Heart Healthy Valentines Day Recipes!

I've compiled some heart healthy Valentines Day Recipes for you to enjoy on Valentines Day and every day!

Remember, portion size is key for desserts, do not overindulge or your waist will not be happy!'

Some hints:
1) load up your entree's with more vegetables to fill you up.
2) Lean beef is perfectly okay for a heart healthy dinner.
3) Sprinkle some chia seeds on your salad for a delicious crunch and extra protein and omega fatty acids
4) Hold the salt shaker.  Add herbs and salt free seasonings to foods.  A tip, garlic powder gives food nice flavor and a salty taste

Szechuan beef stir-fry

1 package (10 ounces) fresh vegetable stir-fry blend (see note)
3 tablespoons water
2 beef shoulder center steaks (ranch), cut 3/4 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup prepared sesame-ginger stir-fry sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups hot cooked rice or brown rice, prepared without butter or salt
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Combine vegetables and water in large nonstick skillet; cover and cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove and drain vegetables. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cut beef steaks into 1/4-inch thick strips. Heat same skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of beef and half of garlic; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until outside surface of beef no longer is pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining beef and garlic.
Return all beef and vegetables to skillet. Add stir-fry sauce and red pepper; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon over rice. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Note: Four cups assorted fresh vegetables, such as sugar snap peas, broccoli florets, bell pepper strips and shredded carrots, may be substituted for 1 package vegetable stir-fry blend. Your favorite stir-fry sauce flavor may be substituted for the sesame-ginger flavor.
Nutrition information per serving: 384 calories, 11 g. fat, 65 mg. cholesterol, 1,120 mg. sodium, "39 g. carbohydrate, 1.9 g. fiber, 30 g. protein.
From The Healthy Beef Cookbook (John Wiley & Sons)

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Pacific Sole with Orange and Pecans

• 1 orange
• 10 ounces Pacific sole, (see Note) or tilapia fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted (see Cooking Tip)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Preparation

1. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the skin and white pith from orange. Hold the fruit over a medium bowl and cut between the membranes to release individual orange sections into the bowl, collecting any juice as well. Discard membranes, pith and skin.
2. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the fillets and cook 1 minute for sole or 3 minutes for tilapia. Gently flip and cook until the fish is opaque in the center and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes for sole or 3 to 5 minutes for tilapia. Divide between 2 serving plates; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Add butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar and the orange sections and juice; loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Spoon the sauce over the fish and sprinkle each portion with pecans and dill. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

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DESSERTS:

 Chocolate Bundt Cake  Only 243 Calories per slice!

• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1 cup fruit puree fat replacement, homemade or store-bought (see Note)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups sugar

Chocolate glaze

• 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, or almonds
• 3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons low-fat milk

Preparation

1. To make cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Place eggs and egg whites in a large mixing bowl and set bowl in a pan of hot water; stir occasionally to warm eggs.
3. Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Whisk buttermilk,fruit puree, oil, coffee granules and vanilla in another medium bowl. Set aside.
5. Remove bowl of eggs from water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually add sugar. Increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until mixture is thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
6. Alternately fold the reserved dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture into egg mixture with a rubber spatula, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 additions of buttermilk mixture. Scrape the batter into prepared pan.
7. Bake until top springs back when touched lightly and cake shrinks away slightly from sides of pan, 50 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Loosen edges and invert cake onto rack. Cool completely.
8. To make glaze & finish cake: Spread nuts in a shallow pan and bake in a 325°F oven until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool.
9. Combine chocolate and milk in a small heavy saucepan; heat over low heat, stirring, until glaze is smooth.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: You can use buttermilk powder in place of fresh buttermilk. Or to make “sour milk,” mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup milk.
• Note: Fruit puree fat replacement choices include Sunsweet Lighter Bake can be found in jars in the oil or baking-supply section of your market.

Nutrition

Per serving: 296 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 27 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 309 mg sodium; 167 mg potassium.

Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes with Mocha Sauce

Making the batter so the middles stay lava-like, but mini cakes get done so quickly it's best to give them a filling that won't set up. These rich, mocha-flavored morsels are guaranteed to stay moist and gooey, owing to a simple mocha ganache in the middle. Serve the cakes with a scoop of low-fat coffee ice cream and garnish with a chocolate-covered espresso bean, if desired.

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6 servings, 2 cakes each

Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients

• 4 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, (60-75% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light cream
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, or granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water, divided
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1-3 teaspoons very hot water

Preparation

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Generously coat the mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. (Alternatively, see “No Microwave?” below.) Microwave on High for 1 minute. Stir well, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until the remaining chocolate melts completely.
3. To prepare filling: Stir together granulated sugar, cream and half the espresso mixture in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High just to steaming, 20 to 40 seconds. (Alternatively, combine in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just steaming.) Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add corn syrup and half the melted chocolate (reserve the other half for the batter); stir until completely smooth. Cover and transfer to the freezer until cold and firm, about 30 minutes.
4. To prepare batter: When the filling has been chilling for 20 minutes, whisk egg, oil, vanilla, salt and the remaining espresso mixture in a medium bowl until very smooth. Return the remaining chocolate mixture to the microwave. Microwave on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until just warm again (do not overheat). In two batches, whisk the egg mixture into the warm chocolate until well blended. Sift confectioners' sugar, flour and cocoa over the batter and whisk in just until smoothly incorporated.
5. To assemble cakes: Remove the filling from the freezer. Spoon half the batter into the mini muffin cups, about 1 rounded teaspoon per cup. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon filling onto the center of each (reserve the rest for the sauce). Divide the remaining batter evenly among the muffin cups, about 1 rounded teaspoon per cake. Smooth out the batter to cover the filling.
6. Bake the cakes on the middle rack until the edges look dry and puffed but the centers still look very underdone and puddinglike, 6 to 9 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until firm, about 2 minutes. Place a cutting board on top of the pan and invert the mini cakes out onto it. If the cakes are stuck to the pan, run a knife around and under them to loosen.
7. To prepare sauce & serve: Thoroughly stir very hot water into the reserved filling, 1 teaspoon at a time, until very smooth and slightly fluid. Serve the warm cakes drizzled with the sauce.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. After baking (Step 6), the cakes will keep in the pan, tightly covered with foil, for up to 1 day. The sauce (Step 7) will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To serve, reheat the cakes in the covered pan at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Reheat the sauce in a microwave on Medium for about 20 seconds. | Equipment: 12-cup mini muffin pan

• No Microwave? Melt chocolate in a double boiler instead: Place chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water. Gently stir until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the heat and stir until it melts completely.

Nutrition

Per serving: 244 calories; 17 g fat ( 7 g sat , 3 g mono ); 49 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 64 mg sodium; 30 mg potassium.
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Hope you enjoyed these heart healthy Valentines Day Recipes! 

Linda