3 Heart-Healthy Recipes for Cholesterol Month

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September is National Cholesterol Education Month, and high cholesterol can mean increased risk for heart disease. Those that are at risk for either or both, can lower their risk by making simple changes in their lifestyle.

One of those changes is to incorporate corn oil into your meals. Research shows that plant sterols, like the ones in corn oil, can significantly reduce the body’s cholesterol absorption. It’s also recommended that those at risk select choices that are low in sodium.

I was sent a few heart healthy recipes from Mazola, developed by Rebecca Scritchfield, RD, and made them in my home, and though I’d share them with you. I changed them up a little bit to suit the tastes of my family — so if you want the originals make sure you click through the links at the end of the recipes.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries with Creamy Yogurt Dip

Creamy Yogurt Dip
3/4 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt
1/4 cup English cucumber, peeled and chopped finely
1/8 tsp dried dillweed
2 tsps. Garlic Rice Vinegar

Combine all dip ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
2 medium zucchini squash
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top of foil.

Slice the ends off the zucchini and peel. Cut each zucchini into “fries” that are approximately 1/2 inch in diameter and about 2 to 3 inches in length. Layer between paper towels; blot and set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a pie plate.

Pour oil into a small shallow dish.

Brush batches of zucchini (about 5 at a time) with oil until lightly coated. Transfer the zucchini to the pie plate and using your hands, press into the seasoned breadcrumb mixture. Gently toss between your hands to allow extra breadcrumbs to fall away.

Place breaded zucchini on the wire rack. Repeat until all the zucchini is coated.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, with Creamy Yogurt Dip.

You can find the original recipe here.

I also made these Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes – the recipe on their site is a ‘Zesty’ recipe! My family is not much into ‘zesty’ so I left out A LOT of the ingredients and added more of some of the others to fill out the crock. None the less it was pretty tasty and we enjoyed it.

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

3 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil
2 chopped carrots
12 oz bag of frozen corn
2 cans (15 ounces each) no salt added tomato sauce
1 can no added salt tomato paste
1 tablespoon Garlic Rice Vinegar
1 pound 98% lean ground turkey breast
1 can (16 oz) of beans in tomato ketchup (drained slightly)
12 whole wheat hamburger buns

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, Add carrots and corn. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Stir together tomato sauce, tomato paste and vinegar in a large bowl.

Add ground turkey to slow cooker, breaking up into smaller pieces. Add vegetables, tomato mixture and beans. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. To serve, scoop a 1/2 cup portion on to a sliced bun.

If you’d rather make the Zesty version of the recipe you can find that here.

For more low cholesterol recipes consult Mazola’s website.

Mazola provided corn oil to make these recipes at no cost to me.

published by: Tammy Litke