{"id":8569,"date":"2018-02-06T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-06T14:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=8569"},"modified":"2018-02-06T08:28:09","modified_gmt":"2018-02-06T16:28:09","slug":"be-mine-heart-healthy-brunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/be-mine-heart-healthy-brunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Give the Gift of Heart Health this Valentine’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

February is American Heart Month<\/strong> and the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day is the gift of heart health. Sure, retailers have been showering us with red hearts and romantic notions, but besides a luscious box of chocolates and bouquet of red roses, consider a gift straight from the heart, by treating those you care about most to a brunch filled with deliciously healthy, incredible egg dishes to help boost heart health and raise awareness for American Heart Month.<\/p>\n

\"Salmon<\/a>Poached Eggs with Smoked Salmon<\/p>\n

With campaigns like\u00a0Go Red for Women and National Wear Red Day,\u00a0the American Heart Association hopes to increase awareness and educate women on the reality of heart disease as well as encourage them to put their health first. Why is the American Heart Association focusing on women when according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States? Because heart disease is still largely thought to be a man’s problem, yet, it is the\u00a0No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year, more than all forms of cancer put together.<\/p>\n

The American Heart Association offers 7 simple steps for prevention\u00a0<\/a>include practicing healthy lifestyle habits such as eating right and exercising daily. These lifestyle changes, along with not smoking, and knowing your numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure) can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n

\"Kale<\/a><\/p>\n

Kale and Poached Eggs with Hoppin’ John Salsa<\/p>\n

When I was approached by Eggland’s Best<\/a> to organize an EB Brunch for National Heart Health Month, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. While working toward my certification in Family and Consumer Sciences (aka Home Economics), I learned in my nutrition classes that eggs are the most complete natural food and are not the dietary demons they were cracked up to be \u00a0– eggs contain 6 grams of protein, healthful unsaturated fats, and are a good source of choline and lutein.<\/p>\n

Eggs can be incorporated into a heart-healthy diet, and are one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. Eggland\u2019s Best<\/strong> eggs contain more than 2X the heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids than ordinary eggs, 2X more Vitamin D and 10X more Vitamin E, a vitamin associated with reducing the risk of heart disease. I seriously LOVE eggs and find that a hard boiled egg for breakfast sticks with me longer than oatmeal or my homemade granola. On the weekends, Don and I enjoy a more leisurely breakfast\/brunch and I jazz up poached eggs with other deliciously healthy ingredients like crispy kale and smoked salmon (click on the photo to go to the recipe<\/em>).<\/p>\n

I’m fortunate to have a lot of foodie friends who also care about heart health and brought one of their favorite eggy brunch dishes to my virtual “Be Mine” Brunch for you to enjoy \ud83d\ude42 If you’d like the recipe, just click on the recipe title. And don’t forget to Pin It to your Pinterest boards to save it!<\/p>\n

Smoky Tomato Bacon Chipotle Deviled Eggs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0These eggs have it going on.\u00a0 And by \u201cit\u201d I mean they\u2019re creamy, rich, packed with flavor and they\u2019re oh-so-fun!<\/div>\n
\u00a0~ Cooking on the Weekends ~<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Smoky-Tomato-Bacon-Chipotle-Deviled-Eggs\"<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Leftover Spaghetti Pasta Frittata\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
An age old Italian recipe, this dish makes a delicious dinner or brunch is a great way to use up leftover pasta!<\/div>\n
\u00a0~ A Communal Table ~<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"Leftover<\/div>\n

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast<\/a><\/p>\n

This scrumptious blueberry stuffed french toast is a proven crowd pleaser! ~ Creative Culinary ~<\/p>\n

\"Blueberry<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Black Pepper Cornmeal Tart with Heirloom Tomato Salad<\/a><\/div>\n

Just look at those gorgeous tomatoes! A tart after your heart – rich in antioxidants and packed with flavor! ~ Louise Mellor ~<\/p>\n

\"black<\/p>\n

Hash Brown Omelet Skillets<\/a><\/div>\n

Weekends were made to linger over homey individual servings of baked crispy hash browns, topped with your favorite omelet ingredients and eggs. ~ Never Enough Thyme ~<\/p>\n

\"Hash
\nZucchini, Onion, and Goat Cheese Feta Frittata<\/a><\/p>\n

Garden fresh zucchini and spring onions, chopped and saut\u00e9ed, then layered over three fresh eggs. Finished with sprinkle of goat cheese feta.\u00a0~ <\/strong>Rustic Garden Bistro ~<\/p>\n

\"Zucchini-and-Green-Onion-Fritatta-Breakfast\"<\/p>\n

Tuscan Baked Eggs with Lentils<\/a><\/p>\n

Gently baked eggs on a bed of lentils in spicy Arrabbiata sauce works for brunch or a quick weeknight supper. ~ Shockingly Delicious ~<\/p>\n

\"Tuscan<\/p>\n

Ganja-Style Chicken and Eggs<\/a><\/p>\n

Inspired by the cuisine of\u00a0Azerbaijan, this hearty dish combines chicken with eggs in a fragrant turmeric sauce.\u00a0~ She Paused 4 Thought ~<\/p>\n

\"Ganja-style<\/p>\n

Hungry for more info?\u00a0Harvard Medical School<\/a> separated Fact from Myth regarding egg nutrition and heart disease in their publication<\/a>.
\n\"Eggland<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: Eggland’s Best compensated me for this post with a gift card and box of goodies. As always, my opinions are my own.<\/em><\/p>\n