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Luscious Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

May 31, 2011 By
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We wanted to transform the traditional turkey meatloaf recipe into a *moist*, fluffier, sodium and sugar reduced version — one that steered clear of the traditional tomato ketchup topping.

When my mom suggested we make turkey meatloaf, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Recipe Reboot!” My taste buds are still in taste bud memory trauma from eating mass produced “cafeteria” style meatloaf — traditionally overcooked and drenched in sugary tomato ketchup.

So… we went to work — thinking about ways to make this a better recipe/meal, and decided that (1) instead of letting the turkey dry out, we replaced the binding agent with oatmeal (something that we think helps to retain moisture better), (2) added more moisture (chicken stock), and (3) we left off the sugary tomato ketchup topping, and instead, paired the turkey meatloaf with a mushroom sauce

I normally do not like “meals in process” photos, but I wanted to show everyone what this looks like on the “inside” – meaning, the consistency is still quite moist, and the vegetables are not “overcooked”

*Please note, this recipe is not intended for a beginner cook — simply due to the number of steps involved. Note that they are relatively easy steps; there are just quite a few of them. If you can brave a tomato soup from scratch, we think you could probably handle this meal just fine.

 

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Luscious Turkey Meatloaf Recipe (low sodium)

Yield: 2, 9x9 pans

Luscious Turkey Meatloaf Recipe (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • Ingredients - Turkey meatloaf base
  • 3 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
  • 2 lbs ground turkey breast
  • 2/3 cup steel cut oatmeal (dry, not re-hydrated)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
  • 1/2 Tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground chili
  • Ingredients - Mushroom Sauce
  • 4 Tablespoons flour
  • 4 Tablespoons grape seed oil
  • 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock ++ **
  • 4 shallots, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, pureed
  • 12 oz mushrooms, sliced (approx a little more than one bag)
  • (or for a pure marsala* sauce:  use 2 cups chicken stock and 1/2 c marsala wine*)
  • Garnish: parsley
  • Notes
  • *We strongly suggest that for people who have been advised by their medical provider to stay away from alcohol -- follow their advice [and DO NOT cook our mushroom sauce by adding wine.  Rather, use the alternative method based purely on chicken stock.  We think it tastes just as good, and we’ve made this sauce both ways]
  • ** chicken stock - you may need to add additional chicken stock, liquid evaporation can depend on how high your heat is and how large your pan is.

Instructions

  1. Directions for Meatloaf base (approximately 10-15 minutes)
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  3. In a frying pan, heat cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add carrots, celery, and onions and sauté until the onions are (roughly) translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (including the carrot, celery, and onion mixture, above) and mix evenly.  Press into a baking pan (we used 2, 8" square pans.)
  5. Bake at 350F for approximately one hour, or until the center is no longer pink.  You will notice that the “liquid” has mostly cooked off from the top of the loaf.
  6. Once the meatloaf went in the oven, we started on the sauce....
  7. Directions for Mushroom Sauce
  8. In a separate little mixing bowl, we made a butter-free “roux” by mixing the white flour and grape seed oil together (there shouldn’t be any lumps). Set aside.
  9. Using the same [empty and un-cleaned] pan that we cooked the carrot/celery/ onion mix in, we sautéed (on medium heat): 6 Tablespoons chicken stock, chopped shallots, pureed garlic, and the sliced mushrooms ("don't crowd the mushrooms.").  If necessary, keep adding chicken stock, a little at a time, until the mushrooms are tender.
  10. Add the flour/oil mixture (Step 1, "roux"). Cook for about a minute, stirring quickly.
  11. [Optional -  add the marsala wine*, and keep stirring]
  12. Slowly add the remaining chicken stock, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and serve over the turkey meatloaf.  Garnish with parsley.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/luscious-turkey-meatloaf-recipe/

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Skordalia Recipe

May 26, 2011 By
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Delicious Vegetarian Greek Cuisine: Skordalia is a tasty compliment to vegetables (roasted beets, grilled eggplant or zucchini), fish (i.e., Baked Salmon) or as a stand alone dip (hummus alternative).

As with most food, Skordalia can have different consistencies depending upon the region where your cook calls home, or where you are eating it: some people puree it less – to make it more like the consistency of a light mashed potato, and others make it into a thick puree via olive oil (emulsion).  Skordalia can also be made using a bread base, but we decided to use a bread-alternative recipe — mostly to keep total control over our sodium content, as some breads can contain a lot of (hidden) sodium.

Be advised that if you follow our instructions/recipe, it will quickly turn into a thick puree via the food processor — so if you think you’ll like your skordalia a little lighter, consider using the “hand technique” and adding less olive oil.

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Skordalia Recipe (low sodium)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: ~2-3 cups

Skordalia Recipe (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 2 oz (russet) potatoes (or 3 small/medium ones)*
  • juice of 1 or 1 1/2 lemons **
  • 5 cloves roasted garlic*** (peeled)
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • Garnishes: Endive, parsley
  • Notes:
  • * and ** Some potato varieties turn brown during the cooking process. If you want to avoid having the potatoes turn brown during the boiling process, add juice of 1/2 lemon (or approximately 1/16 cup) into the boiling water, mid-way during the boiling process (approximately 20 minutes). If you don't care about the potato color, then you'll only need juice of 1 lemon (or approximately 1/8 cup).
  • *** roasted garlic - we peeled and roasted 5 cloves of garlic in a small ramekin with 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to cover the garlic cloves) for 20-25 minutes

Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes until soft, or approximately 40 minutes (The smaller the cubes, the quicker the boiling time). Strain and cool slightly.
  2. In a food processor, combine the cooked potatoes, lemon juice, roasted garlic, and olive oil. Pulse lightly. (You will note that this will quickly turn into a thick puree).
  3. Serve.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/skordalia/

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Easy “Basil Pesto” Recipe

May 23, 2011 By
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The traditional way to make a pesto is to pound the living daylights out of the ingredients using a mortar and pestle. I learned to make Thai curry pastes using the “old school” way, and I have to tell you — the old school way made my arm super tired and I ended up covered from head-to-toe in a lot of “random vegetable bits” (i.e., pulverized chili peppers splashing into my eyes… not so great).  I suspect there is a lot more pounding when creaming chilies, but nevertheless — one has to love “modern technology”: the food processor.

Three or four minutes of putting one finger on the “pulse/on” button and poof — the “pesto” is done!  Two slight downsides are: (1) that the “modern way” adds a little more air into the “pesto”, and (2) there is a very small taste difference — primarily due to oxidation  (for the super tasters).

Notably, there are regional variations of basil pesto and its’ ingredients — for example, some regions use pine nuts and others don’t (Southern France), and some regions exclude cheese. Our low sodium pesto recipes tend to be somewhat “dynamic” (i.e., what’s available in our fridge): sometimes we mix different types of basil or mint to subtly expand the flavor profile.

When making a basil pesto,  it’s important to consider the specific  use: this will determine the correct cooking oil used as a pesto base.  For example,

(1) Olive Oil – when I make a pesto that’s going to be tossed with a pasta, as a compliment in a tomato soup , inside a grilled Panini  (sandwich), if I combine it with a basic tomato sauce, or add the smallest amount of whipped cream in a pan to make a creamy pesto sauce — I use olive oil as a pesto base.

(2) Grape Seed Oil - If I have plans to put the pesto on a salmon filet or chicken breast and fry (or barbeque) the combination using higher heat, I’d use grape seed oil as a base*. I like to think about the oil’s smoke point when cooking at higher temperatures (and in so doing, I steer clear from the possibility of breathing the olive oil’s blue [and somewhat toxic] smoke if I accidentally happen to overheat it).

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“Basil Pesto” Recipe (low sodium)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: ~ 1.5 - 2 cups

Serving Size: 1 -2 tablespoons per dish (i.e., pasta, sandwich,

“Basil Pesto” Recipe (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts**
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (firmly packed)***
  • 1/8 cup mint leaves
  • 2/3 c cooking oil*
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, pureed
  • 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • Optional (and "dairy"):  1/2 cup low sodium Parmesan cheese (or blend), freshly grated
  • Notes:
  • * Please reference our Grape Seed Oil article for oil smoke points
  • ** Pine nuts are high in phosphorous.  Should you determine to exclude pine nuts, consider increasing the amount of Parmesan cheese (if your diet allows).
  • *** While the basil stems have a fair bit of flavor, we think these are best avoided.  We've tried making the pesto with the stems, and it hasn't yielded the best results (more pounding, and there can be a lot of  "strings" if you don't chop up the stems into smaller pieces first).

Instructions

  1. Pan roast the pine nuts: this brings out the natural flavors in the pine nuts and we think this makes the pesto taste "more earthy". Pine nuts contain a fair amount of their own natural oil and have a tendency to cook/burn quickly, so make sure you watch them carefully and move them around the pan quickly.
  2. Heat the pan on medium heat and add the pine nuts. Stir -- until the pine nuts turn a very LIGHT beige. Remove from heat (meaning, don't leave the pine nuts in the pan -- immediately transfer them to a cool plate). Cool (slightly).
  3. Optional step: If you want to help the basil retain its' color a little longer: very quickly blanch (in hot water) and shock the basil (in ice cold water).
  4. Next:
  5. - "By hand" method: combine the basil, mint, and pine nuts in a mortar and pound, or
  6. - "in a food processor": combine the basil, mint, and pine nuts -  pulse lightly together for about a minute.
  7. Add the cooking oil, pureed garlic, balsamic vinegar (and, optional: cheese) into the mix.
  8. Continue pounding/processing together until the oil "holds" the mix together and appears somewhat smooth (see picture).
  9. Use as inspired
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/basil-pesto-recipe/

Pesto Storage Tips:

  1. Refrigeration: To slow the process of pesto turning a “dark-brown” (oxidizing) color during extended refrigeration, pour a small layer of olive oil over the pesto.
  2. Freezing: pesto can be partitioned into small sizes to be used at a later date (i.e., silicone muffin baking cups or ice cube trays).
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Silky, Roasted Tomato Soup (Dairy-free). Flavor Highlights (optional, but I think yummy): Orange & Ginger, or Tomato Basil

May 18, 2011 By
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Tomato basil is such a “typical” combination — so instead, I’m going to push the envelope and make “tomato soup with orange and ginger flavor highlights”.

Making a low salt tomato soup that has a “silky mouthfeel” sounds good, except that eating “healthier” (or at least dairy-free) means cutting back on cream… and getting around the “no-dairy” dilemma is actually pretty darned easy.  The Italian chefs up in Vancouver taught me how to thicken soups by adding a potato puree (they also taught me how to oven roast beets by washing them, and wrapping them in foil/oil — these remain two of the best food tips I’ve ever learned).  I’m not aiming to “go vegan” by choice — but there is compelling data that this soup would have been equally as tasty had I used a vegetable stock.

There are a couple of steps to making this soup — it’s mostly straight forward, but it does take a little time.  Total end-to-end time took me about an hour — because I oven roasted the tomatoes (which took roughly 35 minutes).  If you decide to use lower sodium fire-roasted/canned tomatoes, then the preparation time is significantly reduced.

You’ll also need:

(1) a food processor/blender or immersion blender, and
(2) a strainer or sieve (the smaller the mesh size = fewer tomato seeds, unwanted pulp, etc.)

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Silky, Roasted Tomato Soup (Dairy-free, low sodium, vegetarian).

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: ~7-8 cups

Silky, Roasted Tomato Soup (Dairy-free, low sodium, vegetarian).

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs fresh Roma tomatoes, cut into small pieces, stems removed
  • 1/4 cup Cooking Oil* (I used Grape Seed Oil )
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled (I used roasted garlic, see instructions below)
  • 2 cups Potato, cubed into 1/4" pieces
  • 3 cups low sodium liquid stock of your choice (I used home-made low sodium chicken stock )
  • 4 Tablespoons Low Sodium Tomato Paste
  • Create Fun Flavor Highlights
  • Some ideas for inspiration:
  • (a)  If you want to make this a tomato basil soup, add - 1/8 c basil, chopped - in step 5.
  • (b) if you want to make it the way we made it, use 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon orange rind, grated + 1 teaspoon ginger, pureed - in step 5.
  • Optional "dairy" Garnishes (bring it up another flavor notch)
  • Low Fat Yogurt, or
  • Very lightly drizzled with Lemon Garlic "Aioli" Inspired Dip

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Place the sliced tomatoes, cubed potatoes and half of the cooking oil in a non-reactive pan. Ensure the vegetables are covered with oil, and place pan in the oven (uncovered). In a separate little ramekin, place the peeled garlic cloves and cover with the remaining 1/4 cup oil, place the ramekin in the oven. Roast all vegetables for approximately 30 minutes, and remove when done.
  3. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and garlic to the tomato/potato mix and blend (using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender).
  4. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove the seeds, tomato peel, and unwanted vegetable pulp (note: this step is optional)
  5. Add the orange rind and pureed ginger (this step is optional. If you wanted to have a tomato basil soup, you would not add the orange/ginger, and simply add the chopped basil). Blend in by hand (or hand immersion mixer).
  6. Return [strained] liquid to pot. Bring to a very light simmer (stove top). Remove from heat and serve.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/silky-roasted-tomato-soup-dairy-free-vegetarian-recipe/

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Artichokes (Selecting and Cooking the Best Ones) and Lemon Garlic ["Aoili" Inspired] Dip

May 14, 2011 By
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We wanted to find out how to choose the best artichokes — so we took a road trip to Castroville.

We were lucky enough to go on a farm tour and see this firsthand.  You can visit an artichoke farm during the Castroville Artichoke Festival: http://www.artichoke-festival.org/ .

Artichoke field and plant:

The globe artichokes (most of what we eat) are grown on perennial plants, and are harvested by hand:

Selecting the Best Artichokes

• Heavy: pick the ones that feel the heaviest.
• Firm: A “firm” artichoke refers to when it’s not dehydrated or limp. The petals should be tightly held together (not like the one in the picture above — where the artichoke is “open”, like a flower in bloom – you want a firm artichoke, such as the one pictured below).
• Healthy Green Color: The artichoke should be a healthy green color, and not brown. It’s optimal to cook artichokes “fresh” — within five to seven days of purchase.

Fresh Storage Tip: similar to when we buy or receive fresh cut flowers, we slice a small amount (the dehydrated/dry part) off of the stem, briefly dip stem in water; refrigerate in an airtight plastic bag.

Cooking: Tips, Methods, and Recipes

Cooking Tips
1. Artichokes will start to turn brown after cutting them with a metal blade: the oxidation process, which turns artichokes brown, can be tempered by rubbing the cut side of the artichoke with lemon juice – the citric acid in the lemon juice helps to slow down the oxidation/discoloration.  You will want to cook the artichokes in a non-reactive cooking vessel (i.e., enamel, stainless steel, glass, ceramic, etc.)

2. It’s not necessary to trim off all of the tips (unless you’re out to get “presentation points”), the tips will soften during cooking (see below).  If you trim the tips, you will want to cover the cut portion with lemon juice (or another similar citric type acid) to reduce the effects from the oxidation.

3. The inside portion of the stem is actually edible. Once the artichoke has been cooked, the outer layers can be peeled back, and the inside of the stem can be eaten. Prior to cooking, cut the dry end back (if you’ve followed the storage tip above, cut approximately 1/4″ off the bottom), and dip in lemon juice.

4. There are several ways to cook an artichoke: all are fine. We’ve listed the most popular ways to cook an artichoke below, with cooking times. Note that if you’re planning to grill an artichoke, its’ best to grill after having completed a primary cooking method (via steaming, etc).

5. You’ll know that the artichokes are finished cooking when you can pierce the bottom of the stem with a sharp knife, and the consistency is “similar to that of a baked potato”.

Cooking Methods and Times

Please Note: Cooking times are based on 1 Medium-sized Artichoke.  If you are cooking multiple artichokes, the cooking time must be adjusted.

Fastest Cooking Time:
Microwave: ~ 18 minutes (microwave power and artichoke size dependent) for 1 Medium-sized Artichoke. It’s important to not overcook the artichoke, so I recommend starting at a lower amount of time, and work your way up incrementally.
Directions: Rinse the artichokes, cut off a small amount from the bottom, an and slice in half, from tip to end. Rub the cut/exposed side with lemon and sprinkle lemon juice over the outer layers. In a large microwavable container, add 1/2 c water, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 c olive oil, place the artichokes face side down. Cover and cook.

Other Cooking Methods:

Steaming: ~ 30 minutes for 1 Medium-sized Artichoke or 45 minutes for a Jumbo-sized Artichoke.
pros – retains all the vitamins and nutrients that can be lost by boiling.
Directions: Place the steaming basket at the bottom of the pot, and add enough water into the pot to reach the bottom of the basket. Rinse the artichokes, cut off a small amount from the bottom, and place head side down (stems should be facing up). cover. Bring water to a boil, and let steam.

Boiling: ~ 30 minutes for 1 Medium-sized Artichoke or 45 minutes for a Jumbo-sized Artichoke.
Directions: Add water to the pot and bring the water to a boil. Rinse the artichokes, cut off a small amount from the bottom, and place head side down (stems should be facing up) into the boiling water. (Tip: If you want to ensure that the artichokes are fully submerged into the water, place a bowl or plate on top of the ends to weigh them down). Cover and let cook.

Grilling: Grilling is best done after the artichoke has been cooked.
Directions: Additional 4-5 minutes, once cooked. If the cooked artichokes are still whole, slice them in half, from tip to end. Cover the entire surface of the artichokes in cooking oil *. Place on a heated grill (roughly 350F), turning every couple of minutes.

Recipe for Dipping Artichokes

Being on a low sodium and low fat diet, the days where we dipped our artichokes in  butter are long gone (USDA notes 6 mg sodium, but 122 mg cholesterol for quarter cup of unsalted butter). We generally share one large artichoke.

As an alternative, cooked artichokes can be dipped in a lemon garlic (“aioli” inspired) dip.  I’m providing a “lower sodium” lemon garlic “aoili” inspired dip, because the actual aoili emulsion process may not work out for everyone (and contains 3 egg yolks, which USDA measures 553 mg cholesterol, and 24 mg sodium). Please note that this recipe below is based on a “low sodium mayonnaise”: the USDA notes “low sodium mayo” measures 13 mg cholesterol, and 62 mg sodium — per quarter cup.  You may find that the low sodium mayo in your fridge contains different nutritional facts — always be mindful that recipes and nutrient contents vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In the end, it’s remembering to keep it all in balance.

Lemon Garlic (“Aoili” Inspired) Dip

This is a versatile little sauce/dip that can used for many purposes. (We think this is enough for one artichoke)

1/4 cup “low sodium mayonnaise”
1/2 teaspoon garlic, pureed
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine and mix together. Chill for approximately 1/2 hour.

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Cooking & Food Tips, Low Sodium Ingredients, Low Sodium Recipes, Will Travel For Food... Tagged With: , , , ,

Garden Fresh Mushroom Risotto Recipe: Pure Comfort Food

May 11, 2011 By
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Risotto is a very easy dish, but it requires a little care. We’ve noticed that making small changes during the cooking preparation, results in a big difference in overall flavor and texture of the finished risotto.  Use a high quality and flavorful liquid stock to establish a good amount of base flavor; to make the risotto taste “garden fresh”, we added a little amount of freshly grated lemon zest. Food is a very tactile experience and I don’t want to feel like I’m eating one big pile of “mush” — so I stage the cooking components at opportune times.

Things to Note:
(a)  During cooking, the food “inspirational-ist” should monitor the risotto’s progress to ensure that (1) enough “just-in-time” cooking liquid/stock is being added, and (2) the risotto is stirred on a semi-frequent basis (otherwise the risotto will stick to the sides of the pan and burn like a nobody’s business).
(b) Different types of mushrooms have different potassium levels.  The little white ones shown in the photo have a moderately high level of potassium, so make sure you pick out mushrooms that are appropriate for your nutrition needs.
(c) Note that the quantity of stock used and cooking time may vary depending upon the type of rice used, the temperature used to cook it, and the size of the pan (evaporation).

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Garden Fresh Mushroom Risotto Recipe: Pure Comfort Food (low sodium)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 5 - 6 cups

Garden Fresh Mushroom Risotto Recipe: Pure Comfort Food (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 4 - 6 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, pureed
  • 1/4 cup shallots (approx. one large shallot), chopped
  • 1  1/2 cup mushrooms
  • 6 - 8 cups low sodium liquid stock of your choice*
  • 1  1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • zest, 1/3 lemon - finely grated
  • Optional Garnishes:
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Parsley
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Add 1/2 cup liquid stock and mushrooms together, and cook on medium heat -- bring to a low simmer. Let the flavors cook together until the mushrooms have started to "steep out" of them, being careful not to overcook the mushrooms. The mushrooms should have a little elasticity to them (don't cook for more than a few minutes). Remove from heat. Strain the liquid (save it), and set the mushrooms aside. The goal is to create a textural difference between the mushrooms and the risotto, so that they whole dish does not taste "soggy".
  2. Add 4-6 tablespoons olive oil to pan. Heat the oil on medium heat, and add the garlic and shallots. Cook until the shallots soften, roughly 1 - 2 minutes.
  3. Add rice and quickly stir: ensure that the rice is coated in the oil.
  4. Add the strained mushroom/broth liquid, and 1/2 cup of the liquid stock to the pan, and stir.
  5. Cook on medium heat. Continually monitor/stir the risotto mixture until the broth has been mostly absorbed (or evaporated), then continue to add liquid stock in increments of 1/2 cup. (I used 6 cups of liquid stock).
  6. Approximately 20 minutes (or 5 1/2 cups of liquid stock) into the cooking, add the grated lemon zest, and stir.
  7. The rice is cooked to "al dente", roughly 20-25 minutes. Right before the risottos is removed from heat, add the cooked mushrooms and mix -- allowing just enough time to bring the mushrooms to [heated] temperature. Remove from heat.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/garden-fresh-mushroom-risotto-pure-comfort-food/

