Easy, Heart-Healthy Recipes

This colorful dish is great if you love seafood. Shrimp provide plenty of protein with relatively few calories—but enjoy in moderation as they contain cholesterol.

Mango Salsa
2 tomatoes
1 small just-ripe mango, diced
½ small red onion, diced
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

2 tbsp honey
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1 large garlic clove, crushed
¾ in piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
32 tiger or king shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
boiled rice, to serve

Prep time: 25 minutes + 30 minutes
Soaking: +2 hours marinating
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4

Before you start cooking, soak eight bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. While the skewers are soaking, make the salsa. Score a cross in the base of each tomato and put them in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water, leave for 30 seconds, then plunge in cold water and peel the skin away from the cross. Remove the seeds, dice the flesh, saving any juices, and put the tomato with all its juices in a bowl. Mix in the mango, onion, chili, lime zest, lime juice and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili, oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ginger and cilantro. Put the shrimp in a non-metallic dish, add the marinade and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 or more hours, turning the shrimp occasionally.

Heat the grill or broiler to high. Thread 4 shrimp onto each skewer and grill for 4 minutes, or until pink and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking and basting regularly with the leftover marinade. Serve at once with the salsa and the rice.

Hint: When threading the shrimps on the skewers, don’t squash them too closely together as they may not cook through properly.

Nutrition per serving: Energy 507 cal, fat 6.3 g, saturated fat 0.9 g, protein 38 g, carbohydrate 69.3 g, fiber 3.3 g, cholesterol 226 mg, sodium 547 mg.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

This is a nutritious and satisfying soup that is sure to make you feel full. The addition of lentils makes it more nutritious and lower GI than regular pumpkin soup.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili flakes
4 ½ cups pumpkin or winter squash, chopped
½ cup canned red lentils, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, to serve

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, or until softened, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and chili flakes and fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes

Add the pumpkin, red lentils and 4 cups boiling water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin and lentils are tender. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, process the soup for 25-35 seconds, or until evenly chopped. Season well with freshly ground black pepper and reheat the soup.

Ladle the soup into four bowls, top with a spoonful of the yogurt and sprinkle with more pepper.

Nutrition per serving: Energy 233 Cal, fat 6.2 g, saturated fat 1.3 g, protein 13.5 g, carbohydrate 27.6 g, fiber 7.7 g, cholesterol 1 mg, sodium 28 mg

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

Dazzle your friends with this delicious sundae. It’s low GI and calories, and berries provide good amounts of fiber and antioxidants.

1 ¾ oz sucralose
juice of 1 lemon
about 2 lbs mixed summer berries, including blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
extra fresh berries, to serve

Raspberry cream

2 cups fresh raspberries
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup whipping cream

Prep time: 15 minutes + 7 hours (freezing)
Cooking time: None
Servings: 10

Put 2 cups water in a saucepan and add the sucralose. Heat gently over low heat until the sucralose has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, then stir in the lemon juice.

Put the sweet syrup and mixed berries in a large processor fitted with the metal blade and blend for 20 seconds, or until smooth. Press the puree through a sieve in batches and pour into a wide, deep plastic container.

Freeze the mixture for 1-2 hours, or until ice crystals have formed around the edges. Using an immersion blender or blender, blend to break up the ice crystals. Return to the freezer and repeat this process for 4-5 hours until the berry mixture resembles soft snow. Remove from freezer 15-20 minutes before serving.

To make the raspberry cream, blend the raspberries and confectioners’ sugar in a small processor for 10 seconds, or until smooth. Press through a fine sieve. Lightly whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Fold the cream into the raspberry puree.

Serve the frozen sundae mixture in chilled glasses with a spoonful of raspberry cream and some fresh berries.

Nutrition per serving Energy 95 cal, fat 1.7 g, saturated fat 1 g, protein 2.6 g, carbohydrate 14.9 g, fiber 3.9 g, cholesterol 8 mg, sodium 17 mg.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

This tasty dish is a great way to include the nutritional benefits of salmon in your diet. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, protein, potassium and phosphorus.

1 fennel bulb, with fronds
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
12 pitted black olives
1 tbsp snipped chives
1 ½ tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp dijon mustard
¼ tsp sugar
about 1 lb piece salmon fillet
olive oil spray
7 oz baby spinach leaves

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Servings: 4

To prepare the salad, trim the fronds from the fennel bulb and finely chop up enough fronds to fill a tablespoon. Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut a ¼ in thick slice off the base of the bulb. Cut the bulb in half, then finely slice and toss in a large bowl with the chopped fronds, orange, segments, olives and chives. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil with the lemon juice, mustard and sugar. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, pour over the fennel mixture and toss gently to coat.

