I’m delighted to have found SPRINLY, which describes their service as, “Plant-based meals prepared by chefs and delivered fresh weekly. No cooking required.”  The meals are vegan — which is great for some. Since it’s not key for me, if  “cashew parmesan” is included in a meal, I just replace it with ‘real’ parmesan. But I’m getting a vegetarian dinner that’s delicious — without the hassle of cooking.

Because they are CHEF PREPARED, they are, actually, truly tasty. Dare I even say delicious.  Each meal is enough for a full dinner (or lunch).  And best of all, IMHO, I’ll say it again: NO COOKING REQUIRED!  Just plate it and microwave it.

So far, we’ve had about 10 different meals, and ‘rated’ every single meal (except one) an “A.”  Some even got an “A+”   And the one meal that I didn’t love (it was a quinoa bowl, which is not my favorite kind of meal anyway), I’d frankly order again… It just wasn’t a stand-out fave.

The price for 6 meals is about $120/week, including shipping. And while there IS a lot of packaging, they clearly tell you how to recycle nearly all of it.

I have been incredibly pleased to find Sprinly as a new heart-healthy dinner option. Lunches, too!

If this sounds good to you, give SPRINLY a try. The link SHOULD give you (and me!) a $20 deal.

I needed a fish recipe that wouldn’t ‘smell fishy’ and was easy to bake in an Airbnb (read: not a lot of ingredients) and transport (read: works in Pyrex with a lid). So I made an old favorite I’d not made in quite a while but have posted about: Easy Baked Maple Glazed Arctic Char Without Smoke Alarms. If you want to read more about where this recipe came from and what Arctic Char is, read my original post.

Since multiple family members asked me for the recipe (and the 2.5 pounds of salmon I bought were demolished!) I thought I’d update the recipe from my original to include some modifications I’ve learned along the way. View it here. Unfortunately  in all the hubbub I forgot to take a photo, but here’s one I took from the original post – so you can see what the fish looks like when cooked (I serve it from the baking pan, just cutting pieces with a spatula and serving.)

It’s incredibly easy and you probably have most of its 4 required ingredients in your pantry/refrigerator already: maple syrup (real), soy sauce, ginger (I use the kind in a squeeze bottle), and cornstarch.

This was the first time I’d made it with salmon — I prefer Arctic Char but that was unavailable in North Carolina – and it was just as delicious as always.  After basting and baking, I topped the Pyrex with its lid and brought it to my sister’s.  Give this one a whirl – it’s great for a weeknight because it’s so easy, or for guests because it’s so delicious. Not to mention healthy!  AND it does NOT make the kitchen smell of fish – a key requirement for this particular occasion (well, any occasion)!

You can find the full recipe with my updated notes added here: Easy Baked Maple Glazed Salmon.

These are top of mind for me because my cholesterol numbers are once again ‘too high,’ and I expect my cardiologist next week to discuss statin medication. And at some point, I may well need a statin. But since my Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) score is STILL zero, I want to understand if measuring my ApoB and Lp(a) will help inform our decision about how best to reduce my cholesterol and heart disease risk.

There are three articles I found helpful in framing my questions for my cardiologist; maybe you’ll also find them informative:

• The American Heart Association‘s January 12, 2024 article, Monitoring lesser-known numbers in a blood screening can help heart health,’ discusses Lp(a) as well as Non-HDL Cholesterol, Hemoglobin, Creatinine and Liver Enzymes. About Lp(a), the article says, among other things, “for people with a strong family history of heart disease or early strokes, it sometimes shows up as the only risk factor we can identify.”
• Yale Medicine published a January 22, 2024 article, Should You Take a Statin for Your High Cholesterol? In it, the doctors explain cholesterol and the importance of understanding why your doctor might be recommending a statin and that there are new options if you can’t tolerate a statin. It’s a good overview article if you want to understand more about cholesterol and statins and making a choice with your doctor for what is best for your specific situation.
• The American Journal of Medicine‘s February 25, 2024 article, The Importance of ApoB and Lipoprotein Little a [Lp(a)] is the densest / most medically article, but for me it was the most important. This group of doctors states that “ApoB merits being measured routinely…as it more accurately determines cardiovascular risk than the LDL-C and non-HDL-C” (which are the standard cholesterol blood test measurements.) The article goes on to say that “Lp(a) should also be considered in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (aka ‘heart disease’) risk assessment.”

Rather than go into the details of what exactly ApoB and Lp(a) are (and actually, as I’m NOT a doctor I’m not sure I could articulate it accurately), what’s important is to know these tests exist, and to ask your doctor if one or both (or any other!) tests would be helpful in determining your heart disease risk and best treatment of high cholesterol.

