Entertain the heart smart way

Festive dinners don't need to be bad for your heart. Dieticians Julie Christie and Dianne Ivison show you what to serve.

• 1 Packet frozen mixed berries
• 1.5 Liter soda water
• 1.5 Liter Sprite Zero
• 1 Liter Woolies concentrated berry juice
• Ice blocks
• Lemon slices and fresh mint for garnish

1. Mix all liquids together in a punch bowl.
2. Add frozen berries and ice blocks.
3. Add lemon slices and fresh mint for effect.

Roasted butternut and avocado salad (serves 6)

• 1 Packet of frilly lettuce
• 2 Chopped tomatoes
• ¼ Cucumber
• ½ Avocado pear
• ½ Packet mange tout
• 1 small butternut
• Pecan nuts to garnish

1. Arrange salad vegetables in salad bowl.
2. Wipe the skin of the butternut with olive oil and roast in the oven at 180°C on the rack until soft inside (approximately 45min).
3. Dice the roasted butternut, leaving the skin on, and arrange on top of the salad ingredients.
4. Dice the avocado pear and arrange with the roasted butternut.
5. Garnish with pecan nuts.
6. Serve with balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice as a dressing, if needed.

Stuffed chicken fillet parcels (serves 4)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• ¼ cup mild pepperdews, roughly chopped
• tub Ricotta cheese, crumbled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped parsley for garnish

1. Flatten each chicken breast with meat tenderizing mallet until approximately 5mm thick.
2. Make a mixture of the chopped spinach, chopped pepperdews, crumbled ricotta cheese, 1 Tbsp of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place the stuffing mixture on one half of the flattened chicken breast and fold the other half of the chicken breast over.
4. Secure with toothpicks.
5. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side (or until golden brown) in a covered pan that has been lightly coated with a non-fat cooking spray.
6. Remove toothpicks and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Creamy Berry Surprise (serves 6-8)

• Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
• 30ml strawberry or blackcurrant jam
• 350g mixed fruit and berries (strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, red currents, black and green grapes which have been halved and seeded, and orange segments)
• 250ml buttermilk or low fat evaporated milk
• 175ml Bulgarian yoghurt
• 10ml honey

1. Grate the rind of the orange being careful not to include any white pith as this makes the rind taste bitter.
2. Bring the orange juice and jam to the boil in a small to medium sized pot and boil rapidly until thickened.
3. Add the fruit and remove from the heat.
4. Select a few of the best fruits for garnish and pour the rest into attractive serving dishes (wine glasses work well). Chill.
5. Combine buttermilk, yoghurt and orange rind. Add honey to taste.
Just before serving, add a Tbsp of creamy topping to each fruit bowl, top with reserved fruit garnish and drizzle extra honey on top.

- (Julie Christie and Dianne Ivison, Dieticians, The Lean Aubergine Newsletter, December 2004)