Tomato Bread

As I have mentioned before, I spent much of my youth at the family cottage with my extended family.  I have many fond memories of fun times at the cottage with my multitude of cousins.  We would often spend hot days swimming in the cool lake.  In the evening, the kids would help my grandma and aunts make dinner and dessert.  Dessert was usually made from freshly picked fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches) that we kids worked very hard picking.  I'll share those recipes later.

My absolute favorite dinner that I learned to make at the cottage was (and still is to this day) Tomato Bread.  I have tried many tomato breads while dining at restaurants, but nothing beats the homemade kind.  The dish is quick and easy, and a great meatless choice ( I like to eat it on Fridays during Lent.)  I prefer tomato bread as a meal, but it can also be served as an appetizer or snack.

If you have tomatoes growing in your garden, it's a great way to use them quickly.

TOMATO BREAD

Ingredients:
2 long twin loaves of bread, cut in half lengthwise
Speadable low fat margarine, butter
Garlic powder
Oregano
Basil
2 large tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes
2 cups low fat shredded cheese (I prefer mozzarella and cheddar)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place sliced bread onto large baking sheet and spread lightly with margarine.  Sprinkle to taste garlic powder, oregano, and basil.  Slice tomatoes in thin slices and place on bread to cover loaves.  Sprinkle with seasonings again.  Top with shredded cheese and bake until cheese is melted (about 15 minutes).  Let cool and slice with sharp knife or pizza cutter.

NOTE: Tomato Bread may also be grilled if you like a smokey flavor.

Taco Pasta Salad

For Memorial Day weekend this year, I was invited to a couple cookouts and I needed a dish to bring.  I didn't want to bring the same thing that I usually bring.  I find taco salad delicious... the "old time" taco salad made with lettuce, taco meat tomatoes, cheese, Doritos and Catalina dressing.  The lettuce would get mushy in the heat. and the Doritos and dressing are loaded with sodium, so I thought I might try to make a different version.

This is the recipe that I came up with which received good reviews from the guests.  Luckily, there was some left over, so I know that it tastes just as good the next day.

TACO PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground meat (I prefer beef, you may you any kind)
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Taco Blend*
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
3/4 cup oil
1 pound of pasta (your choice, I used rotini)
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 can black olives, sliced
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
2 cups low fat shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
sour cream, for serving

Preparation:
In a large skillet, brown ground meat with 1/2 of the chopped onion and drain fat.  Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes.  Let cool.  In large pot, cook pasta and drain.  Meanwhile in small bowl, whisk vinegar, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning.  Add oil and whisk thoroughly.  When meat is cool, in extra large bowl, combine pasta, meat, tomatoes, olives, onions, ans cheese.  Pour dressing over bowl and toss to coat.  Serve with sour cream.

*Please email me at auntiejeans@yahoo.com if you would like to order some Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Taco Blend for $5 per bottle.

Mexican Lasagna

It's been way too long since I've written a new post.  This recipe exists because I wanted to eat tacos for dinner, but the shells that I had were stale.  So, I decided to serve tacos lasagna-style instead.

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Ingredients:

12 taco shells (I use low sodium corn shells)
1 pound ground meat
1 small to medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons of Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Taco Blend
2 cups low fat shredded cheese (I prefer cheddar)
1 cup salsa prepared with Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Salsa Blend

Preparation:
Line the bottom of 13 x 9 inch lasagna pan with 6 taco shells.  Cut one shell into 4 pieces and cut three shells in half with a pizza cutter.  Use the 4 pieces in each of the corners.

Brown ground meat with onion in skillet and drain.  Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Pour meat over layer of taco shells and top with 1 cup cheese.



Add another layers of taco shells.  Then layer salsa and cheese on top.



Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until cheese has melted.  Wait 10 minutes to let set before cutting and serving.  You can serve with green onions, olives, and sour cream for topping.

Lemon Squares

My family celebrates Easter like many other families do... with lots of food.  My favorite part of special meals is dessert.  I love baking, but I love eating baked goods even more.  In recent years, I have been assigned the task of bringing dessert for our family gatherings.