That’s what I’ll be asking my cardiologist next week!

Ms. Ko’s Roasted Orange Chicken preparation calls for a whole chicken, which is great if you’re into carving, but that’s a great big NO for me, especially on a weeknight. Luckily, this recipe works really well with a ready-to-go  package of chicken thighs. I made it even easier on myself with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Here it is, ready to pop into the oven…

The adjustments I made to this easy, delicious recipe were:

• For boneless skinless thighs, I roasted it at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, and did baste it. BUT that’s not enough time for the marinade to thicken, so you need to remove the chicken (good to let it rest for a few minutes anyway) and pour the cooked marinade into a saucepan then cook on medium-high heat for 5+ minutes until it thickens.  Mine never got thick enough but I was hungry so didn’t let it cook down long enough — still delicious.
• I used mandarin oranges as didn’t have clementines or tangerines.
• As per the comments, I cut back a bit on the brown sugar.
• I don’t care for a lot of ginger, so I used some from a squeeze tube instead of fresh ginger, and just added it to the marinade.
• I used a 13x9x2 Pyrex pan because, well, I really should get a cast iron / oven-proof skillet but…

Since the oven was on anyway, I roasted broccoli florets and an orange pepper (slick with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees) while I was preparing the chicken and the rice cooker was humming along. I also steamed some string beans.

To serve, just mound rice on a plate, add the chicken and the veggies and then spoon/pour on the delicious orange sauce.  Easy, delicious AND heart-healthy.

If you prefer a PDF version, here’s mine:
Roasted Orange Chicken Recipe – NYT Cooking

I hope you give this a whirl – we really enjoyed it.

– Photo: Linda Xiao for The New York Times

Recently, I came across an incredibly easy & delicious way to bake my favorite fish, Arctic Char (similar to salmon). The New York Times’ Sam Sifton apparently published this salmon recipe in 2015 but I only found it in late 2023…and have now roasted both Arctic Char and wild-caught salmon this way a half-dozen times to rave reviews.

It could not be more simple:

• Heat oven to 400-425 (I do 425; depends on your oven)
• Mix together roughly equal parts Dijon mustard and light brown sugar — mix well so no sugar clumps. (Or go with more mustard or more brown sugar depending on how mustardy/sweet you like your food!)
• Lightly brush your filet(s) with olive oil and place skin-side down on parchment or foil-lined baking sheet
• Salt and pepper the fish
• Spoon the mustard/sugar mix atop and on the sides of the fillets, then slide into the oven
• Bake for 12 minutes (12-15 minutes, depending on your oven and if you prefer medium rather than med-rare.)

That is literally it. And it’s absolutely scrumptious. It’s a good heart-healthy choice, served with oven roasted potatoes (my favorite: Ina Garten’s garlic roasted potatoes) and either string beans or roasted brussels sprouts or bok choy… or any other roasted veggie, since your oven is on already!  This is a fabulous and quick weekday meal that’s also fit for company.

If you’re looking for a way to add a heart-healthy protein to an easy weekday dinner, give this a try.  Want to know more about char vs salmon and nutrition of both fish – see Arctic Char Better Than Salmon.

And if you subscribe to the New York Times / NYT Cooking, here’s a link to the recipe: Roasted Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard.

The author, Alice Callahan, notes in the article that “…just 4 percent of men and 12 percent of women met fiber recommendations — at least 21 to 38 grams per day, depending on a person’s age and sex.”  So, many of us are likely fiber-deficient, which is a shame because it’s really not that hard to add fiber daily.

And more importantly: those who consume enough daily fiber are, “31 percent less likely to die of coronary heart disease.”  31 percent!  And that’s not even counting the other health benefits a fiber-rich diet provides, like lowering the risk of both colorectal cancer and diabetes.

So how difficult is it to eat enough dietary fiber?  It’s not that hard, actually.

My key strategy is to load up at breakfast and then add high fiber foods (that are ‘regular’ foods that I like!) during the day. That gets me pretty easily to 25-30 grams of fiber without resorting to any “weird” high-fiber foods (other than the chia seeds in my easy-to-make overnight oats, which I highly recommend as it’s simple, healthy & delicious). So getting enough fiber is something anyone can easily do, really. Here’s what I do:

Breakfast = 15.5 grams:

• 1/4 cup overnight oats PLUS 1 TB of Chia Seeds = 6.5 grams
• 1 TB of Metamucil = 9 grams

Lunch = 10-15 grams:

• Sandwich made on Dave’s Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds = 10 grams
• Bonus: 1/2 avocado on sandwich = 5 grams

Dinner:  ???  I think of fiber at dinner as a bonus.

Snack = 4 grams:

• 3 cups home-cooked popcorn: 4 grams

Looking for a wider assortment of “regular” foods, that might include, say, fruit?  (Sadly, I’m not a big fruit fan!) Well, one thing I loved about this particular NYT article is the list the author includes of “12 fiber-filled foods and the amounts of fiber they supply per serving.”  What’s great about this particular list is that they are REGULAR foods like raspberries and avocado, not a list that says “legumes.”

Oh, and about oatmeal and fiber: ANY oatmeal is good for fiber!  It’s a fallacy that it has to be “steel cut” oats; it does not! In fact, Steel-Cut oats and Rolled oats and even Instant Oats all deliver roughly 4-5 grams of fiber per serving.

Two important things to note when adding fiber to a daily diet: up your fiber intake slowly (not all at once!) and make sure to also increase the amount of water you drink daily.

Want more in-depth information about fiber and heart health? Here are a couple of resources with information about fiber and how it can help lower cholesterol and improve health:

My blog posts:

• Are You Eating Enough Fiber to Lower Cholesterol?
• How to Eat 25 grams of Dietary Fiber a Day

Excellent Medical-Based Resources:

• Harvard Health’s Fiber-full eating for better health and lower cholesterol
• Healthline’s Does Fiber Lower Cholesterol?
• And here’s a fabulous chart from the National Lipid Association, www.lipid.org:

source: lipid.org

But it’s low in taste—which can be both a plus and a minus. AND ALSO, for me, the biggest minus of all: How on earth do you cook it?  I have always found tofu intimidating. There’s that ‘press’ thing that you have to do. And I just find it confounding: do you bake it, grill it, sauté/stir-fry it?  About the only thing I knew I didn’t want to do heart-health-wise was to deep fry it (though air-frying is probably great but I’m not there yet.)

A few weekends ago, I read an inspiring article about Raghavan Iyer, a scientist and cookbook author battling colorectal cancer. Featured in the article, He Taught Americans to Cook Indian Food. Now He’s on His Final Chapter, was a recipe for Pan Fried Tofu With Red Curry Paste. With eggplant and curry—both favorite ingredients of mine—and directions that looked straightforward, I decided to make it.

Step one for me was to figure out how to best ‘press’ tofu (see Pressing Tofu Tips, below). The recipe explains how to press tofu, though what I did was slightly different (I cubed the tofu before pressing). Usually the first time I make a recipe I follow it exactly but not this time, as I didn’t have all the ingredients. So I used one small (regular/purple) eggplant, no bamboo shoots, and I left out the basil garnish. I also used light coconut milk to lower the saturated fat. When I make it again, I’ll cut back on the red curry paste (2 TB of jarred curry paste is pretty spicy) and substitute some green beans or broccoli for the potato. Recipe PDF on my Recipes page. If you like curry, give this recipe a try.

Since that went well, I decided to try another tofu recipe this past weekend. It was totally different: a sweet rather than spicy profile. Kay Chun’s Coconut-Caramel Braised Tofu was also easy to make, and it was a big hit with our friends Chris and Dave.  I made several changes from this recipe also, after reading the COMMENTS section (always read the comments section!).  Here are modifications I made:

• I roasted a package of Trader Joe’s ‘asparagus, mushroom, red onion’ stir fry to add more vegetables. Just slick with olive oil, add a bit of salt and pepper then roast at 425 for about 20 minutes, then set aside.
• For the string beans, I steamed them for 5 minutes first then set aside. So they were ‘par boiled’ before sautéing them in step 1.
• I doubled the coconut-caramel sauce. Use 1 can of coconut milk (thus eliminating the problem of not using full can!), 4 T of low-sodium soy sauce, 3 T of white miso, 2 T of turbinado sugar, and 2 T of lime juice (plus wedges for serving).
  

  Mine wasn’t anywhere near as pretty…but delish!

• Instead of leaving the tofu in the skillet, I removed it and then added it back in after sautéing the shallot/garlic/ ginger and then adding the sauce ingredients. Once the miso was dissolved, I added back in the lightly browned tofu and all the vegetables. Probably I should have reduced the sauce first but I didn’t, and it was fine!
• I put chopped peanuts and diced cilantro on the table to add a bit of fresh flavor and crunch along with the lime (again, from the comments!)
• The recipe doesn’t remind you to COOK THE RICE so you’ll want to do that first. I put brown jasmine rice in the rice cooker before I started cooking.
• My friend Chris brought a salad, which was a great accompaniment.
• You’ll want to cut everything up (mise en place) ahead of time.
• There is a good amount of saturated fat in this recipe, as written, because of the full-fat coconut milk. I’ll try it with low-fast coconut milk next time. But still, it’s better than eating red meat and the low-fat coconut milk should work fine.
• If you prefer a PDF, find this recipe on my Recipes page.

