Low Sodium Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms

We had this tonight and it was wicked tasty!  I cut the chicken up before I cooked it and sauteed everything together because I wanted to mix it into some pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  1 clove garlic, minced (or more!)
  4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
  2 cups small mushrooms, halved,or quartered if using larger mushrooms
  1/3 cup chicken broth or 1/3 cup white wine
  1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
  
  

Directions

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil.
In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, the mustard and garlic.
Add the chicken and coat both sides with the mixture.
Transfer the chicken and mixture to the skillet; saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In the skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil.
Saute the mushrooms about a minute; add the broth/wine, thyme and remaining tablespoon of vinegar.
Cook stirring until the mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.
Serve the chicken, topped with the mushrooms

NUTRITION

Number of servings: 4

Calories: 187.6

Protein: 26.4g

Fat: 5.7g

Carbohydrates: 6.6g

Fiber: 1.8g

Sodium: 226.5 mg

Cholesterol: 72.5 mg

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/balsamic-chicken-and-mushrooms-54726?oc=linkback

Low Sodium Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds low-fat ground beef 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon low sodium steak seasoning blend
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups tomato sauce (no salt added)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste  (no salt added)
• sandwhich rolls

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto buns.

Low Sodium Grilled Corn

Ed and I prefer the flavor of grilled corn over boiled corn.  It is our preferred summer side dish, as long as we have room on the grill!

INGREDIANTS
corn, in husk
water
unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS
1. Soak the corn in water for at least 30 minutes
2. Place corn on grill, turn frequently, cook until done, about 15 minutes
3. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, remove husk
4. Butter corn, and enjoy!

Low Sodium Chicken and Apples

I made this awhile back, and never got around to posting.

INGREDIANTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbl olive oil
1 firm apple (suchas a braeburn), cored, cut into 1/2in slices
1 cup apple cider
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbl minced garlic
1/2 teas dried thyme leaves
1/2 teas all purpose seasoning
2 Tbl dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS
1. Place each chicken-breast half between wax paper and pound with a meat mallet until about 3/4in thick
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute chicken until golden (about 3 min per side).  Add apple slices, apple juice, onion, garlic, thyme, and seasoning.  Cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender
3. Remove chicken and apple slices
4. Bring sauce to a boil for about 5 minutes, or until slightly reduced.  Whisk in the mustard.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve

Adapted from: Real Simple

Low Sodium Roasted Vegetables

I had a hankering for some roasted veggies the other night., and so I made this.

INGREDIANTS
3 parsnips, cut into thin strips
3 carrots, cut into thin strips
1/4 vidalia onion, cut into thin strips
1/2 teas. dried thyme
1 teas dried rosemary
1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 475 F
2. In large bowl combine the vegetables
3. In a small bowl, stir together the spices, oil, and balsamic vinegar
4. Toss spice mixture with the vegetables until they are coated, and spread evenly on a large roasting pan
5. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Adapted from: Saundra

Low Sodium BBQ Chicken

This is an oh so easy, but incredibly tasty BBQ chicken recipe.

INGREDIANTS
Chicken
McCormick Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning (not salt free, but only 75mg of sodium per 1/4 teaspoon)
Apple BBQ Sauce

DIRECTIONS
sprinkle seasoning an both sides of the chicken.  Grill until almost cooked through, brush on apple BBQ sauce, finish cooking until chicken is cooked through.

Low Sodium Apple Glazed and Stuffed Pork Chops

One of favorite dishes, even though I haven't made it in awhile.

INGREDIANTS

4 pork chops

Stuffing:
1 1/2 teas chopped onion
2 Tbl olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbl chopped celery
1 teas chopped celery leaves
pepper to taste

Glaze/Marinade:
4 granny smith apples, cored and chopped
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
2Tbl honey
2 teas garlic, chopped
1 teas onion powder
1 teas cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all glaze ingredients in a large saucepan.  Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the apples are tender, about 15 minutes.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then puree in a blender until smooth.  Place the pork chops into a resealable plastic bag, and pour the apple puree overtop.  Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

3.  In a large skillet saute onion in olive oil until tender.  Remove from heat.  Add the bread crumbs, apples, and celery.  Mix all together.  Cut a large pocket in the side of each pork chop.  Spoon apple mixture loosely into pockets

4.  In non-stick skillet (or cast iron skillet), heat oil to medium high and brown chops on both sides.  Place browned chops in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish (or leave in cast iron skillet).  Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for 30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Low Sodium Crunchy Pork Chops

I made this for the first time several years ago, and the recipe got buried in a pile of old printed out recipes.  I rediscovered it and decided to give it a try in the low sodium way.  We also had some left over finely chopped pecans, so I decided to toss some in for a little extra flavor.

INGREDIENTS
2 pork chops
1 egg
1/2 teas dijon mustard
1/4 teas dried oregano
ground black pepper
1 cup italian bread crumbs
optional: 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (ie pecans/walnuts)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat broiler on high, spray broiler pan lightly with cooking spray (if you don't have a broiler pan, place a cooling rack into a baking sheet)
1) Trim excess fat off the pork chops
2) Beat egg in a shallow wide bowl, mix in the mustard, oregano, and pepper
3) Place bread crumbs on a large plate, add nuts if desired
4) Press each of the chops into the egg mixture, coating both sides
5) Dip egg coated chops into bread crumbs, covering them evenly
6) Bake for 10 mins, then flip, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked through

Adapted from:  Nigella Lawson

Low Sodium Brown Sugar Crusted Pork Loin

I searched online for a new pork recipe, and happened upon this.   Ed loves sweet things, so I figured it would be right up his alley, and boy was I right.  He took one bite and said "this tops the list!"  I served it with the maple pecan green beans, and they were the perfect compliment.

INGREDIANTS

1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 to 6 pounds

1/2 teas minced garlic
ground black pepper
salt-free savory all-purpose seasoning
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 apples, sliced

DIRECTIONS
1) Sprinkle roast with savory seasoning and pepper, then prick the roast all over with a fork or skewer.

2) In a cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the brown sugar, the mustard, and vinegar. Rub all over the roast.
3) Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours.
4) Combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar with cinnamon; Spread the mixture over the top of the roast. Top with sliced apples
5) Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer
6) If desired, pour off the remaining liquid and make into gravy


Adapted from: Diana Rattray

Low Sodium Beef Stirfry

While looking for another interesting meal, and to use up stuff in our cupboard/freezer (due to a big snow storm), I combined a few recipes together to get this stirfry.  The sauce is slightly gravy-ish, but a little extra soy sauce (low sodium of course) added at the table kicks the flavor up a bit more.

INGREDIENTS
Sauce:
2Tbl cornstarch
1 Tbl olive oil
2 teas brown sugar
6 tbl low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine
2 teas minced garlic
1/4 teas black pepper
1 teas ginger

Stirfry:
2Tbl olive oil
1 lb beef, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 vidalia onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli

Rice cooked according to package directions

DIRECTIONS
1) place beef, and all of the sauce ingrediants (except for cornstarch) into a 1 gallon ziploc bag, marinate for 10 to 20 minutes (can be done while you chop and prepare the vegetables)
2) heat oil in large skillet or chef's pan (or wok if you have one), add beef (reserving the marinade), carrots, onions, and pepper and cook until vegetables are cooked halfway
3) add brocoli and cook through
4) mix cornstarch into reserved marinade, and add to skillet, heat until sauce is at desired consistency
5) serve over rice

Low Sodium Beef Daube

I got bored of our usual rotation of dinners, and after diving through several of my cookbooks, I came across this recipe.  I had never made anything with cajun spices so I was a little concerned...but it was AMAZING!

INGREDIANTS
2 Tbl olive oil
1 vidalia onion, cut into wedges
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 lb lean braising steak, cubed (I used stew meat)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with 1 tsp all purpose salt free seasoning, and 1/4 teas ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups water
2 tbl minced garlic
2/3 cup red wine
2 Tbl red wine vinegar
2 Tbl low-sodium tomato paste
1/2 tsp McIlhenny's Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt free cajun spice mixture

DIRECTIONS

Stove Top:
Heat oven to 350 degrees
1) Heat oil in a large oven proof pan add celery, onion, bell pepper, cook until softened, remove and set aside

2) coat the meat in the seasoned flour, then brown meat in the pan
3) Add stock, water, wine, vinegar, tomato paste, tabasco, and thyme, heat till simmering
4) Return onions, celery, and peppers to the pan, tuck in the bay leaves and sprinkle with the cajun seasoning
5) bring to a boil, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are tender
Crockpot
1) Heat oil in a large oven proof pan add celery, onion, bell pepper, cook until softened, remove and add to crockpot
2) coat the meat in the seasoned flour, then brown meat in the pan, add meat to the crockpot
3) Add stock, water, wine, vinegar, tomato paste, tabasco, thyme, and bay leaves to the crockpot
4) Sprinkle with the cajun seasoning
5) Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours until the meat and vegetables are tender

Low Sodium Spinach Artichoke Dip

Delicious, relatively healthy, easy and impressive dip for the holidays!  I modified for a bit less salt and to reduce the fat.  Yet another thing that I like and Ed doesn't.  I served with Tositoes Natural chips because they are more like the fresh tortilla chips you get in a good Mexican restaurant.

