Healthy Hearts

Hello and Good Day,

My name is Bryan Gaura, I am a retired Executive Chef with many years spent in many kitchens big and small. Recently, my wife suffered a heart attack as a result of poor diet, smoking, high stress and genetics. Thankfully, she was treated very expiditiously and was put on a path of quick recovery. Accordingly, she was put on (what they called) dietary restrictions.

These restrictions, as you can imagine, sounded very daunting at first. It sounded as if flavor was now a thing of the past. Conversely, this is wholly not the case after putting forth many hours of research into what it was they were telling us. As it turns out, there are enough ways to cook healthy without saccrificing even one bit of flavor. Surely there are some items that you will find that cannot exist in a "Cardiac Diet," but this is where I come in... to help you over the humps and help to show you and your loved ones that can eat with happy tastebuds and be healthy at the same time. Believe me, I am the last person that will enjoy a wheatgrass shake and be happy about it. I refuse to sit at a dinner table with a peice of boiled plain chicken as the entree. That is just ridiculous. I will help to show you that it only takes simple changes in your diet, without saccrificing a bit of flavor, to set firmly on a healthy path.

I will submit several recipes as I create them, learn of them and try them myself, as well as try recipes that you submit. I encourage all of you to embark on a Heart Healthy lifestyle as it will benefit you and your loved ones for years to come. I hope all of us will become lifelong friends along the way.

For each recipe that I post I will begin with a commentary inclusive of established findings regarding what makes a dish Heart Healthy. In the case that I use a "cheat" from the normal dietary expectation, I will explain as to why. Most of these "Cheats" will be cheeses as there are only a few cheeses that can be considered heart healthy mostly due to sodium content.

Speaking of Sodium; I have never cooked with salt added to dishes unless it is simply included in pre-blended spices. To date, I still feel as if salt should be excluded from a tabletop condiment as it only artificially opens tastebuds that would otherwise remain mute.

Please enjoy this blogsite not as if it were mine, enjoy it and interact as if it were ours... our community, and our site for sharing how eating healthy can be fun and enjoyable for all. I will be adding recipes frequently, so please check back often and see what's good.

Warm Regards,

Bryan Gaura

We have all grown up hearing about how Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As we have grown, breakfast has become the least thought about meal and we need to change that. It really matters not if you are following this blog-site for weight loss or, as intended, for Cardiac/Dietary Health, Breakfast really is as it was advertised! In order to burn calories, you must ingest calories. Another way top put it is that you need energy (from food) to burn calories. Therefore, it is only appropriate that we begin with a Breakfast recipe.

First you will need an oven safe saute pan (no rubber or wood handles) or a shallow 8-10" cake tin. Oil it with your favorite low-fat, no-fat or zero-calorie spray oil. Lightly oiled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also acceptable.

Ingredients:

1/2qt Low Sodium Egg Substitute (there are products made specific to heart health as well, look for those)

1c 2% Milk (I like to use Light Cream for this, your choice)

an assortment of 3 or 4 vegetables (I like mushrooms, green and red pepper, zucchini and a little tomato in mine). This is a diverse dish, you can add low sodium Canadian Bacon, low fat beef, chicken or almost whatever you would like to start your day off with, even plain with a little low-sodium cheese baked on top of it can be a delight. Experiment as your heart desires.

In a mixing bowl combine the egg substitute and cream. Whisk with a fork or balloon whisk until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to assure everything is coated well. Pour into sautee pan or cake pan and place in a 350degree(f) oven for about 20 minutes. The Frittata should be nicely and evenly browned on top and somewhat firm to the touch. Another trick is to poke a toothpick into the middle of the Frittata and remove, if it comes out clean, it is done, otherwise let remain in the oven in 5 minute increments.

As part of a well balanced meal, the Frittata portion should be in proportion to your dietary structure. As well, a few pieces of fruit, a slice of toast or English muffin with a little heart healthy spread and a glass of your favorite natural OJ is a perfect way to begin your day.

