500 Low Sodium Recipes (7 page)

Yield:
16 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
16 g water; 31 calories (33% from fat, 0% from protein, 67% from carb); 0 g protein; 1 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 5 g carb; 0 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 6 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
2 mg sodium
; 24 mg potassium; 11 IU vitamin A; 0 mgvitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

I’ve got to admit I’ve never been a really big fan of bottled chili sauce. The kids used it on hot dogs for a while, but I’ve always been a mustard and relish type of guy. Anyway, I much prefer the flavor of this chili sauce to the kind found in stores. There are enough veggies in it to give it something more than a glorified ketchup taste. It keeps well in the refrigerator for weeks, and you could freeze it if you wanted to.

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

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

½ cup (80 g) onion, chopped

½ cup (100 g) sugar

½ cup (50 g) celery, chopped

½ cup (60 g) green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon molasses

¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

⅛
teaspoon cloves

⅛
teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛
teaspoon black pepper

⅛
teaspoon dried basil

⅛
teaspoon dried tarragon

½ cup (120 ml) cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours or until the mixture is reduced to half its original volume.

Yield:
48 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
20 g water; 15 calories (2% from fat, 5% from protein, 94% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 4 g carb; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 6 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
3 mg sodium
; 56 mg potassium; 39 IU vitamin A; 3 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Similar recipes for an A-1–type steak sauce clone show up on a number of websites. This one uses reduced-sodium ingredients to make it applicable to a low sodium diet.

½ cup (120 ml) orange juice

½ cup (82.5 g) raisins

¼ cup (60 ml) Soy Sauce Substitute (see recipe, page 53)

¼ cup (60 ml) white vinegar

2 teaspoons (10 g) Dijon mustard

¼ cup (60 g) low sodium ketchup

1 teaspoon orange peel, grated

Bring all the ingredients to a boil, then boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until it is smooth. Pour it into a bottle and cap tightly. Refrigerate.

Yield:
32 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
8 g water; 12 calories (4% from fat, 5% from protein, 91% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 3 g carb; 0 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 3 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
1 mg sodium
; 39 mg potassium; 25 IU vitamin A; 2 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

I usually prefer “cooked” salsa to the fresh kind, but I have to admit this makes a great dip for unsalted tortilla chips or just to spoon over a piece of fish or chicken while it cooks.

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

½ cup (120 ml) lime juice

1 teaspoon fresh basil

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro

Hot pepper flakes, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Add hot pepper flakes if desired.

Yield:
16 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
40 g water; 12 calories (5% from fat, 11% from protein, 84% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 3 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 8 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
1 mg sodium
; 83 mg potassium; 431 IU vitamin A; 29 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

It took me a while, but I finally came up with a recipe for salsa that satisfies me—and I actually wrote down the ingredients while I was concocting it. It passed the taste test when a whole pint jar disappeared into the young people who attended my daughter’s college graduation party, so I guess it’s okay. This makes a mild version. You could add another chile pepper or two depending on how hot you like it.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped

½ cup (50 g) black beans, cooked

½ cup (65 g) frozen corn

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

1 chile pepper

¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar

½ cup (80 g) onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons cilantro

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer until desired thickness, about 15 minutes. Pack into jars and store in refrigerator. Makes about 3 pints (1.5 L).

Yield:
48 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
32 g water; 15 calories (7% from fat, 19% from protein, 74% from carb); 1 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 3 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 7 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
2 mg sodium
; 110 mg potassium; 254 IU vitamin A; 6 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This is really easy to make and very low in sodium.

1 avocado, peeled and mashed

2 teaspoons (6 g) onion, chopped

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon chopped chiles

¾ cup (135 g) tomato, peeled and chopped

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cilantro

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavor to develop.

Yield:
6 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
44 g water; 55 calories (68% from fat, 6% from protein, 27% from carb); 1 g protein; 5 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 4 g carb; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 8 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
4 mg sodium
; 204 mg potassium; 220 IU vitamin A; 9 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This makes a not-too-spicy, tomatoey sauce that is good on tacos as well as a cooking sauce for enchiladas and other baked Mexican dishes.

