Sun-dried tomatoes—a superbly flavorful, nutritious and delicious way to sweeten up any dish!

Guess what? One piece of sun-dried tomato (in oil, drained) contains a mere 6 calories! Sun-dried tomatoes are just like what you might suspect… ripe tomatoes that have lost most of their water content after spending a majority of their drying time in the sun. The good news is that after this procedure, the dried tomatoes are still overflowing with nutrition—they remain packed with disease-fighting antioxidants such as lycopene and vitamin C plus are virtually fat free. Just be sure that, if you buy the oil-packed variety, look for tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil—the heart healthiest kind.

Cannellini Bean and Sun-dried Tomato Dip

Check out the heart healthy recipe of Cannellini Bean and Sun-dried Tomato Dip:

Allow time to refrigerate the dip before serving for the best flavor.

• One 15-ounce can cannellini or great Northern beans, drained
• 7 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In blender or food processor mix beans, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate for one hour and served chilled.

Serves 6

NUTRITION

Per 1/4 cup serving:

• Calories: 166
• Fat: 10 g (0 g EPA, 0 g DHA, < 1 g ALA)
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 207 mg
• Carbohydrate:16 g
• Dietary fiber: 3 g
• Sugars: <1 g
• Protein:5g

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Recipe from Dr. Janet’s book: Prevent a Second Heart Attack