Italian Soup*

So even my mom liked this soup!  I borrowed the seasoning idea from EatingWell...which by the way includes potassium in their nutrition guidance! The recipe can be found here: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_spinach_pesto_soup.html


The key idea I took?  Flavoring soup with Pesto!  It is probably best to make your own pesto, as EatingWell's recipe does (basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts (optional)), to reduce sodium.  I spent a good 20 minutes reading the ingredient labels of pesto jars in the grocery store to find only two options that were not made with soy products (notice how the ingredient list does not include soy). 

Ingredients:

1 small head of cabbage
2 15oz (Eden Organic) Cannellini Beans
1 small onion
1 large red pepper
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken)
2 cups water
1 cup frozen green peas
10oz frozen chopped spinach (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Basil Pesto
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic (grated)
1/2 tbsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional - to taste)

Servings: A lot, easily 10 -12

1. Chop onion and red pepper.
2. In large pot or dutch oven add olive oil, onion, and red pepper.  Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce to med-low heat and add vegetable broth, Pesto, oregano, pepper, and garlic (grate into pot).
4. Chop or shred cabbage. Add to pot.
5. Add spinach and cannellini beans.
6. Cook until cabbage is done.
7. Add water as needed or to desired soup consistency.
8. Add sea salt to taste.  If you use low salt/no salt ingredients you will need a bit of sea salt.
9. 10 minutes before serving add frozen green peas.  If you add them earlier they may dominate the soup.

*You are responsible for understanding the nutritional and mineral content of the food you consume. Not me, which is why it is not posted. I do not claim that any of the recipes in this blog necessarily meet the renal diet restrictions. I am NOT a certified dietitian.

Easy Chicken Pumpkin Soup....yummy.*

I seem to add collard greens to everything, even when it is not necessarily appropriate.  This recipe perhaps being one of them - a can of cannellini beans would prob fit better than collards, so I added a can!  However, soups are perfect for collard greens.  Why, because the greens sit and absorb the flavors of the soup.  The best soup to add collard greens is probably chili.  Give it a try - collards are my nutritional savior. 

Makes 10 generous cups

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or about two chicken breasts)
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 15oz can pumpkin
1 15oz can cannellini beans
1 large onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
4 cups chopped collard greens
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp salted butter**
Seasoning for chicken: 1 tsp of dried thyme, 1 tsp of rosemary, sea salt and ground pepper to taste - optional

1. In a large pan (5quart saute pan) cook chicken in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Season if desired with Seasoning for Chicken listed above.

2. Remove chicken and set to side.

3. Reduce heat to low. Add additional 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of salted butter.  Add onion, celery, and ground pepper to pan.  Grate garlic into pan.  Cook and stir until onion is transparent.

4. Lightly coat collard greens with additional 2 tbsp of olive oil and add to pan.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

5. Melt 2 tbsp of butter and mix into pumpkin. Add to pan, cook and stir for an additional 10 minutes.

6. Add beans. Stir. 

7. Add chicken broth.  Stir.

8. Cut or shred chicken and add to pan. Stir.

9. Cover and let simmer for about an hour.















*You are responsible for understanding the nutritional and mineral content of the food you consume. Not me, which is why it is not posted. I do not claim that any of the recipes in this blog necessarily meet the renal diet restrictions. I am NOT a certified dietitian.

**Turns out I found a butter from pasture cows that is salted, but only has about 40mg of sodium per tbsp.  Other butters appear to have 95-over 100 mg of sodium per tbsp.  So you may prefer to use unsalted and add your own sea salt.

