Artichoke Parmesan Dressing

From Sunset Magazine, 11/08. My parents made this for Thanksgiving 2008, and I loved it.
Yield: 8 Servings

1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups stock
1 pound sourdough bread, cubed
12 oz oil marined or frozen artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (don't use the pickled kind)
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon ground sage (or fresh, chopped)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large frying pan and add mushrooms, onions, celery and garlic about 15 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add some of the broth to the skillet to stir up any browned bits and add to bowl with the rest of the broth. Add the bread, artichoke hearts, cheese, seasonings and mix well. Make a well in the mixture and add the egg. Beat with a fork to blend and mix well.

Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3 qt. casserole (9 x 13) and bake at 350 F until lightly browned, about 50 minutes.

Apple Onion Dressing

Simple and basic dressing, derived from a recipe in the Joy of Cooking. It can be stuffed into a turkey; we cook it separately - any time of the year! Try with different kinds of bread.

1/2 cup raisins
7 cups soft bread crumbs (1/2 sourdough, 1/2 dark rye)
1/4 cup butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tart apples, chopped
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups warm stock (eliminate this if stuffing a bird)
1/4 cup copped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
ground black pepper

Boil the raisins in water for 5 minutes, then drain. Put the bread crumbs in a large baking dish. Add the raisins to the bread crumbs. Melt butter in a sauce pan, add the onion, garlic, celery, mushrooms, and thyme. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Add these, plus the remaining ingredients to the bread crumbs. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Stock

Stock is a liquid base that can be used to flavor many dishes, like soups, gravies, or sauces. There are many different ways to make stock. Some recipes call for clear stocks, others for brown, others for cream based, etc. They can contain meat, or be vegetable based. We make vegetable stock, and save it in jars in the refrigerator (or freezer, depending on how much you make and how quickly you use it).

Each time we make stock it is different. The basic idea is that you combine vegetables and herbs with water, cook it, strain it, and save the liquid as stock. Because it is strained, you can use vegetable parts that you would otherwise throw away, such as onion skins, broccoli stems, etc. Root vegetables are good to use in stocks as they provide a hearty, sweet flavor. Add milk or cream for cream based stocks. The vegetables can be roasted in a hot oven first to bring out a hearty flavor.

Vegetable stocks should cook for about 1 1/2 hours on a stove top, or 6 hours in a slow cooker. Don't cook vegetable stocks for too long or the flavors can fade. Meat based stocks should cook for much longer, 6 hours on the stove top or 8-12 hours in a slow cooker.

Here are two sample recipes, one a stove top recipe and the other a slow cooker recipe. Use these as a guide to come up with your own stock method.

1. Vegetable Stock from The Joy of Cooking:

1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
dash white pepper
dash cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
bouquet garni (fresh herbs on stems, rosemary, oregeno, thyme, etc)
2 carrots, 1 turnip, 1 parsnip, chopped
4 diced celery ribs and leaves
optional additions: mushrooms, tomato skins, shredded lettuce, onion skins

In a large pot, saute onions in oil until soft. Add all other ingredients to the pot. Add enough cold water to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover partially with a lid and simmer about 1 1/2 hours until the vegetables are tender. Strain and store the stock in containers (up to 1 week in refrigerator, 6 months in freezer).


2. Vegetable Stock from Slow Cooker Cooking:

2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. thick slices
2 large celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 small fennel bulb, discard rough base, cut bulb into 1/2 inch thick slices
(reserve leafy fronds)
2 large leeks, roots and all but 4 inches of green leaves discarded, quartered and well rinsed
1 large sweet green pepper, seeds and membranes discarded, cut into 1/2 inch strips4 unpeeled garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
fronds from the fennel stalks
10 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 450° with rack at center position. Line a large, shallow heavy-duty baking pan with aluminum foil.

Place the onions, celery, carrots, fennel, leeks, green pepper, and garlic on the lined baking pan and drizzle with the vegetable oil. Toss to coat and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Place the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and fennel fronds in a piece of cheesecloth and tie securly [if you have a fine enough strainer, the cheesecloth is not necessary]. Put the vegetables in the slow cooker insert, with the herbs buried in the center of them. Pour in the water, add the salt, cover and cook on high for 6 hours, until the stock is bubbling, the vegetables are soft, and the stock is a deep amber color.

