The Complete Idiot's Guide to Low Sodium Meals

Contents at a Glance iii
	Part 1: In the Lo-So Know 1
		1 The Shakedown on Salt 3
		2 Kitchen Salternatives 11
	Part 2: For Starters, Snacks, and Sippers 23
		3 All-Occasion Appetizers 25
		4 Dips and Scoops 35
		5 Snack Time Finger Foods 43
		6 Wetting Your Whistle 53
	Part 3: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, and Lighter Fare 65
		7 Fast-Fix Breakfasts 67
		8 Weekend Morning Indulgences 77
		9 Fill-’Er-Up Salads 87
		10 Soups and Stews to Savor 99
		11 Assorted Sandwiches 111
	Part 4: The Meat of the Matter … or Not 123
		12 Awash in Fish and Seafood 125
		13 Pick of the Poultry 135
		14 Big Beef and Prime Pork 149
		15 Meatless Meals 163
	Part 5: Side by Side 175
		16 The Bread Basket 177
		17 The Salad Bar 189
		18 À la Carte Items 207
	Part 6: The Sweet Spot 223
		19 The Cookie Jar 225
		20 Brownies, Bars, and Fudges 237
		21 Ooey-Gooey Sauces and Puddings 249
		22 Sweet Endings 259
	Part 7: ’Tis the Seasoning 279
		23 Classic Condiments 281
		24 That’s Salada Dressings! 289
		25 Salsas and Relishes 301
		26 Slathers, Spreads, and Seasoning Blends 311
	A Glossary 321
	B Resources 333
	Index 335
Contents vii
	Part 1: In the Lo-So Know 1
		1 The Shakedown on Salt 3
			What’s Shakin’? 3
			Salt at Work 4
			Retraining Your Taste Buds 4
			It’s Something in the Water 5
			Navigating the Nutrition Analysis 6
			Reading Food Labels 7
				Understanding FDA Guidelines 8
				Salt by Any Other Name 9
		2 Kitchen Salternatives 11
			Close Encounters of the Three Kindas 12
				Worth Half Its Salt 12
				Potassium Imposters 12
				Herb and Spice Blends 12
			Flavor Savers 13
				Herb Insight 13
				Spice It Up 15
				Good Ol’ Fruits and Veggies 17
				Making a Splash 18
			The Better Butter 19
			Leavening Agent Awareness 20
	Part 2: For Starters, Snacks, and Sippers 23
		3 All-Occasion Appetizers 25
			Entertaining Ideas 26
			Eyer Beware 26
			To Snack or Not to Snack? 26
				Flaming Pineapple Shrimp Skewers 27
				Ricotta-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes 28
				Sweet and Creamy Strawberry Swoops 29
				Creamy Mustard Deviled Eggs 30
				Icy Avocado Sorbet 31
				Easy Cheddar Melt Potato Skins 32
				Cheddar Rice–Stuffed Mushrooms 33
				Grilled Pizza-Parlor Quesadillas 34
		4 Dips and Scoops 35
			Throwing a “Scooper” Party 35
			Smart Dipping 36
			The High Price of Convenience 36
				Lemon Lover’s Poppy Seed Dip 37
				Creamy Strawberry Fruit Dip 38
				Crisp and Creamy Waldorf Dip 38
				Favorite Fiesta Black Bean Dip 39
				Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Dip 40
				Green Herbed Veggie Dip 41
				Great Guacamole 41
				Zippy Jalapeño Hummus 42
		5 Snack Time Finger Foods 43
			Snack Attack Flak 43
				Sugar-and-Spice Pecans 45
				¡Olé! Taco Popcorn 46
				Italian-Seasoned Popcorn 47
				Ants on a Log 47
				Sweet Crunch Trail Mix 48
				Pan-Fried Zucchini Rounds 49
				Peanut-Butter-Banana Swirls 50
				Vinegared Cucumbers 50
				Cheddar and Jalapeño Nachos 51
		6 Wetting Your Whistle 53
			Punch Bowl Pleasers 54
			Front-Porch Sippers and Cozy Slurps 54
				Splash of Sunshine Punch 55
				Warm Orange Blossom Tea Punch 56
				Mocha Latté Punch 57
				Old-World Christmas Wassail 58
				Coffee-Laced Eggnog Punch 59
				Old-Time Lemonade 60
