Heart Friendly Recipe: Baked Rice & Zucchini

What are Heart Friendly Recipes?

Can the contents of your kitchen really make for a healthier heart? Research shows that this is the case and that what you eat and drink can prevent a vast majority of heart disease.

Arthur Agatston, MD, a renowned cardiologist and founder of the South Beach Diet says that "What's good for your heart is good for your brain and good for you in general."

When converting your kitchen into a heart healthy haven. There are 3 things to remember: Try new recipes, cut out the processed foods and don't stick to the same foods. The secret is to vary the fish, fruit, wholegrains, vegetables and other wholefoods in your kitchen.

The following recipe is the first step towards a healthy heart, taken from the heart foundation.

Baked Rice & Zucchini Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500g green zucchini, scrubbed but not peeled, thinly sliced
• 500g yellow zucchini, scrubbed but not peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
• Cracked black pepper, to season
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 90g reduced fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
2. Cook the rice in unsalted boiling water until al dente, about 35 minutes. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
3. Combine the oil and onions in a large non-stick frying pan and cook over moderate heat until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir for a further 1 minute.
4. Add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, until crisp and tender, then stir in the oregano and season with black pepper. Add zucchini mixture to the rice, together with the cherry tomatoes and ricotta and mix well. Check seasoning.
5. Spread evenly in an ovenproof dish sprayed with olive or canola oil cooking spray, then scatter with parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove foil and cook for a further 10 minutes or until top is golden and filling is bubbling.
7. Serve and enjoy!