INGREDIENTS

1 10-ounce box frozen cut or chopped spinach, thawed

1 12-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup whipped low-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup no-fat sour cream
1 cup grated reduced fat Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400° F.

Squeeze the spinach between paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, and Cheddar
Season with the pepper.
Scrape the mixture into a small oven-safe baking dish. Bake until lightly golden and heated through, about 15 minutes
Serve warm

NUTRIENTS
haven't figured out yet

Adapted from:  Real Simple

Low Sodium Ham & Bean Soup

Another dish that I love that Ed doesn't... at least I can make it for myself when he's not home.

INGREDIENTS
1lb turkey ham (Jennie-O has pretty low sodium, plus it is lower fat)
1 pkg of dry beans for bean soup (I used the 15 bean soup)
1 15oz can low sodium diced tomatoes
2 cups sliced celery
1.5 cups onion, chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
1/4 teas pepper
1 teas thyme
2 bay leaves
Water to fill crockpot

DIRECTIONS
Follow package directions for how to prepare the dry beans (normally you soak overnight in water, then drain)
Put all ingredients into the crockpot, cook on low for 8-10hrs.

Low-Sodium Chili

I love chili, but Ed doesn't.  So this recipe is mostly for me, but I kept it low sodium out of principle.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 lb ground beef (low fat)
1 Tbl minced garlic
1 beer
2 14.5oz can low sodium diced tomatoes
1 8oz can low sodium tomato sauce
1/8 teas cayenne
1/8 teas paprika
1 teas oregano
1 teas all-purpose salt free seasoning
2 Tbl chili powder
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (to remove some of the sodium)
1 cup corn, fresh/frozen

DIRECTIONS
Stove: Saute the onion, red pepper, meat, and garlic.  Add remaining ingrediants, heat to boiling, and simmer for 1 hr.

Crockpot: Saute the onion, red pepper, meat, and garlic. Add remaining ingrediants, cook on low 8-10hrs or on high 4hrs

NUTRIENTS
haven't figured out yet

Low Sodium Rosemary Chicken

I actually made this using 2 chicken breasts because it was all we had in the freezer, but it is intended for a whole chicken.  You can add more veggies if you need them for the number of people you are serving.  I choose enough veggies to feed Ed and I.  You can also choose different veggies if you'd like.  I choose aromatic vegetables to help add more flavor to the chicken.

INGREDIANTS
1 roasting chicken (or equivalent in parts)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup white whine
1 stalk celery, chopped roughly
1 carrot, chopped roughly
4 small parsnips, chopped roughly

DIRECTIONS
Place chopped veggies in the bottom of the crockpot, place chicken on top, pour wine over chicken and veggies, sprinkle with garlic and rosemary. 
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high 3 to 4 hours

NUTRITION

Number of servings: 4


Calories: 147
Protein: 3.25g
Fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 16g
Fiber: 4g
Potassium: 412mg
Sodium: 42mg
Cholesterol: 7mg

Adapted from: 3KillerBs

Low Sodium Sugar and Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

After carving our pumpkins on sunday, and knowing I like pumpkin seeds.  Ed asked me "do you think we could roast the seeds with cinnamon or something like that?"  It sounded plausible to me, so I did a quick search and found a simple low-sodium recipe, with no modifications required!  To make it healthier I used vegetable oil, and not butter.

Sugar and Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

NUTRITION
Number of servings: 8


Calories: 107.5
Protein: 4.42g
Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 4g
Fiber: 1g
Potassium: 118mg
Sodium: 3mg
Cholesterol: 0mg

Low Sodium Beef Lasagna

I made this for our Murder Mystery party and has been raving about it everytime he eats a leftover.  The red pepper gives it a little kick, but not too spicy.

