Food-loving couple learns to eat right for health's sake

For a woman in the prime of her life, a diagnosis of congestive heart failure is shocking and devastating.

It's the kind of news that turns a world upside down.

It also can reveal one's true inner strength.

Until the summer of 2010, life was moving along on all cylinders for Jamie Joseph-Pantophlet. At 32, she was happily married, hoping to start a family and working full time.

She and her husband, Christopher, are self-proclaimed foodies with diverse palates.

From spicy East Indian curries to the sweet and hot flavors found in Christopher's native Aruba or Jamie's roots in Trinidad, the couple loves to eat and to share meals with friends and family.

Adventurous cooks, they're no strangers to local ethnic markets and often use ingredients not found in the United States, like the curry powders imported for them by a local Indian grocer.

They also turn to their families outside the United States, who keep the couple's kitchen stocked through frequent care packages filled with big wheels of Dutch cheese and exotic cooking sauces and spices.

The Indonesian seasoning ketjap manis, or sweet soy sauce, is among their favorite ingredients and comes from Christopher's family, while hot pepper sauces and chutneys are gifts from Jamie's relatives.

In other words, spend any amount of time with the couple and it doesn't take long to see that food and family are two topics close to their hearts.

But while full of love, Jamie's heart was in serious trouble.

After being sick for more than a month with what she described as flulike symptoms and shortness of breath, Jamie found out in the summer of 2010 that she had congestive heart failure.

The news rocked her and Christopher's world — and forever changed their views on food.

* * * * *

Jamie, now 33, shared her story recently as she stood at her stove, stirring a pot of Moroccan-inspired chicken stew.

The smell wafting from her kitchen was heavenly.

She's quick to point out that the full-flavored stew contains cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and a list of other spices — yet zero salt.

Upon her diagnosis, Jamie spent nearly a month at VCU Medical Center.

Pat McMahon is a cardiology nurse practitioner at VCU Medical Center's Pauley Heart Center. By the time they met, Jamie's heart had been damaged to the point that the muscles were functioning way below normal levels.

"She was incredibly sick," McMahon said, and, like many cases of heart disease in young patients like Jamie, the cause was unknown.

Jamie has non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscles are weakened and the heart itself is enlarged. It's not a heart attack, which stems from blocked arteries.

Jamie was put on medications to strengthen and stabilize her heart.

She also was put on a restricted diet while in the hospital.

It was quite a change for her. "I hated the food there because I had no salt," she said.

Once back home, Jamie had to drastically change her diet, since most of what she used to eat was off-limits. The emotional toll she experienced and the daunting future she faced if she didn't make big lifestyle changes were overwhelming, she said.

She became depressed and angry.

"It just completely changed my life," Jamie said of the diagnosis. "But I decided to channel that anger into coming up with a way for [Christopher] and I both to enjoy foods again without having the high sodium."

With the help of her husband, Jamie gathered recipes for the foods they loved, and broke them down ingredient by ingredient until they contained little or no salt.

"I just started tweaking them, adding different kinds of seasonings until they tasted good," she said.

Christopher, a safety and security officer, adopted Jamie's food habits to support his wife and for his own health. But he acknowledges it wasn't easy.

"I like salt a lot," he said, adding that in the beginning he had to resist the urge to reach for the shaker. Everything tasted bland, he said.

Now, however, "I don't even miss it," he said.

Jamie took her eating habits one step further. She remembered other patients who were less than enthusiastic about their hospital food.

So she compiled the new low-sodium recipes in a cookbook, which she hopes to publish soon and make available for other people dealing with heart conditions.

"I felt like other people could relate to me," she said. "When I was in the hospital I wasn't the only one complaining about the food."

"Cooking With Heart" (two heart symbols stand in for the word) contains dozens of recipes, from Christopher's grandma's pork and cabbage soup to spicy cheese-filled meatballs with vodka sauce over penne and coconut curry chicken.

Jamie and Christopher have almost completely cut out processed foods, opting for fresh ingredients, which means most of their meals are home-cooked.

Rather than buying spaghetti sauce, for example, Jamie makes her own.

They typically drink only water and also have cut back on their sugar intake. Jamie suggests that anyone who's looking to cut back on sodium needs to familiarize themselves with food labels, particularly those with low- or no-sodium claims, which can be misleading.

"It may say low-sodium," she said, "but then you look on the back and the [sodium level] is still super high."

In addition to the recipes, the cookbook contains personal stories about Jamie's experience and the people who inspired and encouraged her love of cooking. People like her late mother and Christopher's late grandmother.

