Two Easy Heart-Healthy Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

Pollo à la Mexicana (Mexican Chicken)

Packed with lean protein and tomatoes, which are filled with heart-healthy nutrients lycopene and potassium, this low-fat and traditional Mexican dish is best served over brown rice for a hearty and comforting winter meal.

Prep time: About 10 minutes
Cook time: About 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 seeded and finely chopped fresh jalapeño pepper
1 medium onion cut lengthwise into ½ inch slices
3 roughly chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup roughly chopped pitted green olives
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste

Method

• Grill chicken breasts and slice lengthwise into one-inch slices. Set aside.
• Heat four tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
• Sautèe onions for about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and sauté for 3 minutes.
• Add broth, jalapeño pepper and olives and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add chicken and simmer for five minutes, uncovered. (Simmering the tomatoes and the broth along with the other ingredients should give you a saucy consistency. If everything gets too dry from all the simmering, add more broth.)
• Add salt and Tabasco sauce to taste.
• Serve with long-grain brown rice.

 

Sautèed Chickpeas with Yogurt

The perfect “meatless Monday” meal, this Indian-inspired dish includes protein-filled chickpeas which are known to protect against heart disease and cancer, as well as iron-rich spinach.

Prep time: About 5 minutes
Cook time: About 12 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger root
1 tbsp curry paste or curry powder
4 cups cooked chickpeas (2 19 oz tins)
½ cup vegetable stock or water
4 oz fresh baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup yogurt cheese or Greek yogurt

Method

• Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add onions and cook until very brown. Reserve half the onions. Add garlic and ginger to the remaining onions in the pan and cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until very fragrant. Add curry paste and cook one minute longer.
• Add chickpeas and stock or water and bring to a boil. Cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach just until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon chickpeas over brown rice, and serve with a dollop of yogurt and reserved onions.