500 Low Sodium Recipes (31 page)

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
32 g water; 166 calories (32% from fat, 10% from protein, 59% from carb); 4 g protein; 6 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 24 g carb; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 19 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
6 mg sodium
; 125 mg potassium; 381 IU vitamin A; 13 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

When I first started the low sodium diet, most of the starchy side dishes we ate were very plain. It was usually baked or boiled potatoes, plain rice, or plain pasta. What could be more boring? But over time I’ve found a number of ways to add flavor and interest to these kinds of dishes, and that is what this chapter contains.

This will liven up the flavor of instant mashed potatoes, which tend to be a bit bland when you make them without salt.

1 ½ cups (355 ml) low sodium chicken broth

½ cup (120 ml) skim milk

2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 ½ (96 g) cups instant mashed potatoes

Combine all ingredients except potatoes in a saucepan. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in potatoes. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff before serving.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
118 g water; 135 calories (39% from fat, 12% from protein, 50% from carb); 4 g protein; 6 g total fat; 4 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 17 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 59 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
74 mg sodium
; 334 mg potassium; 242 IU vitamin A; 16 mg vitamin C; 16 mg cholesterol

These make a flavorful addition to any meal, spicing up a piece of plain grilled meat.

4 red potatoes

½ teaspoon Roasted Garlic (see recipe, page 63)

2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter

¼ cup (60 ml) skim milk

2 tablespoons (30 g) cream cheese

1 teaspoon dried chives

1 tablespoon (4 g) fresh parsley

Cube the potatoes (you may peel them or leave unpeeled). Place in a saucepan of water, bring to a boil, and simmer until they are soft but not mushy. Drain very well. Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl; add garlic, butter, milk, and cream cheese. Beat until desired consistency, adding more milk if needed, then add the chives and parsley and mix well.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
48 g water; 198 calories (37% from fat, 7% from protein, 55% from carb); 4 g protein; 8 g total fat; 5 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 28 g carb; 5 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 51 mg calcium; 4 mg iron;
44 mg sodium
; 378 mg potassium; 402 IU vitamin A; 10 mg vitamin C; 24 mg cholesterol

My mother used to make fried potatoes as a side dish for dinner. Nothing at all fancy, no special seasonings or anything. In this version, we’ve reduced the amount of oil needed by using just enough to brown the potatoes, then sealing the pan to steam them the rest of the way.

4 potatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Slice potatoes thinly. Heat the oil in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Place the potatoes in the skillet. Brown on one side. Turn and brown on the other. Cover skillet, reduce heat, and cook until done, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper before serving.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
232 g water; 318 calories (20% from fat, 6% from protein, 74% from carb); 5 g protein; 7 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 4 g polyunsaturated fat; 60 g carb; 5 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 25 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
15 mg sodium
; 984 mg potassium; 9 IU vitamin A; 22 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This is a traditional breakfast kind of dish but also works just as well as a side dish at dinner. Interestingly, the ingredients are almost the same as the latkes, but the flavor is quite different.

4 potatoes

1 onion

4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter

½ teaspoon black pepper

Boil potatoes until almost done. Drain. Coarsely chop potatoes and onion. Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add potatoes and onion. Grind pepper over. Fry until browned, turning frequently.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
262 g water; 373 calories (28% from fat, 6% from protein, 66% from carb); 6 g protein; 12 g total fat; 7 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 63 g carb; 6 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 35 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
18 mg sodium
; 1033 mg potassium; 365 IU vitamin A; 24 mg vitamin C; 31 mg cholesterol

These are similar to the hash browns served at restaurants. The trick is the soaking in cold water to remove the excess starch. The only problem with that is it tends to make this difficult to do when you just want a quick breakfast.

4 potatoes, shredded

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

½ teaspoon black

pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder

Place shredded potatoes in a bowl. Cover with cold water. Add a handful of ice cubes. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Drain and rinse. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add potatoes and spread to an even layer. Grind black pepper and sprinkle onion powder on top. Cook until bottom is brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and cook until other side crisps, about another 5 minutes. Do not stir during cooking.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
232 g water; 321 calories (20% from fat, 6% from protein, 74% from carb); 5 g protein; 7 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 4 g polyunsaturated fat; 61 g carb; 5 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 27 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
15 mg sodium
; 991 mg potassium; 10 IU vitamin A; 22 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

I’m not Jewish, and I have to admit to having only a basic understanding of kosher food requirements. But this recipe was developed from one on a Jewish food site, so I’m guessing it’s a pretty authentic representation of at least one person’s idea of what a latke should be like. The squeezing out of the liquid appears to be the critical step in getting a firmly textured patty that will hold together.

