Get the Salt Out (37 page)

Preheat and oil the grill. Combine all the ingredients, form into 6 burgers, and grill until no longer pink in the center. Serve with salt-free salsa and a squeeze of lime.
Serves 6.

233
Be adventurous when using salt-free seasonings.
Just because a salt-free blend may be packaged as an onion dip mix, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t also a great addition to meat-loaf, casseroles, or other dishes. Try using mixes in imaginative ways and see what kind of new taste twists you can add to everyday meals.
One Salt Shaker.

234
Avoid chicken or turkey that is “prebasted” or “deep basted.”
You may not have realized it, but prebasted chicken or turkey always has extra salt added to it. It usually is injected with solutions that contain not only refined salt but also things like partially hydrogenated oil, artificial flavor, and sodium-containing preservatives. Avoid these potentially harmful ingredients by seeking out fresh, unprocessed chicken and turkey every time you shop.

235
Also shun premarinated chicken or turkey breast cutlets.
No matter whether the poultry is marinated in lemon-herb, teriyaki, or barbecue sauce, salt is almost always one of the marinade’s top ingredients.

236
Give chicken a taste of India
by using exotic spices like ginger, coriander, cumin, and garam masala (a mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves) in marinades. If you aren’t familiar with Indian food, try this simple Tandoori Chicken recipe from
Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart
by Mrs. Lakhani. You’ll discover that even without salt, Indian food is tantalizing to the taste buds.
One to Two Salt Shakers.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chicken and make a smooth marinade. Make 2 diagonal cuts in each chicken breast and marinate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Broil or grill chicken, occasionally basting with the marinade for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked but not dry.
Serves 4.

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Here’s a creative way to give chicken a piquant flavor and moister texture:
loosen the skin on chicken breasts or thighs and tuck a mixture of herbs in between the skin and the flesh before baking. You can create a flavorful “underskin” by using an endless variety of herb mixtures, but here is one combination I particularly like: 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1½ tablespoons grated lemon zest, and 1½ cups finely chopped parsley. Use only the amount you need for each meal, being careful to prevent any leftover herb mixture from coming in contact with the raw chicken. Remove the skin of the chicken before eating, but be sure to eat all that wonderful “underskin.”
One Salt Shaker.

238
Learn how to reduce the sodium content of Chinese stir-fries.
One simple way is to use sodium-reduced tamari (see tip 63) in place of the standard tamari. If you have only regular tamari soy sauce, though, stretch it with salt-free ingredients like water, sherry, or unsalted broth. The Center for Science in the Public Interest did this in the following recipe for Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts from its book
Salt: The Brand Name Guide to Sodium Content.
This dish contains 302 milligrams of sodium per serving, which is a substantial reduction from the 1,000 milligrams or more per serving in traditional Szechuan-style stir-fries.
Three Salt Shakers.