500 Low Sodium Recipes (39 page)

The cheese is the main ingredient that adds sodium and fat to pizza, so you need to limit it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a good-tasting treat with some small amount of positive nutritional value.

1 ½ teaspoons yeast

1 ¾ cups (185 g) bread flour

¾ cup (175 ml) water

1 tablespoon (20 g) honey

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

For sauce:

1 ½ cups (355 ml) skim milk

3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

For toppings:

1 tomato, sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into rings

½ cup (80 g) onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup (70 g) broccoli florets

1 cup (115 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Place first 5 ingredients in bread machine in order specified by manufacturer and process on dough cycle. Turn out the dough onto a floured board. At this point you may form the pizza, or refrigerate the dough for several hours, well wrapped in plastic so it won’t dry out. (Although a refrigerator rest is not necessary, it makes the dough easier to handle.) Stretch dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6) until lightly browned around the edges. Shake sauce ingredients together in a jar. Cook and stir until thickened. Spread sauce over crust and arrange toppings on top. Sprinkle cheese over all. Return to oven until cheese is melted and starting to brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
112 g water; 234 calories (24% from fat, 21% from protein, 55% from carb); 12 g protein; 6 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 32 g carb; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 238 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
90 mg sodium
; 234 mg potassium; 537 IU vitamin A; 25 mg vitamin C; 13 mg cholesterol

A meatless Italian meal, relatively low in the things most people should be avoiding anyway. Summer would probably be a good time for this, when fresh vegetables are plentiful.

1 eggplant, sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into rings

1 onion, sliced

16 ounces (455 g) mushrooms, sliced

2 zucchinis, sliced

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

3 cups (750 g) low sodium spaghetti sauce

1 cup (115 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brush veggies with olive oil. Grill or panfry until soft. Spray a 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33-cm) baking dish with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Spoon enough sauce in the bottom to cover. Layer veggies, adding sauce every couple of layers. Finish with sauce and then cheese. Bake at 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6) until hot through and cheese is browned.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
301 g water; 223 calories (44% from fat, 20% from protein, 37% from carb); 11 g protein; 11 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat;21 g carb; 6 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 204 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
42 mg sodium
; 884 mg potassium; 1830 IU vitamin A; 62 mg vitamin C; 12 mg cholesterol

This is not quite a traditional recipe, which usually includes escarole rather than spinach and leaves out the extra veggies. We prefer it this way, but you can adjust it that way if you want. This makes a pretty large pot, with some left for lunches for us.

10 ounces (280 g) frozen spinach

1 onion, chopped

½ cup (50 g) celery, chopped

3/4 cup (98 g) carrot, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

½ teaspoon celery seed

6 cups (1410 ml) low sodium chicken broth

1 pound (455 g) Meatballs (see recipe, page 328)

Thaw spinach, rinse well, let drain until dry, then chop. In a large skillet over moderate heat, sauté the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in olive oil. Add celery seed. Place vegetables and chicken broth in a soup kettle and simmer for at least a half hour. Add meatballs to the soup and boil gently for 10 minutes longer.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
270 g water; 220 calories (57% from fat, 32% from protein, 10% from carb); 18 g protein; 14 g total fat; 5 g saturated fat; 7 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 6 g carb; 2 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 92 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
153 mg sodium
; 474 mg potassium; 5753 IU vitamin A; 4 mg vitamin C; 44 mg cholesterol

You can either use canned beans for this or cook your own from dried beans.

½ cup (80 g) onion, chopped

½ cup (65 g) carrot, diced

1 cup zucchini, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

2 cups (475 ml) low sodium beef broth

2 cups (450 g) no-salt-added great northern beans

½ pound (225 g) Meatballs (see recipe, page 328)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups (475 ml) no-salt-added tomatoes

Sauté onion, carrot, zucchini, and garlic in oil until tender. Add to soup pot with other ingredients and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Add additional water if needed. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
250 g water; 186 calories (27% from fat, 30% from protein, 44% from carb); 14 g protein; 6 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 21 g carb; 5 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 70 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
66 mg sodium
; 669 mg potassium; 1453 IU vitamin A; 18 mg vitamin C; 22 mg cholesterol

I’ve always liked Mexican food, but especially since we went to Mexico on our honeymoon. It has become traditional celebration food for us for anniversaries and other special occasions. Real Mexican food tends to be very high in fat and sodium. We’ve tried to reverse that trend here, producing some recipes with true Mexican flavor without the sodium and with reduced fat.

Making your own tortillas would help the sodium count here a lot … I still haven’t done that. The lowest-sodium ones I’ve been able to find are about 130 mg per tortilla. This was really kind of a throw-together thing at the last minute, but it came out well.

½ pound (225 g) ground beef

¼ cup (40 g) onion, chopped

¼ cup (30 g) green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup (225 g) no-salt-added kidney beans

½ teaspoon Mexican Seasoning (see recipe, page 29)

4 flour tortillas

¼ cup (60 g) sour cream

4 ounces (115 g) low sodium cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown ground beef, onion, and pepper in a skillet. Stir in beans and seasoning. Mash beans and cook until heated through. Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds between damp paper towels. Divide meat-bean mixture between tortillas. Garnish with sour cream and cheese. Roll up, folding the ends inside.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
111 g water; 498 calories (46% from fat, 24% from protein, 31% from carb); 29 g protein; 25 g total fat; 12 g saturated fat; 9 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 38 g carb; 5 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 295 mg calcium; 4 mg iron;
183 mg sodium
; 496 mg potassium; 410 IU vitamin A; 9 mg vitamin C; 81 mg cholesterol

This is pretty basic stuff. The trick is to use a salt-free taco seasoning mix like the Frontier brand or the Mexican Seasoning in
Chapter 2
. Flour tortillas have way more sodium than corn ones for some reason. And the amount varies greatly, so choose carefully.

1 pound (455 g) boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 large onion, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 tablespoon (7 g) Mexican Seasoning (see recipe, page 29)

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

4 flour tortillas

½ cup (115 g) sour cream

½ cup (113 g) Dick’s Best Salsa (see recipe, page 49)

Sauté chicken, onion, pepper, and seasoning in oil. Place tortillas between 2 wet paper towels. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Place meat and veggie mixture in center of tortilla; garnish with sour cream and salsa. Fold in one side, the bottom, and then the other side.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
169 g water; 477 calories (39% from fat, 35% from protein, 27% from carb); 41 g protein; 20 g total fat; 7 g saturated fat; 7 g monounsaturated fat; 6 g polyunsaturated fat; 31 g carb; 3 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 118 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
230 mg sodium
; 501 mg potassium; 347 IU vitamin A; 32 mg vitamin C; 109 mg cholesterol

This is a very showy meal, with the large pieces of corn and zucchini. It can be cooked on the stove in a covered Dutch oven, or if you happen to have the traditional Spanish clay pot called an olla, that would be even better. But I’ve always cooked it in the oven in a covered enamelware cooker, which makes the beef very tender.

2 pounds (910 g) beef stew meat, cubed

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

3 ¼ cups (765 ml) water, divided

2 tablespoons (0.8 g) dried parsley

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups (475 ml) no-salt-added tomatoes

1 onion, cut up

2 tablespoons (16 g) sesame seeds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon low sodium beef bouillon

¼ teaspoon cumin

2 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

3 medium potatoes, diced

3 ears corn, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces

Brown meat in oil, half at a time. Place meat, 3 cups (705 ml) water, parsley, and red pepper flakes in covered roasting pan and cook at 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) until meat is tender, about 1 ½ hours. In blender, combine tomatoes, onion, the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) water, sesame seeds, garlic, bouillon, and cumin. Blend until nearly smooth. Add to beef mixture along with zucchini, potatoes, and corn. Continue cooking until vegetables are done, about 40 minutes.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
402 g water; 519 calories (40% from fat, 30% from protein, 30% from carb); 39 g protein; 23 g total fat; 8 g saturated fat; 9 g monounsaturated fat; 3 g polyunsaturated fat; 39 g carb; 5 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 59 mg calcium; 6 mg iron;
104 mg sodium
; 1321 mg potassium; 443 IU vitamin A; 47 mg vitamin C; 113 mg cholesterol

I pieced this recipe together after having a taste of a chicken soup at a Mexican restaurant in Old Town San Diego. It isn’t exactly the same, but it’s close and very good.

4 cups (940 ml) low sodium chicken broth

1 onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

½ cup (65 g) carrot, diagonally sliced

½ cup (50 g) celery, diagonally sliced

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup (110 g) chicken breast, cooked and coarsely shredded

3 tablespoons (12 g) fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lime juice

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, cilantro, and lime juice. Cook until chicken is heated through. Heat oil in a skillet and fry tortilla strips until crisp, but not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
402 g water; 234 calories (34% from fat, 28% from protein, 38% from carb); 17 g protein; 9 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 5 g polyunsaturated fat; 23 g carb; 4 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 98 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
162 mg sodium
; 634 mg potassium; 3442 IU vitamin A; 108 mg vitamin C; 30 mg cholesterol

A stew full of chicken and chunky vegetables, flavored with Mexican spices. Cooked while you are gone in the slow cooker, it gives the house a nice aroma to come home to. If you want a little more substantial meal, you can serve it over rice.

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cups zucchini, thickly sliced

1 ½ cups (370 g) plum tomatoes, chopped

½ cup (65 g) frozen corn

1 tablespoon (7.5 g) chili powder

½ tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon (3 g) dried oregano

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups (475 ml) low sodium chicken broth

Place onion in the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover with chicken and then vegetables. Stir spices into broth and pour over. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
214 g water; 133 calories (16% from fat, 42% from protein, 42% from carb); 15 g protein; 2 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 15 g carb; 4 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 56 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
47 mg sodium
; 621 mg potassium; 1393 IU vitamin A; 53 mg vitamin C; 33 mg cholesterol