Four weeks ago, I began my new journey with cardiomyopathy (a weak heart) and congestive heart failure (CHF). This journey brought with it the need for a low-sodium diet. This was reasonably easy to accomplish in the hospital, as the catering group knew that I was on a special diet. Of course, that didn’t stop them from occasionally bringing me something not on my diet. Sometimes I sent it back, sometimes I didn’t. The three weeks spent eating hospital food prepared me for my return home. Basically, I came home with the knowledge that I could make food that tasted so much better than what I was served during my hospital stay. Tastier, and more interesting.
Along with the aforementioned burger, crustless quiche, and breakfast burrito, I also made a Southwest chicken lasagna from a recipe I’d printed out in 1998. The recipe came from a “healthy living” website, but only the fat and calorie content could be considered low. I didn’t calculate the sodium content, but I knew it couldn’t be good. I did my best to lower this by using all low-sodium products and adding more veggies than called for. I’m sure it still exceeded my limit of 600mg of sodium per meal. LA loved the lasagna and gave me the greatest compliment on it: This doesn’t taste healthy. Since we both enjoyed it so well, I plan on making it again, but there will be additional adjustments to make it healthier and lower in sodium. Once I have created a great version, I will be posting a recipe. Until then, you’ll just have to wait.
The home health care group sent out a cardiac nurse to check on me today. She asked if anyone had told me about the diet I was to follow. Only 6 different people, providing me with pages and pages of dietary information. All of which I read, partially out of boredom. So, to answer her question, yes, I am aware of the diet. I ordered two low-salt cookbooks, which arrived yesterday. LA and I both read the labels on everything at the grocery store (if you want to extend your grocery-shopping experience, take the time to read the labels of every item you buy. You’ll be there for hours!). I keep a food log in which I write down everything I eat and drink. Sadly, or maybe not, I actually kept a food log even before I went into the hospital. The nurse looked over my food log and challenged me on a couple of items. “Can you explain how chips and salsa are low sodium?” Yes, I can. The chips only had 30mg of sodium per serving. I may have gone over a serving, but that is beside the point. She did recommend that I start listing the amount of sodium that I am consuming with each item, to ensure that I am staying under 2000mg per day. After doing that for only half a day, I am convinced I’ve been going waaaay over my limit. A serving of Triscuits (135mg) is only 6 crackers. I did know that one, so I’d been pretty good about it. Some of the others were a little more challenging. The garlic melba crackers I love only have 130mg in them, but a serving is 4 crackers. Who only eats 4 crackers? 6 crackers is borderline ridiculous!
With the two new low-sodium cookbooks I got, I now have recipes for everything from low-sodium soy sauce to condensed cream of mushroom soup to fried chicken. I’m looking forward to trying those books to see how things turn out. Both were highly reviewed on Amazon, but I’ll save my reviews until I’ve cooked from both. Tonight’s dinner, sadly, won’t be coming from the new books, but is a recipe from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The dish is essentially only lentils, black pepper, and brown rice. She also calls for an onion carmelized in an unholy amount of oil, but I am omitting that for the sake of my already weakened heart. LA enjoys the dish with a bit of feta cheese in the onion’s place.
Low-sodium cooking is harder than it may seem, but also easier than I expected. The hardest part is getting used to the taste of normal foods without salt. If you don’t know what I mean, go to McDonald’s and order unsalted fries. LA said it best with, “They taste like potatoes!” The salt does allow the natural flavor of food to come through, and I’m sure the natural flavor is something few of us have tasted in quite some time. As I continue cooking and experimenting, I will be posting more recipes, including the Southwest chicken lasagna. Even salt-eaters are going to like these!
Showing posts with label lasagna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lasagna. Show all posts
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Dinner for Two
While the Pigs and Potatoes endeavor doesn’t constitute a total failure, I was shooting for a slightly more impressive dinner using the three leftover spinach and garlic chicken sausages. I still had three containers of figs just waiting in the fridge to go bad, but I wasn’t entirely taken with the idea of a fig and chicken sausage casserole, although a variant of that was mentioned in my beloved Meats cookbook (chicken and peach casserole). The answer was lasagna.
Ok, I’ll admit I didn’t make the entire lasagna from scratch. I had half a box of lasagna noodles, plus a jar of spaghetti sauce that was just taking up precious space in my pantry. I’m sure I could’ve made both, but I did need to get rid of some surplus. Since only LA and I would be eating the lasagna, and neither of us are very good at leftovers, I made it in an 8”X8” pan, rather than the typical 9”X13”. We’d still have more than enough lasagna. My concern wasn’t the quantity, so much as the quality.