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons (5 g) chili powder

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vegetable oil

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

2 cups (475 ml) water

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Simmer all ingredients together in a saucepan for 1 hour, or until desired thickness.

Yield:
16 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
65 g water; 17 calories (36% from fat, 10% from protein, 54% from carb); 0 g protein; 1 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 3 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 14 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
5 mg sodium
; 98 mg potassium; 318 IU vitamin A; 5 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Marinate chicken or beef in this, then grill and slice thinly for easy fajitas. The only other things you need are some sautéed onions and peppers and some low sodium tortillas.

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice

2 teaspoons (10 ml) lime juice

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix ingredients together and use to marinate beef or chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
15 g water; 70 calories (84% from fat, 2% from protein, 14% from carb); 0 g protein; 7 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 3 g carb; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 11 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;
17 mg sodium
; 69 mg potassium; 47 IU vitamin A; 10 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

No, it’s not real soy sauce. But I think you might be surprised how little you’ll notice the difference from the 300-mg-minimum-per-tablespoon stuff. This was sent to me by a reader of my email newsletter, who said it came from a
Better Homes and Gardens
low sodium cookbook. Ironically, that must be the only book they ever published that I don’t have. I usually make a double or triple batch. It keeps well in the refrigerator, and a half a cup never seems to go very far.

2 tablespoons (28 ml) sodium-free beef bouillon

2 teaspoons (10 ml) red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon molasses

⅛
teaspoon ground ginger

Dash black pepper

Dash garlic powder

¾ cup (175 ml) water

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and boil gently, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is reduced to ½ cup (120 ml). Store in the refrigerator. Stir before using.

Yield:
8 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
24 g water; 11 calories (21% from fat, 11% from protein, 68% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 2 g carb; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 6 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
22 mg sodium
; 21 mg potassium; 10 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This very low sodium version of the classic Chinese condiment is really simple to make, since it starts with canned preserves.

1 cup (320 g) plum preserves

½ cup (160 g) apricot preserves

2 tablespoons (40 g) honey

⅔
cup (157 ml) cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

Mix the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator.

Yield:
20 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
16 g water; 72 calories (0% from fat, 1% from protein, 99% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 18 g carb; 0 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 6 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
9 mg sodium
; 28 mg potassium; 16 IU vitamin A; 2 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

Another common Chinese condiment. This one can be used to add flavor to any stir-fry as well as in barbecue sauces and other uses.

1 cup (235 ml) Soy Sauce Substitute (see recipe, page 53)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons (10 g) low sodium ketchup

1 teaspoon water, boiling

1 teaspoon dried orange peel

1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a bowl, combine the soy sauce substitute, garlic, pepper, and ketchup. In a second bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes. Pour the second bowl into soy sauce mixture, blending thoroughly. Pour into jars. Cover and refrigerate.

Yield:
18 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
10 g water; 6 calories (36% from fat, 7% from protein, 58% from carb); 0 g protein; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g monounsaturated fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 1 g carb; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 1 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
1 mg sodium
; 26 mg potassium; 277 IU vitamin A; 16 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

A typical Chinese/Japanese condiment that you can make on your own. If you don’t have gingerroot, get some … or use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.

1 cup (235 ml) Soy Sauce Substitute (see recipe, page 53)

2 teaspoons (10 ml) sesame oil

2 teaspoons (10 ml) sake

½ cup (100 g) sugar

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon gingerroot, minced

Dash black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield:
20 servings

Nutritional Analysis

Each with:
1 g water; 35 calories (36% from fat, 0% from protein, 63% from carb); 0 g protein; 1 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 5 g carb; 0 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 1 mg calcium; 0 mg iron;
0 mg sodium
; 4 mg potassium; 0 IU vitamin A; 0 mg vitamin C; 0 mg cholesterol

This sauce can be used either on meat and vegetables or as a dipping sauce.

⅓
cup (80 ml) white vinegar

½ cup (115 g) brown sugar

4 teaspoons (21 g) no-salt-added tomato paste

¾ cup (175 ml) water, divided

2 teaspoons (3 g) cornstarch

Mix together the vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the water. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir together the cornstarch and remaining water. Add to the other ingredients and continue cooking and stirring until thickened.