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A cardiologist who’s also a serious foodie is my dream come true. And that’s exactly what today’s guest poster Dr. Elizabeth Klodas is. A specialist in preventative cardiology, Elizabeth is also obsessed with great food, and I’m thrilled that she’s not only taken a liking to my blog, she’s offered to share one of her favorite recipes:

I find that many people are under the misconception that healthy food is complex to make and tastes bad. Nothing could be further from the truth! The beauty of healthy eating lies in its simplicity – and the wonderful flavors come naturally from the quality ingredients used. And cooking healthfully does not have to be expensive. With this Pineapple Frappé, you’ll get 4-6 desserts out of one fresh pineapple!

Pineapple is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouse that boasts:

• A high vitamin C content
• Phytosterols that compete with cholesterol for absorption, so they help lower cholesterol levels
• Manganese, which is an important co-factor for the enzyme superoxide-dismutase, a powerful free radical scavenger.

So all in all, a great way to end a meal!

Pineapple Frappé

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks, chilled until extremely cold (along with any juice from cutting the fruit)

10-12 ripe fresh strawberries sliced or quartered

Put the pineapple chunks in a blender (in batches if you’re doing whole pineapple) and puree until very smooth (you may need to push the chunks down into the blender intermittently – with the motor off – to get the mixture to start liquefying). Pour into wine or champagne glasses, garnish with the strawberries and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Recipe notes from Cathy:

-I added a sprig of mint as an additional garnish. It looks nice, but it’s not essential!
– Be sure serve immediately. In time, it will separate a bit, as you see in my photo.