Heat the grill or broiler to medium. Remove the bones and skin from the salmon and cut the flesh into ½ in thick slices. Lightly spray a grill tray with oil, put on the salmon slices, spray with more oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Grill for 1-2 minutes, or until just cooked through.

Divide the spinach leaves among four large serving plates, top with the fennel and orange salad and arrange the salmon over the spinach. Serve warm.

Fennel bulbs are easily sliced using the slicing disc of a food processor.

Nutrition per serving: Energy 304 cal, fat 16.2 g, saturated fat 3 g, protein 26.9 g, carbohydrate 10.4 g, fiber 4.4 g, cholesterol 65 mg, sodium 171 mg.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

Delicious freshly prepared but also when served as leftovers, this Italian meal is rich in flavor and nutrients.

2 tsp olive oil
4 low-fat bacon slices (we used 97 percent fat-free), chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
3 handfuls basil, finely chopped, plus extra whole leaves, to garnish
12 oz penne
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the bacon, garlic, onion and spring onion and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the heat, stir in the ricotta and chopped basil and beat until smooth.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Just prior to draining the pasta, add about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water to the ricotta mixture to thin the sauce. Add more water if you prefer an even thinner sauce. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Drain the pasta and stir the ricotta sauce and tomato halves through the pasta. Garnish with extra basil and serve.

Nutrition per serving: Energy 406 cal, fat 7.2 g, saturated fat 2.1 g, protein 21.3 g, carbohydrate 61.7 g, fiber 4.7 g, cholesterol 8 mg, sodium 516 mg.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

Ratatouille is a versatile dish that can be served with rice, potatoes or as a side. Here it is served accompanied by pasta as a complete vegetarian meal.

1 to 2 baby eggplants
olive oil spray
1 large red pepper
1 large green pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
15 oz canned reduced-salt diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, finely diced
1 tbsp chopped thyme
3 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp red wine
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp no-added-salt tomato paste
2 ½ handfuls basil, plus extra whole leaves, to serve
16 oz farfalle pasta
½ cup light cream

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Heat the grill or broiler to high. Cut the ends off the eggplants and slice the flesh lengthways into ¾ in strips. Spread the eggplant on a baking tray lined with foil and lightly spray with spray oil. Grill for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove.

Cut the peppers into large flat pieces and remove the seeds and membranes. Cook, skin side up, on the hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Leave to cool in a plastic bag, and then peel away the skin and cut the flesh into strips.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and gently sauté for 3 minutes. Stir through the grilled eggplant, pepper, tomato, zucchini, thyme, parsley, wine, sugar, tomato paste and basil. Season well with freshly ground pepper, then simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the ratatouille is simmering, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well and keep warm.

Take the ratatouille off the heat, add the cream and stir through gently. Divide the pasta among six serving bowls and spoon the ratatouille over the top. Garnish with the extra basil leaves and serve.

Nutrition per serving: Energy 385 cal, fat 5.4 g, saturated fat 1.8 g, protein 12.6 g, carbohydrate 65.5 g, fiber 6.8 g, cholesterol 11 mg, sodium 31 mg.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

This spiced apple cake is great comfort food, it can be served warm or cold. Enjoy in moderation.

canola oil spray
1 2/3 cups stoneground self-rising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup ground almonds
¼ cup sugar
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup unsweetened apple puree
2 tbsp canola oil

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking times: 50 minutes
Servings: 10-12

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 in round cake pan with oil, then line the base with baking paper.

Sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder into a large bowl, then return any husks to the bowl. Stir in the ground almonds and sugar, then the diced apple and chopped walnuts.

Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, apple puree and oil in a bowl. Add to the flour mixture, then stir until combined and smooth. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a metal skewer. Leave in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into wedges to serve. Delicious served warm.

Hint: Will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition per serving: Energy 219 cal, fat 10.4 g, saturated fat 1 g, protein 5.4 g, carbohydrate 25.1 g, fiber 2.5 g, cholesterol 32 mg, sodium 194 mg.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.

Buy it here

Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol has over 100 luscious recipes that are good for any woman who wants her heart to last forever. They are packed with “good” fats, fiber and antioxidants, and are low in salt, trans fats and cholesterol.

Buy it here

To check out another slideshow filled with simple and delicious recipes. click here.

Reprinted from Eat Well Live Well with High Cholesterol by Karen Kingham, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing.