Deli Sandwiches & Greek Potato Salad

What's wrong with these pictures? One picture has an open-face sandwich of deli sliced turkey accompanied by a dill pickle and some olives. The other picture has a BLT sandwich and some potato salad. Can any of this be low salt? Well, the amazing answer is, YES! It's all low sodium Let me break it down for you:

The open face sandwich was made with Columbus Reduced Sodium Herb Roasted Turkey Breast. The plain flavored turkey breast is available at Trader Joe's, but I bought a large package of the herb roasted at Costco. At 240 mg. sodium for 2 oz. turkey, that's not too bad for a deli meat.

The pickles are 100% sodium free. I bought them online  and what a find they were. (Update: Although B & G no longer produces these pickles, Healthy Heart Market sells its own brand of unsalted dill and bread & butter pickles.) They have no salt in them, but they do have a touch of corn syrup. So they're a bit sweeter than regular dill pickles. Not as sugary as sweet pickles; slightly reminiscent of bread & butter pickles. But not even as sweet as those are. They've got a nice spicy kick to them too. And when you've haven't been able to eat pickles in over 2-1/2 years, boy, they sure taste good. I bought 2 jars and we're almost finished with the second one. I've got to order some more.

The olives are from Healthy Heart . They have 40 mg sodium per 5 olives.

The BLT is made with low sodium bacon. I'm able to find it at Costco, Safeway,and my local grocery store, Raley's. Depending on the brand, the sodium content can range from 110 mg. per slice to 173 mg. for two slices. So be sure to read the labels!

The potato salad is a family recipe with no mayonnaise at all. The lemon juice in the dressing makes up for any missing salt.

Patatosalata - Greek Potato Salad
(Printable Recipe)

Fresh, lively, and bursting with flavor. This salad brightens any meal and is a delicious alternative to the typical mayonnaise-laden versions.

2 – 2 ½ lbs. wax potatoes (white, Yukon Gold, or red)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1- 2 large lemons (I love lemon, so I usually use three)
1 red onion, finely diced
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1-2 teaspoons dried or fresh Greek oregano or dill (optional)


Finely chop onion and parsley. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice; whisk together. In a large bowl combine oregano or dill (if used), parsley, salt, and onion. Mix well and set aside.

Wash potatoes well. Add potatoes to a large pot of boiling water. Cook potatoes at low boil for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Do not overcook. Drain water and let potatoes cool slightly to touch. (I steam the unpeeled potatoes with unsalted water now; they lose less flavor when the peel is intact & they're not boiled.)

When slightly cooled, peel and cut potatoes into slices or large dice (If desired, leave skin on red potatoes). Place potatoes in a bowl with onions & herbs; add dressing. Toss to coat. (I usually have some dressing left over.) Cover bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Stir every once in a while to redistribute dressing.

Cracked Wheat Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes

A few weeks ago Ohiomom of Cooking in Cleveland posted an intriguing recipe for fried bread. She used the basic recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. However, she added some cracked wheat to the dough. That's what really interested me. As I stated before in another post, I've tried the 5 minute artisan bread dough a couple of times now and was not overly impressed. But Ohiomom's addition of cracked wheat made me want to give it another whirl. So I made up a batch of dough with some cracked wheat. I just baked a round loaf because I was too lazy to fry individual breads. To my delight, it turned out great, and I've since made it again.

Simple Crusty Bread with Cracked Wheat

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day : Ohiomom's adaptation

(Printable Recipe)

Time: About 45 minutes plus about 3 hours’ resting and rising

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast (I used only 1-1/2 tsp yeast)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (I used only 1-1/2 tsp salt)

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough (I used 3-1/2 cups all purpose and 3 cups white whole wheat)

Ohiomom's addition: Bulgur wheat
(add 1/2 cup Bulgur wheat to 3/4 cups hot water; let all the water absorb)

Cornmeal.

1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Yield: 4 loaves.

Variation: If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a greased, nonstick loaf pan. Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, an extra hour if refrigerated. Heat oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Place pan on middle rack.

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls!

