Welcome to Heart Healthy Recipes' Newsletter.

In this spring issue we are featuring in-season asparagus, flavored with culinary lavender and lemon. Also, we have added a slow-cooker recipe of vegetable lamb stew, seasoned with herbs, including the classic herb of rosemary. Rosemary, along with the other herbs in this recipe, helps to bring out the wonderful lamb flavor. Finishing off our recipes for this month is a Caesar salad with homemade croutons.

We hope you enjoy these heart-healthy recipes and we wish you all a healthy, happy Easter season.

Lemon-Lavender Asparagus

Recipe Ingredients:

1 teaspoon fresh or dried culinary lavender * buds, chopped or crushed

¼ cup grapeseed oil

2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional)

¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Recipe Instructions:

In a small bowl, whisk together crushed or chopped culinary lavender * buds with grapeseed oil. Allow lavender to infuse in oil for 10-15 minutes for best flavor. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, add finely grated lemon zest and whisk together with lemon juice. Next, add minced garlic cloves to lemon mixture. Once lavender-grapeseed oil mixture is infused, pour into lemon juice bowl, whisking in sea salt (if desired) and black pepper.

Drizzle lemon-lavender oil dressing over the steamed asparagus and serve.

*Culinary Lavenders: Most lavenders are edible, though the best for culinary usage is the English Lavender.

Makes 4 servings.

Vegetable-Herb Lamb Stew

Recipe Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 medium parsnips, peeled, thickly sliced and quartered

3 medium-large carrots, peeled, thickly sliced, and halved

1 pound potatoes, peeled and sliced or cubed

2 medium sweet onions, chopped and sliced

2½ cups (12 ounces) beef broth or chicken stock, low sodium or unsalted

¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional)

¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

3 garlic cloves, minced

1½ teaspoons chives, minced (optional)

1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

1 tablespoon gluten-free flour

2 tablespoons water (cold)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Fresh Mint, minced as garnish (optional)

Recipe Instructions:

Next, peel and thickly slice or dice the parsnips, carrots and potatoes. Add to a slow-cooker or crock-pot. Peel the sweet onions, chopping into quarters, and slicing into thin pieces. Add the onions to the slow-cooker or crock-pot as well. Next, add the browned lamb pieces into the pot or cooker.

In the skillet that was used to cook the lamb, pour the chicken stock or the beef broth. Bring this stock or broth to a boil. Add sea salt (if desired), black pepper, garlic, chives (if desired), rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Add the heated stock or broth to the slow-cooker or crock-pot. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.

In a small bowl, combine the gluten-free flour with the cold water. Whisk until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Add the fresh, minced parsley and stir the flour mixture into the stew. Cook the stew for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh, minced mint, if desired, and serve.

Tip: Choosing the lamb shoulder or neck meat is a great choice for this lamb stew.

Makes 4 servings.

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

Caesar Salad – Recipe Ingredients:

¼ cup grapeseed oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

12 anchovy fillets, chopped

2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional)

¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Caesar Salad – Recipe Instructions:

Sprinkle croutons over salad and serve.

Crouton - Recipe Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

Crouton - Recipe Instructions:

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