This year, I brought Caramel Banana Cheesecake and Lemon Squares.  My sister and I used our grandmother's recipe for Lemon Squares.  Grandma's recipes are often not very specific, so they never turn out just like Grandma used to make.  This recipe said to put the lemon squares into an oblong pan.  We used a 13 x 9 inch pan, and it seemed too large.  So the recipe here is doubling the amount of filling.  I'm not sure how that will affect the baking time / temperature.  The ones we made seemed slightly overdone.

We also made a batch of these using gluten free flour, and they turned out well too.

I'll try baking these again soon and let you know how they turned out.

LEMON SQUARES:

Shell-
1/2 cup butter, salt free
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix above ingredients in a small bowl and press into 13 x 9 inch pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon sodium free baking soda
4 eggs, slightly beaten
Juice of 2 large lemons or 1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine above ingredients in bowl. 

Pour over baked crust. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. 

Let cool.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cut into squares and serve.

Meatballs with Orzo & Zucchini

This is a quick, simple recipes for those days you need to throw together something for dinner.  The key is having frozen cooked meatballs.  You can use the store bought kind or you can use your own.  Meatballs are perfect to use in many recipes, including soups, stews, and skillet dishes. 

When you have more time, just prepare a big batch of meatballs.  Cook them and freeze them in Ziploc bags.  I would put about 1/2 pound of meatballs per bag. Then you're ready to pull them out of the freezer and use them in a quick recipe like this.

The recipe calls for orzo, tomatoes, and zucchini, but you can adapt the recipe to suit your taste.  I didn't have zucchini on hand the day I prepared it, but the dish was fine without it.  You might also want to add some seasonings if you like a little more flavor.

MEATBALLS WITH ZUCCHINI AND ORZO
Ingredients:
16 frozen cooked meatballs
14 ounces low sodium beef broth
1 can low sodium diced Italian tomatoes  (I just had a can of regular tomatoes, so I added Italian seasonings to the tomatoes)
1 medium zucchini, julienned

Preparation:
Place frozen meatballs and broth in skillet and boil.  Stir in pasta and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer 12 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and zucchini.  Cook about 5 minutes, until zucchini is tender.

Italian Chicken Skillet

This chicken recipe is another one that's easy to make and it doesn't take too long to cook.  Those are my favorite kind of recipes.  You can save a little preparation time by chopping the vegetables the day before.  Leftovers keep well in the fridge for lunch the next day, or you can even freeze them for weeks.

I have a friend who is a busy working mom, and she prepares several main dishes on Sunday to serve her family for the coming week.  She simply freezes them and then will move the meal into the refrigerator the night before she plans to serve the meal.  It's thawed and ready to reheat and serve to her family when she comes home from work.  This recipe would work well for her.

ITALIAN CHICKEN SKILLET

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (4 oz) low sodium sliced mushrooms
1 can (14 oz) low sodium diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

In large skillet, saute chicken over medium heat until browned.  Remove and keep warm.  In same skillet, saute vegetables until tender and return chicken to skillet.  Combine tomatoes, vinegar, and seasonings and pour over chicken and vegetables.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes longer.  (I didn't simmer the last 10 minutes because the chicken was cooked through after 30 minutes.)

Bruscetta

Another dish that I prepared while I hosted my friends for bunco was Bruscetta.  They told me that it was delicious.  It was the first time that I had ever made bruscetta, so I was proud.  :-)

I had been craving bruscetta for awhile, and it seemed that no restaurants made bruscetta the way I like it.  So, I had to make my own.

I thought the bruscetta was really tasty.  I would, however, change one thing the next time I make it.  That would be to add capers... because I love capers!  If you don't love capers, then prepare the recipe as is.

BRUSCETTA
Ingredients:
6 plum tomatoes, diced
3 cloves minced garlic (I use the jarred, pre-minced kind)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil (I rarely if ever have fresh basil, so I used 2 teaspoons of dried basil)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:
In a medium bowl, combine ingredients.  Refrigerate overnight (minimum 2 hours).  Serve with toasted thick-sliced bread.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Chicken Vinaigrette

For the first time, I'm going to write about a recipe that I didn't like.  I'm going to share it because I think it can easily be improved.  I'll try some imrpovements next time and let you know how well they worked (or didn't work, whichever the case may be.)

The biggest problem with this recipe is that the potatoes didn't cook enough and the rest was overdone.  Next time, I'll either leave out the potatoes or cook them separately.  I was also lacking a few ingredients, so the flavor wasn't as full as it should have been.  That's another problem easily solved (ie, don't be lazy and go to the store to buy all of the ingredients :-)

Here is the recipe.  Try it and send some suggestions as how to improve it.  Thanks!

CHICKEN VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
black pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 medium carrots, sliced
4 medium red potatoes, halved (I didn't have red potatoes, so I used Russet potatoes cut in small pieces)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (I used 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon low sodium chicken bouillon granules
pinch of dried thyme
1/2 cup sweet red peppers, julienned (I left out the peppers completely)
1/2 cup sweet yellow peppers, julienned
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cider or red wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)

Preparation:
In a nonstick skillet, brown chicken in oil.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Remove and keep warm.  In the drippings, saute onion and garlic until tender.  Stir in the carrots, potatoes, water and seasonings; top with chicken.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in additional water if needed.  Add peppers and green onions.  Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in vinegar; heat through.

Caramel Banana Cheesecake

Let me begin by saying that this recipe is not low fat or low sodium by any stretch of the imagination.  Every once in awhile, I will indulge in something that is too delicious to pass up.  Cheesecake is one of those foods.

Years ago, I was travelling in Great Britain with a tour group.  One evening, we stopped at a local restaurant for dinner.  I don't remember the name of the place, but I most definitely remember the dessert: Banoffee Pie.  I asked the server what it was, and she explained that it was a banana toffee pie served with whipped cream. SOLD!  I absolutely fell in love with Banoffee Pie.

Once at home, I searched the Internet to find a recipe for Banoffee Pie.  I found several and tried a few that were easiest to make.  Unfortunately, they didn't turn out well.  They were either too runny or too thick to slice.  I was too afraid to try making Banoffee Pie the correct way because it involves boiling unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk for approximately five hours.

So instead of making pie, I decided to combine my love of Banoffee Pie and cheesecake, and this recipe is the result.  I took a basic cheesecake recipe and altered it to give it the essence of Banoffee Pie.  I think it was a success because I received rave reviews from my coworkers.

CARAMEL BANANA CHEESECAKE
Ingredients:
Crust-
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
Filling-
3 packages (8oz) cream cheese, softened.  (I used 2 packages of Neufchatel and 1 package of fat free cream cheese.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon banana extract
1/2 teaspoon Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Sweet Blend* (You may also use cinnamon)
3 eggs
8 ounces sour cream (I used low fat sour cream)
3 ripe bananas, sliced
Whipped Cream and extra caramel sauce for topping

Preparation:
Prepare the crust first.  In a small bowl, combine butter, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. 

Press into bottom of 9-inch or 10-inch spring form pan.  Place in freezer. 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  In large bowl, cream softened cheese until smooth. 

Add banana extract, sugar, caramel, and Sweet Spice.  Add eggs one at a time.  Fold in sour cream.  Layer 2 sliced bananas over graham cracker crust. 

Pour filling into crust and bake for one hour.  Let sit in warm oven for another hour. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Cake will have a very creamy consistency.  Top cake with 1 sliced banana, whipped cream, and caramel.

*Please email me at: auntiejeans@yahoo.com if you would like to order a bottle of Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Sweet Spice for $5 per bottle.

Zippy Pasta with Meatballs

I wanted to make meatballs the other day, but plain meatballs seemed so boring.  I have a recipe called "Zippy Ground Beef Skillet", and I thought I would substitute meatballs for cooked ground beef in the recipe.  Turns out, I liked this version of the recipe better.  I'm not sure how my family felt about it because they rarely respond with anything except, "It's good" or "It needs salt."

I thought it was pretty easy to make, but it is slightly more complicated than making just ground beef.  I think it's worth the extra effort.