My son, his wife, and my two adorable granddaughters are visiting for the weekend. Sometimes they wake up pretty early. That means everyone is ready for breakfast before grandma has even opened her eyes. So I usually bake an assortment of breakfast breads to have available. Of course, I'll make my usual bran muffins and scones. And I'll add a banana bread. But my big treat, that I only make when they're visiting, is cinnamon rolls.

Lately I've been using Ann T.'s recipe; she's a member of the Cooking Forum. The recipe makes eight jumbo size rolls, but I usually make 12 rolls. I like the filling because it has flour in it and it seems a bit more substantial and less sweet than just the butter and cinnamon sugar fillings. I've never liked the gooey, sickeningly sweet white icing on cinnamon rolls, so my unique twist is to sprinkle the rolls with a crumb topping. But this time I think I may have outdone myself.

A few weeks ago I noticed an ad in the newspaper for Cost Plus World Market chocolate spreads. I figured they were similar to Nutella. I'm not crazy about Nutella; it's too sweet and milky, and I can't really taste the chocolate. The thing that caught my eye about the World Market spreads is that one of them was dark chocolate. Perhaps that spread would actually taste chocolaty. So, of course, I had to get some, and I wasn't disappointed. The spread has a pretty decent dark chocolate taste, and it is not overly sweet. After devouring a couple of spoonfuls, I stuck it in a hidden place in the fridge so neither my husband nor I would be tempted to snitch tastes.

Fast forward to the cinnamon rolls. I remembered the dark chocolate spread and decided to add a layer along with the cinnamon filling. Since there was no neat way to spread the chocolate on the soft unbaked dough, I just stuck my fingers in the jar and smeared the dough with the spread. Boy, was that fun! Just like finger painting. The only difference was that I got to lick my fingers when I was finally all done.

This batch of rolls turned out to be a big hit. I'm sure glad the recipe didn't make more than 12, though. We certainly didn't need to eat more! Here is Ann's original recipe and my notes:





Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Ann T from GardenWeb's Cooking Forum/Joy of Baking
(Printable Recipe)

Dough:
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2-1/2 cups all purpose and 2 cups white whole wheat)
1 Package active dry yeast (I used only 1-1/2 tsp.)
1 Cup milk
1/3 Cup butter (I used unsalted butter)
1/3 Cup sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt (I used 1/4 tsp.)
3 eggs
(I added a tsp. of vanilla extract)

Filling:
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar (I used closer to 1/2 cup)
1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Cup butter (I used unsalted butter)
1/2 Cup light raisins (optional) 
Heavy cream or half-and-half

Cream Cheese Icing: (I did not use)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup cream cheese

Cream together and add enough icing/powder sugar to make a creamy icing.

Powdered Sugar Glaze: (I did not use)
In a bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and enough half and half (1 to 2 tablespoons) to make the glaze thin enough to drizzle over cinnamon rolls.

In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast.

In a small saucepan heat the milk, the 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt just till warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees) and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 - 1 1/2 hours).

For filling, combine brown sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a 12 inch square ( I rolled it into an 18 x 12 inch rectangle). Sprinkle filling over dough square (I smeared the dark chocolate spread onto the dough before sprinkling on the filling); top with raisins (if desired) . Roll up jelly-roll style; pinch edges to seal. Slice roll into eight 1 1/2 inch pieces (I cut 12 pieces). Arrange dough pieces, cut side up, in a greased 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Cover dough loosely with clear plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise. (I brushed the roll tops with cream and then sprinkled them generously with the crumb mixture, pressing down slightly)

Refrigerate dough for 2 to 24 hours. Uncover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (If you are making the cinnamon rolls immediately, don’t chill dough. Instead, cover loosely, let dough rise in a warm place till nearly double, about 45 minutes.) Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Brush dough with a half-and-half.

Bake in a 375 degree oven to 25 to 30 minutes or till light brown. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover rolls loosely with foil the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.

Remove rolls from oven. Brush again with half-and-half. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a baking rack and invert again onto a plate. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze or frost with cream cheese frosting. (I just left the baked rolls in the pan) Serve warm. Makes 8 rolls.