It is important that you keep your taste buds entertained so don't be afraid to experiment with things labeled as Low-fat, no-fat, 2%, low-sodium and no-sodium as brands have realized that they can have flavor too just by adding herbs and spices. Just as important, as long as you are familiar with way around your kitchen, experiment with various flavors. Take a taste of some of the herbs and spices that are accumulating in your cupboards, then mentally apply the flavors that you are real familiar with like chicken, beef, pork and such and ask if you think the combinations will work. Be careful though and gently add the herbs and spices to your dish until you think it is right. Just the same, have somebody else taste your dish with you and give their suggestions. Have fun and enjoy.

Venison is a remarkable source of protein while remaining low in saturated fat. In fact, a 4oz portion of Venison contains almost 35g of protein (68.5% RDA) and only 1.4g of saturated fat with a mere 164 calories per serving. So you can see that Venison can be an important tool within healthy eating habits.

Venison can be enjoyed in many fashions, much like that of beef or pork. For those that have not experienced this delectable meat, it has a buttery, gamy pork flavor with the texture of beef. It can be enjoyed as a grilled t-bone, diced and used in stews, ground for burgers and meatballs, and even used to mix equally with ground pork or beef to further help cut the fat content and add more flavor to your lasagna, meatballs, hamburgers and stews among others.

So you can see that Venison can be a diverse meat with many health aspects beyond just what I have mentioned. Venison is widely used in diets for those that maintain various levels of cardiovascular health. So talk with your butcher and inquire as to what cuts of Venison they offer and they may also provide you with some good recipes from their own experiences. I personally love a 4oz Venison T-Bone prepared on the grill and topped with grilled mushrooms, zucchini and red pepper with garlic mashed potatoes and a nice garden salad with a little balsamic vinegar and oil dressing.

Just when you thought that some old favorites were no longer able to be part of your Heart Healthy diet... I have the bomb for ya'.

Let me first take a moment to discuss meats and how they are purchased. If you do not already have a Butcher that you deal with, find one nearby and talk to them. Develop a relationship with them, even to the point of explaining that you or a loved one is now on a Cardiac Diet. They should understand that you will be looking for lean cuts of meat from here on out. They will take your special requests to have all of the fat trimmed off, even eventually setting aside the leanest cuts of meat for you as you develop the relationship and they learn about your needs. This is important in that the pre-packaged meats at the supermarkets is commonly hydrogenated. Hydrogenated meat means that they have undergone a process that keeps the meat fresher for a longer period of time. Frankly, I think that it just makes it look fresher rather than extending the shelf-life. This process adds sodium content to the meat more than anything. Now you can see the importance of using the local Butcher over pre-packaged meats.

Ingredients per person:

1 fat removed skinless chicken breast. Cover the chicken with a large sheet of plastic wrap on both sides. Gently pound the breast flat and even, hopefully without tearing it any (don't fret if you do).

2 medium slices sodium free (or low-sodium) Canadian Bacon

1 medium-thick slice of Swiss cheese (everything in moderation remember)

2 tablespoons of fat-free Honey Dijon Dressing

A pinch each Oregano, Paprika, Lemon Zest, Chives and Thyme

1/2c Plain Oatmeal

In a saute pan, heat about a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or you favorite low-cholesterol cooking oil). Add the seasonings to the oats and mix well. Dredge both sides of the chicken breast in the oats and place the skin-side down (before you pounded the breast, there was a smooth side and a not so smooth side. The smooth side is the skin side). Saute on this side until it begins to turn golden brown.

If in a oven-safe pan, flip the chicken over and put the pan in a 350degree(f) oven until done. In the event that your saute pans are not oven safe (plastic or wood handles), then transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a sheet pan with a little oil on it, then place in oven. It should take about 8 minutes to finish cooking in the oven or until 160degrees(f). However, herein I will assume that we are all perfectly capable of determining when various meats are done. If not, please ask and I will assist you in any way I can.

Once the chicken is near done, top with the Canadian Bacon slices and Swiss cheese and allow to melt and even slightly brown the cheese.