The chicken sausages were Target’s Archer Farms brand. LA felt they were the only bright spot of Pigs and Potatoes, so I assumed they would be good in the lasagna. I also like a bit of creaminess in my lasagna. This called for a bechamel (white) sauce. Luckily my milk still had a few days of life left in it, which saved me a trip to the supermarket in the rain. Bulking up the lasagna was the job of some wilting spinach I also had sitting in the fridge. I could saute that and add it as a layer. At least it would go with the sausages.
Finally came assembly. I chopped up the chicken sausage (I didn’t really want big pieces of it), added it with the standard ricotta/egg mixture, plus my jarred sauce. The spinach was the next layer. The final layer was bechamel and a heavy covering of mozzarella. I would like to take a moment to toot my own horn as well. I never measure when I make a bechamel. I just dump everything in and hope for the best, which I never get. My bechamel is always too thick and often tasteless. Today it came out perfectly. I was quite proud of myself.
I wrote up the evening’s menu on the dry erase board stuck to my fridge: figs, prosciutto, and goat cheese in phyllo tartlet shells; chicken and spinach lasagna; and oatmeal raisin cookies. I could pretend it was a real restaurant (Chez Lula).
We paid minimal attention to the fig and prosciutto tartlets. The golden, bubbling mass in the oven was our primary interest. I doled out “manly”-sized portions to both of us, and we dug in. LA made what I thought was the “I don’t like it” face. He finally admitted that he liked it but wanted to come up with a description more involved than “It’s good”. He finally came up with “It’s so good it makes me want to eat it on both sides of my mouth, even though I know I can’t.” I’d forgotten about his broken tooth. He ate the creamy top layer first, although I was saving this for the last. I always save the best part of my meal for the last bite. Neither of us finished the gigantic portion, even though we gave it our best efforts. LA was saving room for an oatmeal raisin cookie. I was sparing my self from a sense of gluttonous shame.
Before the cookies had even cooled, LA was sneaking one. “Best oatmeal cookie I’ve ever had.” Considering the dough has been in my freezer forever and I don’t even know where I got the recipe anymore, I was very pleased. I had sprinkled them with a little Fleur de Sel before baking, to give them a salty bite to offset the sweetness. I thought the touch added something. Based on the way in which LA inhaled three, I don’t think he had a chance to notice the salt. The inhalation of the three was compliment enough.
We’ve had two dinner services at Chez Lula: a potato stuffed with a sausage and a full 3-course meal involving lasagna. The second was definitely the more popular. I’m already planning future meals. Chez Lula is back in business and hopping, even if it’s only for two people.
Ok, I’ll admit I didn’t make the entire lasagna from scratch. I had half a box of lasagna noodles, plus a jar of spaghetti sauce that was just taking up precious space in my pantry. I’m sure I could’ve made both, but I did need to get rid of some surplus. Since only LA and I would be eating the lasagna, and neither of us are very good at leftovers, I made it in an 8”X8” pan, rather than the typical 9”X13”. We’d still have more than enough lasagna. My concern wasn’t the quantity, so much as the quality.
The chicken sausages were Target’s Archer Farms brand. LA felt they were the only bright spot of Pigs and Potatoes, so I assumed they would be good in the lasagna. I also like a bit of creaminess in my lasagna. This called for a bechamel (white) sauce. Luckily my milk still had a few days of life left in it, which saved me a trip to the supermarket in the rain. Bulking up the lasagna was the job of some wilting spinach I also had sitting in the fridge. I could saute that and add it as a layer. At least it would go with the sausages.
Finally came assembly. I chopped up the chicken sausage (I didn’t really want big pieces of it), added it with the standard ricotta/egg mixture, plus my jarred sauce. The spinach was the next layer. The final layer was bechamel and a heavy covering of mozzarella. I would like to take a moment to toot my own horn as well. I never measure when I make a bechamel. I just dump everything in and hope for the best, which I never get. My bechamel is always too thick and often tasteless. Today it came out perfectly. I was quite proud of myself.
I wrote up the evening’s menu on the dry erase board stuck to my fridge: figs, prosciutto, and goat cheese in phyllo tartlet shells; chicken and spinach lasagna; and oatmeal raisin cookies. I could pretend it was a real restaurant (Chez Lula).
We paid minimal attention to the fig and prosciutto tartlets. The golden, bubbling mass in the oven was our primary interest. I doled out “manly”-sized portions to both of us, and we dug in. LA made what I thought was the “I don’t like it” face. He finally admitted that he liked it but wanted to come up with a description more involved than “It’s good”. He finally came up with “It’s so good it makes me want to eat it on both sides of my mouth, even though I know I can’t.” I’d forgotten about his broken tooth. He ate the creamy top layer first, although I was saving this for the last. I always save the best part of my meal for the last bite. Neither of us finished the gigantic portion, even though we gave it our best efforts. LA was saving room for an oatmeal raisin cookie. I was sparing my self from a sense of gluttonous shame.