Crumb Topping

1 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar (I only used 3/4 cup)
2-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I omitted)

Steamed Vegetable Plate with Cheese Sauce

I'm really lucky that my husband is not a picky eater. I have friends whose husbands can't abide onions or garlic or spices or green vegetables, etc. So their cooking adventures are very limited. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to follow a low sodium regimen with such ingredient restrictions.

We both love vegetables, and, interestingly enough, I've been cooking vegetables without added salt or butter for years now -- long before I "had" to. The abundance & availability of fresh vegetables make the summer Sacramento heat almost worthwhile. I've been frequenting two farmers markets weekly, so one night I decided a nice steamed vegetable plate would be a wonderful evening meal. I used squash, green beans, baby carrots & new potatoes from the farmers markets. I steamed each vegetable separately until just perfectly done, then combined them for serving. I made a simple lower sodium cheese sauce to pour over everything. It was a simple yet satisfying meal. And there were enough leftovers to use another time as a vegetable side dish.



Cheese Sauce
(Printable Recipe)

Cook together two tablespoons each of flour & unsalted butter for about 2-3 minutes. Add two cups of warm milk or chicken/vegetable broth (Or 1 cup milk and 1 cup broth). Whisk till smooth and stir until thickened.

After the sauce has thickened somewhat, add 1/4 cup shredded naturally low sodium Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir while cheese is melting. Keep temperature low so cheese will stay smooth.

For extra flavor, add about 1/2 tsp. each of dry mustard and paprika and a teaspoon of low sodium Worcestershire sauce.  Add more liquid if sauce is too thick. Keep warm, if necessary, over extremely low heat.

Rice Pie

A strange name, I know. But when I threw this recipe together many, many years ago, I didn't know what to call it. It had rice, and I always baked it in a Pyrex pie dish, thus the name. Anyhow, I originally developed this dish to use up leftover brown rice. My husband fell in love with it and considers it one of his favorite meals. It's almost too simple to merit a recipe, but it's a very satisfying vegetarian dish.

Rice Pie
(Printable Recipe)

Leftover brown rice, 2 - 3 cups (I do not salt the rice cooking water)
Sliced ripe tomatoes
One large onion, sliced
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
2 tbsp. cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded or fresh mozzarella, cubed (Both are naturally low in sodium)
1/4 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
Pepper to taste
Thyme
1 - 2 tbsp. unsalted butter or oil
Oil or vegetable oil spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the cheeses and the mayonnaise. Set aside.

Cook the frozen artichokes, drain well, and set aside.

Spray or lightly oil the bottom of a glass pie pan. Spread leftover rice onto pie pan. Add enough rice to make at least an inch deep layer of rice. Sprinkle rice with dried thyme.

Top rice layer with sliced tomatoes to cover. Sprinkle tomatoes with ground pepper and place pie pan in oven to begin partially cooking tomatoes.

While rice & tomatoes are baking, saute sliced onion in NSA butter or oil until nicely softened.

Remove rice & tomatoes from oven. Strew the top with the sliced onions and arrange the artichoke hearts on top of the onions. If necessary, cut some of the larger artichoke pieces in half to more evenly distribute.

Arrange spoonfuls of the mayonnaise/cheese mixture on top of the vegetables. Return the pie pan to the oven and bake another 15-20 minutes until the cheese top is nicely browned.


Note: Sometimes I saute sliced mushrooms along with the onions. I have even added chunks of leftover chicken.

That's it! Couldn't be simpler, yet it really tastes good and is quite filling.

Galatobouriko (Greek Custard Dessert) with Strawberry Coulis

My friend Linda (better known as Ohiomom) invited me to participate in her first food blogging event, Strawberry Moon Festival. We'll be celebrating the "first fruit" of spring by focusing on fabulous recipes using strawberries.

I decided I wanted to keep true to my Greek heritage by combining a strawberry coulis with a traditional dessert. My first thought was Galatobouriko, a classic sweet featuring a creamy custard filling sandwiched between buttery fillo layers and drenched in a light cinnamon and honey syrup. I'd made it before, but I remembered that my Aunt Stella was well known among our Greek friends & family in Los Angeles for her special version. It was unusual because she didn't use the traditional fillo. Years ago I copied her notes on how to make her special version. I figured the fillo-free dessert would be perfect with strawberries.