How to PRESS TOFU / TOFU TIPS
After a lot of looking around, I found this article to be the most helpful: How To Stir-Fry Tofu.  In it, Emma Christensen (who always has good ideas) says to “Cut the tofu into cubes (it presses more evenly that way) and press for at least 20 minutes…” which I found incredibly helpful. Also, you want to use extra-firm tofu when stir-frying as it has the least water to start. The entire article was informative and the pictures very helpful.

If you are not a subscriber to New York Times’ Cooking, PDFs of both recipes are on my RECIPES page.
Or: Red Curry.   Coconut-Caramel.

I hope you try one or both of these recipes. If you do, let me know how it works out.

First of all, it gets dark WAY too early.  Plus, at least here in the northeast, it’s cold outside baby (not even mentioning the torrential rain and snow plaguing many states).

Which means the exercise ‘goals’ (OK, they were more like exercise ‘good intentions’) that I ‘set’ (OK, flirted with) for the New Year have fallen by the wayside.

Not good. But it’s not too late.

In fact, it’s not even that difficult to get back on the exercise-for-better-heart-health bandwagon! Because the amount of exercise you need to boost heart health is not that, well, strenuous (sorry for bad pun). I mean, WALKING counts. WALKING. Truly.

That said, it can be hard to get in a daily 30-minute brisk walk when it gets dark at 4:30.

And that set me thinking about what I could do—that I don’t hate—if I can’t get outside for my daily brisk walk and/or I’m not playing tennis that day.

It turns out that my PT exercise plan (for my knee arthritis) is a solid start…and there are some recent articles about exercising for cardiovascular health that had additional ideas.

First: a quick heart-health goal summary. The AHA recommends “At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.”

That long sentence basically translates to: 30 minutes of walking at least 5 days/week. The AHA also suggests everyone, “Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week.”

But if it’s too dark & cold to walk and treadmill is just too boring, then what?

Well, here are a few ideas:

PT for my Arthritic Knee (and shoulders). I’m doing a 20 minute “PT for my Knee (and shoulders)” routine daily, then adding 5 minutes of yoga/stretching at the end. I do this first thing every morning (or it won’t happen) and if I aim for EVERY morning I’ll hit at least 3 mornings a week. It’s surprising how much better I feel overall when do this. (And yet, it still doesn’t happen every am… Cue 2023 therapist search.) Here’s my routine in not-exercise-professional language, FWIW:

• SHOULDERS:  First I center my spine on a 36″ foam roller. Then loosen shoulders by holding arms outstretched for 3 minutes. Then I use a green band to do 3 sets of 10 ‘Pull-Aparts’ — which I do while still balanced on the foam roller to get some core work in.
• LEGS: Sets of “Clamshells” with the green band around my knees. Then sets of “Bridges,” also with green band around knees. Then wearing 10 lb ankle weights (5 lb each ankle), small “Leg Raises with knees on the foam roller, followed by “Straight Leg Raises.”  OR Bridges using a Medicine Ball but I really dislike those, so I put up with the takes-forever leg raises.
• YOGA / STRETCHES: I decided to add a ‘sun salutation’ followed by runners stretches and ‘Spiderman’ stretches and a modified ‘child’s pose’ and ‘extended child’s pose’ (modified b/c my no-cartilage knees don’t bend that way anymore) for flexibility.

A routine from a Physical Therapist is one great way to start but if the above is too boring or you don’t have a PT you can consult, then here are some other ideas. I found these articles interesting:

From the NYT “Well” Section:

• You Can Do This 10-Minute Workout at Home With No Equipment… Build strength and mobility anywhere, anytime.
• How to Become a Morning Exercise Person… Yes, it can be done.
• Can You Get a Full-Body Workout in 20 Minutes?  Yes, but you have to pick the right routine.

From Other Reputable Sources:

• Johns Hopkins Medicine’s article, 3 Kinds of Exercise That Boost Heart Health.
• CNET’s article: These 5 Expert-Approved Workouts Will Make Your Heart Stronger…Make sure to include these workouts to keep your heart healthy.
• GoodRx Health’s article: 6 Exercises to Improve Heart Health.
• WebMD’s article: Exercise for a Healthy Heart

Of course, you should always discuss with your doctor before starting a new exercise plan. And as you progress, you may want to check your exercise progress using a target heart rate: the AHA’s Target Heart Rates Chart is a good resource.

