Are you creative in the kitchen? Do you have a traditional family recipe that you have 're-worked' to make healthy for your heart and circulation? If so, there's a contest for you.  

A number of Berkeley Heights businesses have joined together to celebrate February as the 'Heart Healthy' month by sponsoring the Heart Healthy Recipe Contest that will be judged by Chef Sal Passalacqua, of Dimaio’s, food stylist Rosie Battista, author of the Cooking Naked After 40 Cookbook, and Dr. Donald DeFabio.

The original recipe could be any kind of meal, dessert or snack but it must be nutritious

The applicant should enter his or her name and contact information and include the name of the recipe, the ingredients, the preparation process and why the recipe is heart healthy.  

Recipes will be accepted throughout the month of February, 2012 and can either be sent electronically to defabiochiropractic@gmail.com or brought directly to the office at 308 Springfield Avenue Berkeley Heights, NJ. 

The judges will review the submissions and the finalists will be invited to bring their completed dish to a live tasting on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 2 p.m. 

The Berkeley Heights YMCA will host the final tasting which will be videotaped and broadcasted for Channel 34’s Spotlight on Berkeley Heights later in the month. 

Prizes will be awarded to the top healthy heart and delicious recipes.  All finalists will be given the opportunity to have his or her recipe shown on the air, and posted online. 

The sponsors for the inaugural Berkeley Heights Healthy Heart Recipe Contest include: Berkeley Heights YMCA, DeFabio Spine and Sports Rehab, Dimaio’s Restaurant, Gabriele Fitness and Starting Line Sports.

The top prizes include: a 3 month-membership to the Berkeley Heights YMCA, a Garmin Heart Rate Monitor courtesy of  Starting Line Sports, a Gift Certificate to Dimaio Cucina, and one month of Nutrition consulting at Gabriele Fitness. 

"Having a good stable of great recipes is an outstanding way to promote healthy eating. In order to eat well whether it is for health, fat loss or performance, a variety of meals that taste good and will help you achieve your goals are essential to success," said Vincent Gabriele, Owner of Gabriele Fitness. 

Dr. Donald DeFabio, Chiropractor and Producer of Spotlight on Berkeley Heights, said “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and this contest is designed to bring attention to how our food choices directly impact heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. 

“It is going to be very interesting to see how people interpret heart healthy which is the first step to bringing awareness to decreasing cardiovascular disease," he said.  

For more information, contact: Amanda DeFabio at: amandadefabio@gmail.com or 908-771-0220.