Hello and welcome to your A to Z Recipes Newsletter. Jeezum there's lots going on around these parts. Just as I allow myself to wallow in self-pity and wipe away my misty eyes, I recall an oft repeated quote: "If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back." My problems are miniscule next to someone with no job, poor health, or no home. I'm the luckiest person I know! Did you know that?
My computer gave me the blue screen of death. Twice. So I'm working off my lap top (which is older than my old car). I haven't been able to take the PC into the shop so I am sending you a few recipes that I had intended to include in an issue - the LAST time I was using my laptop for issues, LOL. They are sodium-easy recipes but don't let that turn you off. They are each wonderful in their own right! And unless stated, I don't recall the source.
We'll see you again here soon, God willing!
BLT SALAD
Here’s a salad version of America’s favorite sandwich. We use shredded tomato as a base for the creamy tomato-and-chive dressing—adding great tang and flavor along with extra vitamin C.
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep: 25 min
Total: 30 min
1 cup cubed whole-wheat country bread
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, divided
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced chives, or scallion greens
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 cups chopped hearts of romaine lettuce
3 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread with oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Cut 1 tomato in half. Working over a large bowl, shred both halves using the large holes on a box grater. Discard the skin. Add mayonnaise, chives (or scallion greens), vinegar, garlic powder and pepper; whisk to combine.
3. Chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, romaine and croutons to the bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with bacon.
Nutritional information:
Calories: 142 Fiber: 3 g Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Carbohydrates: 18 g Protein: 5 g Sodium: 318 mg Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g.
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat Cholesterol: 5 g Carbohydrate Servings: 1 Potassium: 470 mg.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate (30% dv), Potassium (16% dv). Added Sugars: 0 g.
Source: iVillage
http://www.ivillage.com/blt-salad/3-r-295945#ixzz1RFQtWfPG
CHICKEN SHRIMP GUMBO
A traditional style gumbo with great flavor and good nutritional grades. File powder is made from ground sassafras root and can be found in many larger spice sections. It's not essential, but it does add to the traditional flavor.
1 sm Whole Chicken
2 T Garlic, minced
1/4 c Olive Oil
1 c Red Bell Peppers
1 c Onion, Chopped
1/3 c Flour
2 c No Salt Added Tomatoes
1 c Frozen Okra
1 lb Shrimp
1/4 t Tabasco
1 T File Powder
Cook chicken with 5 cups water & garlic until tender. Cut chicken into pieces. Skim fat off broth. Brown the red pepper & onions in the olive oil ...Add flour & brown....you are making a roux. Gradually stir in broth. Add tomatoes, cover & simmer for 30 min. Add chicken and okra ... simmer for a few min.... finally add shrimp. Cook till shrimp are pink.... 3 or 4 min. Season with pepper & hot pepper sauce. Add gumbo file powder & stir until blended (has a tendency to lump).
Yield: 8 Servings
Per Serving:
243 Calories
24 g Protein
11 g Total Fat
2 g Saturated Fat
2 g Polyunsaturated Fat
6 g Monounsaturated Fat
13 g Carbohydrates
2.3 g Fiber
123 mg Sodium
480 mg Potassium
117 mg Cholesterol
ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE
Andouille is a traditional Cajun smoked sausage, stuffed in relatively large casings, then cut into thin slices for cooking. My smoker gets too hot to slow smoke sausage, but I came across a variation of this recipe that used the liquid smoke to impart that flavor. This is not a very hot sausage, the flavor relying mostly on the garlic and smoke, but you could add more cayenne if you desire. It does give a nice authentic flavor to recipes when just crumbled and browned.
2 1/2 lb Ground Pork
2 T Garlic, Minced
1/2 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Cayenne
1/8 t Thyme
1/2 T Paprika
1/8 t Bay Leaf
1/8 t Sage
2 1/2 t Liquid Smoke
In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork with the garlic, pepper, cayenne, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, sage, and liquid smoke. A wooden spoon works well.