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Simply Tasty: Chicken with Grilled Pineapple Salsa and a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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The key in making life a little easier is to re purpose foods that we’ve cooked throughout the week.  In this combination, we’ve used the chicken breast from our
Low Sodium Chicken Stock, topped by our  Grilled Pineapple Salsa and finished with our Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce, and paired it with a side salad.  All low sodium and packed with flavor. Enjoy!

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Grilled Pineapple Salsa Recipe

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Grilling pineapple helps to bring out the flavors and makes it taste, oh, so yummy.  We often use this salsa paired with grilled fish/chicken, and finish it with a drizzling of balsamic vinegar reduction sauce.

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Grilled Pineapple Salsa Recipe (low sodium)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: ~1 1/3 cups

Grilled Pineapple Salsa Recipe (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pineapple, cut into spears (its' easier to grill pineapple in spears)
  • cooking oil*
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 c red onion, chopped
  • 1/8 c freshly squeezed lime juice (or roughly one lime)
  • Optional:
  • 1/4 jalapeno, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard

Instructions

  1. Grill the pineapple, cool and dice: Preheat the grill to high. Spray the grill with cooking oil*. Place the pineapple on the grill until you start to see grill marks forming, roughly 3-4 minutes per side. Rotate the spears until the pineapple has been cooked on each side. Cool and dice into small "salsa sized" pieces.
  2. Combine all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix together.
  3. Optional: Chill for 90 minutes.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/grilled-pineapple-salsa-recipe/

* I use grape seed oil because I am heating the oil and want to be mindful of the smoke point

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Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce Recipe

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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In addition to being low sodium, this balsamic reduction sauce is one the easiest to make.   A balsamic reduction sauce can have many uses — as a salad dressing, sauce accompaniment (to cooked proteins), or even drizzled on vanilla ice cream.  I most often use a balsamic reduction sauce to add an extra “wow” to cooked dishes – for example, a balsamic reduction helps to round out the entire dish when paired with foods that are slightly more acidic in nature (i.e., grilled pineapple salsa on fish or chicken).

When buying and using recipes that call for balsamic vinegar, be sure to closely read the label and ingredients declaration as many brands and products can vary significantly in both their nutritional content (i.e., sodium and sugar) and ingredients composition.  We have found that many brands have added caramel/caramel coloring, cider vinegar, sugar, corn syrup, or other additives to their balsamic.  These types of  “faux balsamic vinegars” won’t work well with this reduction cooking technique.

It’s not necessary to spend a fortune on the “good balsamic” to get a tasty balsamic reduction sauce — “middle of the road” commercial balsamic vinegar works just fine.

PS. While this is a very simple recipes, please note that the reduction process emits a somewhat intense fume –  so be prepared to use your cooking vent/fan or open a door/window!

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Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce Recipe (low sodium)

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce Recipe (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small non-reactive pan (i.e., enamel or stainless steel), cook on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
  2. [Once the liquid is at a boil], immediately turn down the heat down (to medium) and let the sauce simmer. Monitor the sauce, as it can burn quickly. As it simmers, the volume will reduce. You'll know that the reduction sauce is ready when the quantity of liquid remaining in the pan is approx 1/3 c.

Notes

*Shown above mixed with olive oil.

http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/balsamic-vinegar-reduction-sauce-recip/

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Cooking & Food Tips, Low Sodium Ingredients, Low Sodium Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

How To Make a More Flavorful Chicken Stock/Recipe

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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As we’re no longer adding salt as a “flavor enhancer” when cooking low sodium recipes, it’s important to reconsider the ingredients and the techniques that we use to cook our meals.  For example, where we would have formerly added salt to “bring out the flavors” in a given vegetable mix, in our new world, we might change the vegetables and the proportions that we’re using, and, we might also cook the vegetable mix using a different cooking method — one that better maximizes the available flavors (and aromas).

In general, there are two widely used methods to making a stock (I use the “brown stock” method):

(1) White stock – commonly used.  All of the uncooked the ingredients (veggies, chicken pieces, and herbs) are placed into a large pot and simmered for several hours.  The “all in one” method yields a lighter colored and more “delicate” tasting stock.

(2) Brown stock – I think this gives a superior flavor when compared to the white stock method. In our chicken stock recipe, the chicken/bones have been [pre-]roasted, and the vegetables have been “sweated” prior to adding the water and herbs; the pre-roasting steps stage the ingredient’s flavor release during the simmering step.

Low Sodium Chicken Stock Tips:

  • I’m generally pretty lazy when it comes to browning or pre-roasting the chicken: instead, I use three “halves” (meaning, everything except the skin and back) of “no-salt added” grocery store rotisserie chicken that have been cut up into  3″ or  4″ portions (@ the natural separation points, I re purpose the stewed chicken for other meals).
  • I exclude the skin and entire back of the chicken from the stock, because I’m too lazy to pick through all of the little bones (at the end, when I want to re purpose the stewed meat); the skin only adds fat that I’d have to skim off at the end and I like to save myself an extra step.
  • *If you want to try to roast your own chicken from scratch: roast the pieces in the oven at 375F, for roughly 1 hour – or until well browned.
  • I buy a pre-chopped mirepoix.  My mother thinks I’m incredibly lazy when it comes to stuff like this, but I think this “disposable” method actually helps my life by simplifying the cooking process.  In this way, the only steps I really have to do are: break down the chicken, clean/chop the leek, sweat the vegetables, add the herbs and water, simmer and cool down.
  • This method can also be used to make a beef or veal stock, substitute accordingly, and add a 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped, to  the vegetable mix.
  • To make a vegetable stock, reduce the amount of water to 4-5 qts.  Add: 1 additional leek (so that the recipe uses 2 leeks), 2 oz  mushrooms (sliced),  3 oz of fennel (sliced), and/or 2 oz turnip (sliced).  Note: the addition of high starch vegetables (i.e., potatoes – both regular and sweet, etc.), will discolor the stock and make it murky.

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How to Make a More Flavorful (low sodium) Chicken Stock / Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 5-6 qts

How to Make a More Flavorful (low sodium) Chicken Stock / Recipe

Ingredients

  • 5-6 lbs of pre-roasted chicken, cut up into small pieces roughly 3-4" long. Discard the drippings/fat/skin. Do not rinse/wash the cooked chicken pieces.
  • 3 cups Mirepoix, chopped. You can often buy this already prepared to save time. (Mirepoix consists of 1 cup carrot, chopped; 1 cup celery, chopped; and 1 cup onion, chopped)
  • 1 leek, cleaned and chopped
  • Cooking oil of your choice*
  • 3 garlic cloves, pureed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme**
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4-8 peppercorns (optional)
  • 5 - 6 qts cold water

Instructions

  1. In a stock pot, heat the oil until it is hot. Stir in the carrots/celery/leek/onion/garlic mixture for roughly 5 minutes, or until you see the vegetables "soften" -- the onion [roughly] should turn [more] translucent. Make sure you don't brown the vegetables (overcooked).
  2. Add cold water, chicken, bay leaves, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer (not boil).
  3. Simmer for 2 -3 hours.
  4. Strain.
  5. Immediately cool the stock - do not let the stock sit "out" and "calm down to room temperature" (letting stock sit out and cool at room temperature is actually considered to be a food safety hazard). We cool our stock by immersing the container (holding the chicken stock) into a cold water bath (meaning, put down [silicone] trivets first if your sink can not handle hot pots, place the heated stock pot into the sink, and fill the sides AROUND the stock container with cold water, leave a couple of inches at the top).
  6. Once the stock has been adequately cooled via the cold water bath, refrigerate immediately.

Notes

* I use grape seed oil because I am heating the oil and want to be mindful of the smoke point ** In the photo, I ran out of thyme so I used epazote (the most wonderful herb) that grows in our garden

http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/05/how-to-make-more-flavorful-chicken-stock-recipe/

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