				Tropical Breeze Smoothie 60
				Spiced Peach Smoothie 61
				Banana Bread Smoothie 62
				Frosty Chocolate Raspberry Float 62
				A Cup of Hot Cocoa 63
				Hot Mulled Cider 63
				Autumn Spiced Coffee 64
	Part 3: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, and Lighter Fare 65
		7 Fast-Fix Breakfasts 67
			Getting a Breakfast Plan 68
				Crunch Berry Parfait 69
				Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar Oatmeal 70
				Peach Melba Oatmeal 71
				Honey Nut Multi-Grain Cereal 72
				Sugar and Spice Rice 73
				Wild Rice and Berries 74
				Breakfast Stir-Fry Scramble Pita 74
				Peanut Butter and Pineapple Burrito 75
				Peanut Butter Stacked Apple 75
				Very Berry Tofu Breakfast Smoothie 76
		8 Weekend Morning Indulgences 77
			Breakfast: Good Any Time 78
				Good Start Sausage Patties 79
				Veggie Confetti Frittata 80
				Crisp Home Fries 81
				Lemon Raspberry Crepes 82
				Homemaker’s Holiday Cranberry Coffeecake 83
				Cinnamon Morning Apples 84
				Sweet Curried Eggs 84
				Golden-Baked Pancake 85
				Hearty Buckwheat Pancakes 86
		9 Fill-’Er-Up Salads 87
			Healthful Fixings 88
			Smart Salad Strategies 88
				Lightly Curried Fruit and Chicken Salad 89
				Wild Turkey Salad 90
				Hearty Grilled Veggie Salad 91
				Lemon-Kissed Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes 92
				Golden Chicken Tenders Salad 93
				Spring Salmon Salad 94
				Veggie-Packed Pasta Salad 95
				Mexican Night Taco Salad 96
				Pittsburgh Steak Salad 97
				Tex-Mex Chicken Fajita Salad 98
		10 Soups and Stews to Savor 99
			The Pros of Soups and Stews 99
			Soup Notes 100
				Split-Pea Soup with Mini Meatballs 101
				Summer Garden Cream of Tomato Soup 102
				Slow-Simmered Minestrone 103
				Down-Home Veggie Soup 104
				Honey-Kissed Strawberry Soup 105
				Tri-Colored Melon Soup 106
				Two-Bean Turkey Chili 107
				One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Stew 108
				Farmhouse Oven Beef Stew 109
		11 Assorted Sandwiches 111
			It’s All About the Bread 112
			Sandwich Snafus—Avoided 112
				Turkey and Swiss in a Green Blanket 113
				Honey-Barbecue Chicken Breast on Toast 114
				Quick and Easy Beefy Tacos 115
				Turkey and Pinto Bean Soft Tacos 116
				Chunky Tuna Salad Pita Pockets 117
				Salmon Swiss Melts with Avocado 118
				Big Beefy Burgers 119
				Open-Face Cheese Steak Sandwiches 120
				Broiled Cheese-Capped Salad Sandwiches 121
				Classic Tomato Sandwich 122
	Part 4: The Meat of the Matter … or Not 123
		12 Awash in Fish and Seafood 125
			Buying the Best Catch 125
			Preparation Pointers 126
			Fishing for Good Health 126
				Tilapia Florentine 128
				Family-Pleasing Paprika-Tinged Grouper 129
				Lemon Cod Pockets 130
				Skillet-Sizzled Sea Scallops 130
				Hot and Sweet Mustard-Crusted Salmon 131
				Chinese-Style Shrimp Pasta Primavera 132
				Italian Shrimp Fettuccini 133
				Veggie-Lover’s Crunchy Tuna Noodle Casserole 134
		13 Pick of the Poultry 135
			All Parts Are Not Created Equal 136
			Better Safe Than Sorry 136
				Saucy Orange Chicken over Angel Hair 138
				Stovetop Cranberry Chicken 139
				Plum Delicious Chicken 140
				Tropical Chicken for Two 141
				Savory Chicken with Green Beans and Mushrooms 142
				Family-Pleasing Oven-Fried Chicken 143
				Grilled Asian-Spiced Chicken Thighs 144
