THE GREAT PUMPKIN

My boys' masterpieces, ready for Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I present what may become a multi-volume series about how much I love pumpkin. I've been cooking with it all month - first buying one can of pumpkin, then two at a time, then four. Then one pumpkin at the farmer's market, then three at a time . . . I'm pretty much obsessed.

I've tried recipes for pumpkin bread, pumpkin hummus, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin-chili vichysoisse, pumpkin corn bread, pumpkin-feta risotto, cinnamon-pumpkin pull-aparts, and pumpkin scones. I have a couple more to try: pumpkin fondue (yes please!) and pumpkin curry soup, but I thought I'd better get this post done by Halloween or I've sort of missed the point.

Pumpkins are easy to use (see below) and ridiculously good for you. Super low in calories (good) with virtually no fat (even better!), they pack a huge vitamin A and C, E punch, as well as fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. They are good for your eyes and ward off cancer and yes, even heart disease. They can substitute for fat in baking, be sweetened and traditionally spiced, or used in savory or spicy dishes. Pumpkin is so mild and smooth it can adapt to many dishes or even disappear. I was trying to explain this to Scott, and I was reduced to just saying "pumpkin is kind of, well, magic." Charlie Brown was right.

Through exhaustive kitchen and family-testing, I've narrowed down the collection to six tasty, easy, and healthy recipes. (Owen has also learned to like pumpkin in the process. Noah, not so much.) I still have one pumpkin left to roast, so I might have a few more recipes for you before Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

RECIPE: PUMPKIN FETA RISOTTO
RECIPE: CINNAMON PUMPKIN BREAD WITH RUM GLAZE
RECIPE: PUMPKIN PANCAKES
RECIPE: PUMPKIN BREAD
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHILE VICHYSSOISE
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CORN BREAD

MAKING PUMPKINS EASY

After roasting

If you are new to pumpkin, here's how to make it easy. Just roast the whole thing first, let it cool enough to handle, and remove the skin, seeds, and pulp with any blunt instrument (it will just fall off!). Put all the pieces in your processor and voila, pumpkin puree.

Here's how to roast it: Poke a few vents into the pumpkin with a sharp knife (so it doesn't explode in your oven), put it in a shallow baking dish or pan, and cover the stem with tin foil (so it doesn't burn and stink up your kitchen). Roast at 400 degrees for about an hour for a small pumpkin, longer for larger pumpkins. Check for doneness by sticking a knife or fork into it - it should go right through with no resistance.

Puree being strained. This was a small
pumpkin, and yielded about 2 1/2 cups.

After you've peeled and de-pulped your pumpkin, whirl it in your food processor until it has reached your desired consistency. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter for about 30 minutes. (Pumpkins are mostly water, and you want to remove that extra moisture.) All done and ready to cook!

RECIPE: PUMPKIN FETA RISOTTO

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

1 onion, diced

1 cup pumpkin puree

3 cups baby spinach leaves

3.5 ounce package crumbled feta cheese (I used – gasp – reduced fat!)

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Arborio rice

The risotto is mild and creamy, so I served with shrimp
sauteed with olive oil and lots of garlic and cayenne.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until tender. Stir in rice, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing all the liquid to be absorbed before adding more broth. Continue cooking until the rice is tender to the tooth, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir the pumpkin and spinach into the risotto until spinach is wilted. Add feta and stir to just combine.

If using low-fat feta, this is just 3 grams of fat per serving, 2 saturated.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN CORN BREAD

I really love cornbread so these were a must-try. We all liked them, even Scott, who doesn't like corn bread. They were good with "butter" (aka Smart Balance), but just as good plain too. I served them with the Pumpkin Chile Vichysoisse.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, well beaten (or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)

1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil (next time I make these, I'm going to try applesauce instead)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, stir flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and make a well in the center. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and oil.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir just until blended; do not over mix. Divide batter among prepared muffin tin cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

One muffin has 119 calories, 4.7 grams of fat (only 0.3 of that saturated) and provides 2 grams of protein, 21% of your daily vitamin A, and 3.6% of your daily iron.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHILE VICHYSSOISE

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Serves 6

1 medium pumpkin – roasted and pureed

6 dried red chile peppers - washed, with stems and seeds removed

5 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon butter or margarine (guess what I used?)

1 large onion, chopped

2 pounds leeks, chopped

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon cumin

1 bay leaf

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine the peppers and 2 cups of the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-low heat; simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook the onions in the butter until they caramelize, about 45 minutes. Remove caramelized onions and cook the leeks in the pot for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the broth and pepper mixture, caramelized onions, 3 more cups chicken broth, bay leaf, and cumin to the leeks. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 10-20 minutes, or until the leeks are very soft. Remove the bay leaf.

Remove from heat, add the pumpkin and puree the soup until very smooth. Let cool slightly then add the buttermilk. Heat through and serve. May be served either hot or chilled.

One serving is just 66 calories! 1.7 grams total fat, only 0.5 of that saturated. It provides 3 grams of protein, 17% of your Vitamin A, 10% of your vitamin C, and 5% of iron.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN PANCAKES

I first had these at a girls weekend of high school friends several years ago. I started making them for winter breakfasts at holidays and my kids and nieces and nephews all love them. I discovered this time around that they taste just as good with Egg Beaters and whole wheat flour.

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour - I used King Arthur's)

3 tablespoons brown sugar        

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat an electric griddle to 350. Pour onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. 