4 potatoes

1 onion

1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil

Peel potatoes. Grate potatoes and onion. Place in a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. Combine potato-onion mixture, flour, egg, and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop potato-onion mixture into oil with a large tablespoon, using the back of the spoon to spread to an even thickness. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn and fry on the other side until done, about 5 minutes more. Drain on paper towels.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
270 g water; 360 calories (21% from fat, 8% from protein, 71% from carb); 7 g protein; 9 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 4 g polyunsaturated fat; 65 g carb; 6 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 39 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
36 mg sodium
; 1048 mg potassium; 80 IU vitamin A; 24 mg vitamin C; 61 mg cholesterol

A typical German side dish. Try these with sauerbraten or just plain grilled pork chops.

6 medium potatoes

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch

1 cup (115 g) low sodium bread crumbs

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup (28 g) all-purpose flour

Peel potatoes and boil until soft. Drain and mash smoothly. Blend in egg, cornstarch, bread crumbs, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and shape into dumplings, about 1-inch (2.5-cm) balls. You may need to add additional flour to make dumplings hold together. Roll each dumpling in flour and drop into rapidly boiling water. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
242 g water; 377 calories (5% from fat, 10% from protein, 85% from carb); 9 g protein; 2 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 81 g carb; 6 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 63 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 36 mg sodium; 1038 mg potassium; 56 IU vitamin A; 22 mg vitamin C; 41 mg cholesterol

Makes a great side dish with any meal off the grill. Feel free to experiment with additional seasonings and spices.

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 medium red potatoes, cubed

½ teaspoon onion powder

Grease a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil with olive oil. Lay potatoes on foil. Spray with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle with onion powder. Fold up edges of foil and seal. Grill over medium heat until done, about 20 minutes.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
27 g water; 126 calories (8% from fat, 8% from protein, 84% from carb); 3 g protein; 1 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 27 g carb; 5 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 21 mg calcium; 4 mg iron;
12 mg sodium
; 335 mg potassium; 6 IU vitamin A; 8 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

A nice flavorful side dish to use with a simple grilled piece of meat.

4 medium red potatoes

1 cup (235 ml) low sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Wash potatoes and cut into ½-inch (1 ¼-cm) cubes; do not peel. Heat chicken broth in a nonstick skillet just large enough to hold the potatoes in 1 layer. Add potatoes, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Chicken broth will evaporate during cooking. Add olive oil and garlic. Toss for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
87 g water; 151 calories (20% from fat, 9% from protein, 71% from carb); 3 g protein; 3 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 27 g carb; 5 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 27 mg calcium; 4 mg iron;
36 mg sodium
; 389 mg potassium; 6 IU vitamin A; 9 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

These would make a nice alternative to rice for an Indian meal.

6 medium potatoes, cubed

4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons (4 g) coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 cup (180 g) tomatoes, chopped

1 cup (230 g) plain low-fat yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4). Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil. Bake about 45 minutes, or until potatoes become browned and crisp. Set aside. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large, nonstick saucepan and sauté onion until golden. Add garlic powder, ginger, and turmeric. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add remaining spices and tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and the potatoes and simmer gently, covered, for about 30 minutes over low heat, until sauce is thick enough to coat the potatoes.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
308 g water; 340 calories (15% from fat, 9% from protein, 76% from carb); 8 g protein; 6 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 66 g carb; 6 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 112 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
47 mg sodium
; 1191 mg potassium; 284 IU vitamin A; 28 mg vitamin C; 2 mg cholesterol

This is similar to the boxed rice pilaf mixes you can buy, except for the amount of sodium in it. It goes well with fish, chicken, or pork.

½ cup (80 g) onion, chopped

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

1 cup (195 g) uncooked rice

½ cup (75 g) orzo or other small pasta

3 ½ cups (825 ml) water

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add rice and orzo or pasta and sauté about 2 minutes longer or until pasta is golden brown. Add water, spices, and lemon juice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
174 g water; 112 calories (38% from fat, 7% from protein, 55% from carb); 2 g protein; 5 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 15 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 14 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
5 mg sodium
; 50 mg potassium; 3 IU vitamin A; 2 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol