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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

What (not) to eat: High Cholesterol Foods

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Cholesterol, the dreaded word for dieters and those with heart conditions. We’re often told to stay away from foods high in cholesterol in order to lose weight and keep our bodies healthy. Well, saying all cholesterol is bad would be wrong. LDL or low density lipoprotein is the ‘bad’ cholesterol which you should be avoiding while HDL or high density lipoprotein is believed to remove plaque in your arteries. So in short, aim for more HDL and keep LDL away from your diet.

Eggs vs Oatmeal

In deciding which breakfast food to wake up to, choose oatmeal over an omelette. Eggs can contain up to 200mg of cholesterol. This is bad considering the recommended daily dose of cholesterol should be 300mg/day. Oatmeal, on the other hand, is high in soluble fiber which lowers your LDL numbers by reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed in your bloodstream.

Steak vs Fish

Eating just one 4-ounce portion of steak can take up to 22% of your daily cholesterol intake. Not to mention the large amounts of saturated fat in each bite. Instead of chowing down on some meat, choose a nice serving of fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids which are heart-healthy and can reduce your blood pressure and the risk of blood clots.

Walnuts vs Chips

When it comes to snacks, a handful of fries or chips doesn’t seem like a big deal. In truth, the amount of trans fat in certain snacks can turn them into high-cholesterol foods. Instead, grab a bad of walnuts or almonds. Walnuts have polyunsaturated fatty acids which are great in keeping blood vessels healthy. Just stay away from nuts coated with sugar or those that are salted.

Indulging in meat, eggs and chips may be alright once in a while but make it a point to balance out your diet with some heart-friendly dishes as well.

 

Pear Crumble

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Easy comforting pear crumble may be served as is or with ice cream. It is a wonderful dessert or snack that you can have during warm days. Use this recipe for other fruits like apricots or apples if desired.

 

Makes 1 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup whole-wheat or all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 tablespoons canola oil

3 1/2 pounds ripe but firm pears, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup raisins

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced crystallized ginger
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13 –inch baking dish with butter.

Next, prepare the toppings by combining the oatmeal, walnuts, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle it with oil and stir until it is moist. Set aside.
After, prepare the filling by placing the pears, maple syrup, raisins, flour, lemon juice and ginger in a large bowl. Mix well. Transfer the filling mixture to the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the oatmeal and walnut topping on top of it.

Bake the crumble for 40-50 minutes or until the pears are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: Nick J Webb

Oatmeal, Banana and Dried Fruit Cookie

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Oatmeal cookies are always pleasant treats. Chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruits are the most common ingredients added to it. I personally like my cookies soft and chewy. My taste buds tend to drift away when they are hard no matter how delicious they are. Here is a fruity oatmeal cookie recipe that I hope you enjoy. Feel free to add some nuts if desired.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup wholemeal plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup mixed dried fruit

1/2 cup, firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup skimmed milk

1 egg, lightly whisked

1 ripe banana, well mashed

 

Preheat the oven at 200C and line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into a large mixing bowl. Add the oats, dried fruit and sugar. Mix well.

Gradually add the oil, skimmed milk and egg into the bowl while whisking the mixture with a fork. Add the mashed bananas and mix until the ingredients are well combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or until the cookie dough is not runny.

Spoon some dough and form small balls. Place them on the baking tray, making sure that they are 3cm apart. Lightly flatten the dough balls to form small discs.

Bake the cookie dough in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and cooked. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container or jar if desired.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  Gudlyf

Oatmeal Crusted Herrings

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This dish works best with Herrings that haven’t been smoked or flavoured, as this may contrast the tastes that you get from the dish.

Herring Fish

As well as this, it’ll also be worthwhile having a mixture of sides – I’ve found that a range of seasonal vegetables- such as these spicy ones- always works well with a range of Seafood dishes.

To Serve 4
4 Herrings weighing around 225g, gutted and filleted, heads removed
1tbsp Olive Oil
4tbsp Pinhead Oatmeal
1tsp Dill Seed
Rind and Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt
Pepper
½ Cucumber
1 Little Gem Lettuce
50g Butter
2tbsp Fresh Dill leaves, finely chopped

1. Rinse the Herrings off, and pat them dry on a piece of Absorbent Kitchen Paper, then smear the fleshy side of each Fish Fillet with a little bit of Olive Oil. Place on a Grill tray lined with Foil, fleshy side up.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the Oatmeal, Dill Seed, Lemon Rind, Salt, Pepper, and mix well. Sprinkle the mixture over the Herring Fillets, and pat down lightly to give a good coating.
3. Peel the Cucumber, halve it lengthways, then peel out the soft juicy centre using a teaspoon. Cut into slices about half an inch thick, and cut the Little Gem Lettuce into similar sized pieces.
4. Grill the Herrings for about five minutes, until the topping is browned off.
5. Whilst the Herrings are cooking, melt the Butter in a pan along with the Lemon Juice. To the pan, add the Cucumber and Lettuce to the pan, and stir until the Leaves begin to wilt, then add the chopped Dill Leaves then season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
6. Serve fresh from the heat, on a warmed plate.

Photo Courtesy of: La.Catholique