				Turkey Medallions with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Green Onions 145
				Creamy Dilled Turkey Cutlets with Vegetables 146
				Tasty Turkey-Stuffed Peppers 147
		14 Big Beef and Prime Pork 149
			Safe at Home 149
			Pitching the Fat 151
			Pinch Hitters 151
				Fiery Steak with Southwestern Relish 152
				Grilled T-Bones with Charred Peppers 153
				Steak and Veggie Shish Kebabs 154
				Just-Like-Mom’s Meat Loaf 155
				Spaghetti and Meatballs in Marinara Sauce 156
				After-Work Chili Mac 157
				Cincinnati-Chili-Style Dinners 158
				Rosemary-Crusted Pork Tenderloin 159
				Onion-Smothered Pork Chops 160
				Indian Nectar Pork Chops 161
				Maple-Barbecue Country-Style Pork Ribs 162
		15 Meatless Meals 163
			Fresh Food for Less 164
			Here’s to Your Health! 164
				Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Ziti 165
				Herbed Red Bell Pepper Sauce over Vermicelli 166
				Bell Pepper Pasta Sauce over Capellini 167
				Winter Vegetable Spaghetti 168
				Garden-Fresh Balsamic Tomato Sauce over Angel Hair 169
				Individual Lasagna Casseroles 170
				Grilled Veggie Pasta Toss 171
				Tofu and Veggie Stir-Fry 172
				Moroccan Couscous-Stuffed Peppers 173
				Veggie-Topped Polenta Pizza Squares 174
	Part 5: Side by Side 175
		16 The Bread Basket 177
			Sodium Switcheroo 177
			The Yeast You Knead to Know 178
			The Quick and the Bread 179
				Classic Cornmeal Biscuits 180
				Basic Yeast Rolls 181
				Fresh Tortillas 182
				Pita Pockets 183
				Sweet Wheat Buns 184
				Easy Spoon Bread 185
				Tangy Glazed Lemon Bread 186
				Sweet Strawberry Bread 187
				Apple Raisin Bread 188
		17 The Salad Bar 189
			Greens and Beans 190
			Pasta-bilities 190
			Fruit-astic 191
				Crimson-Jeweled Baby Spinach Salad 192
				Grape and Walnut Spinach Salad 193
				Creamy Avocado and Pink Grapefruit Toss 194
				Spring Mix with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella 195
				Crunchy Cucumber Salad 195
				Cowboy Rice and Black Bean Salad 196
				Basic Three-Bean Salad 197
				Pearly Fruit Salad 198
				Tropical White Tie Salad 199
				Homey Macaroni Salad 200
				Crunchy Apple Coleslaw 201
				Tangy Lemon Waldorf Salad 202
				Layered Sweet Banana Salad 203
				Frosty Apricot Salad 204
				Busy-Day Ambrosia 205
				Melon Berry Cups 205
		18 À la Carte Items 207
			Veggie Venue 208
			Noodles and Grains 208
				Splash of Lemon Asparagus 209
				Basil-Tarragon Sautéed Mushrooms 209
				Tomato-Studded Sugar Snap Peas 210
				Indian-Curried Cauliflower 210
				Dilly Carrots Almondine 211
				Green Beans Almondine 211
				Roasted Potatoes with Basil 212
				Oven-Crisped Fries 213
				Quick Cowboy Corn Fritters 214
				Simple Caraway Noodles 214
				Fettuccini with Basil-Almond Pesto 215
				Classic Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil 216
				Lo Mein Noodles with Stir-Fried Vegetables 217
				Tex-Mex Rice 218
				Mediterranean Millet 219
				Fruited Couscous 220
				Walnut-Apricot Dressing 221
	Part 6: The Sweet Spot 223
		19 The Cookie Jar 225
			Aisle Have to Pass 225
			A Batch of Solutions 226
				Shortbread Jam Thumbprints 227
				Russian Tea Cakes 228
				Sweet Maple Cookies 229
				Golden Lemon Ribbons 230
				Peppermint Candy–Sprinkled Cookies 231
				Classic No-Bake Cookies 233
				Pistachio-Studded Lime Cookies 234