Here’s to exercising for better heart health in 2023!

Both my Primary Care Doctor and I whipped out our phones and opened the ASCVD risk calculator app. I was relieved to find that although my 10-year risk of heart disease had increased versus last year, it still showed a low enough risk that statin medication was not required.

BUT THEN she told me about someone who eats well and exercises and also had a low 10-year risk of heart disease according to the calculator – and yet a CT scan (for an unrelated issue) showed a blockage. These 10-year heart disease risk calculators are useful but they are NOT perfect.  So she suggested a consult with my cardiologist and another Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scan.

If you’re not familiar with CAC scans, it’s a quick, easy, inexpensive X-ray test that illuminates your heart and measures the amount of plaque — which is what can block or restrict blood flow, which can cause stroke and heart attack. The CAC scan can help your doctor decide if your risk is truly low or if you might need a statin.

Luckily, my CAC test result was the optimal zero, same as 5 years ago. Then I went to see my cardiologist. While he agreed in principle that with a CAC score of zero I didn’t need a statin, he pulled up ANOTHER heart disease risk calculator that I’d never heard of: the MESA calculator.

MESA is a more refined measurement tool as it uses the same inputs as the ASCVD risk calculator, but then it adds in your CAC score. Happily, my MESA score aligned with the ASCVD score – so I can continue with eating healthily and exercising to control my cholesterol and heart disease risk.

The CAC test is becoming more prevalent but you might need to ask your doctor about it. Here’s some further info:

• If you MIGHT need a statin, consider a CAC scan
• Coronary Calcium Scan Illuminates Heart Disease Risk
• Newly Diagnosed with High Cholesterol?
• Mayo Clinic’s Heart Scan (Coronary Calcium Scan)
• AHA’s Coronary Calcium Test Could Help Clarify Heart Disease Risk – And Control Cholesterol

If your 10-year risk of heart disease is increasing or places you at ‘borderline’ for starting a statin like Lipitor, a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scan can really help clarify your risk level. While my insurance didn’t cover it, it was around $100 and that is a small price to pay for the peace of mind of knowing that my lo-co diet and exercise plan is the right track for right now.

Aptly named, Best Gazpacho, Julia Moskin explains that this recipe delivers the smooth style of gazpacho served in Seville, Spain. And as an avowed gazpacho-hater, I’m shocked to tell you that it is indeed both smooth and delicious. And easy to make.

All you need is a very strong blender, ‘2 pounds of ripe red tomatoes’ (this is about 6 ‘baseball-sized’ tomatoes, according to the kitchn website) one large cucumber, a pepper, and some sherry vinegar.  The rest you probably have on hand. Get the full recipe here: Best Gazpacho. For a PDF version, click: Best Gazpacho PDF.

A few tips based on my experience making this yesterday:

• If you can’t find a ‘cubanelle’ / frying pepper, try an Anaheim pepper (both are mild, skinny green peppers)
• If you can’t find EITHER a cubanelle pepper or an Anaheim pepper (as happened to me), you can use a yellow or red bell pepper — though you’ll be missing a little heat.  I used about 1/2 of a yellow bell pepper and added a dash of ‘medium’ chili pepper to add a tiny bit of spice.
• If you do not care for raw garlic taste in your mouth, consider leaving it out. Some of the comments suggested that and I should have; it does impart a bit of raw garlic aftertaste…
• Sherry vinegar is a key ingredient in David Tanis’ fabulous Mustard Vinaigrette… if you aren’t familiar with sherry vinegar, it’s available at most grocery stores and is worth buying for this gazpacho AND that mustard vinaigrette!
• It does take a while (and splashes) to strain it, but it is worth doing.  My favorite is the Columela 30-year sherry vinegar which I have purchased at Stop & Shop for about $10 (Amazon link below for $20 – not sure why it’s so expensive on Amazon right now but you can see the picture… am sure other sherry vinegars also great – just make sure it’s vinegar and NOT a vinegar glaze!)
• As for timing: Ms. Moskin’s recipe calls for refrigerating it for 6 hours before serving, so something to keep in mind.  That said, some commenters indicate that’s not necessary.

So if you’re looking for something to do with a whack of tomatoes, you might want to give this recipe a try. It’s heart-healthy, easy-to-make, looks better than my lame “today’s-lunch” photo above, and tastes delicious.