Once the chicken is done, remove from oven and place on your favorite plate. Drizzle the Honey-Dijon and enjoy.

Serving Accompaniments:

This is a dish that gains some starch from the oats, so go lightly on starchy sides. Frankly, a little plain long grain and wild rice with a few fresh scallions sliced into it is fine. Fresh steamed Cauliflower makes for a nice vegetable here too.

This is a classic case of utilizing taste buds to create a dish. I, for the first time, began to grow radishes in a small patch of my garden out back. Commonly radishes are but a mere and occasional side note such as a few slices in a salad or a small bit of them on a vegetable tray. Well, it's time that the radish is the star, albeit, this is a side dish, Radishes are still the star.

Ingredients (serves about 6):

1lb Radishes sliced about an 1/8"

1/2 small head Raddichio shredded

2 medium carrots peeled and shredded

1 small green pepper diced

1tsp Celery Seed

1c White Vinegar

1c Sugar (shhhh)

1/2c No-Fat Yogurt

1/2c Low-Fat No-Sodium Mayo or Salad Dressing

In a small sauce pan, combine the vinegar and sugar over medium heat. Stirring persistantly, bring the simple syrup to near a boil. Once the syrup is hot and the the sugar is well dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature stirring occasionally as it cools.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt and celery seed. Add the yogurt mixture and the to the syrup and whisk together. Set aside in the fridge. Side Note - If you like your sauce thicker or thinner, just make the appropriate adjustment with the mayo/yogurt mixture.

Toss the vegetables together and slowly add the slaw sauce folding it in. At this point, you may make the Radish Slaw as wet as you like by adding more or less of the sauce.

Enjoy this one of a kind recipe.

As you can see in the few recipes that I have already published that "diet" does not have to be boring. As I said, these are recipes that are geared for those with Cardiac issues, however, eating less sodium, less fats and trans fats, as well as lowering cholesterol are collectively components for any form of diet. For the record, these recipes are also very conducive to those maintaining any level of fitness program.

Sodium - The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for sodium is 2000mg. This means that 1/4tsp (1.5g) of salt is equal to 590mg, or over 25% of the RDA of sodium. Your total sodium intake for the day, just so you gain a realistic perspective, can fit on your thumbprint area.

Therefore, if you have a history of cardiac issues in your family, you have suffered cardiac complications or just want to be healthy, then, perhaps, get a small pinch pot or ramekin to portion out 1tsp of salt for the day to see how little salt and sodium really play in our daily eating habits. Now you must account for any foods that have sodium in them as well. This will play a big role in maintaining heart health as you move forward, so I can only recommend that you remove the salt shaker from your table altogether.

MOM, DID YOU HEAR THAT - TAKE THE SALT SHAKER OFF THE TABLE ALTOGETHER!

Now you will see chefs continuously salting their foods as if it is not good enough on its own. This is a false perception in that salt, as they use it, is both a meat tenderizer and a flavor accent. It is not a primary part of the dish though. The cold fact is that salt does not need to be used at all. Beef can be tenderized by; 1) avoid freezing meat if possible, 2) frozen meat should be given enough time to be thawed prior to its use, and 3) just prior to cooking, especially red meats, allow them to rise to slightly cooler than room temperature. I cannot stress enough, however, that this can be dangerous if the meat is left out too far in advance of cooking. A good way to do this is as you begin to prepare a meal, take the meat from the fridge first and set aside loosely covered and away from your primary prep area (it will just get in the way). You will notice that the meat will become less firm and even somewhat bloody; this means that the fibers of the meat are, well, self-tenderizing so to speak.

This is the dish that is pictured with this page. There are many preferences with how chicken salad is prepared; some boil the chicken with a little seasoning, some grill their chicken (my preference), and some roast the bird and pick the meat from the carcass. Frankly, you may prepare "your" chicken salad as you like it, but I can only hope that you take the necessary steps to reduce the fat in this dish. As well, I use an equal blend of mayo and zero-fat Greek yogurt, but still making sure that the salad is not too "wet." For those that use mustard in their salad, try using dried-ground mustard (to taste) as this will also help cut down on the fat content of this delicious dish.