ZIPPY PASTA WITH MEATBALLS

Meatballs:
Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons salt free ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/4 cup oats
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:
In bowl, combine ingredients and form 1 in balls.  Bake uncovered in greased dish at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, prepare the pasta.
Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked small pasta of your choice
1 can (4oz) diced green chilis
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup low fat sour cream

Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  In small bowl, combine sour cream, chilis and chili powder. 

Combine pasta and sour cream mixture. 

Pour pasta over cooked meatballs and serve.

Chicken Fajitas

I have never made fajitas before.  Now I can cross that off my bucket list (although I'm not sure it was on it in the first place).  I'm not even sure if I've ever eaten fajitas before.  I want to say that  have, but I can't recall.  I love tacos, so when I eat Mexican food, it's usually tacos or taco salad.

I thought that these fajitas were really good, but I have nothing with which to compare them.  I say, "Try this recipe yourself and let me know what you think."

I did alter the recipe slightly, partially because I was strapped for time and partially because I'm lazy.

CHICKEN FAJITAS

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used 1/4 cup)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (I used 1/2 teaspoon because I ran out of it)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, julienned  (I used 1 whole green, 1 whole red, and 1 whole yellow)
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned
4 green onions thinly sliced  (I omitted these)
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 (8 inch) low sodium flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese, taco sauce, salsa, guacamole, or sour cream (your choice of toppings)

Preparation:
In large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, and seasonings.  Add chicken.  Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.  I didn't have much time, so instead I combined the oil, lemon juice and seasonings in a small bowl.  Then I poured the sauce over the chicken while sauteing it.
In large skillet, saute peppers and onions in oil until crisp-tender. 

In separate skillet, saute chicken in sauce over medium-high heat about 5-6 minutes. 

Pour chicken over pepper skillet.  Combine and heat through.
Spoon filling down center of tortilla and fold in half.  Serve with choice of toppings.

Stuffed Green Peppers

I'm always looking for new ways to serve ground beef because I feel like I'm always eating burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf.  They're good but they get boring after awhile even if you use different seasonings with them.  Stuffing meat inside other food seems to be a specialty of the Polish people (of which I am a member).  I have already posted a kolacky recipe, so now it's time to stuff peppers with meat instead of dough.  In the future, I will make a recipe called Golabki, more commonly known as stuffed cabbage rolls.  So you have that to look forward to.

Unfortunately, I don't have photos to go with the recipe because my camera batteries died.  I'll post the pictures next time I make it.

Enjoy!

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

Ingredients:
4 large green peppers
1 pound ground meat
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 can (14 oz) low sodium diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation:
Halve peppers lenthwise and remove insides.  Boil for 3 minutes and drain.  In skillet, brown meat and onion; drain.  Stir in tomatoes, water, rice, Worcestershire, basil, and oregano.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Simmer covered for 15 minutes.  Place peppers in large baking dish and fill with meat.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Makes 8 servings.

Lemon Mushroom Soup with Orzo

I believe that I have mentioned before that my favorite local restaurant is Popolano's.  Take a look at their website: http://popolanosrestaurant.com/ and drop by for a visit if you're nearby.  They have delicious American food with daily specials always worth a try.

While I was dining at Popolano's recently, one of the daily specials was Lemon Mushroom Orzo Soup.  I was intrigued because it sounded both good and gross at the same time.  I was feeling slightly adventuresome that day so I ordered the soup.  I have to say that it was one of the best soups that I've ever eaten.

Needless to say, I had to attempt my own low sodium version at home.  It's slightly different, of course, but delicious nonetheless.

My motto for food: Try it because it just might be the best thing you've ever eaten.  I keep telling my niece and nephews that when they refuse to try new dishes.  They begrudgingly try the food and insist they don't like it.  My favorite part is later, when I discover that they've eaten all the yucky food they didn't like.

LEMON MUSHROOM SOUP WITH ORZO

Ingredients:
2 cans (8 oz) low sodium sliced mushrooms (You can use fresh too, I'm lazy)
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup uncooked orzo

Preparation:
In large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat a simmer 20 minutes.

