At The Cardiovascular Care Group, we not only talk about your vascular health, we eat about it, too!
And to encourage more healthy eating, we started a Healthy Recipes Contest where our staff submit their favorite healthy recipes that they want to share with you and their fellow co-workers.
Below are our collection of award-winning healthy recipes for you to enjoy. Bon Appetit!
Turkey Taquitos
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Salt (to taste) - 99% fat free Turkey meat
- ½ Red bell pepper
- 2 sticks of scallion
- 2-4 garlic cloves
- 2 ½ teaspoons Low sodium Old Del Paso Taco seasoning
- Mission Zero Net carb tortillas
- Mexican blend shredded cheese (low fat cheese if optional)
- 2-4 teaspoon mild chunky salsa
- Cholula hot sauce (optional)
Directions:
- Finely chop scallions and red bell pepper. Mince garlic cloves. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Break up and cook turkey meat until meat is white. Add 2 ½ TSP of taco seasoning, scallions, red bell pepper and garlic. Mix well. Cover skillet and lower heat. Note* You can add salt to turkey meat but carefully! Since taco seasoning has added salt and lots of flavor.
- Place tortillas in separate skillet to heat up/toast them. Do not over-heat them since they become hard to bend and will break. Flip tortillas and add a pinch of Mexican blend cheese.; allow to melt. Note* While heating up tortillas, keep an eye on turkey meat. Mix every 5 minutes and cover again. Do this for about 15 minutes then remove from heat.
- Remove tortillas from skillet and bend them in “taco form” Note* You can put the tortillas in a small bowl side to side to keep them in place and in form.
- Add turkey meat to tortilla. Add 1 TSP of mild chunky salsa (or spicy)
** Add Cholula hot sauce if you like spicy tacos!
Summer Greek Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
- 8 ounce orzo pasta (1 1/4 cup dry)
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest (about 2 tablespoon juice)
- 1/4 cup minced shallot or red onion
- 1/2 English cucumber (2 cup diced, or substitute a peeled standard cucumber)
- 2 roasted red peppers from a jar or 1/2 fresh red bell pepper ( 1/2 cup diced)
- 1/3 cup chopped dill, plus more for garnish
- 1/3 cup chopped mint
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved
- Black pepper
Directions:
- Prepare the orzo according to the package instructions. Taste the orzo a few minutes before completion to ensure it’s ‘al dente’ (chewy, but with a little firmness in the center). When it’s done, drain it and then rinse it under cold water until it comes to room temperature.
- Place the chickpeas in a bowl with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Mince the red onion, then place it in a bowl with water (this helps to remove the sharp onion taste). Dice the cucumber. Dice the roasted red pepper. Chop the herbs.
- Stir together the orzo, chickpeas and bowl of lemon juice, red onion, cucumber, red pepper, dill, mint, white wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, oregano, feta crumbles, black olives, and several grinds of black pepper. Taste and if necessary, season with more kosher salt.
- Add your favorite grilled chicken or grilled shrimp recipe if you like.
Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb. (16-24) shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ cup white wine or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into noodles
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Directions:
- Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until frothing, add the shrimp, cook for 2 minutes, flip, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute before setting the shrimp aside.
- Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan, deglaze it, simmer for 2 minutes, add the zucchini noodles and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes, before seasoning with salt and pepper, adding the shrimp, lemon zest and parsley, tossing everything and removing from the heat.
- Enjoy immediately!
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cook Time:11 minutes
Total Time:11 minutes
Yield: 11 – 14 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white , oat, or spelt flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar, unrefined if desired
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp milk of choice, plus more if needed
- 2 tbsp oil or melted vegan butter
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in wet to form a dough – it will be dry at first, so keep stirring until a cookie-dough texture is achieved. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp extra milk of choice.
- Form into one big ball, then either refrigerate at least 2 hours or freeze until the dough is cold.
- Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 325 F.
- Form dough balls, and place on a greased baking tray, leaving enough room between cookies for them to spread.
- Bake 11 minutes on the center rack. They’ll look underdone when you take them out. Let them cool on the baking tray 10 minutes before touching, during which time they will firm up. If for whatever reason the cookies don’t spread enough (climate can play a huge role), just press down with a spoon after baking.
- You can also choose to make extra cookie dough balls and freeze them to bake at a later date. I can only vouch for the flours listed, but feel free to experiment.
