500 Low Sodium Recipes (37 page)

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
227 g water; 273 calories (32% from fat, 46% from protein, 22% from carb); 31 g protein; 10 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 15 g carb; 3 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 44 mg calcium; 4 mg iron;
73 mg sodium
; 792 mg potassium; 1105 IU vitamin A; 35 mg vitamin C; 85 mg cholesterol

I know a number of people who would never use the no-boil lasagna, and I do have to admit that I prefer the flavor and texture of the old-fashioned kind better too. On the other hand, this is something that you can throw together pretty easily when you get home from work. It contains less mozzarella and Parmesan cheese than most recipes call for. Ricotta cheese, on the other hand, is relatively low in sodium.

1 pound (455 g) ground beef

2 eggs

15 ounces (435 g) ricotta cheese

2 cups (230 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

6 cups (1500 g) low sodium spaghetti sauce

9 ounces (270 g) lasagna noodles, no-boil type

Brown meat and drain. Mix together eggs, ricotta, 1 cup (115 g) of the mozzarella, and the Parmesan. Spread 1 cup (250 g) of sauce in the bottom of a 13 × 9-inch (33 × 23-cm) baking pan sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Place 4 lasagna noodle on the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread half the cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with half the meat. Spread 1 ½ cups (375 g) sauce over top. Repeat with noodles, remainder of cheese and meat, and 1 ½ (375 g) cups of sauce. Place 4 more noodles on top and cover with remaining sauce and the remaining 1 cup (115 g) of mozzarella. Bake, covered with foil, at 375°F (190°C, gas mark 5) for 50 to 60 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until cheese is melted, about 5 more minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Yield:
12 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
177 g water; 375 calories (41% from fat, 28% from protein, 31% from carb); 26 g protein; 17 g total fat; 7 g saturated fat; 6 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 29 g carb; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 320 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
158 mg sodium
; 623 mg potassium; 1214 IU vitamin A; 10 mg vitamin C; 55 mg cholesterol

Carbonara is a very popular, tasty, and easy-to-prepare Roman dish. Be careful not to overcook the pasta, as you will be cooking it a little longer in the pan with the sauce. And be careful not to end up with scrambled eggs … the egg should stick to the hot pasta and be barely cooked. We added some mushrooms and broccoli and made a whole meal out of it.

4 slices low sodium bacon

12 ounces (340 g) pasta

2 eggs

2 tablespoons (30 ml) skim milk

2 tablespoons (10 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh parsley, chopped

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cut bacon into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces and cook in a skillet large enough to eventually hold both the pasta and the sauce. Cook the pasta according to package directions. In a bowl, beat the eggs along with the milk, cheese, and spices. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the pan with the bacon. Turn the heat on to very low and add the egg-cheese mixture, stirring continuously for a couple of minutes until eggs are heated through.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
40 g water; 428 calories (23% from fat, 19% from protein, 58% from carb); 20 g protein; 11 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 62 g carb; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 92 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
177 mg sodium
; 314 mg potassium; 385 IU vitamin A; 3 mg vitamin C; 215 mg cholesterol

Yes, between cheese, milk, and seafood, this has a fairly large amount of sodium. Those who are on a very restrictive diet may want to skip it, and the rest of us should be careful what we eat with it. It makes an elegant meal over spaghetti, good enough to serve to company.

8 ounces (225 g) shrimp, peeled

8 ounces (225 g) scallops

½ pound (225 g) salmon fillets, cubed

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups (355 ml) skim milk

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large saucepan, sauté shrimp, scallops, salmon, and garlic in olive oil until just cooked through. Shake together flour and milk. Add to pan along with Italian seasoning. Cook and stir until thickened and just beginning to boil. Stir in cheese. Serve over pasta.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
138 g water; 229 calories (41% from fat, 45% from protein, 14% from carb); 25 g protein; 10 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 8 g carb; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 166 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
265 mg sodium
; 436 mg potassium; 275 IU vitamin A; 4 mg vitamin C; 111 mg cholesterol

This was Valentine’s Day dinner. It’s the kind of meal that looks like it’s a lot more trouble than it really is.

½ cup (80 g) onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

¾ cup (135 g) roma tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup (60 ml) red wine

8 ounces (230 g) no-salt-added tomato sauce

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil

1 cup (235 ml) skim milk

½ pound (225 g) shrimp, peeled

Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Add tomato sauce and spices. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in milk and cook to desired thickness. Add shrimp and cook until just pink.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
207 g water; 129 calories (7% from fat, 53% from protein, 39% from carb); 16 g protein; 1 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 12 g carb; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 133 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
173 mg sodium
; 548 mg potassium; 699 IU vitamin A; 15 mg vitamin C; 112 mg cholesterol

The lemon juice gives this a distinctive flavor while complementing the shrimp nicely. The shrimp has a fairly large amount of natural sodium, but there is very little in the rest of the ingredients, so the total is reasonable.