Chicken and Noodles

This is one of those recipes that I like because it's easy to make.  It's yummy too, which is why I continue to serve this dish.  It's easily adapted to your own taste as well.  Plus you can serve this as a complete meal because it has meat, vegetables, and pasta in it.  I usually serve it with a green salad and fruit salad for some variety.

CHICKEN & NOODLES

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups frozen vegetable mix, thawed (I used green beans)
16 oz egg noodles or pasta (I used rotini)

Preparation:
In medium skillet, saute chicken pieces in 2 tablespoons vinegar or oil until browned.  (I prefer to use vinegar to lower the fat content.) Remove from skillet and keep warm.  Insame skillet, heat broth, seasonings, and vegetables.  Bring to boil and stir in noodles/pasta.  Cook for 2 minutes and add chicken.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover an simmer for 10 minutes.

Deep Dish Pizza

If you're from Chicago like I am, you are most likely a pizza snob.  We like our thin crust pizzas cut into squares and our deep dish pizzas cut into traditional triangles.  We know that our Chicago style pizza is the best. When we travel, we try other pizzas (I think) just to prove we're right.  I know that my favorite pizzas are deep dish from Chicago.  Giordano's happens to be my personal favorite.  You can take a look at their website:  http://www.giordanos.com/. 

That being said, I know that most people like the pizza in their hometown simply because it's familiar.  Chicago is no exception.

Traditional pizza is just sooo bad for you.  It's salty and greasy and sooo yummy.  I found a way to make deep dish pizza better for you.  It might not be great for you, but we all need a little indulgence once in a while.  This pizza recipe makes me feel much better about indulging.  This pizza is heavy on the meat and light on the cheese.  It uses a homemade low sodium sauce instead of the high sodium stuff from a jar.

I must say, that this recipe is quite a bit of work.  Personally, I think it's well worth the effort.  Give it a try.

LOW SODIUM PIZZA SAUCE

Ingredients:
6 oz can low sodium tomato paste
8 oz low sodium tomato sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried, minced onion
1 packet sodium free chicken or beef broth
1 teaspoon sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:
Combine ingredients in saucepan over low heat and simmer 20 minutes.
(You may prepare this the night before making the pizza.  You may also make large batches and freeze single use sizes in Ziploc bags to use later.)

DEEP DISH PIZZA

Ingredients:

Filling:
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon crushed anise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
 a few dashes of paprika and black pepper
Low sodium pizza sauce (see above recipe)
 1 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound ground beef

Crust:
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornmeal
1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup very warm water
1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In skillet, heat onions, peppers, and meat until no longer pink and drain.  Add mushrooms and seasonings.  Add 1/2 cup pizza sauce and mix well; set aside.  Spray bottom of deep dish pan (I use the Pampered Chef Deep Dish Baker) with cooking spray.  Then sprinkle bottom of pan with tablespoon of cornmeal. 

In bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, yeast, and sugar.  Add water and oil and mix until ball forms.  Knead dough on floured surface about 3 minutes.  (I actually skip this step.)  Place dough in pan and press onto bottom and sides of pan.  Sprinkle a layer of cheese on the crust; top with meat mixture, another layer of cheese,

and rest of pizza sauce. 

Bake 30 minutes.  Yield 6 servings.

Lemon Dill Chicken

What is better than chicken with lemon?  IMO... chicken with lemon AND dill is even better.  I like Lemon Dill Chicken because it's absolutely delicious and it's quick and easy to prepare.  The flavors seem to be more suited to summer time dining, but I like it year round.  There is no baking involved, so that's another reason to serve this during the warmer months.

You may serve this with rice or pasta and a green salad for a complete meal.

I used 1 cup of chicken broth instead of the recommended 1/3 cup, and the chicken turned out extra juicy.  Also, I didn't have any green onions, so I left them out of the recipe this time.  It was still delicious.

LEMON DILL CHICKEN

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (I used 1 cup)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1/4 teaspoon dill weed

Preparation:
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken about 6 minutes, turning once.  Mix broth, lemon juice, and dill; pour over chicken.  Heat to boiling.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Add green onion and heat through.

Minestrone

I have never made minestrone before so I thought that I'd give it a shot.  I have to say that this recipe turned out well.  It tasted different than most of the minestrone soups that I've eaten in restaurants, but I attribute that to the lack of salt.  Unfortunately, I have never eaten authentic homemade minestrone.  So If any of my Italian friends would like to make me some, I'd be happy to oblige.

I altered a recipe that I found in one of my many cookbooks and tried it.  This is the result.  Give it a try and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

I love garlic, so I probably added more garlic powder than what is called for in the recipe.

MINESTRONE

Ingredients:
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 oz) low sodium Italian diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 oz) low sodium tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Italian Dressing Blend*
1-1/4 cups water
1 can (15 oz) low sodium white kidney beans or great northern beans
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 cup small pasta (I used broken spaghetti)

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, Mix first 10 ingredients and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Stir in beans and pasta and bring to boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve in bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

*Please email me at: auntiejeans@yahoo.com if you'd like to order some Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Italian Dressing Blend.

Low Sodium Chili

Doing this low sodium diet can be such a challenge especially when dining out.  Most often, I will simply order a green salad with vinaigrette dressing.  That's usually the safest route.  I get really excited if the restaurant offers the option of a fruit side dish.  Sometimes I will add grilled chicken breast to the salad and hope that it's not too salty.  Mostly, I just compensate by balancing the daily sodium intake.  That means I eat almost no sodium before I dine out so that I can eat the foods with the extra salt.

I like chili but I will almost never order it from a restaurant because I have no idea how much sodium is in it.  I do make it at home fairly often because it's so easy to make and saves well.  I found a recipe I like and I altered it to keep the sodium low.  It's also low fat if you use lean meat.

This recipe is not too spicy because I don't like hot chili.  Add more spices if you do, but this is a good basic chili recipe.

LOW SODIUM CHILI:

Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can (14 oz) low sodium diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) low sodium red kidney beans
1 can (8 oz) low sodium tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:
In large saucepan, cook meat, onions, and pepper and drain.  Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, and spices.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Makes 5 cups.

Turkey Meatloaf

Quite frankly, I don't care too much for turkey meat.  To me the flavor isn't that rich, so when I do eat turkey, I tend to add lots of seasonings.  I especially enjoy the flavors in taco seasoning, so I add it to my turkey meatloaf.  I find that it adds just the right amount of flavor to enhance the turkey.

I also add some shredded cheese to the meatloaf since the turkey has less fat, you can add some cheese.  I try to find low fat, low sodium cheese.  It's hard to find, but I'll use the regular stuff if that's all I have.  I prefer to use the Taco flavored cheese or Mexican blend of cheese.

You can serve the meatloaf with salsa instead of ketchup if you'd like more Mexican flair with your meal.  I didn't have any in the house this time so that'll be for next time.

TURKEY MEATLOAF

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup finely chopped or minced onion
1 tablespoon salt free ketchup
1 teaspoon Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Taco Blend*
1/4 cup low fat, low sodium shredded cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients using hands until well blended.  Place mixture in loaf pan and top with ketchup or salsa if desired.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

*If you'd like to order some Auntie Jean's Low Sodium Taco Blend, please email me at: auntiejeans@yahoo.com

Chicken Vesuvio

According to Wikipedia, Chicken Vesuvio originated in Chicago.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Vesuvio  This version of Chicken Vesuvio is slightly different from theirs.  The original version has chicken on the bone.  I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they are much easier to eat.  I hate taking a bite of chicken only to find an annoying little bone in the middle of it.  Gross!

I think this recipe is every bit as good as restaurant versions of Chicken Vesuvio.  Try it and compare for yourself.  Let me know what you think.

This recipe calls for new potatoes.  I never use them, instead I use regular ole Idaho potatoes and chop them up a little smaller.

CHICKEN VESUVIO

Ingredients:
6 medium new potatoes, quartered
 4 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoons minced garlic
black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Place potatoes and chicken in baking dish.  In small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, and garlic.  Drizzle oil mixture over the chicken and potatoes. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake covered for 60 minutes.  Transfer chicken and potatoes to platter and pour pan juices over top.