Balsamic Grilled Steak Salad with Peaches
Ingredients:
- 1lb Skirt Steak, fat trimmed
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
- 1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground black Pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of one large lemon
- 6 cups baby arugula
- 2 ripe peaches thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese
Directions:
- In a large resealable plastic bag or baking dish, combine steak, vinegar, garlic and brown sugar. Marinate 20min at room temperature
- Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Remove steak from marinade, coat with vegetable oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Grill until desired doneness, 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 5-10 min then slice against the grain.
- Make dressing. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper
- Arrange salad to your liking. In a large serving bowl, add arugula, peaches, blue cheese or feta, and steak. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss.
Aunt Kitty's
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/s cup flour
* Can substitute another flour such as coconut flour or almond flour
Additional Add-ons:
- Apples
- Berries
- Cinnamon
- Chia seeds
- Nuts (walnuts, pecans)
- Flax seeds
Directions:
- Mix cottage cheese, eggs, salt, and flour together in a small bowl. Let mixture “rest” in the refrigerator for 1 hour (overnight is fine, too)
- Heat a non-stick griddle to 350 degrees or use a frying pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking oil. Note, the frying pan will be ready when a drop of water sizzles and “dances” across the surface
- Spoon pancake batter in a pan or on a griddle and fry until the bubbles on the surface of the pancake remain open. (You can check to see if the bottom of side is done by lifting the edge with a spatula.)
- When the bottom side is a nice golden color, flip the pancake over and cook until the bottom color matches the top
- Place the finished pancakes on a plate, sprinkle with sweetener over the tops, and add fruit or other healthy toppings of your choice
Farro Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole-grain farro
- 2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Large shallot, very thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. honey
Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cup lightly packed arugula
- 1 Green apple, chopped
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
- 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
- Cranberries to sprinkle on top
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine farro, vegetable broth, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, until farro is tender and no broth remains, about 30 minutes. When farro is cooked, transfer to a large bowl to cool.
- In the meantime, make fried shallots: in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine oil and shallots. When the shallots begin to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove shallots from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel lined plate and season with salt. Let oil cool.
- Make dressing: in a medium bowl, combine the cooled olive oil with vinegar, mustard, and honey and season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble salad: combine cooked farro, crispy shallots, arugula, apple, parmesan, basil, parsley, and pecans. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat.
Orange Zucchini Loaf
Gluten Free, Low Sugar
Vegan Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
Dry:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup 1:1 gluten-free baking flour or oat flour (sub all-purpose if not gluten-free)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet:
- 2 flax eggs (or 2 regular eggs if not vegan)
To make 2 flax eggs, combine 2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 tbsp water - 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup orange juice (1.5 small oranges)
- 2 tbsp orange zest (1 small orange)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Other:
- 1 packed cup shredded zucchini, after squeezing out excess water (approx. 2 small zucchinis)
Icing (Optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Start by making the flax eggs, if using. Combine the flaxseed meal and water together in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to allow to congeal before using. Note that if regular eggs are being used, skip this step.
- Meanwhile, grate zucchini onto a large piece of paper towel and wring out all the excess water. You should have one full packed cup of zucchini after the water has been removed. Set aside.
- Add all dry ingredients to a sifter and sift into a medium-sized bowl. Mix to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir all together (don’t overmix)!
- Fold in shredded zucchini.
- Pour into loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before icing.
- To make icing (if using): mix together the powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl, then mix in the zest and the pour over cooled loaf.
Low Carb Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tbs baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup Blueberries
- 3 large Eggs
- 1/2 cup reduced fat milk
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tbs light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Generously coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Sift almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add blueberries and toss to coat. Whisk eggs, milk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups (about ¼ cup batter per cup).
- Bake the muffins until lightly browned around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and remove from the tin to cool completely.
- Wrap airtight and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Creamy Garlic Tuscan Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 pound (500 g) shrimp (or prawns) – tails on or off
- 1/2 cup diced green onions
- .25 oz sundried tomatoes (just dried; not packed in oil)
- 1 1/2 cups half and half (can use 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond or cashew milk; this would result in 0 healthy fats per serving; to keep condiments to 3, reduce Parmesan cheese to 2 Tbsp if using the milk)
- 1/4 tsp each – salt and pepper
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (do not include for dairy free option)
- 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic and fry until fragrant (about one minute). Add in the shrimp and fry 2 minutes on each side, until cooked through and pink. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
- Fry the green onions in the skillet. Add the sun dried tomatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes to release their flavors.
- Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the half and half and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce, and add in the Parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce. (For a thicker sauce, add the half and half mixture to the center of the pan, and continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture through until the sauce thickens).