Let the stock cook slightly, then strain it into storage containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Potato Salad Fra Diavolo

This is a heavily spiced, unique potato salad from Rachael Ray. We loved it, however I read the reviews online and some people had an issue with the amount of fennel in it. If you aren't crazy about fennel you might reduce the amount. We used a sweet mustard which was delicious with this recipe.

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, baby red or gold, halved
1 tablespoon ground fennel
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder, mild
2 teaspoons course salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
3-4 celery ribs with leaves, finely chopped
A generious handful of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons hot or sweet peppers, chopped

Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and then salt the water. Cook about 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain.

Combine spices and mustard with the vinegar in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and parsley to the mixture. Toss in the warm potatoes and toss well with the dressing. Garnish the salad with the peppers.

Swiss Chard Pasta

We love Swiss Chard. This is easy and delicious, from Stan.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch red Swiss Chard, chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/3 cup Pecorino cheese, grated
1 pound pasta
salt, to taste

In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over high heat; add the onion
and garlic and saute until soft but not browned. Add the swiss chard
to the pan, season with salt and toss with the onions and garlic. Let
cook for 2 minutes, then push to one side of the pan and add the
tomatoes to the other side. Reduce the tomatoes for a few minutes then
toss with the chard. Add the cooked pasta, chili flakes and a drizzle
of olive oil. Top with cheese and serve.

Cranberry / Jalapeno Relish

Thanksgiving is coming up. This is a nice twist on cranberry relish.

1 12oz package fresh cranberries
1/2 cup red onion, diced
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed or chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (or more, to taste), finely chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Crush the cranberries in a blender or food processor. Combine all ingredients, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Stan's Scallops

Delicious and easy, from Stan.

8 large sea scallops
1 Tablespoon Hatch green chili powder
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Pat the scallops dry. Spread chili powder on a plate and dip 1 side of each scallop in the chili powder. Heat the oil in the skillet until fairly hot (not smoking). Sear the scallops in the oil, chili side down, for 2-3 minutes, until seared/blackened. Turn scallops over, and cook for another minute. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick the scallops are. Be careful not to overcook. Place scallops on serving plate(s).

Add white wine, lemon juice, butter, and parsley to the pan. Cook a few minutes until thickened (add a little flour or corn starch to thicken if desired). Pour over scallops and serve.

Apple Berry Crumble

This is derived from a recipe in the Palm Restaurant Cookbook. Their recipe calls for cranberries; we've made it with raspberries, blackberries, pineapple, raisins, any combination that you like. A somewhat tart or tangy fruit is a nice complement with the apples. Try it with different types of apples; you can also skip the pie shell and make it in a buttered 9x9 baking dish as a crust-less crumble.

Topping:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup halved pecans, finely chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon best-quality vanilla extract

Fruit:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen berries (cranberries, blackberries, or try pineapple, etc)
2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unslated butter, cut into 1/4-inch dice

10-inch unbaked pie shell

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping, and toss together until evenly blended.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In another large bowl, combine the ingredients for the Fruit. Toss together until thoroughly blended.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the pie shell, pressing slightly to make sure it all fits securely (it will be quite tall). Scatter the topping evenly over the top of the pie, pressing it gently into any gaps in the fruit layer to help it adhere. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for about 45 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden brown. Keep an eye on the pie as it's baking; if the topping seems to be browning too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, and serve warm, cut into wedges, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Beets in Balsamic / Orange Juice Reduction

Eduardo saw this on a cooking show where they were preparing a Halloween meal - I guess the beets in the dark red sauce resembles blood. We like them any time, not just on Halloween.

3 fresh whole beets
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 orange, sectioned, chop each section in 2-3 pieces
crumbled blue cheese
freshly ground pepper

Chop the stems off and wash the beets. Boil for 20 to 30 minutes,
until they are soft enough to be easily penetrated with the tip
of a knife. Run beets under cool water and peel the skins off.
Slice.

Combine orange juice, red wine, and balsamic vinegar in a large
sauce pan or skillet, cook on medium high heat until thickened
and reduced by about 2/3rds.

Arrange beets and chopped orange sections on a serving dish,
pour reduction over them and garnish with blue cheese and
freshly ground pepper.

