The month of February is a great opportunity to think about the heart and how we treat it.\u00a0 Obviously heart health is about more than food, but diet definitely plays a part.\u00a0\u00a0 We can help our hearts by cutting back on salt and losing the bad fats particularly the man made chemical versions.\u00a0 It can be a bit of a minefield, but rather than stopping certain things it might be easier to approach it from an adoptive path.\u00a0 How about becoming a little more Mediterranean in your outlook?\u00a0 Countless studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet reduces risk of heart disease.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Personally I think the nice weather could have something to do with their overall health as well, but the diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and avocado.\u00a0 In essence it is a diet very much based on real food; fresh fish, fresh and cured real meat, vegetables, fruits and grains using fresh herbs to add flavour.<\/p>\n Pesto is a basil based Mediterranean concoction that we mainly associate as a partner for pasta, but this bright green sauce is fantastic with so many other things and heart healthy.\u00a0 You can buy green or red pesto but it is easy to make and you won\u2019t have to worry about it having too much salt.\u00a0 Pesto is based on five main ingredients; fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts and garlic.\u00a0 A classic pesto can be whizzed up really quickly in a food processor by using 3 generous handfuls of basil leaves, a handful of pine nuts, a handful of grated good quality parmesan, 5 to 6 tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of garlic, a pinch of Maldon salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Process the lot to a smooth sauce.\u00a0 You can always play with the basic recipe by using walnuts instead of pine nuts and while basil is traditionally the herb of choice, rocket, parsley or baby spinach make interesting alternatives.\u00a0 You can also add a little red chilli or even an anchovy for an extra taste kick if you are feeling brave.<\/p>\n Pesto is not just for pasta.\u00a0 If you are making a risotto, stir through a few teaspoons of pesto and it really lifts the taste.\u00a0 Pesto works well on chicken, chops or steak.\u00a0 It makes a really nice, fresh alternative to calorie laden creamy sauces. From what I can gather chicken breasts seem to be the dieters\u2019 choice, particularly at this time of year.\u00a0 I often hear women in the shop asking about interesting things to do with chicken breasts.\u00a0 Pesto will certainly cheer it up.\u00a0 Slice the breast lengthways, without cutting all the way through.\u00a0 Fill the pocket with 1 tablespoon of pesto.\u00a0 Add a little spinach and secure with a skewer.\u00a0 Bake or grill until the chicken is cooked.\u00a0 It works equally well on fish.\u00a0 I often put some white fish on baking paper spread each fillet with a little freshly made pesto, then fold over the paper to make a parcel and bake for about 10 minutes at 180 – 200\u00b0C\/Gas 6 or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork.\u00a0\u00a0 A friend even uses pesto on sandwiches in place of butter and if you have left over potatoes, then this adds something special to potato salad.\u00a0 Just mix the pesto with some sour cream or mayonnaise, add some chopped spring onions, snipped chives and combine it all with the cold potatoes and serve.\u00a0 For a super snack thinly slice a French stick then spread each piece with pesto and top with some grated parmesan or mozzarella.\u00a0 Bake at 180\u00b0C\/Gas 4 for about 15 minutes.\u00a0 You can mix it through eggs before you scramble them or add it to white wine vinegar and a little more olive oil in a jar, shake and you have a great Italian style dressing for anything.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure there are a number of other ways it can be used also and the only limit is the imagination.<\/p>\n There are many other things we can do for our hearts when it comes to eating well but the best thing is to eat as much fresh, real food as possible.\u00a0\u00a0 You won\u2019t go far wrong by eating local food grown and reared in Co. Tipperary.\u00a0 For more information and recipes on fresh food check out my website, Jameswhelanbutchers.com <\/a>and the tipperaryfoodproducers.com<\/a> site as well.<\/p>\n We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of \u00a0James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin.\u00a0Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Having a mildly rebellious spirit the idea of Valentines Day leaves me a little cold.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like being told that on any given day I should be particularly loving or affectionate.\u00a0 It always seems staged, lacking in spontaneity, and the mere fact that I am expected to do something makes me not want […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[218,48,219,72,47,217],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"pesto\"](\"https:\/\/www.jameswhelanbutchers.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/pesto.jpg\" "\\"pesto\\"")
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