				Almond Macaroons 235
				Sugared Cinnamon Sticks 235
		20 Brownies, Bars, and Fudges 237
			Thinking Outside the Box 237
			Itty, Bitty Bites 238
				Chocolate-Chocolate-Chip Brownies 239
				Bleached Blondies 240
				Walnut-Studded Chocolate Sponge Bars 241
				Chocolate-Crusted Pecan Bars 242
				Golden Sunshine Bars 243
				Lemony Cloud Bars 244
				Toasted Fruity Granola Bars 245
				Micro-Quick Chocolate Fudge 246
				Super-Easy Peanut Butter Marble Fudge 247
		21 Ooey-Gooey Sauces and Puddings 249
			Ingredient Safeguards 250
			Watching the Big Dipper 250
				Nutty Chocolate Velvet Sauce 251
				Maple-Walnut Topping 251
				Fudge Crackle Coating 252
				Sweet Caramel Sauce 253
				Creamy Breakfast Syrup 253
				Simply Vanilla Pudding 254
				Smooth Chocolate Pudding 255
				Creamy Raisin Rice Pudding 256
				Cake-Crusted Lemon Pudding 257
		22 Sweet Endings 259
			A Piece of Cake 259
			Say “Cheesecake!” 260
			My Sweetie Pie (or Sweet Tart) 260
			Crisps and Cobblers 260
				Golden Lemon Pound Cake 261
				Decadent Chocolate-Orange Cake 262
				Lightweight Carrot Cake 263
				Yogurt-Baked Cheesecake 264
				Silky Tofu Cheesecake 265
				Perfect Pie Crust 266
				Crunchy Oat Crust 267
				No-Bake Cherry Vanilla Pie 268
				Cake-Crusted Lemon Custard Pie 269
				Harvest Pumpkin Pie 270
				Rainbow Fruit Tart 271
				Merry Berry Tart 272
				Pilgrim’s Cranberry-Apple Crisp 273
				Strawberry Double Crisp 274
				Bubbly Blueberry Crisp 275
				Topsy-Turvy Peach Cobbler 276
				Spiced Zucchini Cobbler 277
	Part 7: ’Tis the Seasoning 279
		23 Classic Condiments 281
			Homespun Yum 282
			Using a Light Hand 282
				Home-Style Mustard 283
				Make-Your-Own Mustard 284
				Kitchen Ketchup 285
				Sun-Up Tomato Gravy 286
				Homemade Horseradish 287
				Like-So for Mayo 287
				Easy BBQ Sauce 288
				Dilly Tartar Sauce 288
		24 That’s Salada Dressings! 289
			Fast, Fresh, and Fabulous 290
			A Note on Oil 290
			Getting Caught in a Downpour 291
				Balsamic Vinaigrette 292
				Italian Dressing 293
				Golden Garlic Dressing 294
				Vinegar-and-Oil French Dressing 294
				Citrus-Kissed Dressing 295
				Sweet Onion Dressing 296
				Red Wine Ginger Dressing 296
				Creamy Herb Dressing 297
				Hint of Lime Cucumber Dressing 297
				Creamy Avocado Dressing 298
				Lemon-Pepper Balsamic Dressing 298
				Honey Mustard Dressing 299
				Raspberry Fruit Salad Dressing 299
				Classic Potato Salad Dressing 300
		25 Salsas and Relishes 301
			Singing the Praises of Medleys 301
			Relishing Accompaniments 302
				Fresh-Taste Tomato Salsa 303
				Asian-Flavored Carrot Crunch Salsa 304
				Flaming Watermelon Salsa 305
				Caribbean Beach Fruit Salsa 305
				Tropical Breeze Pineapple-Orange Salsa 306
				Blushing Pear Salsa 307
				Cranberry-Apple Relish 308
				Southwestern Relish 309
				Caraway-Beet Relish 310
		26 Slathers, Spreads, and Seasoning Blends 311
			Wait ’Til You Smear! 312
			Shake It Up, Baby 312
				Overnight Spiced Pumpkin Butter 313
				Sweet Strawberry Butter 313
				Herb-Flecked Butter 314
				Lemon-Bright Cilantro Butter 314
				Festive Green Pistachio Butter 315
				Salt-Shaker Substitute 316
				Firehouse Chili Powder 317
				Taco Seasoning Mix 318
				Asian-Inspired Spice Blend 319
				Fast Fish Seasoning Blend 320
	A Glossary 321
	B Resources 333
	Index 335