Red foods for heart health

3 antioxidant-rich and delectable recipes

Red is a color commonly associated with passion and love, but red foods may have a direct effect on our heart health. The same pigments that give red foods their color, called anthocyanins, are also responsible for a host of health benefits, including reduction of inflammation in the body, and have been shown to help with heart health, playing a role in better cholesterol and triglyceride profiles.

Tuna-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers with Romesco-Style Sauce

When paired with a salad, this dish easily serves two as a main meal, but it will stretch to a few more as part of a tapas-style meal.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 6 ounces can tuna rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 11-12 piquillo or sweet red peppers (drained contents of 9 1/2 oz jar)
• 2 tablespoons whole hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
• 1 garlic clove peeled
• ½ teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoon honey divided

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In small bowl, with fork, mix together tuna, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Remove whole peppers from jar and set aside 6 to be stuffed. In bowl of food processor, place remaining peppers with hazelnuts, olive oil, paprika, garlic, sherry vinegar, and 1 tsp honey, and pulse to blend into a sauce. The texture will not be completely smooth.
4. Add about 2 Tbsp of sauce to tuna mixture and stir through. Spoon remaining sauce into small baking dish to make a base for stuffed peppers.
5. Stuff tuna mixture into 6 piquillo peppers and place them on top of the sauce in baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 1 tsp honey and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Enjoy!