French Onion Soup

This soup uses the caramelized onions posted previously. Once you've made the onions, this soup is easy and quick to make. This makes about 6 servings.

3 to 4 cups Caramelized Onions, drained
6 cups stock (use the cooking liquid from the onions, plus additional water or stock as needed)
1/4 cup dry sherry, vermouth, or white wine
Salt and Pepper
6 thick slices of French bread, toasted
1 cup grated Gruyere or Fontina cheese

Preheat the broiler to high. Place ovenproof bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the onions, cooking liquid and broth in a pot. Set it over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the hot soup into the bowls, top each one with a slice of toast, and sprinkle generously with cheese. Set the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese melts and begins to brown and bubble. Serve immediately.

Cioppino

Cioppino is a fish/seafood stew, traditionally made from whatever the fresh catch of the day is. These stews are of Italian origin, but the named dish is said to have been popularized in the San Francisco wharf area restaurants, in which the name was said to have been derived from the heavily Italian-accented cry of the wharf cooks for the fishermen to "chip in" some of their catch to the collective soup pot (this according to the Wikipedia entry).

We created this recipe in an effort to duplicate our favorite dish at the Anchor Oyster Bar in San Francisco. We've come close, but of course highly recommend theirs! The flavor of fennel is fantastic in this stew.

Base
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 fennel bulb, chopped, with the leafy green stems set aside
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 14.5oz cans tomatoes, chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups soup stock (or water)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste

Seafood
We usually use 1 small fillet of a white fish, chopped into cubes, plus 1/2 lb of shrimp, 1/2 lb of scallops, and maybe some clams or mussels. Pick whatever you can get that you like.

Place the oil, onion, chopped fennel bulb, and garlic in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat until the onions are soft. Add the bell peppers and cook for a few more minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, and stock (or water). Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes. Chop about 1/2 of the green 'leaves' from the fennel bulb and add them to the stew. Add the remaining spices, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes longer, covered, until all of the vegetables are tender.  For a thick stew base, puree with an immersion blender.  For a thinner base, strain the vegetables out.

Add the seafood, bring to a boil and cook for about 5-10 minutes until the seafood is cooked (clams or mussels must all open, throw out any that don't). Serve with sourdough bread.

If you've made enough for leftovers, portion out the stew prior to adding seafood.  Reserve the rest to be prepared with seafood later.

Caramelized Onions

This is an easy way to make perfect caramelized onions and is a fun use for a slow cooker. (There's also a stove top recipe posted here.)  It is derived from a recipe in the book "Slow Cooker Cooking" by Laura Brody. The onions are delicious by themselves or in almost any dish that calls for onions: pasta, risotto, soups, stews, etc. Keep the juice for cooking; it, along with the onions, makes a great French Onion Soup, which I'll post later.

Onions, peeled and sliced thinly, use enough to fill your slow cooker at least 80% full. The recipe calls for a sweet onion such as Vidalia, Maui, Walla Walla, or others. Any type of onion will work, we are trying different types to see what we like best.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (Olive oil can be substituted; see note about butter below)

Place the onions and butter in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 12 to 14 hours, until the onions are deep brown and very soft. Drain the onions. Save the drained juice and use it as a stock. Some remaining butter will separate when cooled - it doesn't all end up in the onions. You can skim the butter off after it cools and use it in many dishes too. Whatever you don't use right away can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

Slow Cooker Cooking by Laura Brody

I think this cookbook came with a new Crock-Pot that we bought a few years ago (or maybe we bought it at the same time). It has some unique ideas for a slow cooker. Everything we've tried out of the book has been excellent. Our favorite new use for our Crock-Pot is from this book: Caramelized Onions. The book contains many ideas about how you can use the onions.

Two Sauce Lasagna

This meatless lasagna was adapted from a meat based lasagna in the cookbook "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over" by Pam Anderson. There is no ricotta cheese, but 2 different sauces: a Bolognese-style sauce, and a Bechamel-style sauce. Also, the Fontina cheese is a nice change from mozzarella cheese. It is delicious and elegant.

Bolognese-style sauce
3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk
1 broccoli head, diced
1 lb mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 cup whole milk
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, broccoli, and celery and cook until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and stirring frequently, until mushrooms soften, about 3 minutes. Add vermouth and simmer until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add milk and cook until almost evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary, until reduced to a thick but not gloppy sauce, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat.

