Lowering LDL Cholesterol!

Dinner Salad Platter
with Chunks of Avocados & Pears

For a very long time (years) I've been very conscious of eating more healthy foods.    Using Olive Oil while cooking & drizzling Balsamic Vinaigrette containing Olive Oil over veggie salads has been my thing.  Canisters of Oats are replaced often with newly filled canisters.  We like Oatmeal Cookies, Creamy Oatmeal at breakfast & also Apple Crisp with the oat topping.  Peanuts & Pecans are great snacks, here.  Fresh salads at dinner are enjoyed.  Seafood grilled or baked is so good!  Very rarely do I bake a dessert that contains more sugar than flour (or an equal amount) in the recipe.  These past few months I've learned about the benefits of adding Avocados & fresh Pears into our diets.  Both also help with lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Avocados are definitely not grown here in New England.  But hey, if eating Avocados helps in lowering the bad (LDL) Cholesterol, I'm definitely in.  They ripen quickly while sitting on the kitchen counter.  Pears can be ripened in a couple of days by placing in a closed brown paper lunch bag & also placing on the counter.

During the winter season the tomatoes purchased in the produce departments of grocery stores are not juicy & tasty as they are in the summer.  In the summer we have locally grown tomatoes to enjoy!  I've learned that Pears are a tasty substitute in a salad!  

So, there are 2 new additions to any dinner salad or dinner salad platter that we enjoy- chunks of Avocados & chunks of Pears.  This coming week promises to bring warm grilling weather, so chicken will be grilling one evening!  Any extra grilled chicken will add to a dinner salad platter with chunks Avocados & Pears the following night!  The dressing?  Oh, Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette, of course!

Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Olive Oil for salads & marinades
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
Dash Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Raspberry Jam or Jelly

***Salad Dressing Mixing/ Shaking Container

Method:  

1.  Place Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar in shaker container.
2.  Add dash of Black Pepper.
3.  Add 1 Tablespoon Raspberry Jam or Jelly.
4.  Place cover on container.
5.  Shake, shake, shake & shake again. 
6.  Drizzle over salad.

***After adding Raspberry Jam or Jelly, shake container until Jam or Jelly is dissolved.

After dinner this Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette is stored in my fridge.  About 1/2 hour before using again, I place the salad dressing container on my counter.  It will come to room temperature.  All it needs will be a few shakes & it will blend together to be enjoyed again.

Enjoy!
Yummy!