- Add the shrimp back into the pan; sprinkle with the herbs and parsley, and stir through.
- Serve over steamed vegetables or cauliflower rice.
Grilled Chicken Margherita
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – pounded to less than 1 inch thickness
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning – (OR 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano + 1/4 teaspoon dried basil + 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup basil pesto (see Pesto recipe below)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves – very thinly sliced
- Cracked black pepper
Pesto:
- 2 cups basil leaves packed (I substitute all or half with baby spinach leaves)
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese grated
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts (I substitute walnuts)
- 3 cloves garlic (3 teaspoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pulse spinach, nuts, cheese and spices together in food processor and then slowly stream in the olive oil.
Directions:
- In a large bowl combine chicken, salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic power, and Italian seasoning. Toss to combine.
- Grill chicken over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese and cook another minute or so until melted.
- Toss tomatoes, lemon juice, and basil together. Top each chicken breast with about 3 tablespoons pesto, a scoop of tomatoes, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Easy Cheesy Vegetable Quesadillas
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small zucchini, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon McCormick® Salt Free Vegetable Seasoning
- 8 flour tortillas (8-inch)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion and zucchini; cook and stir 4 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add mushrooms and Seasoning; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
- Place 4 of the tortillas on ungreased baking sheet. Spread 1/4 of the vegetable mixture and cheese evenly on each tortilla. Top with remaining tortillas. Lightly brush with remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle lightly with additional Seasoning, if desired.
- Bake 10 minutes or just until cheese is melted. Cut into 3-inch wedges. Serve warm.
Healthy Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup canned corn, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
4 flour tortillas
- 1 1/3 cup reduced fat shredded pepper jack cheese (or other cheese)
Directions:
- Combine the chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high Place the tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle one half with about 1.5 tbsp of cheese. Spread with about 1/2 cup of the chicken filling. Top with another 1.5 tbsp of cheese. Fold the tortilla over and cook on one side until cheese is melting and the tortilla begins to brown. Flip over and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes more until tortilla browns and cheese it fully melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
You can also make full-size quesadillas instead of folding the tortillas quesadillas.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients:
- 1 Pound lean Chicken chopped meat
- 1 tsp pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or to taste
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot, julienned or coarsely grated 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups of cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp of ground ginger
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1Tbsp chopped green onion, optional for garnish
- 1/4 tsp sesame seeds, optional for garnish
Directions:
- In large skillet over med/high heat add oil. Once hot add ground meat and brown until no longer pink, about 5 mins. Break up the meat with a spatula Season with salt and pepper.
- Add onion and carrots and sauté until onion is tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Finally add the cabbage, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Continue sautéing for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally, or until the cabbage is tender.
- Serve garnished with green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter and Prosciutto
Ingredients:
- 12 oz Cauliflower Gnocchi
- 2.5 Tbsp butter (may substitute for ghee)
- 4 Slices of 2 oz thinkly sliced prosciutto
- 10 Sage leaves
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 6 cups of baby spinach
- 2 pinches of coarse sea sat
- 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Preheat large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2tbsp of butter, when melted, add gnocchi.
- Pan fry in a single layer over medium to medium- high heat about 5 minutes (until gnocchi is golden)
- In a separate skillet, pan fry the prosciutto over medium heat in a single layer until crispy on both sides, about 8 minutes total.
- Flip gnocchi and cook for additional 5 minutes, tossing every minute or so. Then flip again for about 4 minutes, until gnocchi has crisp crust, not soggy. When gently pressed, it should be a bit bouncy. Set aside and keep warm.
- Add 1/2 tbsp of butter to pan previously used for gnocchi, when melted, add sage. Pan fry over medium heat until slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside and drain leaves with paper towel so they maintain crispiness.
- Add garlic and spinach to infused sage butter. Sauté over medium heat and add salt, cooking for about 30 seconds or until spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool.
- Toss Cauliflower gnocchi with spinach and sage and top with crumbled prosciutto. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Shrimp & Sausage with Veggies
Ingredients:
Half-pound of Shrimp
8 ounces of Turkey or Chicken Sausage
1 Red Pepper
3 Scallion Stalks
5 Portobello Mushrooms
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fat Free or Reduced Fat Cheese of your choice
Directions:
- Slice and saute the veggies and sausage.
- Add shrimp and cook until the shrimp are orange in color.
- Season with Mrs. Dash, serve on plate and sprinkle with cheese!