While I am grilling the chicken, I also place a whole red pepper on the grill and allow the skin to char. After the skin is well charred around the outside, place it in a paper bag or you can just set aside until cool. Once cooled to room temperature, remove the charred skin with your hands, but be careful not to tear the meat of the pepper open. Now, carefully slice the top from the pepper and remove the pith and seeds.

Take one slice of Swiss cheese and julienne it into 4 strips. Place the cheese in each of the four corners of the pepper and carefully stuff the pepper with your chicken salad. Top the pepper with another slice of Swiss cheese, a dash of paprika and parsley, and place on a baking sheet. You may need to get creative to get the peppers to stay standing. I actually place the peppers on top of a muffin tin, then on a baking sheet to keep them standing.

Place the peppers in a preheated 350degree(f) oven and bake for about 8 minutes, and until the cheese is beginning to brown.

As pictured, the Radish Slaw is a fantastic accompaniment for this dish. Place some of the Radish Slaw on your plate first as this will aide you in getting the peppers to stay standing for presentation. Carefully transfer the peppers to your plate, garnish with a little more of the Radish Slaw... and enjoy.

This dish can also be served cold, so you can prepare this the day before and take it to work with you, but I would bring an extra one for all of you wide-eyed coworkers to try with you. Oh, and be sure to bring extra Radish Slaw too.

This is a far departure from what one would expect in a "cookbook," however, this is something that I consider important in maintaining any type of diet. Consideration for the others in your household is a two-way street in that they may not want to give up some of their edible vices; like the mini candies, the cinnamon buns, the whole butter, or the microwavable frozen foods. Those that have suffered a heart attack or other ailments that have you on some sort of dietary restriction DO take the precedent in what comes into the household from the grocer. But if you choose to allow your family to bring the "no-no's" into the house, then it is up to you to declare for your own sake that those items are theirs and not yours from the moment that you see them.

As for the others, they must also be very considerate of your dietary needs as much as they can and try not to allow the items into your household that may cause you to stray from your diet; after all, this is about your health, mainly, but it also will help them to avoid the same complications from a dietary standpoint.

Remember, once you have suffered the complications of a particular ailment that your children are now at risk. If you suffered due mainly to your previous dietary habits, then your spouse and others in your household may well be on their way to suffering the same ailment. So a change in diet for everyone in the household is important for EVERYONE. This is also why I set out to create this Hub, so we can all enjoy great food and reap the rewards of eating healthy as well. If I may offer a word of wisdom; "Family is not an individual effort, it is a team sport... so eat well together."

If you are like myself and most of the people that I know, then you also love cheese. There is nary a cheese that I don't like; everything from baked Camembert, Saganaki (flaming cheese, OPA!) and smoked Cooper, right along with the sharp and more pungent cheeses, really, the whole gambit of cheese. Now, I am speaking specifically towards the sodium content and omitting the fat content in cheese, which is also an important consideration in any diet, however, I do feel that we are all up to speed on this issue.

You, not unlike me may have, at one time, thought that there were certain cheeses that would be completely impossible to eat anymore. Well, with minimal changes, you can have almost any cheese out there. Be careful though and read the labels intently.The reason is that a low-fat cheese may actually contain more sodium for the same portion. For example: Part skim mozzarella cheese has 44mg more sodium than its whole milk counterpart for a 1oz serving. Conversely to that, 1c of 2% fat cottage cheese contains 918mg of sodium while its non-fat counterpart contains a mere 19mg. So you can see that reading the labels are an important routine to get into.

