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Toasted Pecans & Walnuts – “Naked” or with Cinnamon & Brown Sugar

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Toasting nuts is quick and easy. Five minutes is all it takes to transform raw nuts into crisp, warm, irresistible morsels. When toasted, pecans develop a buttery, smoky flavor. Walnuts develop deeper sweetness and a rich, nutty flavor.

We like to keep bags of raw nuts in the pantry for impromptu toasting and healthy snacking. And, they’re simply fantastic for entertaining and cleansing the palette between sweet and savory food bites. These toasted nuts are also delightful in salads and desserts, or sprinkled with seasonings. We’ve included an option for a sweet treat: cinnamon and brown sugar coated nuts. There’s plenty of opportunity to get creative.

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Toasted Pecans & Walnuts – “Naked” or with Cinnamon & Brown Sugar (low sodium)

Toasted Pecans & Walnuts – “Naked” or with Cinnamon & Brown Sugar (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  •  :
  • Optional for Cinnamon Brown Sugar Toasted Nuts
  • Olive oil spray (or other oil spray)
  • 4 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Directions For Toasting "Naked"
  2. Place nuts in nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat;
  3. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes until pecans deepen in color and a nutty scent develops (keep an eye on them to prevent burning);
  4. Transfer immediately to serving bowl (nuts will continue to cook and could burn if left in the hot pan).
  5.  
  6. For Cinnamon Brown Sugar Toasted Nuts
  7. Follow steps above
  8. In the bowl, spray nuts with oil, lightly coating;
  9. Add cinnamon, brown sugar and mix until nuts are coated around;
  10. Let cool and serve.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2012/01/toasted-pecans-walnuts-naked-or-with-cinnamon-brown-sugar/

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Recipes, Low Sodium Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Vegetables Recipe

December 14, 2011 By 2 Comments
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Make a yummy Israeli couscous salad with a zingy dressing.

I always smile when I see Israeli couscous served on my plate. The little round balls pique my curiosity and invite me to grab a scoop before sampling anything else. They’re fun to eat and tasty. Perhaps this is why it’s a popular dish with Israeli kids…and adults alike, around the world.

While couscous seems like a grain, it’s actually a product of semolina (durum wheat), like pasta. The north African  couscous that we are most familiar with is made by rolling semolina, water and wheat flour into pellets and drying. Israeli couscous, on the other hand, is slightly different. The semolina pellets are made larger and they’re toasted, rather than dried. This creates pasta “pearls” with nutty flavor and chewy consistency.

Israeli couscous is simple to prepare: toast the pellets in a pan, add liquid and other ingredients if desired, and simmer down. Some great attributes are its ability to absorb the flavors of the broth, plus the pellets really hold their shape and texture when cooked. We also appreciate its respectable 0mg of sodium per 1/3 cup.

Easily combined with a myriad of spices, vegetables and meats, Israeli couscous is a handy ingredient to keep in the pantry. Here, we’ve created a vegetarian dish with roasted vegetables and a mustard-balsamic dressing that has no added salt, and happens to burst with mouthwatering flavor.

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Israeli Couscous with Roasted Vegetables Recipe (low sodium)

Yield: Serves 4

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Vegetables Recipe (low sodium)

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons no-salt stone ground mustard (or any salt-free mustard)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced or pressed
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 white squash or zucchini, quartered and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 yellow squash, quartered and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 10 sugar plum tomatoes (or 2 Roma tomatoes diced into ½ in pieces)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 oz Israeli couscous (1 ½ cups)
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to broil and make the dressing: combine first 3 ingredients and slowly whisk in ¼ cup olive oil.
  2. Place vegetables on foil-lined broiling pan. Brush with dressing and broil for 12-15 minutes until squash is soft. Let cool.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add Israeli couscous and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
  4. Add broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered. Stir occasionally. When liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, remove from heat (about 10 minutes).
  5. Transfer to a large bowl and fold-in the basil, orange zest, remaining dressing and the roasted vegetables with juices.
http://lowsodiumblog.com/2011/12/israeli-couscous-with-roasted-vegetables-recipe/

 

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Recipes, Low Sodium Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Apples – Delicacies from the Silk Road

November 16, 2011 By
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“To eat an apple before going to bed, will make a doctor beg his bread” – the original English adage.

Apples have been enjoyed since 6500 B.C. and have gone from being a forbidden fruit to a 21st century antioxidant-containing superfruit that keeps the doctor away. I’d say apples have done well keeping on the human radar. They’re also a delight to eat, boasting only 2mg of sodium while providing 5 grams of fiber per apple.*

* Note, if you’re watching your carbs, sugar or potassium, an apple contains approximately 25 grams Total Carbohydrates with 19 grams of sugar and 195mg of potassium (3” diameter, 182g).

Originally from Kazakhstan and the mountains of Central Asia, apples made their way east by traders on the Silk Road. Brought to North America by colonists in the 17th century, Washington now claims the title of the apple capital of the U.S. The state produces nearly 60% of the U.S. apple crop and exports its crisp fruit worldwide.

While writing this article, the Honeycrisp apple (left side of photo) was beckoning me to bite into it. Shiny with shades of red, yellow and green, I was curious to taste it. But its sweet aroma is what finally got me. Crisp and juicy, smooth pieces popped off with each puncture of the skin. So good, so satisfying, the other varietals vanished quickly after.

Varieties and Clubs

The Red Delicious tops the market in production, accounting for 30% of Washington’s crop. The top nine apples are:

Red Delicious

Golden Delicious

Gala

Fuji

Granny Smith

Braeburn

Honeycrisp

Cripps Pink

Cameo

 

I was amazed to learn that there are over 7500 varieties in the U.S. and that number continues to grow. In fact, there’s a trend in the industry called “club” varieties. As apple breeders develop new varietals, some growers (clubs) license and grow the new apples in hopes of one becoming super popular and hitting the jackpot (similar to the explosive growth of the Fuji).

How are Apples Available Year-Round?

Harvesting occurs from late summer through fall. So how do we buy apples in say, spring? Controlled Atmospheric Storage (aka, CA). In CA, temperature is maintained at 32-36 degrees F with careful control of humidity, oxygen and carbon dioxide to slow the ripening process. Trivia tidbit: there’s enough storage in eastern Washington for over 120 million boxes of apples!

More Apple Facts

  • Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than in the refrigerator.
  • 45,000 temporary workers handpick 10-12 billion apples each year in Washington alone; enough fruit to circle the earth 29 times.
  • Nutrients and antioxidants are mostly contained in apple skin.
  • Shiny apples have the best crispiness and taste. Those with white chalky areas have likely been exposed to excessive heat or moisture.
  • Sliced apples can be protected from oxidation by dipping in a solution of 1 part lemon or lime juice to 3 parts water.

Are Apples Waxed?

Yes! While apples have their own natural waxy coating, about half of it is lost in post-harvest washing. So, producers apply wax to the apples to prevent moisture loss, slow down respiration and keep the apple crispy. The wax typically used is non-petroleum, FDA-approved carnauba or shellac.

While carnauba sounds like an industrial car wax, it comes from the leaves of palm. Shellac is a resin secreted by female lac bugs on trees in Southeast Asia and India. Hmm, carnauba sounds a bit more appealing to me. It is also permissible under the National Organic Program, though waxing is uncommon among organic growers.

Uses

While the popular Red Delicious apples are primarily recommended for eating fresh, most other varieties are highly versatile, used in pies and baking, and in cooking and sauces. Try our Roasted Autumn Vegetables where the sweetness of the baked apple compliments the fennel beautifully. Of course, apples are simply great as a healthy snack.

Filed Under: Blog, Bytes to Digest, Low Sodium Ingredients Tagged With: , ,

Chile Peppers: To “E”, or not to “E”, that is the question.

September 2, 2011 By
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There’s a heated debate in the chile pepper world…what you think? Take our Poll.

When writing our post on how to roast chiles, someone pointed out that some dictionaries spell chile as chili, ending in an “I” — though, we’ve often seen chile references that end in an “E”.  Occasionally, we’ve noticed that the spelling sometimes even flip flops within the same sentence (as we’ve done on purpose, to satisfy different preferences).  We realized that we’d inadvertently stumbled upon a heated debate – to “E”, or not to “E”, that is the question.

What’s behind the spelling variants?

Chile with an “E”

Chile with an “e” is the “raw”, non-translated version of the same word of 17th Century Mexican Spanish origin.   Later, in 1965, the state of New Mexico, whose cuisine revolves around its famous Hatch chile peppers, adopted the chile as a state vegetable.   We also noticed that the New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute defines the chile as anything consisting of the Capsicum plant or the fruit from the plant.

Chili with an “I”

Widely used in the U.S, the dictionaries we referenced (Merriam Webster’s and Oxford) indicate that chili is appropriate and chile is a variant. Additionally, chili with an “i” has evolved as a contemporary urban reference to the dish chili con carne (chili with meat, as in a bowl of chili).

To note a distinction between the fruit and the dish, chile pepper aficionados tend to spell it with an “e” when referring to the fruit, and use chili (“i”) when referring to the dish.

Either way, we love chile peppers because they are low in sodium, flavorful, and a highly diverse ingredient.   Hatch it up!!

What do you think — Chile or chili pepper?  Take our poll and let us know your thoughts!

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[gravityform id=2 name=Whatdo you think? What spelling do you use??]

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

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).
Filed Under: Blog, Featured Recipes, 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/

Filed Under: Blog, Cooking & Food "How To's", Low Sodium Ingredients, Low Sodium Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

In Defense of Grape Seed Oil

April 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Grape seed Oil vs Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Harry Truman must have been thinking about extra virgin olive oil when he said “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen”. When cooking over heat, the oil’s smoke point is one of my primary considerations.

Don’t get me wrong, I love extra virgin olive oil — especially when used to make salad dressings and drizzled over bread, however, EVOO’s smoke point lies somewhere near 320-325 degrees F. Simply put: I don’t dare smoke the EVOO. When I see the blue smoke, I know I’ve overheated the oil.

On the flip side, Grape seed oil has high heat tolerance: the smoke point is roughly 420F. Grape seed oil has a relatively taste-less flavor profile, so it works well as a base for my low-sodium holiday turkey marinade, pan frying, and bbq-ing. Additionally, grape seed oil is [typically] a “sodium free” ingredient (meaning, there may be a trivial amount of sodium).

In selecting a grape seed oil brand, I consider how the oil is extracted. Some manufacturers use a hexane (solvent) based extraction method during manufacturing process; I like the brands that use a heated expeller press to extract the oil (prefer to factor out my concerns regarding residue yielded from a hexane extraction process).

Hopefully this demystifies the grape seed oil selection criteria. Happy hunting.

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