Heart Shaped & Heart Healthy

Heart Salad

Don’t just think desserts when thinking of Valentines Day treats. Also consider what is healthy for the actual heart. Consider more salads with lots of vegetables that contain plenty of nutrition, fiber and antioxidants. Amp up those salads to the special day by adding a splash of valentine heart representation too. An unlikely suspect that makes a heart healthy presentation, both in the bowl and in the body, is roasted red beets. If you’ve never worked with red beets before, just beware that the red color gets everywhere.

Shown here are roasted red beets, cucumbers, red pears and cheddar cheese. Slice them all before cutting out the heart shapes. Cut with more than one size if multiple size cutters are available. Lay all the various hearts on top of mixed greens. Then sprinkle this heart salad with a light, and slightly sweet if desired, dressing – but just prior to serving.

There are plenty of red fruits and vegetables to work with besides the ones we chose – think about red pepper, red potato, rhubarb, red onion, radishes, strawberries, papaya and watermelon to name a few. But, as shown, the heart shape is what is important as we used both white and orange foods in the mix.

The problem with using cut out shapes is all of the scraps. With cookies, the scraps can be re-rolled to make the next set of cookies. With vegetables and such, the scraps are just scraps. Not a problem! Make this heart salad the day before Valentines Day and then cover it tightly and stick it in the fridge (when ready to serve the next day is when to pour the dressing on top). Then, make yourself a chop salad to enjoy for lunch – not as pretty, but just as tasty.