I serve these with real maple syrup and chopped pecans. Butter is good too, if you can have it, but it isn't necessary. The pumpkin makes the pancake itself so creamy.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN CINNAMON BREAD WITH RUM GLAZE

This is my first attempt at a yeast dough and I have Sunny Side Up in San Diego to thank for the great recipe and instructions. It was easy to follow and allowed me to succeed in baking (that doesn't happen much)! We all loved this, and Owen pronounced it "epic." Not much more I can say. Make this.

For the bread

2 tbsp unsalted butter (in the parlance of the American Heart Association, “acceptable stick margarine.” I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I can, though)

1/2 cup skim milk

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

2 tbsp unsalted butter (or more margarine)

For the glaze

2 Tbsp unsalted butter (again, I used margarine)

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp skim milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp rum or 1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn. (If you are using margarine, as I did, it will not brown. Just melt it.) Remove from the heat and slowly add the milk. Return to stove and heat through.

Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool slightly (about 100-110 degrees F). Add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy).

Then add the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time. (I had to add a lot, but I think that’s a result of using margarine instead of butter.)

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter (or melt if margarine). Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.

Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares. Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. (I wish I had taken photos of this because it took a while to figure this out – a visual would have helped!)

Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter/margarine, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.

I figured out the fat content of this but did not want to know the calories. It is low-fat, but definitely not diet food! If you make it with margarine, it is only 0.5 grams of saturated fat per piece!

MY 15 SECONDS

At the risk of completely embarrassing myself, I'm sharing this video/commercial. You might recognize the representative heart attack survivor.

Seeing and hearing yourself on camera is never a girl's favorite thing, but the Allina staff did a nice job with the messages on this prevention-oriented video. I'm very glad I got to say things about considering myself healthy, having no idea this was coming, and that my symptoms were not typical. I really think that message needs to get out in as many ways as possible.

This was aired during an hour-long program on cardiac health on Kare 11, our local NBC station. (You can see that program online if you are interested; I do think the segment on women is very good.)

Allina was one of the sponsors and thus had this longer promotional commercial placement. Apparently someone from cardiac rehab gave the marketing staff my name and voila, my 15 seconds of fame!

 

WHAT TO MAKE FOR DINNER, VOL. 1

I haven't been posting much lately because I've been too busy cooking. I'm working my way through a stack of pumpkin recipes (inspired by the insanely good and still-on-top pumpkin bread) for a recipe collection to share, but meanwhile I've been making dinner for my family every night too.

Happy kids = happy dinner = happy mom.

What to make for dinner is the perennial question for any family, and most often for the mom. (Though my husband did cook for two years when he was a stay-at-home dad, and if there's anything a working mom needs in her life, it's a househusband. That was the bomb. But I digress.)

What to make for dinner gets a little more challenging when special diets are involved. Allergies, diabetes, epilepsy, celiac, and others become not only life-altering but dinner-conundrum-causing diseases. As if dinnertime wasn't complicated enough.

(Digression alert: I was a working mom for 10 years, I've been home with my kids for one. The witching hour, roughly 4:30 and 6 p.m., is same crazy-train it always was. I really thought that would improve, but at least I no longer have guilt.)

A few weeks ago, my sister suggested I write about how I've incorporated my new diet into my family's, and I've thought a lot about that. I've come up with some solutions for us, but mostly I just make what I make and expect them to at least try it -- and that hasn't changed from my pre-heart attack days. Nevertheless, here are a few of my strategies:

Make dinners that are interactive or require final assembly by the individual. Tacos are a great example. I make beef or turkey taco meat for Scott and the kids, black beans and Mexican rice on the side, and then put out the lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, peppers, cilantro, corn, and so on. My tacos are black beans on corn tortillas; the boys have meat, cheese, and lettuce on flour, and Scott piles his so high with everything he'd need a degree from Chipotle to wrap it up. This way I've made one dinner that creates three happy boys, and I can control what I'm eating too. Other similar meals are kebabs on the grill or make-your-own pizzas (I like veggie-olive oil pizza better anyway).

Spicy Szechuan stir-fry.

Make recipes that have multiple ingredients prepared in stages and mixed together at the end. Think stir-fry. Kids usually like carrots, broccoli, chicken, beef, and maybe even shrimp too, but might balk if they are all mixed together with a sauce. Stir-fries often call for cooking the protein, removing it, adding new oil, cooking the vegetables, then returning protein to pan, adding the sauce, and heating through. Just set some protein and veggies aside at each stage, then proceed with the recipe for the adults or adventurous kid eaters. This works great for us: Owen will eat it as prepared, I pull out the components for Noah, and since I've made the stir-fry sauce, I've controlled the fat and sodium, and I take mostly vegetables and just a tiny bit of protein (leaving the lion's share for Scott). Again, only one dinner made, many problems solved.

(Another digression alert: I know you are supposed to teach your kids how to eat by just putting whatever you've made in front of them and letting time and their hunger do the trick. All I can say is that doesn't work for me. Noah simply will not eat anything at all, and the witching hour extends to bedtime and then he wakes up at 2 a.m. And it's not like I'm making him mac and cheese while we eat tofu stir fry, and since this is the method I used with Owen and now he eats pretty much everything, I'm gonna go with what works.)

Farmer's Market haul. Eggplant went in the
sauce. Don't tell them (until they are done!).

Swap out the protein. If it is summer and you love to grill, prep chicken or steak for your family and a portobello mushroom for you. Or, turkey burgers for them and veggie burger for you. Or shrimp or salmon for everyone. Make a salad or veggie sides, and roasted potatoes or whole-grain pilaf to go with it and everyone's happy and healthy.

Make pasta. Always a family pleaser and easy to make heart-healthy if you just forget that cream and cheese sauces ever existed. I use Barilla Pasta Plus because it has added protein and flax and I love the flavor and texture. This way, if all my boys eat are noodles and raw carrots, they are getting some nutrition.