If you are still nervous over how to translate the food labels into your diet plan, I highly recommend consulting with your dietary nursing professionals. They can help you in setting a plan in motion, perhaps by letting you know that fat is a bigger issue than sodium; therefore you would be more conscious to buy items that are low or non-fat. If Sodium is the bigger concern in your dietary plan, then naturally the low or no-sodium products are the better choice. Believe me, I have found myself frustrated and stymied at time while at the market trying to pick one product over another for my wife, but this information will make things a little easier when you are holding one product in each hand and pulling you hair out with the third hand (lol). Be sure to tell the Dietary Nurse that this is what you are trying to get help with and they will understand and help you out.

Here is the sodium content of some other popular cheeses: 1oz Swiss Cheese = 74mg; 1c wholemilk Riccotta Cheese = 207mg; 1tbl grated Parmesan = 93mg; 1tbl Cream Cheese = 43mg; 1oz Blue Cheese = 395mg; 1oz Cheddar Cheese = 176mg; 1oz Feta Cheese = 316mg; 1oz American Cheese = 337mg

It is that time of year that a bowl of soup feels so good going down the hatch. French Onion Soup is one of those that help take the fall chill from the bones. Enjoy this one.

Ingredients:

2tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2lbs sweet onions halved and sliced (Walla Walla onions are fantastic, but Vidalia will equally do)

1 Flank Steak (about 16oz) fat removed and cut into bite size morsels

3 stalks celery diced

3tbl Oregano

1tbl Thyme

2tbl Paprika

2c Red table wine or no-alcohol wine

2qts no sodium beef stock

1/4c no sodium Worchestershire Sauce

Croutons to float about the bowl to support the cheese

1 slice each per bowl - Provolone and Swiss Cheese

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot (2qt or bigger). Add the onions and herbs and saute until the onions begin to brown. Once the onions begin to brown, reduce the heat to medium low and continue to saute. The onions will begin to carmelize (yes, they will take on a carmel color). Once the onions are carmelized to your taste, add the cubed beef and continue to stir until the beef is nicely browned as well.

Deglaze the pot with the red wine and let the liquid reduce by about half.

Add the worchestershire and beef stock and bring to a boil.

Croutons:

You may use sliced bread, but I recommend cubing a fresh French Bread. Season with a light dusting of oregano, thyme, basil and paprika. Toss to distribute the herbs. Drizzle a little olive oil as you toss the bread about in a bowl. The idea is not to saturate the bread with the oil, but to merely moisten the bread with the oil. Spread the bread cubes evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350(f) for about 7min or until nicely golden brown. Set aside and let cool. You can make extras of these too for salads and what not.

Ladel the soup into a bowl, top with a few croutons and top with the cheese. Bake the cheese under the broiler in the oven for just a few minutes until the cheese begins to brown a little. Be very careful at this point since everything including the bowl is very hot. I find it easier to place the bowl atop a plate for serving. Enjoy.

I used to furl my nose at Mom's Goulash as a child, really though, it was the stewed tomatoes that got me. Now, here I sit craving it, but due to our need to curtail fat and sodium intake I have adapted her recipe accordingly and even made some changes to offer some delicious alternatives to the dish. Please enjoy this one as the fall season greats us with all of its impressive colors.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion diced

1tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1lb 90/10 or leaner ground beef (90/10 is made with only 10% fat solids - 90% meat)

1 box whole wheat elbow macaroni (the fresh version in the deli cooler is much better)

4tbl Hungarian Paprika

2 stalks celery sliced

3oz Velveeta Cheese

3oz Cream Cheese

10ea Plum or Roma Tomatoes blanched, cooled, skinned and quartered then halved

Begin preparing the pasta as per the package instructions.

Heat the Olive Oil in a skillet and lightly brown the onions and celery. Add the ground beef and also brown. Drain the fat from the pan and return to the heat. Add the prepared tomatoes and stir. Add the paprika and stir until simmering. Add the cooked pasta and toss well.

While the ground beef is browning, use a potato masher to blend the Velveeta and cream cheese together. The idea is to blend the cheeses just enough so they are marbled rather than thoroughly mixed.

Once the beef and pasta are well simmering, add the cheese and lightly toss to distribute the cheese around the dish.

Serve and Enjoy.