Yield: 10 Servings
Per Serving:
341 Calories
29 g Protein
24 g Total Fat
9 g Saturated Fat
2 g Polyunsaturated Fat
10 g Monounsaturated Fat
1 g Carbohydrates
0.2 g Fiber
83 mg Sodium
429 mg Potassium
107 mg Cholesterol
SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE CREOLE
This would be a great dish to try your sausage out in. The sausage and shrimp in a cream sauce gives a nice combination of creaminess with some heat. You could try it over rice, but I prefer it over pasta, giving a flavor that it very like the Creole dishes served in some of New Orleans' most expensive restaurants. (My diet would be in a shambles if I could get back to Alex Patout's Restaurant, down near Tulane University.)
1 T Olive Oil
10 Shrimp
6 oz Andouille
1 c Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 c Non Fat Evaporated Milk
2 t Worcestershire
1 t Creole Seasoning
1 T Parsley
Heat olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and sausage and sauté until shrimp just turn pink, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp and sausage to a plate. Add mushrooms to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in milk, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Return shrimp and sausage to skillet and simmer until shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle parsley over top. Serve over pasta.
Yield: 2 Servings
Per Serving:
477 Calories
19 g Protein
38 g Total Fat
12 g Saturated Fat
4 g Polyunsaturated Fat
20 g Monounsaturated Fat
9 g Carbohydrates
0.5 g Fiber
231 mg Sodium
391 mg Potassium
114 mg Cholesterol
CLASSIC JAMBALAYA
I love a good Jambalaya and I have to admit stirring up quick and dirty jambalaya-ish dishes for many a Saturday lunch. This is a more "formal" version. I don't usually go to the effort of including the shrimp shells in the stock since I often have peeled, frozen shrimp on hand. But I notice that Emeril suggests the same thing, so it must be the way to go.
1/2 lb Shrimp
2 Chicken Breast
4 c Water
2 Onions
1/2 c Celery
3 T Garlic, Minced
1 T Olive Oil
1/2 lb Andouille
1/2 c Green Bell Peppers
1/4 c Green Onion
1 can No Salt Added Tomatoes
2 T Worcestershire
1/4 t Thyme
1/4 t Cayenne
2 c Long Grain Rice
In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the shrimp over high heat just until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Cool, peel, and devein the shrimp, reserving the shrimp and their shells separately. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken breasts, the reserved shrimp shells, the water, half the chopped onion, half the chopped celery and one third of the garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, until the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the cooking liquid. In a sieve set over a large bowl, drain and reserve the cooking liquid, discarding the solids. You should have about 4 cups of liquid; add water, if necessary. Remove and discard the chicken bones. Chop the breast meat coarsely and set it aside. Heat the oil in a 5 quart Dutch oven. Add the sausage and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the reserved cooking liquid, the tomatoes with their juice, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in the rice and return to the simmer. Cook over medium-low heat, tightly covered, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, stir in the reserved shrimp and chicken, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer the jambalaya to a warmed serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
Yield: 6 Servings
Per Serving:
508 Calories
24 g Protein
18 g Total Fat
6 g Saturated Fat
2 g Polyunsaturated Fat
9 g Monounsaturated Fat
61 g Carbohydrates
2.8 g Fiber
187 mg Sodium
509 mg Potassium
99 mg Cholesterol
NEW IMPROVED RED BEANS
I like to experiment with red bean recipes, picking and choosing ingredients and preparations from a number of different sources. I suppose purists will cringe if I say so, but what I was originally looking for was something similar to the beans served at Popeye's Fried Chicken outlets. This is my favorite so far, producing a nice "gravy", having just enough heat without being overpowering and just slightly sweet.