6 ounces (170 g) fettuccine

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

2 cups (140 g) broccoli florets

4 ounces (115 g) fresh green beans

½ cup (60 g) red bell pepper, cut into strips

12 ounces (340 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice

½ cup (120 ml) low sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch

Cook the fettuccine according to package directions and drain. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the vegetables and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the shrimp and continue to cook for 4 more minutes. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir into shrimp mixture. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cooked fettuccine and cook until heated through.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
188 g water; 288 calories (19% from fat, 33% from protein, 48% from carb); 24 g protein; 6 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 35 g carb; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 86 mg calcium; 4 mg iron;
162 mg sodium
; 449 mg potassium; 1687 IU vitamin A; 61 mg vitamin C; 160 mg cholesterol

This is a dish where if you are careful with the ingredients, you can end up with something that fits within your diet that you may not have thought possible. I lowered the sodium by reducing the amount of mozzarella and Parmesan that the original recipe called for and using a low sodium sauce. The real key here is to be careful which ricotta you use. In my local store I found a range from 20 mg per serving to more than 100 mg. As usual, the lower-fat varieties had more sodium. Choose carefully and you can have a classic Italian meal and still maintain your sodium intake.

1 pound (455 g) large pasta shells

4 cups (1000 g) ricotta cheese

½ cup (60 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs

1 tablespoon (0.4 g) dried parsley

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

3 cups (750 g) low sodium spaghetti sauce

Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and spread out in a single layer on waxed paper. Combine remaining ingredients except spaghetti sauce. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33-cm) pan that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling and place in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) until cheese is hot and sauce bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
228 g water; 356 calories (41% from fat, 27% from protein, 33% from carb); 24 g protein; 16 g total fat; 8 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 29 g carb; 2 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 465 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
247 mg sodium
; 481 mg potassium; 1351 IU vitamin A; 8 mg vitamin C; 125 mg cholesterol

This makes a nice meat-free meal with just a salad for accompaniment. I’d never tried microwaving a spaghetti squash before, but it worked out better than baking it, staying soft and juicy and taking less than half the time.

1 medium spaghetti squash

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

2 cups (140 g) mushrooms, sliced

½ cup (65 g) carrot, grated

½ cup (60 g) green bell pepper, chopped

½ cup (112.5 g) no-salt-added peas

1 tablespoon (7 g) Italian seasoning

½ tablespoon garlic powder

¼ cup (60 ml) red wine

½ cup (60 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pierce squash to center in several places. Microwave on high, 20 minutes, turning several times during cooking if microwave does not have a turntable. Slice in half lengthwise. When cool enough to handle, remove seeds and shred squash into strands with a fork. Place all remaining ingredients except cheese in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve sauce over squash. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield:
4 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
315 g water; 151 calories (22% from fat, 23% from protein, 55% from carb); 9 g protein; 4 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 21 g carb; 6 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 187 mg calcium; 2 mg iron;
70 mg sodium
; 630 mg potassium; 3343 IU vitamin A; 34 mg vitamin C; 9 mg cholesterol

The inspiration for this recipe was one in a Pillsbury recipe book that you probably saw at the grocery checkout stand. With a little careful switching of ingredients, ours has 119 mg of sodium per serving instead of the 900 mg theirs had.

1 ¼ pounds (570 g) ground beef

¾ pound (340 g) ground pork

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic, minced

½ teaspoon coriander

¼ teaspoon fennel seed

1 egg

¼ cup (13 g) bread crumbs, from low sodium bread

8 ounces (230 g) no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided

8 ounces (225 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 cups (60 g) fresh spinach

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4). In a large bowl, mix together meat, spices, egg, bread crumbs, and ½ cup (122 g) of the tomato sauce. Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Pat meat mixture to a 12 × 18-inch (30 × 46-cm) rectangle on foil. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, pressing into meat. Top with spinach. Starting at the short end, roll up tightly, using foil to start roll. Seal ends. Transfer to 13 × 9-inch (33 × 23-cm) baking dish. Bake for 1 hour. Spread remaining sauce over top and bake 15 minutes longer.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
115 g water; 424 calories (57% from fat, 37% from protein, 6% from carb); 38 g protein; 26 g total fat; 11 g saturated fat; 11 g monounsaturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 6 g carb; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 246 mg calcium; 3 mg iron;
119 mg sodium
; 572 mg potassium; 990 IU vitamin A; 6 mg vitamin C; 143 mg cholesterol

Almost as good as pizza … and no more work, really. You’ll find the dough easier to roll out if you let it dry out a little on each side after separating it into balls. A few minutes are all that’s needed until the surface is no longer sticky. You can obviously experiment with the filling ingredients to match whatever your preference is.

For dough:

1 cup (235 ml) water

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil