September is National Cholesterol Awareness month, and as caretaker of my mom, high cholesterol is something we struggle with every single day. My mom is now 83 years old, but she still loves to eat the way she did when she was much younger, much more active, and less sick. As her caretaker, it can be hard to ensure that she's still eating foods than she can enjoy, while making sure that she's keeping her cholesterol levels down. A clinical study showed Mazola® Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.
One thing she hasn't had to give up, though, is her favorite corn oil. This is the corn oil that I grew up seeing in our kitchen. It's the corn oil that helped her make all of her amazing dishes throughout the years, and now Mazola Corn Oil also helps her keep her cholesterol levels down. Mazola Corn Oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy* choice for your family. *See http://cbi.as/a3bgw for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health.
Today, I'm sharing one of the dishes that she enjoys the most, Butter Garlic Salmon with a side of buttery mashed potatoes, with three tweaks that make it lighter and better-for-her. I will skip using all butter in the recipe and instead use Mazola Corn Oil. I will replace the mashed potatoes with veggies and will also replace salt with garlic, pepper and parsley.
It's hard to imagine a grownup of my mom's age not enjoying veggies, but it's actually true. My mom spent her life eating meat and potatoes but very rarely included vegetables or salads in her meals. So now that she is older, getting her to enjoy them has been like teaching a kid to eat veggies. But in this recipe, the veggies are as much a star as the salmon, and I find that she eats her entire portion with very little complaint.
Salmon & Veggie Foil Packs
(serves 2)
2 salmon filets (6-8 ounces)
1 yellow squash sliced
1 zucchini sliced
1 bunch asparagus chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tbsp Mazola Corn Oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Season (with pepper) both sides of the salmon and place it in the middle of a square of aluminum foil.
2. Add squash, zucchini slices, asparagus and chopped parsley around the salmon, keeping things in the center of the foil.
3. Drizzle corn oil, which I've had sitting with the minced garlic in a little bowl, over the fish and veggies.
4. Fold the edges of each packet and place into preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
5. Carefully open packets and serve hot - you can top with a little bit more fresh parsley if so desired.
Not only is this recipe on the easier side to make, all you really have to do is chop your veggies. It's also cholesterol-free and better for my mom. Mazola Corn Oil has more cholesterol-blocking plant sterols than other cooking oils – four times more than extra virgin olive oil and one and a half times more than canola oil.
Plus, it's really delicious and a nice way to celebrate such a beautiful piece of salmon. The simplicity of the ingredients just lets all of its delicious flavor shine through.
When dealing with my mom's growing health issues: heart disease, high cholesterol, etc., it's been hard to get her to make those much needed changes to her diet. But I like that Mazola Corn Oil is such an easy swap for things like butter or lard (which she loved to cook with). Plus, it has such a variety of uses including baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinades and dressings.
This National Cholesterol Awareness month and every other month of the year, Mazola is our partner in the kitchen. How about you, what better-for-you changes have you made in the kitchen?
When dealing with my mom's growing health issues: heart disease, high cholesterol, etc., it's been hard to get her to make those much needed changes to her diet. But I like that Mazola Corn Oil is such an easy swap for things like butter or lard (which she loved to cook with). Plus, it has such a variety of uses including baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinades and dressings.
This National Cholesterol Awareness month and every other month of the year, Mazola is our partner in the kitchen. How about you, what better-for-you changes have you made in the kitchen?