1 lb Kidney Beans
6 c Water
3/4 c Green Bell Peppers, Chopped
1 c Green Onion, Chopped
1 c Onions, Chopped
1 ea Garlic, Minced
2 T Oil
1/4 c Flour
2 t Tabasco
1/2 t Worcestershire
2 t Brown Sugar
Black Pepper, To Taste
Cajun Seasoning, To Taste
Place beans in a large pot and cover with water. Add hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire and allow to soak overnight. Place oil in a large skillet. Sauté green pepper, onions and green onion until onions are soft. Add garlic, brown sugar and flour. Stir constantly over medium heat until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add to pot with beans. Cook over low heat until beans are soft and mixture is thickened, 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally, adding water as needed. Add pepper and Cajun seasoning to suit your taste. Serve with white rice.
Yield: 8 Servings
Per Serving:
254 Calories
14 g Protein
4 g Total Fat
1 g Saturated Fat
2 g Polyunsaturated Fat
1 g Monounsaturated Fat
42 g Carbohydrates
15.2 g Fiber
33 mg Sodium
901 mg Potassium
0 mg Cholesterol
SHRIMP ETOUFFEE
Another of the classic Cajun dishes, along with gumbo and jambalaya. Etouffee is meat served in a brown, tomato flavored sauce. It's typically served over rice.
1 lb Shrimp
1/4 c Unsalted Margarine
2 T No Salt Added Tomato Paste
1 Onion, Chopped
1 T Flour
1 T Parsley
2 T Lemon Juice
1/4 t Cayenne
2 T Green Onion, Sliced
3/4 c Water
Use a saucepan with a tight fitting lid for etouffee. Melt butter, add onion, and cook over medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour, blend well. Add water, lemon, tomato and cayenne. Cook slowly, about 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary. When sauce is done, add shrimp. Cover with lid. Cook until shrimp is done, about 5 minutes. Add green onion and parsley. Serve on steamed rice.
Yield: 4 Servings
Per Serving:
249 Calories
24 g Protein
13 g Total Fat
3 g Saturated Fat
4 g Polyunsaturated Fat
5 g Monounsaturated Fat
8 g Carbohydrates
1.1 g Fiber
179 mg Sodium
363 mg Potassium
172 mg Cholesterol
BANANAS FOSTER
OK, it's sinfully full of things you shouldn't have and the kind of thing that almost no one makes at home. But it *is* low sodium. And it makes interesting reading. It's included here more for the history than because I think anyone ought to indulge in something like this. This is the original recipe from Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans, where it was invented in 1951. If you search the net you'll find many variations and some other claims of origin.
1/4 c Unsalted Butter
1 c Brown Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/4 c Banana Liqueur
4 Bananas, Quartered
1/4 c Dark Rum
Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, and then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, and then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces each over ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 Servings
Per Serving:
408 Calories
0 g Protein
12 g Total Fat
7 g Saturated Fat
0 g Polyunsaturated Fat
3 g Monounsaturated Fat
61 g Carbohydrates
0.2 g Fiber
24 mg Sodium
196 mg Potassium
31 mg Cholesterol
DIRTY RICE
This is a traditional southern dish ... and a way to make a meal out of pieces of meat that might otherwise go to waste. If you are watching your cholesterol, you may want to leave out the livers, since they contain a lot of it.
1/2 lb Chicken Gizzards
1/2 lb Chicken Livers
2 T Olive Oil
1 1/2 c Onion, Chopped
1/2 c Celery, Chopped
1/4 c Green Bell Peppers, Chopped
2 ea Garlic, Minced
1 t Black Pepper
1/8 t Cayenne
1/4 c Parsley, Chopped
1 c Rice
2 1/4 c Water
Brown meat in margarine in large skillet. Add onion, celery, green pepper, garlic and seasonings, mix well. Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Add rice and water. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Yield: 8 Servings
Per Serving:
159 Calories
16 g Protein
6 g Total Fat
1 g Saturated Fat
1 g Polyunsaturated Fat
3 g Monounsaturated Fat
10 g Carbohydrates
1 g Fiber
45 mg Sodium
193 mg Potassium
234 mg Cholesterol
CREOLE SEASONING
Creole is more of an "in town", upper class cuisine than Cajun. As such, it tends to have a more complex blend of flavors, with less reliance on the heat of cayenne pepper. This seasoning mix will still give your recipes some kick, but also a lot of flavor. It's similar to the one Emeril has published, but without the salt.
2 1/2 T Paprika
2 T Garlic Powder
1 T Black Pepper
1 T Onion Powder
1 T Cayenne
1 T Oregano
1 T Thyme
Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 10 Servings
Per Serving:
19 Calories
1 g Protein
0 g Total Fat
0 g Saturated Fat
0 g Polyunsaturated Fat
0 g Monounsaturated Fat
4 g Carbohydrates
1.2 g Fiber
2 mg Sodium
95 mg Potassium
0 mg Cholesterol
CAJUN BLEND
Add a little Cajun flavor to your favorite dishes.
1 T Paprika
2 1/2 t Dried Onion Flakes
2 t Minced Garlic
1 1/2 t Thyme
1 t Marjoram
1/2 t Fennel
1 t Cumin
1/2 t Cayenne
Mix well and store in an airtight container.
Yield: 24 Servings
Per Serving:
3 Calories
0 g Protein
0 g Total Fat
0 g Saturated Fat
0 g Polyunsaturated Fat
0 g Monounsaturated Fat
1 g Carbohydrates
0.1 g Fiber
0 mg Sodium
14 mg Potassium
0 mg Cholesterol
TACO CASSEROLE
Call it Mexican lasagna if you wish, but in this case corn tortillas substitute for the noodles, layered with beef and beans.
1 lb Ground Beef
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Green Bell Peppers, Chopped
1 ea Garlic, Minced
1 T Chili Powder
1/2 t Oregano
1/2 t Cumin
1 cn No Salt Added Tomatoes
8 oz No Salt Added Tomato Sauce
1 cn No Salt Added Kidney Beans
12 Corn Tortillas
3/4 c Swiss Cheese, Shredded
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef, onion, pepper and garlic until the beef is done.. Drain off excess fat. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and spices. Simmer mixture for 2 minutes. Place a layer of 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable space. Place a layer of the beef mixture over top, then 4 more tortillas, the beans, the final 4 tortillas and the rest of the beef mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese has melted.
Yield: 6 Servings
Sodium Category: Low Sodium
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Helping
Servings Per Recipe 6
Amount Per Serving: Calories 368 Calories from Fat 141% Daily Values * Total Fat 16 gr 23%, Saturated Fat 7 gr 34% Polyunsaturated Fat 1 gr Monounsaturated Fat 6 gr, Cholesterol 61 mg 20%, Sodium 105 mg 4%, Potassium 703 mg 18%, Carbohydrates 35 gr 12%, Dietary Fiber 5.3gr 21%, Protein 24 gr.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Milk; 0 Other Carbohydrates: 7 Vegetable; 3 Lean Meat; 0 Very Lean Meat; 2 Fat.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Source: http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/TacoCasserole.htm
BRISKET OF BEEF WITH BEANS
Kind of like baked beans with the addition of the beef. The cooking liquid gives the beef a nice flavor and the beans go well with it. The beef also makes great sandwiches.
2 lb beef brisket
2 sl Low Sodium Bacon
1/2 t black pepper,freshly ground
2 c water
1 lb navy beans
1/4 c maple syrup
1/2 c brown sugar,packed
1/2 t dry mustard
Soak beans in water overnight. Drain the beans. Brown the fat side of the brisket in a Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and brown the other side. Add the pepper, water and beans. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, covered for 2 hours or until the beef and beans are tender. stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the beef and keep warm. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar and mustard to the beans. Mix thoroughly, and simmer over medium heat for another 10 minutes. Slice the brisket thinly and serve with the beans.
Yield: 6 Servings
Sodium Category: Low Sodium
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Helping
Servings Per Recipe 6
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 417, Calories from Fat 67, total fat 7gr 11%, Sat fat 3gr 13%, Chol 65mg 22%. Sodium 133mg 22%, Pot 912mg 23%, Carb 7gr 16%, Pro 40gr.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Source: http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/BrisketOfBeefWithBeans.htm