Some nice alternatives:

Replace the ground beef with cubed brisket meat.

Traditionally, this dish is served with dumplings and a dollop of sour cream rather than pasta and cheese, and also is made as a soup or a stew. That said, if you use the brisket, add 1/2qt of your favorite low-sodium beef stock or low-sodium low-fat beef gravy to your Goulash. So here is my recipe for Chive Dumplings-

1 egg

6tbl flour

1/8tsp salt

1tbl chives

pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well. Allow to stand for 1/2 hour. Add by the tablespoon to the stew. Cover and let simmer until the dumplings rise to the surface. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Another alternative for these dumplings in this dish would be to drain and pat dry 4oz sour kraut and lightly fold into the dumpling mixture.

As fall firmly sets upon us and the colorful leaves set a dramatic backdrop for the children trick-or-treating, we often forget about the great vegetable sitting on our front porches often intricately carved for entertaining our friends and neighbors. I speak of the pumpkin, a delicious vegetable useful for more than just a great seasonal pie. Here are a few variations and great reasons to keep 1 or 2 of these uncarved for your family's enjoyment.

Mud Glazed Pumpkin

Ingredients:

1/2 medium ripened pumpkin (should make about 6-8 servings)

1/4c healthy butter substitute

1/2c molasses

1/3c brown sugar

1/2c walnut halves (optional)

1/4c chopped chives (optional)

Fresh Parsley Sprigs for garnish (optional)

Assuming that you have already removed the cap, seeds and loose pith from the inside of the pumpkin, slice the pumpkin into wedges only wide enough to be chopped into bite sized pieces. Use a peeler to remove the skin from the pumpkin wedges and chop into bite sized pieces (about the size you would dice potatoes to make home fries or potato salad).

Heat a large saute pan and add the butter substitute. Add the pumpkin and set the heat to medium low. This part of the process will take a while (about 30-45min), so be sure to begin well in advance of your proposed meal time. Keep tossing the pumpkin trying to not let it brown too rapidly, though it will eventually brown anyway.

Once the pumpkin can be mashed with a fork, yet still slightly firm, add the brown sugar and stir continuously until the sugar and butter begin to simmer and the sugar is partially dissolved. Now add the molasses and mix thoroughly. Be careful since the sauce will easily burn you.

Once you have the Mud Glaze well blended, add the walnuts and chives mixing them in.

Serve immediately with a parsley sprig garnish.

From experience, I can only sugest that you thoroughly rinse your saute pan while it is still warm in hot water. Otherwise the molasses sauce will become a difficult task to remove later.

Alternatives:

Baked Pumpkin - You can prep the pumpkin in the same manner as above. Instead of using a mud glaze, you can heavily drizzle your favorite, or even fresh, maple syrup over the pumpkin in a baking dish, also with some chives, and bake at 350(f) for about 45min. Top them with whole, large marshmallows and continue baking until marshmallows are nicely browned and serve in place of yams.

Leftover Bake - After the family has all returned home from that delectable Thanksgiving spread that you have so graciously put out, we inevitable fret for something to do with the leftovers. This is one that I did for friends not so long ago.

Layer into a baking dish your leftovers as follows: Stuffing, Turkey Gravy, Mud Glazed Pumpkin, more turkey, and top with your mashed potatoes. Bake until hot and serve with some extra gravy on the side.

A nice vegetable to also serve is sauteed pumpkin and green beans with almonds. Again, prepare and saute the pumpkin as before. Add the green beans in the last 2min of cooking along with some fresh slivers of almonds.

Pumpkin Mash - Bake the prepped pumpkin on a baking sheet until soft. Mash the pumpkin in a bowl with an equal parts mixture of 2% milk and zero-fat Greek yogurt until you get your desired consistency. Serve with a pat of butter and a dash of cinnamon on top.

Though this dish is Heart Healthy, diabetics should be careful in that the pumpkin is high in starch, as well, you can see that some of these dishes use a bit of sugar.

Enjoy this underutilized vegetable with your loved ones this fall.