In fact, Jamie has a culinary-arts degree, though after graduation she realized that cooking professionally wasn't her passion.

"It's very personal to me," she said about the cookbook. Her mother was a chef and an adventurous cook, Jamie said, and through the cookbook "it's really nice to represent her."

Jamie said her condition was a wake-up call, but also a blessing in disguise.

"If I had stayed in that little funk I was in and not channeled my energy into something positive…" she said, her voice trailing off.

"We've done a complete 360," she continued, referring to her health.

She proudly says that she has not gone back to the hospital since her ordeal in 2010. "They're shocked that I haven't come back," Jamie said, referring to her doctors.

McMahon agrees.

"She has not been readmitted and that is very unusual," she said. While not completely healed, Jamie's heart function has improved.

McMahon said Jamie's steely determination to help herself and others — and her gift for cooking — have enabled that to happen.

The diagnosis "absolutely changed her," McMahon said. "But she went back to what she loves — her cooking — and she has taken control of her life."

Moroccan Inspired Stew with Couscous

Makes 6 servings

1½ pounds lamb, cut into chunks (chicken can be substituted)
1 tablespoon EACH: ground ginger, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cups carrots, diced
1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash, diced
2 cups water, plus more as necessary
1 16-ounce bag couscous
½ cup blanched unsalted almond slivers
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup ground parsley, plus ½ cup for garnish

Season lamb with spices and pepper. In a large casserole pot, heat oil and butter until butter has melted. Brown lamb. Add garlic cloves, onion, carrots and pumpkin or squash. Add in water and cook on medium heat for 1 hour. Add more water as necessary.

When lamb has simmered for 45 minutes, prepare couscous according to package directions. Add almonds, raisins and parsley. When couscous has finished cooking, allow to cool for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Using a measuring cup, make a 1-cup couscous mold in a bowl. Spoon stew mixture over couscous, and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

J.T. Pantophlet and Christopher Pantophlet

Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

Makes 4 servings

24 large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 8-ounce can coconut milk, divided
16 wooden skewers
1 teaspoon EACH: ginger and cinnamon
1½ cups fresh pineapple cut into chunks (not canned pineapple)
1 green pepper cut into cubes
1 cup pineapple juice (can be canned or use the reserved drippings from the fresh pineapple)
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes

Soak shrimp in 2/3 of the coconut milk for 15 to 20 minutes. Soak wood skewers in water while the shrimp marinates.

Drain shrimp and pat dry. Season with ginger and cinnamon.

Place shrimp, pineapple and green pepper alternately on skewers, using three shrimp per skewer. Any variety of peppers will work with this recipe. Run a second skewer through the food chunks, which helps with flipping as well as cooking.

Combine pineapple juice, remaining coconut milk, honey and cayenne.

Grill skewers for 10 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through, turning sides every few minutes. Baste with pineapple juice mixture each time shrimp is turned. This dish can be turned into an entrée by serving over couscous or a bed of salad greens. If serving salad, reserve some of the pineapple marinade as dressing before marinating the shrimp to avoid contamination.

J.T. Pantophlet and Christopher Pantophlet

Spicy Meatballs with Vodka Sauce over Penne

Makes 8 servings

For meatballs:
½ pound EACH: ground beef (at least 80 percent lean), ground pork, ground lamb
1½ cups plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg
½ large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon mustard
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
24 cubes low-sodium mozzarella cheese
3 large jalapeno peppers, cut into slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
For vodka penne:
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup vodka, any brand
1 cup heavy cream at room temperature
½ cup low-sodium grated Parmesan (optional)
12 basil leaves, shredded
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 16-ounce box penne pasta

Meatballs: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork and lamb with breadcrumbs, egg, chopped onion, mustard, garlic and onion powders, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and red pepper flakes. Use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop out 24 meatballs and form into balls.

Cut the meatballs in half and add one cheese cube and one jalapeno slice to one half, then re-form the balls.

Coat a large casserole dish with olive oil, and bake meatballs for 45 minutes. While the meatballs are cooking, make the vodka sauce.

Vodka sauce: In a large saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil. Add shallots and garlic. Add tomatoes and vodka and cook over medium heat until tomatoes begin breaking down, about 20 minutes.

Add cream and Parmesan, if using, reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add basil leaves, reserving some for garnish, and black pepper. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions and drain, but do not rinse.

Reserve ½ cup of vodka sauce. Toss pasta with sauce and serve with meatballs. Spoon a small amount of reserved sauce over meatballs and garnish with basil.

J. T. Pantophlet and Christopher Pantophlet