Squash-ghetti sauce?*

What else is a girl to make with left over tomatoes, onion, a frozen box of squash and virtually no spices in the kitchen.  Not to mention my only dinner option was frozen pasta and no sauce in sight.  This could actually be a soup - although, you'd probably want a larger portion.  Either way, I was slightly shocked that this was actually delicious.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 plum tomatoes
1 cup frozen puree squash
1 whole clove garlic
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Servings 6

1. Over LOW heat melt butter and olive oil in a medium sauce pan.

2. Add chopped onion.

3. Cut garlic clove in half and add to pan.

4. Chop tomatoes and add to pan.

5. Microwave or boil squash to soften.  Once soft add to pan.

6. Add garlic salt and ground pepper.

7. Stir occasionally and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

8. Remove garlic clove.

*You are responsible for understanding the nutritional and mineral content of the food you consume. Not me, which is why it is not posted. I do not claim that any of the recipes in this blog necessarily meet the renal diet restrictions. I am NOT a certified dietitian.

Stomach Acid?

Well it is a good thing I like a challenge...because my new obstacle - heartburn/acid reflux/irritated stomach lining - whatever it is, it hurts. 

I've had a bit of a problem with stomach acid over the last year (and the scar tissue to prove it! Yes, I am turning into an outpatient pro.  Although, a little worried that the majority of my body is going to be scar tissue if my immune system doesn't decide to take a breather!)  However, was it possible to get worse? Is there perhaps a drug in this world that could not only increase my appetite, cause 5 pounds of water to decide my body is the ideal living space, and cause indigestion every time I eat? Yes, it is called prednisone.  That being said, from reading the reviews of other patients side effects, I think I might be getting by pretty well! 

Step 1 - Literature Review.  Step 1 = fail.  Too much non-sense out there. 
Step 2 - ?  I will let you know!

Mini Meatloaves*

One day I am going to actually use my real camera instead of my oh so convenient "old" iphone and I enjoy meat loaf.

Ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 ground beef - (more or less depending on your protein intake and who else you are feeding.  Also, I'd go with 85/15 grass fed cows!)
1/2 zucchini
1 egg
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 garlic clove grated or minced
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 plum tomato
2 ounces fresh whole milk mozzarella (optional)

Servings 4

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Slice four very thin slices of zucchini from the inside, approx two inches in length (see photo).  Set to side.

3. Grate rest of zucchini into ground beef.

4. Beat egg and add to beef.

5. Add basil, oregano, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, and ground pepper to beef.

6. Mix beef mixture well (I'd use your hands).

7. Separate beef mixture into four equal sizes and form mini loaves.  Place in baking dish (you may or may not want to spray with non-stick cooking spray).

8. Slice four thin slices of the plum tomato.

9. Layer zucchini and tomato slices on top of each loaf.

10**. Cook in oven for 25-30 min.  Remove from oven.

11. Cut mozzarella into four pieces, place on top of each loaf.

12. Return to oven to cook for 10 more minutes.

*You are responsible for understanding the nutritional and mineral content of the food you consume. Not me, which is why it is not posted. I do not claim that any of the recipes in this blog necessarily meet the renal diet restrictions. I am NOT a certified dietitian.

**Obviously - cook for 35min-40min if you do not follow steps 11 and 12.

Spaghetti Squash

Everybody's talking about it...spaghetti squash!  I may have been overly excited to try spaghetti squash.  I really enjoy winter squash.  However, winter squash is just a tad high on the potassium and vitamin A....grumble.  Spaghetti squash has the least amount of potassium...so I gave it a whirl.  It was good, but not as sweet as other winter squash.  However, once I accepted this truth, it was indeed a very lovely side dish.  A lot of people substitute wheat spaghetti for squash spaghetti and I must admit eating this squash with a sauce will probably give it an extra kick.  I decided to pretend it was a substitute for potatoes - unsalted butter, garlic, sea salt and black pepper.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
olive oil to drizzle
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Servings - approx 6, 1 cup servings (although I guess it depends on the size of your squash)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Chop off top and slice in half (good luck!)

3. Remove seeds with spoon.

4. Place on baking sheet (you probably want a sheet with bit of a side, just in case the squash decides to roll and spill butter.  Butter spill can equal fire.)