Before the cookies had even cooled, LA was sneaking one. “Best oatmeal cookie I’ve ever had.” Considering the dough has been in my freezer forever and I don’t even know where I got the recipe anymore, I was very pleased. I had sprinkled them with a little Fleur de Sel before baking, to give them a salty bite to offset the sweetness. I thought the touch added something. Based on the way in which LA inhaled three, I don’t think he had a chance to notice the salt. The inhalation of the three was compliment enough.
We’ve had two dinner services at Chez Lula: a potato stuffed with a sausage and a full 3-course meal involving lasagna. The second was definitely the more popular. I’m already planning future meals. Chez Lula is back in business and hopping, even if it’s only for two people.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Venice by Way of New York by Way of Kannapolis
I may be living on a shoestring, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to treat myself periodically to a meal made by someone other than me. Especially if it's inexpensive. It was this desire that led me to Venice New York Style Pizza and Italian Cuisine. Not only is Venice located very near my favorite wig store (no, I don't wear a wig. Yet.), but they have signs advertising their daily lunch specials for $5.95. That's hard to beat.
On our first visit, LA and I were initially the only customers, but more people came in while we were there. We both immediately took to the decor, with LA saying that he felt like he was dining on a train due to the unique booths. We took forever to order, mainly because we were having too much of a laugh over their menu. The menu items weren't the issue. The spelling and grammar were. As a pizza topping, you have the option of getting "green papers" or "banana papers". The Buffalo shrimp come with a side of "Ranch Dre". The "Chicken Rap" includes "chider" cheese. Many of the pasta dishes are available "backed", such as Backed Cheese Ravioli. You can even get Spaghetti Wits Meatballs. Our personal favorite was the "Child Lasagna". I believe they mean it is a child's portion of lasagna, but, without an accompanying description, you really are left with just an assumption. The server must be used to people's reaction to the menu, because she seemed totally unphased by it. When LA asked for his stromboli with banana papers, she said that it was the printer's fault and that they'd be getting new menus. She even provided us with takeout menus, so we could enjoy the typos in the comfort of our own homes.
Enough about our spelling snobbery. LA ordered a small pepperoni stromboli. What arrived was almost the size of his arm. I can't even imagine what the large must look like. The stromboli was pretty standard, with a side of marinara. LA raved about the marinara. I ordered broccoli chicken alfredo, which, surprisingly, was spelled correctly on the menu. The fettucine arrived in a delicious cream sauce that was a little lighter on broccoli than I would have preferred. As promised, it was topped with grilled chicken. I couldn't make out the seasoning used on the chicken, but it was absolutely delicious. And it was grilled. Menus often say grilled, but the chicken is often either parcooked and put on the grill for 30 seconds, or it's cooked by another method altogether. While LA thought that the cream sauce was too thin, I thought it was perfect. It wasn't overly heavy, which I find is often the case with restaurant alfredo sauce. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the chef actually knew what he was doing. Go figure. The pastas come with a side of garlic bread. In this case, it was a chunk of Italian bread, sliced in half, slathered with garlic butter and oregano and baked. I ate it all.
On our next visit, a few customers were already there. We began with the homemade potato chips with a side of ranch dressing. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I was more than a little surprised when homemade potato chips arrived. Very thinly sliced, skin-on Russet potatoes, fried until crisp. Some weren't as crisp as others. Just another way to tell that they were homemade. It's easy to forget just how good homemade potato chips are. I know I should stay away from the fried foods, but it's hard to do when they're that good. I would recommend the potato chips to anyone going to Venice.
LA ordered a personal cheese pizza from the Express Lunch menu. A larger-than-expected thin-crust cheese pizza was brought out on a pedestal (literally). When I asked LA how it was, he told me again how much he loves their marinara. That was far more descriptive than the "Good" that I normally get out of him. My side salad came first. Lettuce, tomato, carrots, and green olives with a side of not-homemade blue cheese dressing (despite what the menu says about homemade dressings). The side salad also comes with onions and green peppers, but I opted out of those. The only thing I really have to say about the salad is that it came too soon after the potato chips, so it just had to sit there on the table and watch me eat the chips. After the salad came my lasagna. The menu indicates that the lasagna is comprised of layers of pasta, ground beef (not child), and cheeses, topped with a homemade sauce. My expectations being low, I was prepared for frozen lasagna with some fresh sauce poured over it before heating it. (I worked in one establishment where the homemade lasagna was just that--frozen Stouffer's lasagna, topped with our own sauce.) Again, I was happily surprised. The whole thing was homemade. The whole thing was huge (I took more than half home with me). And the whole thing was delicious. It also tasted just as good the next day, when I reheated it. LA also took half of his pizza home with him, although he later ate it in the car, having been reheated in the heat of the car. Mmm, car pizza.
After two visits, LA and I both had the same impressions of Venice: good-sized portions for the price, all the important items are homemade (salad dressings notwithstanding), and everything we've had has been very good. We were highly impressed, moreso than expected, and we plan to make this one of our regular joints. We aren't, however, looking forward to the newly-printed menus coming soon. Part of the charm of Venice is the ability to laugh at the "printer's" mistake. I'll just have to keep my takeout menu to remind me.
Venice New York Style Pizza and Italian Restaurant is located at 1121 S. Cannon Blvd. in Kannapolis.
On our first visit, LA and I were initially the only customers, but more people came in while we were there. We both immediately took to the decor, with LA saying that he felt like he was dining on a train due to the unique booths. We took forever to order, mainly because we were having too much of a laugh over their menu. The menu items weren't the issue. The spelling and grammar were. As a pizza topping, you have the option of getting "green papers" or "banana papers". The Buffalo shrimp come with a side of "Ranch Dre". The "Chicken Rap" includes "chider" cheese. Many of the pasta dishes are available "backed", such as Backed Cheese Ravioli. You can even get Spaghetti Wits Meatballs. Our personal favorite was the "Child Lasagna". I believe they mean it is a child's portion of lasagna, but, without an accompanying description, you really are left with just an assumption. The server must be used to people's reaction to the menu, because she seemed totally unphased by it. When LA asked for his stromboli with banana papers, she said that it was the printer's fault and that they'd be getting new menus. She even provided us with takeout menus, so we could enjoy the typos in the comfort of our own homes.
Enough about our spelling snobbery. LA ordered a small pepperoni stromboli. What arrived was almost the size of his arm. I can't even imagine what the large must look like. The stromboli was pretty standard, with a side of marinara. LA raved about the marinara. I ordered broccoli chicken alfredo, which, surprisingly, was spelled correctly on the menu. The fettucine arrived in a delicious cream sauce that was a little lighter on broccoli than I would have preferred. As promised, it was topped with grilled chicken. I couldn't make out the seasoning used on the chicken, but it was absolutely delicious. And it was grilled. Menus often say grilled, but the chicken is often either parcooked and put on the grill for 30 seconds, or it's cooked by another method altogether. While LA thought that the cream sauce was too thin, I thought it was perfect. It wasn't overly heavy, which I find is often the case with restaurant alfredo sauce. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the chef actually knew what he was doing. Go figure. The pastas come with a side of garlic bread. In this case, it was a chunk of Italian bread, sliced in half, slathered with garlic butter and oregano and baked. I ate it all.
On our next visit, a few customers were already there. We began with the homemade potato chips with a side of ranch dressing. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I was more than a little surprised when homemade potato chips arrived. Very thinly sliced, skin-on Russet potatoes, fried until crisp. Some weren't as crisp as others. Just another way to tell that they were homemade. It's easy to forget just how good homemade potato chips are. I know I should stay away from the fried foods, but it's hard to do when they're that good. I would recommend the potato chips to anyone going to Venice.
LA ordered a personal cheese pizza from the Express Lunch menu. A larger-than-expected thin-crust cheese pizza was brought out on a pedestal (literally). When I asked LA how it was, he told me again how much he loves their marinara. That was far more descriptive than the "Good" that I normally get out of him. My side salad came first. Lettuce, tomato, carrots, and green olives with a side of not-homemade blue cheese dressing (despite what the menu says about homemade dressings). The side salad also comes with onions and green peppers, but I opted out of those. The only thing I really have to say about the salad is that it came too soon after the potato chips, so it just had to sit there on the table and watch me eat the chips. After the salad came my lasagna. The menu indicates that the lasagna is comprised of layers of pasta, ground beef (not child), and cheeses, topped with a homemade sauce. My expectations being low, I was prepared for frozen lasagna with some fresh sauce poured over it before heating it. (I worked in one establishment where the homemade lasagna was just that--frozen Stouffer's lasagna, topped with our own sauce.) Again, I was happily surprised. The whole thing was homemade. The whole thing was huge (I took more than half home with me). And the whole thing was delicious. It also tasted just as good the next day, when I reheated it. LA also took half of his pizza home with him, although he later ate it in the car, having been reheated in the heat of the car. Mmm, car pizza.
After two visits, LA and I both had the same impressions of Venice: good-sized portions for the price, all the important items are homemade (salad dressings notwithstanding), and everything we've had has been very good. We were highly impressed, moreso than expected, and we plan to make this one of our regular joints. We aren't, however, looking forward to the newly-printed menus coming soon. Part of the charm of Venice is the ability to laugh at the "printer's" mistake. I'll just have to keep my takeout menu to remind me.
Venice New York Style Pizza and Italian Restaurant is located at 1121 S. Cannon Blvd. in Kannapolis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)