Ingredients

-3 stalks celery (1 quartered, 2 thinly sliced)
-3 small cloves garlic (2 smashed, 1 chopped)
-Juice of 1 lemon
-Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
-8 ounces baby carrots, halved lengthwise
-3/4 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
-1/2 pound sea scallops, halved horizontally
-1 small avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
-2 romaine lettuce hearts, torn
-1 tablespoon capers, plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar
-2 cups croutons
-1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

Directions

Combine the quartered celery, smashed garlic, half of the lemon juice, 10 cups water, and salt and pepper to taste in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then uncover, add the carrots and cook 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots and shrimp to a colander and rinse under cold water. Return the water to a boil, add the scallops and cook until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon, add to the colander and rinse under cold water.

Ladle out 1/3 cup of the poaching liquid; set aside to cool. Dice half of the avocado and combine with the sliced celery, lettuce, capers and croutons in a large bowl. Add the carrots, shrimp and scallops.

Puree the remaining avocado half in a blender with the reserved poaching liquid, the remaining lemon juice, the caper brine, chopped garlic, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss with the salad and season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

-2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
-1 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
-ground black pepper to taste
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
-1 cup mayonnaise
-1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

Preheat outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Thread shrimp onto skewers. Season both sides of shrimp with garlic salt and black pepper; if using cayenne, see Cook's Note.
Generously coat both sides of shrimp with mayonnaise.
Cook shrimp on heated grill until shrimp are bright pink on the outside and opaque on the inside, and the mayonnaise turns golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes on each side. Serve with lemon wedges.

When you cut into an onion, you're actually breaking open microscopic cells filled with enzymes that turn into volatile gasses when they escape. This causes a chemical reaction and creates a lachrymatory agent, similar to the chemicals used in tear gas. When the fumes reach the almond-shaped glands in the corner of your eyes, your eyes begin to produce tears in an attempt to dilute and flush the chemical from your eyes.

It can be an irritating and even painful process to slice and dice onions, so here are some ideas you can try without getting weepy:

-Use a sharp knife to cut the onion—you'll release less of the enzymes into the air.
-Cut onions in cold water.
-Cut the root last—it has a higher concentration of enzymes.
-Chill or freeze onions to minimize the amount of gas released into the air.
-Light a match before you peel or slice the onion. The sulfur disables the compounds in onions that make your eyes water.
-Use a small manual or electric food chopper or food processor.
-Wear kitchen goggles to protect your eyes.

Ingredients

-5 leaves gelatine
-350ml Prosecco
-1tbsp caster sugar
-6tbsp limoncello
-edible gold glitter, for sprinkling

Directions

Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes or until soft. Squeeze the leaves and discard the water.
Put the limoncello into a bowl that fits snugly over a pan of boiling water, add the gelatine and sugar and heat gently until dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the Prosecco and pour into a jug.
Very carefully and slowly, pour over the jelly into the glasses until each glass is almost full. Refrigerate until set. Top with gold glitter to serve.

Ingredients

For the panna cotta:
-3 gelatine leaves
-500ml single cream
-3tbsp caster sugar
-2tbsp cofee extract
-100g pecans
-4tbsp runny honey
-a good pinch of sea salt


For the syrup:
-150ml strong espresso
-125g caster sugar


You will need:
-4 dariole moulds, lightly oiled

Directions

Soften the gelatine leaves in cold water. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, gently heat the cream, sugar and coffee, squeeze the gelatine leaves then add to the pan and stir to dissolve. Pour the mixture through a sieve then divide between the dariole moulds. Let them cool then cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge to set. They need a minimum of 5 hours or overnight.
To turn out the panna cotta, dip the base briefly in hot water, run around the edge with a flat-bladed knife and gently pull away from the edges. Tip onto plates to serve.
For the honeyed pecans, heat the oven to 200C, gas 6. Toss the pecans with the honey and sea salt. Spread out on a lined baking tray and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Serve warm or cold with the panna cotta.
To make the syrup, heat the espresso and caster sugar gently in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved entirely, then boil until it has reduced to about half and you’re left with a thick syrup. Allow it to cool. Drizzle over the panna cotta.

Ingredients

-4 tbsp instant espresso
-50g (2oz) unsalted butter
-100g (4oz) caster sugar
-2 large eggs
-100g (4 oz) self raising flour
-125g (4½oz) mascarpone
-150ml (¼pt) double cream
-2 tbsp tia maria
-2 tbsp caster sugar
-35g (1¼oz) cocoa powder
-20g (¾oz) chocolate curls, to garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas 4. Grease and base line a 30cm x 20cm Swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper. Dissolve 2 tbsp espresso granules in 1 tbsp boiling water.

Using an electric whisk beat the butter and sugar together until pale. Add the eggs and whisk again until well combined.

Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in with the coffee. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and risen.

Meanwhile place 2tbsp espresso granules, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 75ml (3fl oz) water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.

Lay a damp tea towel on the work surface then top with a piece of greaseproof paper larger than the swiss roll. Dust the greaseproof paper with a heavy layer of cocoa powder then carefully turn out the warm sponge onto the dusted paper.

Peel away the greaseproof paper on the base of the sponge and brush generously with the coffee syrup. Score a line along one of the shorter ends of the sponge, approximately 2cm (¾ in) away from the edge.

Start rolling using this incision to help the roll begin, and the greaseproof paper to help you turn. Leave to cool completely.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold through the mascarpone cheese and Tia Maria. Unroll the sponge and spread with the cream, leaving a 1cm (½ in) border of clean sponge all around.

Carefully re roll starting from the short end with the incision. Roll all the way to the end and stop once the seal is at the base. Dust with cocoa powder and scatter with chocolate curls.

Salmon

Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

"Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant," says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks. But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.


Avocado

Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to up the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.

"Avocados are awesome," says Dr. Sinatra. "They allow for the absorption of other carotenoids—especially beta-carotene and lycopene—which are essential for heart health."

Olive Oil
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties—they're the least processed—and use them instead of butter when cooking.



Nuts
Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and, along with almonds and macadamia nuts, are loaded with mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Plus, nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. "And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat."

Berries

Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—whatever berry you like best—are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

"Blackberries and blueberries are especially great," says Sinatra. "But all berries are great for your vascular health."





Legumes
Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and soluble fiber.

SpinachSpinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost. The Physicians' Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least two-and-a-half servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25%, compared with those who didn't eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17%.