4 ripe avocados
1 clove garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
½ small sweet onion, very finely chopped
1 fresh hot green jalapeño pepper (stemmed, seeded and very finely chopped)
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened and very finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste Fresh lime juice (about ½ of a lime)

Mix all ingredients together in either a food processor or using a mortar and pestle. Sun-dried tomatoes give this dip a burst of flavor.

 

4 medium tomatoes, diced
½ cup diced red or purple onion
½ cup chopped green onions (scallions)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chili powder ¼ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in a medium size bowl. For best flavor, let salsa soak for 1 hour before serving.

 

2 cans black beans — rinsed
1 can white corn — rinsed
3 tomatoes — chopped
1 red onion — chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
4 Tbls lime juice
2 Tbls vinegar
2 Tbls olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Mix it all together and serve as a dip or side salad. It tends to season nicely as it sits to make ahead of time, if you can. This is a very healthy recipe and yummy to boot!!

Courtesy of Mary Shvodian.

 

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups diced red onion (2 small), divided
1¼ pounds ground turkey
2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with puree
2 cups diced red bell pepper (2 medium)
1 quart low-sodium reduced-fat chicken broth
¼ cup ground chile powder (such as ancho, pasilla, or New Mexico)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
¼ cup cornmeal

In a large pot over medium-low heat, warm the oil and sauté 1½ cups of the onions until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the turkey, breaking it into large pieces only (you don't want it to get too crushed). Brown briefly, then add the beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, broth, chile powder, garlic, cumin and oregano. Stir well and set the pot lid ajar. Simmer the chili over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and add the cornmeal while stirring. Leave the lid off and simmer another 15 minutes, until the chili thickens slightly. Serve with the remaining ½ cup onions sprinkled on top.

This is a great low-fat, reduced-sodium chili that will please lots of folks. Note that it uses chile powder, made from pure ground chiles, not chili powder. You can find ground chile in the spice section of most major groceries or in Latin American grocery stores.

Serves 8 to 10

2 medium onions- sliced ¼” thick (about 4 cups sliced)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
5 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 6-8” zucchini, cut into ¼” slices
2 6-8” yellow summer squash, cut into ¼” slices
½ tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme (1 Tsp. dry)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in large frying pan with 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until limp and beginning to brown (about 12-15 minutes). While onions are cooking, slice tomatoes and place in single layer in bottom of sprayed, shallow 9” x 13” baking pan.

Slice zucchini and place in single layer over tomatoes. Slice yellow summer squash, place in single layer over zucchini, and sprinkle with thyme. Layer cooked onions over yellow summer squash. Drizzle with remaining olive oil; add pepper and salt, and top with cheese. Cover dish and bake at 350ºF for 1 hour or until cheese is melted and vegetables are tender.

Serves 6.

Per ¾ cup serving: 111 calories, 5 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (2 g saturated, 4 g monounsaturated, 1 g polyunsaturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 419 mg sodium.

Source: Dream Dinners, Inc., Hope Health Letter®, The Hope Heart Institute

Variation: Crumble some Mediterranean Garlic & Herb potato chips on the top and then top with the parmesan cheese!

1 lb. white fish
1 egg, slightly beaten
10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well-drained
2 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 mushrooms, sliced
½ tsp. dried oregano
2 tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place fish fillets in a 9 x 13- inch pan. Mix egg with spinach, onion, garlic, mushrooms and oregano. Cover fish with spinach mixture and slices of tomato. Top with cheese and dot with butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes until fish is tender.

Serves 4.

Per serving (1 serving = 3 oz. fish and ½ cup spinach mixture): 215 calories, 34g protein, 7g carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 6g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 291mg sodium.

Source: The Hope Heart Institute and SwedishMedicalCenter