So, in honor of my Aunt Stella, here's the recipe for Galatobouriko served with a Strawberry Coulis :

Galatobouriko (Greek Custard Dessert) with Strawberry Coulis
(Printable Recipe)

Custard:
1¼ cups farina or Cream of Wheat
8 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup melted sweet, unsalted butter (divided)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Freshly grated peel of one orange (optional)

Syrup:
1½ cups sugar
½ cup honey
2 cups water
2 sticks cinnamon
Orange peel slice (optional)

Custard Preparation:

• In large saucepan, heat milk; remove pan from heat.
• Gradually add Cream of Wheat, stirring constantly.
• Return saucepan to medium heat.
• Add sugar and butter; blend thoroughly.
• Continue to stir; do not allow mixture to burn.
• Cook about 10 - 15 minute until mixture thickens.
• Slowly add the Cream of Wheat mixture to the beaten eggs, little by little (ladle by ladle).
• Pour and mix the egg mixture gently into the hot Cream of Wheat mixture and stir.
• Add vanilla and grated orange peel(if using); blend well.
• Set custard aside.
• To keep “skin” from forming while cooling, stir custard occasionally or place a piece of plastic wrap directly on custard.

Syrup Preparation:

• In saucepan combine sugar and honey, water, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel (if using).
• Bring mixture to boil.
• Continue to boil until syrup is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Discard cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Prepare custard as above using 1/4 cup of the melted butter. Pour the other 1/4 cup melted butter onto bottom of 13” x 9” baking pan. Spoon custard on top of the butter. Bake at 350° for 45 – 60 minutes until custard is completely set and knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into pieces (diamond shapes are traditionally Greek) and pour syrup over warm galatobouriko (just enough syrup to fully drench; there will be some left over). Let galatobouriko cool and absorb some of syrup before serving (the custard will not soak up all the syrup because there is no fillo). Refrigerate leftovers.

Note: I halved this recipe and baked the custard in an 8 x 8 inch pan. I had a lot of syrup left over, though. I should have used just 1/4 of the syrup recipe. The custard by itself does not absorb as much syrup as when fillo is on both top & bottom. I refrigerated the remaining syrup. It'll keep almost forever and can be used for pancakes & waffles, over ice cream, to sweeten drinks, etc.

Strawberry Coulis:

• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and rinsed, or 10 ounces frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

In a blender or food processor, puree strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice as needed. Strain seeds from strawberries, if desired. Cover and refrigerate coulis until ready to serve.

Zatarain's Reduced Sodium Jambalaya Rice Mix

Today was one of those days. I had already spent several hours in the kitchen making a special Greek dessert and a new batch of my Low Sodium Buttery Spread. As the dinner hour approached, my enthusiasm for cooking weakened. Earlier in the day I had picked up some chicken leg quarters (thigh & leg) at the grocery store. Also this morning, as I was straightening out my pantry, I noticed a rice mix box. So, I thought, "Why not put them together and call it dinner?" And that's exactly what I did.

I removed all the excess fat & skin from the chicken pieces before sauteeing them in olive oil in a large frying pan. Once both sides of the chicken pieces were well browned, I added the rice mix & water.

Usually rice mixes are prohibitively high in salt content. But this was a new mix from Zatarain's. It was the Reduced Sodium Jambalaya Mix. In the pre-CHF days, I used the regular mix and found it quite tasty. The reduced sodium version promised 25% less sodium than the original jambalaya mix. I compared the two versions, and the low sodium version is indeed 25% less salty. But it still weighed in at 360 mg. sodium per cup of prepared mix. Not horrible, but I knew I could do better. To the rice mix I added 1/2 cup Minute Instant Brown Rice, an extra 1/2 cup of water, and one packet of Herb-Ox Sodium Free Chicken Bouillon. That effectively lowered the sodium content.

I covered the frying pan and let everything simmer together until the rice was tender. Even with the additional rice, the dish was quite flavorful. And easy...