By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer

Usually, when one thinks of Valentine’s Day, thoughts of chocolate and champagne and roses – great indulgences, come to mind. But think of the other symbol, the heart, which is used as its grand symbol. Of course, the thought of a human heart compared to a valentine heart is somewhat of a stretch, it is still the organ which relates to this holiday. With so many on medical diets or special diets at this time of year, the following are a sampling of some heart-healthy indulgences (substitute fat free, salt free and/or use egg substitutes to your particular taste/need):

Green Smoothie
1 banana
1 apple, cored
1/2 C. strawberries
Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
1/2 C. blackberries or blueberries
2 C. fresh raw baby spinach
1/2 C. parsley
1 T. fresh mint
1 C. cold water or ice
Place all ingredients in a blender or juicer and puree.

Sweet Salsa & Chips
8 whole-wheat tortillas, cut in 10 wedges
1 T. sugar
1/2 T. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lay tortilla pieces on two baking sheets.(Don’t overlap) Spray the tortilla pieces with cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the tortilla pieces. Bake until the pieces are crisp, 10-12 minutes, and place on a cooling rack to cool.
3 C. diced fresh fruit, such as apples, oranges, kiwi, strawberries, grapes
2 T. sugar-free jam, any flavor
1 T. honey or agave nectar
3 T. orange juice
Mix fruit together in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together jam, honey and orange juice. Pour over the diced fruit. Mix gently. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, then serve with chips.

Grilled Lemon-Sage Chicken
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1/4 C. fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Put the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly flatten the chicken to a thickness of 1/8 inch with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Add to the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Discard the marinade. On medium high heat, grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center.

Spice Up Your Life Pork Chops
Vegetable oil spray
1 egg white
2 T. milk
1/3 C. cornflake crumbs
2 T. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pound boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a shallow baking pan with vegetable spray. In a small, shallow bowl, stir together the egg white and milk. In a shallow dish, combine the crumbs, cornmeal, marjoram, pepper, mustard, ginger, and cayenne. Dip chops in the milk mixture, letting excess liquid drip off, then coat both sides of the pork chops with the crumb mixture. Place in the prepared pan in a single layer. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Turn the chops. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the chops are tender.

Beef and Pasta Ratatouille
Vegetable oil spray
1-1/2 lb. beef round roast, trimmed
2 C. eggplant, chopped in 2 inch pieces
3 C. zucchini, sliced
2 C. tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 C. tomato puree
1 large onion, chopped
1 C. celery, rough chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. cooked pasta, drained
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a Dutch oven to lightly coat. Sprinkle the meat with the salt and pepper. Put it in the Dutch oven and brown on all sides till evenly browned. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the pasta. Bake, covered, for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until tender.
Remove roast from the sauce and thinly slice. Remove bay leaf. Spoon the pasta onto plates, arrange meat on top of pasta and top with sauce.

Spinach Artichoke Gratin
Vegetable oil spray
2 C. cottage cheese
2 large eggs
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 lb. chopped spinach, cooked and drained
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
In a food processor or blender, combine cottage cheese, eggs, 3 T.s Parmesan, lemon juice, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. Squeeze the moisture from the spinach, then place in a large bowl. Stir in the cottage cheese mixture and green onions. Spread half the mixture in the baking dish. Place artichokes in a single layer on the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 2 T.s Parmesan. Cover with the remaining spinach mixture, cover and bake for 25 minutes.

Chocolate Souffle
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
6 T. hot water
1 T. butter
1 T. canola oil
3 T. flour
1 T. ground hazelnuts or almonds
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 T. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 T. honey
3/4 C. milk
4 egg whites
3 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. confectioners’ sugar
1 C. strawberries or raspberries
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat six 1-C. individual souffle dishes/ramekins or a 6 C. souffle dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, blend the cocoa and hot water until smooth.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, then stir in canola oil to combine. Add flour, ground nuts and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, constantly whisking. Stir in the brown sugar, honey and salt. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir into cocoa mixture. Let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar, 1 T. at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the cocoa mixture, then fold the remaining egg whites, only until no white streaks remain.

Gently scoop into the prepared dishes (or dish). Bake until the souffle rises above the rim and is set in the center, 15 to 20 minutes for individual souffles or 40 to 45 minutes for the large souffle. Cool the souffles on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with berries. Serve immediately

Heart Healthy Waffles
1-1/2 C. flour (wheat or white)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. melted butter or canola oil
Combine flour, baking powder salt and sugar and set aside. In a bowl beat together the egg, milk vanilla and butter. Combine egg mixture with dry ingredients.
Cook according to your waffle iron directions. Serve with syrup of your choice.