The Low Sodium Cookbook (10 page)

Cooking spray

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

4 eggs

¼ cup chunky salsa

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Spray four 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray.

3. Cover the bottom of each ramekin with spinach, dividing it equally. Make a slight indentation in the center of each layer of spinach.

4. Crack one egg on top of the spinach in each ramekin. Top each egg with 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1 tablespoon of goat cheese. Sprinkle with pepper.

5. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the whites are completely set, but the yolk is still a bit runny. Serve immediately.

Garlicky Mushroom and Cheese Omelet

SERVES 1

SODIUM //
200 MG

BUDGET-FRIENDLY // COOKING FOR ONE // QUICK

Omelets are quick and easy to make and there are endless variations. This one is full of garlicky sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Using low-fat, low-sodium cheese keeps it healthful. It’s a hearty breakfast that’s fast enough to make on a weekday morning but special enough to serve for brunch.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon water

Freshly ground pepper

Cooking spray

½ teaspoon minced garlic

4 ounces sliced button or cremini mushrooms

1 ounce shredded low-fat, low-sodium Swiss cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, water, and pepper to taste together until well combined.

2. Spray a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl.

3. Spray the skillet again with cooking spray, if needed, and place it over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook them until the edges begin to set. With a spatula, push the set egg from the edges toward the center. Tilt the pan, allowing the uncooked egg to spread around the outside of the set egg. Cook until the omelet is nearly set.

4. Spoon the cooked mushrooms into the omelet in a line down the center. Top with the cheese and half of the parsley.

5. Fold one side of the omelet over the top of the other side. Let it cook for 1 minute or so more to melt the cheese.

6. Slide the omelet onto a plate and serve immediately, garnished with the remaining parsley.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Snacks and Appetizers

S
o often, the snacks and appetizers we reach for are full of fat, sugar, and sodium because when we are feeling peckish in the middle of the workday, craving nibbles while watching a game on TV, or hungry just before mealtime, what we really want is tons of flavor. And let’s face it: fat, sugar, and salt deliver lots of flavor in satisfying morsels.

In this chapter, we’ve provided recipes for quick snacks, sweet treats, and crave-worthy appetizers that skimp on fat, sugar, and salt but not on flavor. So go ahead and snack without guilt or regrets.

Lemon-Pepper Popcorn with Parmesan

SERVES 4

SODIUM //
105 MG

LOW-FAT // QUICK

You might not think of popcorn as a health food, but it is a whole grain. It is full of fiber and loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants. The big problem is that people tend to cook it in oil, drench it with butter, and load it with salt. In this version, we start with low-fat air-popped popcorn and add lots of flavor with lemon pepper and a bit of grated Parmesan cheese. So go ahead, mix up a batch for your next movie night.

4 cups air-popped popcorn

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

¾ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Toss well and serve immediately.

Curry-Lime Peanuts

SERVES 8

SODIUM //
155 MG

BUDGET-FRIENDLY // MAKE AHEAD

Peanuts are a great source of heart-healthful monounsaturated fats as well as vitamins and minerals—including vitamin E, niacin, folate, and manganese—that are known to promote a healthy heart. They also deliver high doses of resveratrol, the antioxidant that gives red wine its reputation as a heart-healthful beverage.

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons curry powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cups unsalted peanuts