Make soup. I love soup and it is easy to make tasty and heart-healthy. I have a huge bowl and a gigantic salad. The boys have a smaller salad and grilled cheese or just plain cold deli sliced turkey (they like it) with their "tasting portion" of whatever vegetable-based concoction I've made.

Use your food processor, blender, or immersion blender and lie to your kids about what's in the food you're serving. I've done this more than once. Eggplant marinara looks just like marinara. Kale and spinach pesto looks just like the basil version. Again, I know the whole hide-veggies-vs.-teach-kids-to-love-bok-choy debate, but when this works in my favor, I use it. Also, Noah loves to help me use these kitchen tools and if he's helped me make it, he usually will eat it. We made saag paneer yesterday and he licked his fingers and proclaimed "Mmm!" Who is that kid?

Once he figured out Huevos
Rancheros are basically nachos
with eggs, Owen was all in.

Make breakfast for dinner. Everyone loves this and pancakes or waffles are just as good when made with whole wheat flour, Egg Beaters, and margarine and they'll never know. Make them real scrambled eggs and make yours with whites. Make Huevos Rancheros and skip the chips and cheese and have eggs on beans with warm, spicy sauce. Cut up some apples and call it good. Easy peasy dinner pleasy. 

Just make what you are making and if they've tried it without (too much) complaint, and really don't like it or it is too spicy, let them eat peanut butter or cereal and enjoy your tasty meal in peace while congratulating yourself for taking care of your family and your heart. Remember, avoiding stress is heart-healthy too.

And last, make sure you have leftovers, for your lunch or for those nights when it is just too busy to cook and your family is having frozen pizza and you shouldn't. Freeze your leftovers in single-serve portions just for you and don't share; they will run out faster than you think. If it is stir-fry or pasta sauce, leave the rice and pasta out and make that fresh when you reheat the sauce.

If you've read my (unsolicited) advice this far, here's your reward: A few good recipes to answer the question "What to Make for Dinner" Volume 1.

• THE ASSEMBLY: TACO NIGHT
• COMPONENT PREPARATION: SZECHUAN STIR-FRY
• PASTA PLEASE: RIGATONI WITH CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH (and don't even start with any you-don't-like-cauliflower objections) 
• BREAKFAST FOR DINNER: HUEVOS RANCHEROS
• LIE ABOUT: EGGPLANT MARINARA
• I MADE IT, YOU'LL EAT IT: SMOTHERED SALMON (have I mentioned I hate salmon?)

And after you've enjoyed a happy, healthy family meal, make your kids do the dishes!

RECIPE: SZECHUAN STIR FRY

I've made this several times, varying the protein and veggies based on my mood or what we had around. Most recently I made it with tofu, which Scott tolerates and Owen actually likes. But it would be just as good with cooked chicken or shrimp. This is adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

Serves 4

1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (or in a jar, which is what I use)
1 tsp minced garlic (again, a jar!)
1 cup firm veggie of your choice (cauliflower, broccoli, baby corn)
4 cups sliced cabbage or greens of your choice (bok choy, red cabbage, even kale)
1/2 small onion, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black bean sauce or black bean paste
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp chili-garlic paste (adjust heat for your family's taste here!)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
10 1/2 oz package firm tofu, pressed and cubed
1/4 cup shredded peeled carrots
2 tbsp sliced green onions
Chinese egg noodles or rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the vegetables and onion and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until whatever leaves you are using are wilted. Combine the sauce ingredients (from stock to pepper, above) in a large glass measuring cup or small bowl and whisk. Add to the pan and boil, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and heat through, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve over noodles or rice and top with shredded carrots and scallions.

RECIPE: HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Serves 4

28 oz. can plum tomatoes, lightly drained

2-5 serrano peppers, depending on your spiciness preference, stemmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 small yellow or white onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. canola oil

Salt to taste

Refried Black Beans (recipe below)

4 eggs

2 tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled

Tortilla chips*

 

To make sauce: place tomates, serranos, onion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the sauce (which will sizzle) and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bright orange-red and thickened. Add salt to taste.** The sauce can be made a day ahead.

To assemble: make the refried beans (recipe below), or reheat if made ahead. Put some beans on a plate and make a hollow for the eggs. Fry or scramble your eggs any way you like them. Add eggs and top with sauce and cheese. Serve chips on the side of the plate. 

Refried Black Beans

1 tsp. canola oil

14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beans and stir to coat with oil. Add cumin and oregano and stir and mash until heated through and the consistency you prefer. Add water or vegetable stock as needed to achieve desired creaminess. Add salt and pepper to taste (up to 1/2 tsp, but consider the whole plate as described above).

* To make this heart-healthy, either use baked chips, warm corn tortillas, or just skip the chips altogether. You could skip the cheese too, though in small amounts feta is not that bad for you.

**I had to add almost a 1/2 tsp. of salt, but check the saltiness of your chips before seasoning your sauce. I have had the overall dish turn out too salty because I made the sauce "just right" and didn't consider the chips.

RECIPE: RIGATONI WITH CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH

This is adapted from a recipe I saw made on Guy Fieri's show on Food Network. Every time I go to Exercare (for phase III of cardiac rehab), Food Network is playing on the TVs. This is amusing to me, as I've watched demonstrations of gruyere-bacon-potato tortes, ground pork lau lau, and all manner of desserts, sauces, and roasts that I can't eat. But this one looked like it was healthy and tasty, and it was. Thanks Guy.

Serves 8

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets*

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 bunch fresh spinach (about 3 cups)

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (best quality)

3 tablespoons capers, with 1 tablespoon juice

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 pound rigatoni

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil over medium heat, then add the cauliflower. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan, and saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute. Remove the cauliflower from water with a large strainer and add it to the pan with the garlic-red pepper mixture. Saute until starting to brown (it took mine about 10 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the stock, add in the spinach, cover and let wilt for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and capers with juice and reduce the heat. Remove the cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Return the cauliflower water to boil, adding more water, if necessary, to cook the pasta. Add the pasta add cook to al dente. Remove the pasta from the water and add it to the pan with the sauce, adding a little pasta water, if needed.** Serve immediately with a little parmesan cheese, if desired.

* Before you dismiss this recipe because you don't like cauliflower, know that pan-roasted cauliflower like this is nutty, sweet, and perfectly tender-crunchy. Absolutely delicious. Trust me on this one.

** To facilitate freezing the leftover sauce separately, just add a little more stock to your sauce to make it saucier, and then sauce each plate of pasta individually instead of tossing all together. One serving of sauce has just 83 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, and 0.5 saturated.

RECIPE: EGGPLANT MARINARA

There's a lot awesome about this recipe, including that its made in your slow cooker, features more shopping than chopping, and has literally no fat (unless you garnish with the optional olives and cheese). It also tastes really light and fresh and yummy.

Serves 6-8

1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch dice

1 medium onion, chopped

28 oz. can diced Italian-style tomatoes (with juice)

6 oz. can tomato paste

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

a few grinds of black pepper

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

sliced black olives and parmesan cheese, for garnish if desired

Put everything except the parsley, olives, and cheese in the slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for about 4 hours. Blend to desired consistency with immersion blender (or remove to a blender, but let it cool a bit first), or leave chunky if you like your sauce that way. I blended to avoid questions about what was in it! Add parsley and taste to correct seasonings. Serve over pasta with black olives and cheese on top.

RECIPE: SMOTHERED SALMON

I hate salmon. I know I'm supposed to like it, I know it is good for me, and I know that if it is fresh and prepared well it tastes good. But I still hate it.

So, I went looking for a salmon recipe that I could literally smother with other flavors so I could choke it down and get my omega-3s. I found one that I actually liked and Scott and Owen did too. (My picky Noah, not so much, but he's not really my arbiter of what makes a good recipe.) If you put a spice paste and Dijon and caramelized onions on anything, I'll probably like it.

I adapted this from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. Serves 2 (but it was enough for 3 of us).

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

1 white onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine the black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to make a paste. Spread the paste all over the salmon fillets and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake until cooked through, between 10-20 minutes. (Note that your onions, below, may not be done that quickly, so you might want to wait until the onions are a quarter or halfway done to put the salmon in the oven).

Heat the olive oil over low heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until caramelized (very tender and dark brown). This can take up to 20 minutes. Add some water, apple cider, or stock if the pan is drying out and to speed the process a bit.

Serve caramelized onions over the baked salmon. I would serve this with brown rice, a whole grain-based pilaf, or quinoa, and steamed broccoli.

RECIPE: TACO NIGHT

Everyone knows how to make tacos and likes them their way, but I just wanted to share a couple yummy recipes to accompany and garnish your tacos.

I make my taco meat using the Joy of Cooking recipe, or, if I don't have time, Frontera Grill Taco Sauce (you can find it near the other sauce packets). It is really tasty and if you read the ingredients, it passes the "whole foods" test - it has less than five ingredients you can pronounce. You can't really say that about the powdered packets.

We like Organic Valley's reduced fat Monterey Jack (an exception to my "no substitutions" stance regarding cheese), shredded romaine lettuce, avocado, red onion, pickled jalepenos, heated-up frozen corn kernels, cilantro, and Salsa Lisa (hot) on our tacos, as well as this yummy spicy cream sauce.

Chipotle Cream

1 tablespoon (or more or less depending on your heat preference) of finely minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*
About 1/3 to 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat or regular mayonnaise

Jen's Easy Black Beans

These are the beans I serve on the side on taco night, but that sub for the taco meat on mine.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

Mix it up and warm up in the microwave. That's it!

* If you open a can of chipotles for this you will use less than a quarter of the can each time. So pack the remainder up in a small container and freeze them. Next time you want make this sauce (also great for fish tacos and squash quesadillas), just scoop out one or two peppers with a fork and mince them while still frozen. Once mixed with the yogurt and mayo they'll thaw in time for dinner. 

ALL IN THE FAMILY

I can't begin to imagine what it is like to be a person close to me. I don't know what it's like to watch someone you love or care about have a heart attack, and I hope I never do. There's something about being the person who's in crisis, the subject of the drama, that feels, well, kinda normal. Even in the ER, the ICU, in rehab -- all along I'm thinking, feeling, acting, living. I'm just . . . me.

But what is it like to be the man driving a kid to camp, knowing only that I'm in the ER and that they gave me nitrogen? The man who sat in the waiting room through three surgeries. The man who had to go back to work and back to school, and then could do nothing more than watch and worry and wish for normalcy.

What is it like to be my friend? The one thousands of miles away but close enough to have nightmares about me. The one up at 3 a.m. with her newborn and reading my text from the ICU alone in the dark. The ones who fed me and pampered me and made me laugh, but who look in the mirror and wonder if they are in danger. I will never know.

My brother Mike and me, after
the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon.

What is it like to be my parents? This is one to which I can at least relate; I've stood by my child's hospital beside before. If you are a parent in that place, you think the world should simply stop moving until your child is safe. And you're bewildered when faced with evidence that it doesn't.

How about my brother and sister, who share not only memories of our treehouse and summers at the lake, but also my DNA? Are they scared for me? Are they scared for themselves? Well I should hope so. I was still in the ICU when I suggested, in the bossy way only big sisters can, that their doctors might be interested in the fact that I just had a heart attack and they'd better give him or her a call.

They did and they were. Both had consultations, blood work, and more testing. My brother had a stress test and my sister a calcium CT scan. I'm happy to report that both tests were normal, though Mike's cholesterol is sky-high. My sister's cholesterol numbers are actually the same as mine: higher than normal but not outrageous, especially by our family's standards. Both are now on medication, and their families already eat healthy and exercise plenty.

My dad (red hat) and sister, Anna, (holding my son Noah), with
our brother Dylan (left), my nieces Lydia and Alayna, nephew
Isaiah, my sister-in-law Kimi, and my son Owen at one of his
baseball games this summer.

But knowing that my brother, my sister, and I are the Three Musketeers of Shared DNA makes me want to know more about how familial hypercholesterolemia is inherited. Between us, my siblings and I have 10 children. I've already had my older son's lipid profile checked (he's 10 years old; it was normal), but I'm worried about all of them. Will they all get it? When should we start checking? What changes should we make in their lives now?

So here's our family history: My father has high cholesterol and heart disease. He's had two angioplasties but never an actual heart attack. He's super-fit and exercises every day and has been managing his disease for 20 years. His father, my grandfather, has high cholesterol, but no angioplasties or any blockage that we're aware of; he's also very fit and has watched his diet for 47 years and counting.

My mom and me.

My dad's mother, my grandmother, had angioplasty and a stent to clear a 90 percent blockage five years ago (she made it to the hospital in time to avoid a heart attack). She's never been other than super-fit and healthy. My dad's grandfather died at age 45 of heart disease.

My mother does not have high cholesterol or heart disease and neither did her mother. Her father had three heart attacks, all in his 50s and 60s, but he died at 79 of Parkinson's disease.

So you see, I come by this condition very honestly.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, meaning you only need one copy of this gene to get it. It is caused by a mutation on gene 19 (in case the super-detail-oriented among you are wondering) and can be passed from one parent to some or all his or her children. Each child of a parent with familial hypercholesterolemia has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease.

That does not mean that five of our 10 will have it.It could mean two of them, all of them, or none of them will. But since I had no other risk factor for heart attack besides family history, it definitely means vigilance starts now.

According to Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, a preventive medicine specialist at the George Washington University Weight Management Program, many adult diseases begin in childhood,often early childhood.



Running cousins after the
Twin Cities Marathon family races.

“Heart disease, in particular, has been shown to begin quite early in life in many cases," he states in an article on WebMD. "Many children have blood pressures and cholesterol levels high enough to warrant treatment with adult medications."

The American Association of Pediatrics recommends screening for children with a history of high cholesterol or blood fats, or a family history of premature heart disease (age 55 or younger for men, age 65 or younger for women). The first screen should be after age 2 but before age 10; if it is normal, it should be repeated every 3-5 years.



Treatment and prevention, of course, is about as common sense as it gets: feed your children well and make sure they exercise. Set a good example with what you eat and how active you are. Don't smoke so they don't start. And with our genetic history, lipid screening starting at a young age.

These are the wonderful children who share my DNA. Being Aunt Jenny is one of my favorite identities, and I love my nieces and nephews second only to my own sons. I'm so grateful to share in their lives.

All 10 awesome kids, ages 17 to one month. This was taken in May 2010.

I'm also grateful that my sister's family, my brother's family, and mine have years of practice raising healthy families; these changes would be so much harder if we didn't. My brother and I started running in 2008 and my sister recently treated her family to "a month from scratch" cooking. Everyone has farm shares or gardens and cooks from whole foods. The cousins run races together, play sports, ride bikes, and play at the park. They eat their fruit, veggies, and grains, eagerly tucking into things like black beans, pumpkin pancakes, quinoa, and plain yogurt, all of which I'm positive I would not have touched as a child. Of course they like their candy and Doritos and video games too, and I've had to cut out my son's favorite salami and nearly all red meat. But the foundation is in place for healthy eating now, and in the future.

While I don't really want these kids to know enough about what happened to me to worry, I do want them to know. I want them to tell their doctors, when they are young men and women and on their own, that they have a family history of heart disease. That their mother or aunt had a heart attack. I want them to know their cholesterol numbers. I want them to know the risk factors and symptoms.

I want them to know. So their brothers and sisters and parents and friends never have to.

SUPERFOODS, PART I

While writing this I ate three pieces of cherry Laffy Taffy from the Halloween basket (and if the basket wasn't downstairs, it would have been more) so I'm not exactly a nutritional saint, even now.

But, in the last few days I have made some very tasty, very righteous recipes featuring the nutritional powerhouses walnuts, barley, and kale. I wanted to share them with you because they are really good, really good for you, and quick and simple to make. Nutritional virtue was never so easy.

First, a few words about our healthy-living sponsors: walnuts, barley, and kale.

WALNUTS

Walnuts are energy-dense (that's code for high in calories; 185 in just one ounce) but worth it, especially for heart health. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids (as in 90% of your daily recommended amount in just one ounce), vitamins like E and B6, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid, as well as minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, and more. (Niacin, omega-3s, and fiber are like the trifecta of cholesterol improvement.) Walnuts also pack a fiber and protein punch, and oh yeah, they taste good.

BARLEY

I really love barley. It has a superb texture, nutty flavor, and an inexplicable ability to make whatever it is cooked with taste rich, decadent, and smooth, almost buttery. All that from a humble little seed.

Barley is a low-glycemic grain (good, because my carb intake is really too high right now), and high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps the body metabolize fats, cholesterol, and carbohydrates, and lowers blood cholesterol levels. It is also a good source of niacin, vitamin E, and antioxidant lignans (also found in the super-food flax).

KALE

Not just a pretty leaf, kale is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. One cup of kale contains only 36 calories, but five grams of fiber, along with 15% of your daily calcium and vitamin B6, 180% of your vitamin A, 100% of your vitamin C, and and 1,020% of your vitamin K, along with 40% of the magnesium you need, plus iron, potassium, and copper, and the antioxidants carotenoids and flavonoids. The fiber makes it especially heart-healthy, but it is also good for your eyes and has numerous anti-cancer benefits.

In case you are thinking that ingredients this healthy cannot taste delicious and decadent (and no way will my kids eat it!), stay with me. These recipes are my-kitchen-tested and even kid-approved (and of course, ultra low in saturated fat), so try one and savor the feeling of delicious nutritional virtue.


RECIPE: MUSHROOM AND BARLEY SOUP WITH KALE
RECIPE: KALE RED PEPPER PESTO
RECIPE: KALE PUTTANESCA

RECIPE: KALE RED PEPPER PESTO

This is a new recipe, modified from one I found on the very cool blog Eating Rules. I tried it out with pasta for lunch today with my friend Kate. We decided it was a winner.

1/2 cup walnuts, roasted

1 medium red bell pepper, roasted (or 4-5 pieces of jarred roasted red peppers)

3 tbsp olive oil

2-4 large cloves garlic, roasted

4 cups packed green kale (about 1/2 bunch)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

To roast the garlic: Peel the outermost layers of a large garlic bulb and wash the bulb. Place on a square of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up an droast in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until very soft. Save the rest of the roasted garlic for another recipe, or spread it on bread and eat it up with your dinner! You can skip this step and use fresh garlic, but your pesto will be much more strongly garlic flavored with a bite. Roasting mellows it alot.

To roast the walnuts: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spread the nuts evenly in a small pan, like a cake or pie pan. Roast until the nuts look a bit oily and are very aromatic, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To roast the pepper: Place it directly on top of a high flame on the stove and let it cook for a few minutes. You’ll hear it crackle as the skin begins to char. Use metal kitchen tongs to turn the pepper as each side chars. It should be mostly, but not completely black. Then place the pepper in a ziploc and let steam for at least 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and remove the white membranes and seeds. Set aside.

Wash, dry, and remove any tough stems from the kale.

In a food processor, make the pesto by blending the kale with the roasted pecans, roasted pepper, and roasted garlic. Once it’s smooth, gradually pour in the olive oil and blend until it’s fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve on pasta I used about 2/3s of this batch of pesto and 1/2 cup warmed chicken stock to toss with my cooked spaghetti. I added diced fresh tomatoes, and red pepper flakes (I find there are few recipes not improved by red pepper!), added more salt and pepper, and served with parmesan. This made about 4 servings. I froze the rest in cubes. I think they'll be a great addition to a soup or sauce for potatoes or cauliflower. Since there is no cheese in this pesto, it is not at all sticky.

RECIPE: KALE PUTTANESCA

Spicy, saucy, and bold, just like puttanesca should be. I first tried this recipe during our vegetarian experiment last winter (I left out the anchovy paste then, but I think it is a good addition if you eat fish.)

Kale Puttanesca
Serves 4

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp garlic puree in a jar)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, and their juice
3 cups coarsely chopped kale (or as much as you like)
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
Black pepper to taste

While pasta water is heating and pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook and stir until onion has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. (I found it necessary to add a little stock to keep the garlic from burning while the onions carmelized; it also speeds up the caramelization a bit.)

Stir in capers, anchovy paste (if using) and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add kale and basil; simmer over medium-low heat until kale is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Add olives and turn off the heat until your pasta is done.

Drain pasta and place in pasta bowl. Pour sauce over the pasta and toss. Top with parmesan if desired.

If you really want to up your superfood score, add a 6 oz. can of tuna to the sauce with the tomatoes. 

RECIPE: MUSHROOM SOUP WITH BARLEY AND KALE

If you love mushrooms or barley and the feeling of nutritional superiority that comes from eating kale, this soup is for you.

Serves 6-8
Original recipe from the New York Times

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, chopped

8 oz. fresh cremini, shitake or mixture of mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

3/4 cup whole or pearl barley

2 quarts chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water (I used chicken stock)

A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a bay leaf and a Parmesan rind

8 to 10 ounces dark green kale, stemmed and cut into ribbons

Black pepper to taste

 

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup, and pour on two cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl, and line it with cheesecloth. Lift the mushrooms from the water and squeeze over the strainer, then rinse. Squeeze out the water and set aside. Strain the soaking water through the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Add water as necessary to make two cups. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes, and add the sliced fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are beginning to soften, about three minutes, and add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook for about five minutes, until the mixture is juicy and fragrant.

Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms, the barley, the mushroom soaking liquid, and the stock or water. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stack the kale leaves in bunches and cut crosswise into slivers. Simmer the bouquet garni during the 45 minute simmering, then pull it out when the soup is done.

Add the kale to the simmering soup, and continue to simmer for another until the kale is tender, 10-20 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni, taste and adjust salt, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper and serve.

If there are any leftovers, the barley will swell and absorb liquid, so you will have to add more when you reheat it. Top with a little bit of parmesan or aged gouda for a whole new level of yummy.

TRANSITION

I've been transitioned. After six weeks and 1 day at rehab, I've graduated to "Level III: Transition" care and won't be returning to outpatient rehab at the hospital (at least, I have no intention of having to return there!).

This is my report card, er, "outpatient discharge summary."  It has a sort of kindergarten-report-card vibe to it -- I don't get a grade, or even "exceeds expectations," on the required tasks. It's just "Met".

Some of the best lines:

"Verbalizes understanding of normal anatomy" Met
"Verbalizes understanding of pathological disease" Met
"Verbalizes cardiac signs and symptoms and knows appropriate actions" Met
"Demonstrates compliance toward personal risk factor modification" Met

The last one is my favorite. Beautiful sentence structure, outstanding word choice, and ultimately, kinda funny. Yes, I am modified. Yes, it's personal. Yes, I'm complying and meeting expectations. I'd be an idiot not to.

The next phase in my personal risk factor modification is to keep up the exercise. On Wednesday I start at Exercare, a gym across the street from the heart hospital staffed with nurses and sports physiologists. I get six sessions during the transition phase, after which I can join if I choose to. At this point, that seems like a good idea, until I really know and understand what is a safe and effective exercise plan for me. That's the part of my behavior modification I don't feel I've mastered.

I will miss rehab. I liked the predictability of Monday-Wednesday-Friday at 3 p.m., I liked the company, and I liked having a prescribed plan. I was able to work out longer, faster, and harder each day and I could feel progress being made. Here's proof: according to my report card, my average beginning Met level was 4.7. My average on discharge was 7.2. Whatever that means. It's clear I need to go back to school.

Exercare, here I come.

PARTY HEART-Y

I don't think I'll ever get tired of heart-related puns. If you continue to read this blog, consider yourself warned.

Last weekend my family and I had a ton of fun while running. To fuel those workouts, we had a pasta party at our house Saturday night. Pasta is a safe bet: crowd pleasing, healthy, easy. But crowd-appealing sauces that are also low in fat and saturated fat? A little bit harder. Foodie-worthy too? Bring it on.

I scoured my cookbooks and websites and came up with several options, four of which I tested on my husband and his parents. Three made the cut: Turkey Meatballs with Spicy Marinara, Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce, and a light and healthy Spinach Pesto. There were many compliments Saturday night (my high school senior cousin liked the mushroom sauce best - impressive!) and I waited until people commented before revealing how good it was for them too.

Before you doubt that turkey meatballs are good (because I did, owing to a turkey meatloaf disaster a couple years ago), trust me that these are tender, juicy, tasty, and heart-y. (Hee hee.) One of my uncles was three-quarters done with his plate when someone told him they were turkey; he didn't believe them.

I found the recipe in Ellie Krieger's book, The Food You Crave, which I highly recommend. You can also find her recipes on Food Network. I barely modified the recipe, but I couldn't help making a couple changes. It takes some time, so save it for a weekend or make a double batch and freeze some meatballs and sauce (but freeze them separately, after the baking step but before simmering in the sauce).

RECIPE: TURKEY MEATBALLS WITH SPICY MARINARA

Pesto purists might turn up their noses at a pesto with so little cheese and oil, but I liked it alot. Spinach provides nutrients and makes up for that grassy flavor that a lot of good olive oil would impart. The small amount of cheese means it doesn't get sticky when heated and actually holds and reheats - something you just can't do with regular pesto. I served it in a crock pot on warm and it was ladle-able (is that a word?) on top of the noodle of choice. Again, not your typical pesto behavior.

This pesto has a light flavor and sharp garlic bite (add as much or as little fresh garlic as you want). It balanced the other two sauces perfectly. You could also add cooked chicken or shrimp to make it a complete dinner, or top with some diced fresh tomatoes. I like red pepper flakes on it too.

This recipe came from the American Heart Association Cookbook. I had been thinking of going all Julie & Julia on that book and cooking everything in it, but the first thing I tried bombed so I nixed that idea. But, this recipe has redeemed the book and I will try more recipes.

RECIPE: LIGHT AND TASTY PESTO

Last but not least, a delicious sauce for mushroom lovers. (If you hate them, stop reading now and make pesto instead.) I found this one in Joy of Cooking, and modified just a bit, as in I left out the pancetta.

This one is easy, but it takes patience. You just slice some porcinis, baby portobellos, and button mushrooms and cook them a long time with lemon, sage, garlic, and red wine until they take on a dark, rich glaze. Sauce up with a little stock, toss with some papparadelle, grate the best parmigiano reggiano you can get over the top, and marvel at how good fungi can taste. Earthy, meaty, rich, and only 1 gram of saturated fat.

RECIPE: MUSHROOM AND RED WINE SAUCE

If you try these please let me know what you think, or share your favorite sauce recipe. Happy, healthy carb-loading!

RECIPE: TURKEY MEATBALLS IN SPICY MARINARA

This is from Ellie Krieger's book "The Food You Crave," and also found on Food Network.

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey meat

1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/2 cup finely grated carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 egg, lightly beaten (I used 1/4 cup Egg Beaters)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included

1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce, or more to taste (I actually used less, for mass appeal)

2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Salt

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

First, make the meatballs. Mix all ingredients together and form into 2.5 inch meatballs (this is is a big meatball!). Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned on the outside and nearly cooked through (but not all the way).

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent (about 3 minutes) then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened. Add the basil and correct seasonings to taste. (I also blended the sauce a bit with my immersion blender, because I like marinara sauce to be smooth and all ingredients of even size, not chunky. But that's up to you!)

Add the almost-done meatballs to the sauce and simmer another 10 minutes until meatballs are completely cooked and have soaked up some of the sauce.

Serve over whole wheat pasta (I'm partial to Barilla Pasta Plus) with some parmesan on top. A serving is 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce, and 2 big meatballs. You will be full. Total fat 10.5 grams, saturated 3 grams.

RECIPE: MUSHROOM AND RED WINE SAUCE

Best over papparadelle, fettucini, or rigatoni, this sauce recipe is from the Joy of Cooking. I also think it would be great over chicken, or of course, a steak.

I was just reading through recipes, looking for a different kind of pasta sauce, and noticed that these ingredients mean it is easily heart-healthy. This one takes a while - give yourself a good hour plus to finish it. Not really an after-work, weeknight meal!

1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
Zest of 1/2 lemon
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped small
8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I used some regular button and some baby portobellos)
1 clove garlic, mincd
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken (or vegetable stock if you are vegetarian, though I'd try to find a mushroom stock if you can; the advantage of chicken stock is its nearly non-flavor)
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups of hot water for at least 20 minutes. Scoop out the mushrooms (don't dump the soaking water!) and rinse and drain. Set aside. Strain the soaking water in a colander lined with paper towels and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, lemon zest, and sage and cook until the onions are soft. Add the porcinis and the fresh mushrooms, and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are golden brown (its okay if some are stuck to the pan). Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the soaking liquid and bring to a fast simmer. Reduce until the mushrooms are glazed. Add the wine and reduce again to a glaze. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and serve over pasta with parmesan.

If this serves 4 people, I estimate 7 grams total fat, only 1 saturated (not counting the little bit in the parmesan).

RECIPE: LIGHT AND TASTY PESTO

Pesto, light? Pesto, reheatable? Pesto that holds at a buffet party without getting sticky? I would not have believed it if I hadn't made this, twice. This is from my new American Heart Association Cookbook. Their name for it is Perfect Pesto, and it kinda is.

Serves 6

4 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup firmly packed basil leaves (jam as many in there as you can, you want lots!)
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
1/4 chicken or vegetable stock (I used chicken stock for its almost-non-flavor. Veggie stock sometimes tastes pretty strong. Experiment and see what you like.)
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted in your oven for a few minutes at 350
1/4 cup grated or shredded good parmesan
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper to taste

Put everything but the salt and pepper in your food processor and whirl until smooth. If the pesto is too thick (which would be surprising), add some more stock or water 1 tbsp at a time.

Taste and correct the seasonings. Serve tossed with hot pasta and some more parmesan on top; red pepper flakes are also good. You could also add some cooked chicken or shrimp to make a heartier meal, and diced fresh tomatoes on top are pretty, tasty, and add more nutrition. Total fat just 5.5 grams; only 1 saturated.

AMAZING RACE

This weekend was Twin Cities Marathon weekend - the race I was training for this summer and was planning to run with my brother, Mike.

Life, as we know, intervened. So a few weeks ago I asked my rehab physiologist (aka boss-of-me) if she thought I could run the TC5K instead. I got permission from her, and my cardiologist, with a few provisios: I was not to let my heart rate exceed 150. I could run 10 consecutive minutes, if broken up by two-minute walk breaks. I was not to race it or try for time, and I could sprint for only the last 30 seconds. And be sure to cool down completely. Other than that, no problem! Sure! That's a great idea!



So I registered for the 5K and my sweet husband rallied friends and family to dress in red and cheer me on. My boys were bright, bright red and even wearing their Red Dress pins without fuss. Aunts and uncles, parents, cousins, siblings, and friends traveled to see me. My cousin ran the 10K that morning, my boys and nieces and nephew ran in the kids' races, and we all hung out in the beautiful sun all day. I was genuinely and honestly completely happy and I'm more proud of that 5K than any race of any distance I've ever done. (My time was not too shabby either - 31.12 with four minutes of mandatory walking!)

My brother and I started running in 2008. Our first race was a 5K and I remember how hard it was (it also remains, to this day, my best 5K time). A few 5Ks and 10Ks later we ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 2009. A couple more 10Ks and half-marathons later (and a full marathon for Mike, so now's he's got three medals and I only have one), we decided we wanted to run the Twin Cities again this year.

We went to packet pickup on Friday and among all the chaos of registering children and picking up about 6 packets, bibs, and t-shirts, I noticed Mike also had a 5K shirt. My sweet brother had surprised me by registering for the 5K, reasoning that while I couldn't run with him, he could run with me. It was just the perfect thing to do, and yes, I started crying. I had way more fun running with him than I would have alone. Thanks Mikey. I love you!

We kept the fun going with a pasta party at our house Saturday (featuring tasty, heart-healthy sauces, find the recipes here), watching my brother run the marathon, and Sunday night celebrating. I volunteered at the finish line, which turned out to be a great way to be there for the marathon but simultaneously and completely distract myself. The whole weekend was fun and positive. My doctor had said I should be doing things that "feed my soul." This weekend I was very well-fed. 

My cardiologist says I have to wait three months post heart attack to train or race any harder, so I can't quite make the Monster Dash, but racing is as fun as it ever was and I'll be back at the start line just as soon as I can. But I'll have to step up my game -- I can't ever get a worse time than what I got just six weeks after a heart attack!

Thank you to my husband, Scott, for all you did to make the weekend meaningful and easy for me, and to my boys for being sweet good sports. Thank you Mike and Beth and your wonderful kids Oliver, Natalie, Jenna, and Lauren for all the fun you bring. Thanks to my dad, stepmom Sherry, brother Dylan, my cousin Janna, Uncle Scott and Aunt Laurie, Aunt Deb, parents-in-law Jim and Carolyn, and friends Christine (and her girls Maddie and Nora) and Kelly for coming to see me run. You all made the race an amazing experience!

Love,
Jen(ny)