A recent survey conducted by OnePoll found that 34% of respondents are held back from healthy cooking due to lack of knowledge on how to do so. In honor of National Cholesterol Awareness Month, I shared three cholesterol friendly recipes on TV and radio affiliates across that country that are easy to make and that the whole family will enjoy.
One thing that can make healthy cooking at home easy is to have an all-purpose cooking oil on hand like cholesterol-free, heart healthy Mazola. One of my favorite ways to use it in in baked goods and I’ve done that in my Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important to heart health in fact, even a 1 percent reduction in (LDL) cholesterol has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease by 2-3 percent. The Journal of Clinical Lipidology published a study that found that corn oil, like heart healthyMazola, can help lower cholesterol more than extra virgin olive oil.
I also prepared my Autumn Salad made with fresh seasonal pears and apples along with a heart healthy vinaigrette dressing. The American Heart Association issued a presidential advisory that strongly advised replacing saturated fats, like those found in coconut oil, with polyunsaturated fats, like those found in corn oil. Doing so may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 30 percent.
Finally we have my favorite weeknight dinner which is a 30-minute Fall Harvest Sheet Pan coated in a garlic herb marinade. All cooking oils have a smoke point that, once exceeded, negatively affects the food’s flavor and nutrition. So you want to choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point like Mazola which has a smoke point of 450 F.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/3 cup Mazola Corn Oil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, crushed
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Ingredients
Sheet-Pan:
Garlic Herb Corn Oil Marinade:
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- Preheat oven to 435 F.
- Place chopped veggies in a single layer on a nonstick sheet pan and place chicken breasts on top.
- Pour marinade mixture on top of all ingredients.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are crisp and chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- 10 oz. baby spinach
- 1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup farro or barley, cooked
- 1 cup kidney beans, cooked
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup Mazola Corn Oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Ingredients
Salad
Lemon Corn Oil Vinaigrette
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- Cook farro according to package instructions and set aside.
- Add salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Add dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over salad and toss salad to combine. Serve immediately.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup Mazola Corn Oil
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 apples, chopped
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 9 x 9 baking pan and set aside.
- Combine oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in maple syrup, Mazola Corn Oil, eggs, milk and vanilla extract until combined. Fold in apples gently by hand. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
