Happy & Healthy Valentines Day!

It’s Valentine’s Day, a day for love, chocolates, diamonds, fancy, romantic meals, Hallmark cards and flowers. But Valentine’s Day is also a day to think about your heart health, because after all you want to have a healthy heart for a long life to enjoy with your loved one(s).

To help keep your heart healthy you need to eat the right foods, exercise, get your rest and reduce your stress. With our busy lifestyles many times it can become difficult to do all of the right things. But every little bit helps, even small changes can become significant changes in your health.

Eating healthy, organic food may be your first step in getting there. You don’t have to jump all in, just start with something small and each week add in new healthy habits. You can start by eating more lean, healthy protein such a s salmon. This beautiful and color appropriate for this holiday fish is high in Omega-3 (the good stuff for your heart and brain) that may be prepared in numerous ways. It is quick and easy, under 10 minutes and also tastes delicious. The omega-3 fat is also associated with decreased risk for several types of cancer. These cancer types include colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. It also aids in good eye health and joint protection. So give it a try and start making your heart happier.

Since today is Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun to prepare the fish shaped as a heart. I did this by using a cookie cutter. Very simple, yet pretty. When you cut your salmon, try to cut with the cutter around the same thickness so it cooks evenly. Serve this with a side of salad and a nice dry, white wine, and as always, Enjoy!

Salmon with a Cranberry & Citrus Sauce

Ingredients: Serves 2

1 tablespoon butter

2 (4-6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, preferably Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 green onion, sliced diagonally, divided

1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

thinly removed rind of 1 small orange plus the juice from that orange. Add additional juice to equal 1/8 cup if needed

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

Preparation

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, and sauté 4 minutes on one side and 3 1/2 minutes on other side. Transfer salmon to a plate, cover, and keep warm.

Turn heat to medium/high, and add wine to skillet. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the remaining ingredients (Using only half of the green onion. The rest is for garnish) and carefully mix to incorporate . Cook about 8 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half and slightly thickened. Serve over salmon. Serve the salmon with a side of salad. Garnish with the remaining green onion.