Put a Healthy Spin o n Comfort Foods (NAPSA)—A great way to warm hearts—and stomachs— during winter weather is with delicious comfort foods. What many find even more comforting is that you can make them hearthealthy with simple ingredient swaps and healthier cooking techniques. To help, there’s the “Comfort Your Heart” Recipe Collection from CanolaInfo. “I love these recipes because they are both hearty and hearthealthy,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., C.S.8.D., L.D.N., author of “The Flexitarian Diet” and developer of the recipe collection. To make comfort foods hearthealthy, Blatner uses a blender to thicken soup instead of heavy cream and “bake-frying” to make food crispy without deep-frying. She upgrades grains, using whole grain versions of breads and gnocchi. She also pumps up produce, making fries out of carrots and parsnips, “chips” from zucchini and “pasta” from spaghetti squash to keep calories and saturated fat in check while optimizing nutritional value. “The emphasis lately has been more on what to add to your diet as opposed to what to subtract,” says Blatner. “It’s about eating whole grains, plant proteins, produce and heart-smart fats like canolaoil.” Each heart-warming entre contains less than 500 calories per serving and is low in saturated fat. All recipes are made with canola oil, which hastheleast saturated fat and most omega-3 fat of all common culinary oils and is free of transfat. Recipes include: *Rustic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Crostini eChicken Parmigiana with Spaghetti Squash Turkey Burger Casserole with Comfort your heart with healthy entres such asthis Skillet Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale Pesto. Parsnip and Carrot Frites Cornmeal-Crusted Fish and Zucchini Chips *Beef Ragout with Grilled Bread Skillet Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale Pesto In this last nutrient-rich dish, whole grain gnocchi and the “superfood” kale lay the foundation. Healthful convenience foods such as pre-packaged, whole grain gnocchi and frozen, cubed butter- nut squash save time in preparing the dish. “When putting together these recipes, I thought about foods I would like to eat on a winter night,” says Blatner. Skillet Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale Pesto Kale Pesto: 2 cups chopped kale leaves 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1% Tbsp chopped walnuts 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp canola oil Gnocchi: 1% cups frozen pre-cut (1-inch cubes) butternut squash, thawed 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 package (16 oz) prepared whole grain gnocchi 1 cup kale leaves, cut into fine strips To prepare pesto: In food processor, pure kale, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, walnuts and garlic for 2 minutes until paste forms. While processing on low, drizzle in canola oil, Warm large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add pesto, butternut squash, red onion (reserve 2 Tbsp for garnish) and saut for 5 minutes. Add gnocchi and saut another 5 minutes until thoroughly heated. Top with kale strips and choppedred onion. Serve. Yield: 6 servings Serving size: 1 cup gnocchi Nutritional Analysis per Serving: Calories 260, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Sodium 390 mg, Potassium 337 mg, Carbohydrates 42 g, Fiber 4 g, Sugars 6 g, Protein 8 g For the recipes and information, visit www.canolainfo.org.
