoke hearts dress up any salad or antipasto platter.

Now you know some of the foods which can be eaten separately or combined, in a myriad of ways, for elegant and heart healthy recipes. You can create these dishes on the fly ? start with a whole grain pasta or rice, top the rice with a seasoned meat or fish and serve a leafy green salad with garlic bread. The possibilities are almost endless. BTW, your guests probably won’t know these are heart healthy recipes ? they taste and look too good!

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