Parmesan White Sauce
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable stock
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Combine milk, stock, and garlic in a medium sauce pan. Heat slowly over low heat until steamy hot.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, whisk in flour until well blended. Pour in hot milk all at once; whisk vigorously until sauce is smooth and starts to bubble and thicken. Stir in Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and place plastic wrap directly on sauce's surface to prevent a 'skin' from forming.

Lasagne
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 8oz packages oven ready Lasagne noodles (I use wheat noodles)
8 oz. Fontina cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

Dissolve salt in 2 quarts hot tap water in a 13" x 9" baking dish. Add noodles and soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain noodles and stack loosely. (Noodles may stick together as they dry but will pull apart easily.) Wipe baking dish dry.

Count the noodles, and plan ahead for the layering (below) to make sure you don't run out of noodles or sauce when you reach the top layer.

Smear 1/4 cup white sauce over bottom of baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, then 2/3 cup white sauce, 1 cup Bolognese sauce, 1/2 cup Fontina, and 2 tablespoon Parmesan. Repeat the noodle/sauces/cheese layering 2-3 times (depends on how many noodles you have and how much sauce you have), then make a final layer with remaining noodles, white sauce, and cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake until very hot throughout, about 30 minutes. Leaving pan on rack, remove foil and turn oven to broil. Watching carefully, broil lasagna until the top cheese and sauce are spotty brown. Remove from oven and let stand to set, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut into portions and serve.

Artichokes with Herbes de Provence Mayonnaise

My friend Diane mentioned one day that she uses Herbes de Provence with mayonnaise to make a dip for artichokes. I experimented a little and came up with this recipe.

Dip
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix together, chill for at least an hour. If you like horseradish, try adding a little to the dip also. A little lemon juice can be a nice addition, depending on how much lemon juice is in the mayonnaise already.

Artichokes
2-4 fresh artichokes

If the artichokes have stems, keep them on but peel the green skin off with a vegetable peeler. Peel it back until the light colored meat is exposed. Steam the whole artichokes with the stem for 45 minutes to an hour, until the base of the artichoke is soft (test with a fork).

Serve hot with the chilled dip.

Eduardo's Guacamole

The best. Lots of cilantro is the key to this guacamole. This recipe makes a 'party size' amount. Scale it up or down as needed.

5 ripe avocados
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 serrano pepper, minced (adjust amount to taste)
1 cup cilantro, minced
juice of 1 small meyer lemon (or lime)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Combine all ingredients with a potato masher, until avocados are mashed to the desired consistency. Serve with tortilla chips and Corona(s).

Filo Tomato Tart

This tart is delicious and beautiful; it's from Stan. Be sure the filo is thawed before working with it. If you don't have parchment paper, butter or oil the cookie sheet well. Be sure and slice the tomatoes very thinly; they will dry out somewhat when cooked.

7 sheets of filo dough, thawed
5 tablespoons butter, melted
7 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
6-8 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper & spray paper with cooking oil. Lay 1 sheet filo on the paper & brush with a little butter. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat layering 5 more times. Press each sheet firmly so it sticks to sheet below. Lay the last filo sheet on top, brush with remaing butter & sprinkle remaining parmesan.

Scatter onion across filo, top with mozzarella & arrange tomato slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with thyme, salt & pepper to taste.

Bake until filo is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Eduardo's Taj Mahal Lentil Soup

This is a big soup using Indian-style spicing.

1 pound lentils, washed
9 cups water
1 potato, cubed
2 celery sticks, chopped
6 bay leaves
dash salt

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon oil (a few drops of sesame oil is a nice addition)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 sliced lemon (rinds on)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon masala
1 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cardamom pod, crushed with a mortar and pestle
2 dried red chilis

cilantro for garnish

Bring the water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add lentils, potato, celery, bay leaves, and a dash of salt. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Saute all other ingredients (except cilantro) in a frying pan on high heat for about 10 minutes. Add saute to soup pot, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, until vegetables and lentils are soft. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaves.

Garnish with chopped cilantro when serving.

Vegetable Barley Soup

This is Eduardo's recipe, it makes a large pot of soup.  This is also a good slow cooker recipe - instead of low heat on the stove top, use high setting on the slow cooker, and cook about the same amount of time.

