Dr. Frank Lipman, The voice of sustainable wellness

Heart Healthy Recipes for Valentine’s Day
Tricia WilliamsFebruary 09

Say I love you and mean it this Valentine’s Day by preparing a heart healthy romantic dinner for 2. This three course menu can easily be made in one hour, leaving plenty of time for romance.

• Kale and Kolrabi Salad with Almond Dressing
• Pan Roasted Wild Salmon with Cauliflower Millet Mash and Pomegranate
• Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries

The kale and kohlrabi salad is a great way to pay tribute to staying local. Kale and Kohlrabi can be found throughout the winter at most farmers markets. These cruciferous cancer fighting power-houses make for a satisfying salad full of snap and crunch. For the Pan Roasted Salmon I would recommended getting fresh frozen wild salmon from Vital Choice. Wild Salmon season runs from June to September so any of the fresh salmon you are seeing at your market right now is farm raised. If you prefer fresh fish (not frozen) and are committed to eating wild, a good choice is Halibut. It can be found in markets all year round.

The recipe for the cauliflower millet mash calls for a piece of Kombu. Kombu is a mineral rich sea vegetable that adds a nutritional boost to your meal. I like to use it when cooking beans and grains because it reduces their acidity. Garnishing the dinner plate are pomegranate seeds. This scarce symbol of humanity is packed full of goodness that supports and maintains healthy blood pressure levels, helps maintain normal LDL cholesterol levels, and is rich in the anti-oxidant polyphenols.

I used raw coconut meat in the chocolate mousse. I love all raw coconut products. Coconuts support heart health by supplying the body with healthy short and medium chain fatty acids. For me coconuts are a great way to get a sweet treat without spiking your blood sugar because they are low-glycemic.We often use coconut meat out of our kitchen to replicate the creamy texture of dairy. In this mousse recipe, you can feel a discernible creamy flavor without an overwhelming taste of coconut.The chia seeds act as a thickening agent in the mousse. I love them because they have a great fatty acid profile, and can hold ten times their weight in water. They are a great way to keep you staying fuller longer.

Strawberries, a classical symbol of Valentine’s Day are packed with anti-oxidants. Just 8 strawberries can provide the body with more Vitamin C than 1 orange. Be sure to source them organically as conventional strawberries contain a high pesticide residue. You can slice them to garnish the mousse or keep them whole, dip them in the chocolate mousse and feed them to the one you love!

Kale Kohlrabi Salad

Yield: 2 Servings

Salad:

• 1 Bunch Tuscan Kale
• 1 Cup Kohlrabi, small dice
• ¼ Cup Currants
• ¼ Cup Sliced Raw Almonds

Dressing:

• 1 Tbsp Almond Butter
• 1 tsp Miso
• 1 tsp Raw Honey
• 1 tsp Ginger, rough chop
• ½ tsp Apple Cider VInegar
• 2 Tbsp Water
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean Kale and remove hard center stems. Rough chop kale and place in salad bowl. Place kohlrabi on top of kale. Set aside.

Place almond butter, miso, honey, ginger, apple cider vinegar and water in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the kale and kohlrabi with almond dressing. Be sure that the kale is evenly coated. Garnish with almonds and currants.

Note: Salad may be dressed up to 1 hour before serving.

Cauliflower Millet Mash

Yield: 2 Servings

• ¾ Cup Millet
• 2 ½ Cups Water or Vegetable Stock
• 1 piece Kombu
• ½ head Cauliflower
• ¼ tsp Lemon Zest
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Chop cauliflower into large florets. Set aside.

Rinse millet. Place millet, water and kombu in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil. Add cauliflower, being sure to submerge the florets under the water. Cover with a lid, reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes or until the millet is cooked.

Remove from heat. Discard kombu.

Let mixture cool slightly, Place millet-cauliflower mixture in a food processor. Add lemon zest, salt and pepper. Carefully puree mixture.

Note: Can be prepared ahead and reheated.

Pan Roasted Salmon

Yield: 2 Servings

• 2 5oz portions Wild Salmon Fillets
• 1 tsp safflower oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• ½ Cup Pomegranate Seeds

Place a medium ceramic-coated non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Place safflower oil in the pan being sure to distribute the oil evenly.

Place the salmon in the pan and cook for three minutes so that fish has a crispy sear to it.

Turn salmon over and continue to cook for 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

To assemble: place a large spoonfuls of cauliflower millet mash into the center of dinner plate, place salmon on top of mash and sprinkle pomegranate seeds around to garnish the plate.

Chocolate Mousse and Strawberries

Yield: 2 Servings

• 3 Tbsp Coconut Water
• 2 tsp Chia Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 2 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder
• 1 Cup Coconut Meat, Young Thai Coconut
• pinch Sea Salt
• ½ Cup Strawberries, sliced

Place coconut water, chia seeds and maple syrup in a blender. Let stand for 10 minutes, allowing chia seeds to bloom.

Add coconut meat, cacao powder and sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Spoon into 2 wine glasses and garnish with strawberries.

Note: This can be made 24 hours in advance.

Westerly Market is a good source for coconut meat: www.westerlynaturalmarket.com.  Or any juice bar will scoop out the flesh of a young coconut and give you the water and flesh separately.