One from the Heart

Putting delicious, nutritious meals on the table for the people we love is truly cooking from the heart. Who better to call on for healthy recipes than people with so much heart that it is even reflected in their names? On the following pages, you'll find a Heart-to-Hart smorgasbord of favorite recipes from readers.

These tasty dishes are filled with flavor, along with the nutritious goodness that comes from fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and lean meats. We've cut back a bit on ingredients such as sugar, salt, cream and butter, so the recipes are a little lighter in fat, cholesterol, calories and sodium. And, of course, all of them are seasoned with love. Whether you are cooking for someone who has serious health issues such as heart disease or diabetes, or if you are just looking to lighten up meals for your family a bit, you're sure to enjoy these mouthwatering dishes that come straight from the heart!

Kathy Hartley

Sharing meals with the people she loves is one of the things Kathy Hartley enjoys most in life. "It' s the connection between people and the unifying sense of sharing food and good times with family and friends that is so important," she says from her home in Troy, New York.

"I believe that family and friends are the most precious gifts you can have. Stay in touch with all those people that make up your life because life is too short to let them go. I think that's what I like about having people over for meals."

Kathy eats at home more often these days after taking early retirement from General Electric where she worked for 25 years as a technical representative. During that time, she traveled all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

"I wouldn't have traded that experience for anything," she says. "I think all of the traveling contributed to my interest in different foods, especially outside the U.S. I always wanted to eat the regional food in whatever country I was visiting. I've had grouper cheeks and fish lip soup in Hong Kong, street food in Bangkok, Korean barbeque, duck in France, sausage in Germany... I could go on and on."

Nowadays, Kathy is watching her diet a bit more. "As you get older, you have to be careful about cholesterol. I'm just trying to eat smarter and get away from the fattier foods. I don't need to worry about a low-salt diet, but I do tend to watch the fat content. So that's generally where I'm going with the recipes I'm making these days."

Kathy has a healthy outlook on life, as well. "You have to keep your head up and have a positive attitude and never, ever crawl into a shell," she advises.

Stories:
Kathy Hartley | John Hearty | Patsy Hartung | Stacey Whiseheart

Recipes:
Spinach Dip | Spicy Rice with Almonds | Grilled Swordfish Steaks | Three Citrus Grilled Chicken | Strawberry Spinach Salad | Chocolate Delight | Panko-Breaded Tilapia | Heart Healthy Pancakes