12 cups soup stock
2 medium potatoes, cubed
5 carrots, sliced
5 celery sticks, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, whole
1/2 pound pearl barley, rinsed
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound of white mushrooms, sliced
1 oz mixed dried mushrooms, diced
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh thyme
dash of red pepper flakes
± 1 tablespoon salt

Add the soup stock to a large pot, along with the potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic and barley. Bring to a boil, turn to low heat and cook for about 2 hours. Saute onions in olive oil, add to the soup. Add all remaining ingredients except salt, and cook on low heat for 3 hours. Add salt to taste, cook about 30 minutes more, and serve.

Swiss Chard With Garlic And Pine Nuts

Garlic and pine nuts are a nice addition to swiss chard.

4 cloves garlic, crushed or pressed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 bunch swiss chard (about 8 leaves)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the chard, cut the stems off and chop the stems into small pieces. Place the stem pieces into a small pot with 1-2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Let the stem pieces cook until soft, then drain.

Put the chard leaves into a large pot. If the leaves are still wet from washing, this should be enough water. If not, add a small amount of water to the pot. Set to medium heat and cover.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic, pine nuts, and chard stems. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until the pine nuts have started to brown.

When the chard leaves are cooked (about 10 minutes of steaming), put them into a serving bowl, add the contents of the frying pan, the chard stems, and toss. Salt to taste, and serve.

White Bean Salad

One of our favorite Italian restaurants serves this salad. It works with Italian food, but we've also served it at picnics and barbecues. Garbanzo beans can be substituted for the white beans. This recipe will serve about 6 people.

1 pound great northern beans, or other white beans
1/2 medium sized red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Wash the beans, then soak them for at least 4 hours (can be soaked overnight). Drain, wash, and add them to a large pot of water. Boil until done, usually 20-30 minutes. Drain the beans, and put them in a large bowl. Let them cool to room temperature.

Add the salt, pepper, oil, and most of the basil and onion to the beans. Mix well. Add the remaining basil and onions as garnish, and serve.

Low Sodium Cooking

When my doctor recommended that I watch my sodium intake, I was surprised at how much sodium I was consuming. It's really not that hard to maintain a low sodium diet if you pay attention to what you eat and how you cook. Once you get used to less salty foods, you won't miss the salt.

There are many health benefits to a low sodium diet - don't wait to have high blood pressure or heart problems to start reducing your sodium intake.

Prepare your own meals as much as possible; you can't control the amount of sodium in food you don't prepare. When you shop, read food nutrition labels to see how much sodium foods contain. Anything under 140mg of sodium per serving is considered a low sodium food (be sure and check the serving size on the label too). Fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains are always the best ingredients to use. Avoid cooking with processed foods as much as possible.

Your total sodium intake target per day should be discussed with your doctor. Your body does need some sodium, somewhere around 500mg per day; the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2400mg per day. The average American consumes more than 4000mg per day.

When I shop, I try to purchase only foods with less than 140mg per serving, and as close to 0 sodium as possible. I sometimes purchase a few items with more than 140mg sodium, and then try to be careful about how much I consume. Remember, its the total sodium intake per day that counts.

When cooking, leave the salt shaker in the cabinet. Just stop using it completely. Also, don't use potassium chloride based salt substitutes - these can cause health problems too. Deal with not using salt by spicing food in other ways, and by getting used to the taste of foods that contain less salt. Vinegar can add a salty flavor to soups, salads, and other foods. Lemon juice or powdered lemon peel can be used as a substitute. Experiment with spice mixes, use more black pepper or cayenne pepper, and garlic or onion powder can add flavor without sodium.

Processed foods can contain a huge amount of sodium. In many cases low sodium choices are available. You'll figure it all out by reading food labels. Some of the foods to be careful of are:

• Soy Sauce (can be higher in sodium than salt - even 'low sodium' soy sauce is very high in sodium)
• Canned soups
• Soup stocks
• Bouillon cubes
• Cottage cheese
• Barbecue sauce, ketchup, pickles and other condiments
• Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste (most stores carry no salt tomato products)
• Canned vegetables
• Bread
• Some breakfast cereals (shredded wheats usually have very low sodium content)
  

The recipes posted here are not necessarily low sodium recipes, but can always be made without salt. The recipes are usually a little vague about the amount of salt as a reminder that you can decide.