5. Place one tbsp of butter and one crushed garlic clove into each half.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper.

7. Depending on your oven and tolerance to not open the oven to assure there are no fire hazards - bake for approx. 35 - 45 min.

8. Cool, removed crushed garlic cloves.

9. Take fork to remove squash from shell.

Expensive Poor Man's Lasagna****

If I ever get really bored and decide to collate my recipes into a cookbook that my mother, sister, godmother, and maybe a couple friends will buy...I think it will be called: A Girl, A Skillet, and A Slow Cooker.

Poor Man's Lasagna is misc. tomato sauce, one, maybe two types of cheese, ground meat product, and noodles. So how does one make that expensive, delete misc tomato sauce and add homemade red pepper sauce.



Ingredients:

5 large red peppers
1/2 small yellow or white onion
2 small Roma Tomatoes (optional)
25 basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
6 oz. shredded mozzarella*
1/2 pound hot Italian ground pork*
1/4 tsp sea salt**
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
12-15 lasagna noodles

Serves 8

1***. Cook Italian Pork in skillet. Cook all the way through. It is pork, you do not want to leave it to the slow cook gods when you are trying not to over cook noodles.

2***. Remove pork from skillet and leave a small amount of pork fat in skillet (you may want to place the pork in the refrigerator during steps 3&4.)

3. Cut up red pepper (it can be big chunks theses are headed to a food processor).



4. In a skillet, mix/cook red pepper, olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/4 of small onion, 10 basil leaves and 2 cloves of garlic over medium low heat. Stir periodically for about 30-40 min. The peppers will not be all the way cooked - that is OK.

5. Let peppers cool a bit. Transfer to a food processor and process until about the consistency of sauce (no chunks). It will be more watery than sauce b/c there is no paste. That is good, we need the water to cook the noodles.

6. Slice the Roma tomatoes very thin and chop remaining 1/4 onion.

7. Layer. I had four layers if you count the top, which I did not include meat. It will vary for you depending on the size of your slow cooker and your lasagna noodle breaking skills (mine were not that great). That being said divide the pork into three portions. Divide sauce into four portions, plus a little bit on the side for the bottom. Divide cheese into four portions, I would recommend saving half of the cheese for the last layer to be added in the last 15 minutes or so.

7.1 Place the little bit of sauce on bottom of slow cooker.

7.2 Place noodles on top (break noodles to fit).

7.3 Cover in one portion of sauce. Sprinkle one portion of pork. Tear five leaves of basil and sprinkle (I only did this on two layers). Add a bit of the onion. Add a few slices of tomatoes (tomato slices I used sparingly and placed in different spots on each layer). Cover with one portion of cheese. Repeat.

7.4 Top layer - cover in sauce. Strategically place remaining basil leaves and tomatoes to be pretty. Only use half the cheese. Add the last of the cheese when there is only 15min remaining.

8. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. (The top layer of noodles may not look done, they are edible. To check if done place knife through lasagna, should cut nicely).



*I don't think I need to mention this - but read the ingredient label - there is no need to have phosphorus or potato starch additives in your cheese and pork. There are enough natural occurring phosphorus and adding calcium phosphate to cheese is an oxymoron. Also, I may be lucky enough to have pork for sale that does not have added salt, if you are not, you may want to make your own hot Italian seasoned ground pork.

**You don't really need to add the sea salt if you do not wish. All the salt is for is to help bring out the water in the peppers. As far as taste goes, there is enough salt in the mozzarella for the actual lasagna.

***You can do Step 1 after Step 4 and throw away all the pork fat in step 2 if you prefer - I like pork fat, I realize not everyone may enjoy pork fat...you only live once, I'd recommend using pork fat.

****You are responsible for understanding the nutritional and mineral content of the food you consume. Not me, which is why it is not posted. I do not claim that any of the recipes in this blog necessarily meet the renal diet restrictions. I am NOT a certified dietitian.