INGREDIENTS
1lb extra-lean ground beef
2 tbl minced garlic
1 26 ounce pasta sauce (I used Newman's own)
1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 tbl balsamic vinegar
4 tbl fresh shredded basil
1 15oz container low-fat ricotta
2 cups shredded low sodium mozzerella cheese
1 egg
1/2 teas crushed red pepper flakes
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F
Brown the beef in a large saucepan, breaking into small pieces until no pink remains.  Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute.  Add the pasta sauce, tomatoes, vinegar, and 2 tbl of the basil.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

In meantime, in a small bowl combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 2 tbl of basil, egg, and crushed red pepper.

Place 3/4 cup of sauce mixture in bottom of 13X9in baking pan (glass or porcelin is preferred over metal for more even cooking).  Top with 3 cooked noodles, then spread 1/3 of ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles, top with 3/4 cup pasta-sauce, then sprinkle with 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers, ending with the final 3 noodles.  Spread remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with parmesan, and cover with foil.

Bake for 30min; uncover and bake for 15mins or until bubbly.  Remove from oven and let stand 15min before serving.


NUTRITION


Number of servings: 12
Calories: 296
Protein: 20.5g
Fat: 13g
Carbohydrates: 24.3g
Fiber: 2g
Potassium: 421mg
Sodium: 471mg
Cholesterol: 46mg

Adapted from: Real Simple

Low Sodium Beef and Noodles

One of my favorite meals growing up.  We always used to eat it over potatoes but it is just as tasty by itself.

INGREDIENTS

2lb Chuck Roast
1 cup chopped Celery
1 small onion
1lb bag Egg Noodles
black pepper
salt-free all purpose seasoning
flour
DIRECTIONS
Coat the chuck roast lightly in flour.

For stove top:
Brown the roast on both all sides in a large dutch oven with a small amount of oil. Add water to cover the roast adding the onion and chopped celery. Bring to a slow boil and cook for about 3 hours until tender.

For crock pot:
Brown the roast on both all sides in a large nonstick skillet. Add water to cover the roast adding the onion and chopped celery. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 hours, or until tender.


For both methods:
When roast is tender to the point of falling apart, remove the roast and cut into pieces. Replace roast into broth (turn crock pot on high) and add the noodles and cook until the noodles are done. Add all-purpose seasoning and pepper to taste.


NUTRITION
Number of servings: 10
Calories: 270
Protein: 24.7g
Fat: 12g
Carbohydrates: 114g
Fiber: 1g
Potassium: 412mg
Sodium: 77mg
Cholesterol: 74mg

Low Sodium Scalloped Corn

I was searching for a different corn side dish, and found this in my old school Betty Crocker cook book and altered to be low sodium

INGREDIENTS
2 cups corn (if using frozen, thaw first)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 T flour
1 teas salt-free all-purpose seasoning
1/2 teas paprika
1/4 teas dry mustard
dash pepper
3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 cup "Hint of salt" ritz crackers

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F
Saute onion and red pepper in olive oil until onion is tender; remove from heat
Stir in flour and seasoning, cook over low heat, stirr until mixture is bubbly, remove from heat
Gradually stir in milk, heat to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute
Stir in corn and egg, pour into ungreased 1-quart casserole, cover evenly with cracker crumbs
Back uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes

NUTRITION


Number of servings: 4

Calories: 111
Protein: 3g
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 1g
Potassium: 148mg
Sodium: 28mg
Cholesterol: 1mg

Low-Sodium Mexican-Style Meatloaf

I've been on a southwestern kick since visiting Tucson last week.  Tonight I decided to make mexican meatloaf, something Ed and I had talked about since the diaster of trying to use tortilla crumbs in Italian meatballs.  I made it up based on an old meatloaf recipe and my taco meat recipe.  It turned out pretty tasty... I think next time I'll kick up the spices.

INGREDIANTS
1.5 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup tortilla crumbs
1 egg
1/4 vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup salsa
2 T minced garlic
1 teas salt-free all purpose spice
3/4 teas cilantro
3/4 teas cumin
1 teas pepper
cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
preheat oven to 350F
combine all ingrediants except cheddar cheese in a large bowl using your hands. 
Place meat into a loaf pan and shape into a loaf
Cook in oven for 60 min to 90 min, or until internal temperature reaches 160F
Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese, and continue cooking till cheese melts
Serve with salsa and sour cream

NUTRIENTS
USDA database is down so I can't post nutrition yet