Two Aromatic Low-sodium, Low-fat Recipes: Garbanzos with Tomato Curry (Garam Masala) Sauce, and Joel’s Warm Honey-Wilted Cole Slaw

I need to catch up on recipes, so I offer here a duo of warm recipes that both have wonderful fragrances. As all my recipes, these are low in sodium and low in fat.

Garbanzos with Tomato Curry (Garam Masala) Sauce

Ingredients

2 C cooked, or salt-free canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 medium sweet onion-diced
2 cloves garlic-peeled and mashed with side of a heavy knife (or pressed)
1 Can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.)-no salt added
3 oz. tomato paste- no salt added
½ C water
1 t. good quality garam masala (Indian Curry)
1/2 t. Szechwan seasoning (containing chili peppers, ginger, red pepper, and garlic)
3-4 T apple cider vinegar
Cavender’s Greek seasoning to taste

Cook or warm garbanzos and set aside. In a skillet sprayed with olive oil pan spray, sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and vinegar. Stir the mixture well and heat to a simmer. Simmer until the mixture is heated through and is smooth, about 10 minutes. During the last minute add the garam masala and the Szechwan seasoning. Taste, and add Cavender’s is desired. This recipe makes about 2 and ½ cups and can be served over the garbanzo beans as a side dish, but it is also delicious with a wide range of meats from lamb, and fish to poultry, pork, and beef. It is delicious on Joel’s Low-Sodium, Low-Fat, Turkey Meatloaf. Nutrition information per ¼ C tomato curry, and ½ C garbanzo beans: 90.18 calories, 4.23 g protein, 19.97 g carbohydrates, 7.8 g fiber, .69 g fat, 34.71 mg sodium.

Joel’s Warm Wilted Cole Slaw

I love cabbage, and this easy recipe makes a warm and tasty change from cole slaw. In fact, it works alongside the beans and burgers where you would normally find cole slaw, and also fits nicely on the dinner table. Wilting the cabbage in the skillet releases some of the inherent sweetness of this noble crucifer.

Ingredients

16 oz. cole slaw mix (cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots)
½ medium sweet onion (like Vidalia), finely chopped
1 t. dry mustard
1 T honey
¼ C apple cider vinegar
¼ t. ground black pepper
½ t. caraway seed

Spray a large skillet with olive oil pan spray, add the onions and dry mustard, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Set the onion aside and add the slaw mixture to the skillet and stir-fry until the cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Combine the onions with the slaw in a large bowl. Add the honey and apple cider vinegar back to the skillet and stir while the honey dissolves and the mixture becomes foamy. Pour the honey mixture over the warm slaw and stir with the pepper and caraway seeds. Serve immediately while warm. This recipe makes about 4 cups. Nutrition information per a generous 1 cup serving: 56.5 calories, 1.89 g protein, 13.84 g carbohydrates, 3.75 g fiber, 0 g fat, 38.25 mg sodium.

Here is my recap from yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-6/4/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1142.16	47.65 g	210.55 g	534.71 mg	14.55 g	9.45%

Seven More Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

Seven More Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

About two months, and 14 pounds ago, I published a week’s worth of sample menus for my 1400 calorie, low-sodium, and low-fat diet. I am now 3.35 pounds away from my goal, 159 pounds. When I reach it, I will have lost a total of 51.25 pounds since I started this project January 3, 2007. My blood pressure is consistently low normal without medication and I have made working out at the fitness center a normal part of my life. My sample menus are not carefully prepared and balanced by a dietitian; they are literally what I ate on a given day to meet the requirements of my less than 1400 calorie, less than 20 % of calories from fat, less than 1500 mg of sodium, diet.

Since then, aside from the main page, the page with my sample menus has become the most popular on my blog. I wondered how my diet had changed, I’ve come up with a number of new recipes, and thought some might find an update of more sample menus useful. My low sodium chili, Joel’s chili 3, remains a staple in my weekly menus but I don’t need to serve it over brown rice or pasta as much as I did at first. Eating 4-7 times per day was something I did right, right from the beginning. I have learned that it keeps my metabolism up. Chocolate or strawberry low fat frozen yogurt has become something I eat regularly and something I look forward to as a reward for making smart choices during the day.

A lot of dieters talk about reaching a plateau where they keep doing the same things but their weight loss stops. I have never had that happen on my diet and I attribute that to my 3-4 day a week habit at the fitness center, and the fact that I eat throughout the day.

I am not a trained nutritionist, and my only criteria for selecting these foods for my own diet are those of calorie, sodium, and reduced fat. My personal goals in addition those previously-mentioned are: 78-158 g protein, 30-38 g fiber, and less than 300 mg cholesterol. Your recommended diet may be very different. I only offer these menus to share what I have eaten on given days while staying loyal to my diet.

Monday

Breakfast: ¼ pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) in ½ whole wheat pita with 1 t. mustard (left over from the night before, I was in a hurry)

Snack: 10 white seedless grapes

Lunch: 1 cup Joel’s chili 3,

Snack: 25 white seedless grapes

Dinner: 4 fish tacos, including 4 oz. wild salmon, 4 small corn tortillas heated in dry skillet, 1 thin slice of Swiss cheese (mozzarella or non-fat cheddar is better), lemon juice, and green taco sauce; 2/3 C steamed corn, 9 Brussels sprouts, and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, and 3 T Joel’s salad dressing .

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 small bag 94% fat-free popcorn

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1348.79, Protein: 64.77, Carbohydrates: 216.22 g, Fiber: 35.42 g, Fat: 27.38 g, Percent calories from fat: 18.27%, Saturated fat: 11.17 g, Cholesterol: 166.48 g, Sodium: 1026.42 mg.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 1.5 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with 1 T brown sugar, .5 oz. raisins, 1 T flax seed meal, and 1 t. cinnamon.

Snack: small banana

Lunch: tuna salad, very low sodium tuna, non-fat mayonnaise, onions, pickles relish, in ½ whole wheat pita

Snack: small banana

Dinner: Chicken tenders and tofu in sweet sour stir fry with.25 C pineapple, ¾ C broccoli stir fry, .1 package light firm tofu-baked, 1 T sweet-sour sauce. ½ C brown rice, 2 C grilled summer squash and sweet onions, 1 serving steamed spinach (about 4 C raw).

Dessert: ¾ C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 Ry-Krisp sesame cracker

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1284, Protein: 58.21, Carbohydrates: 230.9 g, Fiber: 34.37 g, Fat: 19.13 g, Percent calories from fat: 12.8%, Saturated fat: 25.62 g, Cholesterol: 122.5 g, Sodium: 589.72 mg.

Wednesday

Breakfast: 4 oz blueberry all-natural yogurt

Snack: small banana

Lunch: 1.5 C Joel’s chili 3

Snack: 4 oz blueberry all-natural yogurt

Dinner: Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish dinner, 9 Brussels sprouts, 3 Ry-Krisp sesame crackers and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, sweet onion, and 2 T Vidalia onion fat-free dressing.

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: ½ whole wheat pita with 1 T low-fat mozzarella cheese

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1345.04, Protein: 54.74, Carbohydrates: 260.88 g, Fiber: 40.74 g, Fat: 18.01 g, Percent calories from fat: 12.05%, Saturated fat: 59 g, Cholesterol: 88.13 g, Sodium: 1319.72 mg.

Thursday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with .5 C Egg Beaters, steamed spinach, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, and 3 T red bell pepper.

Snack: None

Lunch: ¾ C Joel’s Chili 3

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Dinner: 1 serving (4 oz. chicken) stuffed chicken breasts, 1 C baked sweet potato, 2/3 C steamed mixed vegetables, and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, sweet onion, and 2 T Vidalia onion fat-free dressing

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: none

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1276.85, Protein: 86.88, Carbohydrates: 195.52 g, Fiber: 29.16 g, Fat: 18.62 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.12%, Saturated fat: 74.19 g, Cholesterol: 119.7 g, Sodium: 1168.62 mg.

Friday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/3 C egg whites, 3 mushrooms-chopped, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, and 3 T red bell pepper.

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Lunch: 1/2 whole wheat pita with ¼ pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) and mustard

Snack: 1 medium orange

Dinner: 1.5 cups no-yolks noodles, 1.5 cups chicken cacciatore, and 1 serving steamed spinach (about 4 C raw).

Dessert: 1.5 C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 medium orange

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1371.3, Protein: 75.7, Carbohydrates: 216.45 g, Fiber: 35.43 g, Fat: 20.64 g, Percent calories from fat: 11%, Saturated fat: 6.22 g, Cholesterol: 183.75 g, Sodium: 729.35 mg.

Saturday

Breakfast: ½ C GoLean Crunch cereal, 1/3 C skim milk, ¼ C wild blueberries.

Snack: None

Lunch: 1 C lima bean, portobello mushroom, barley soup, 1/8 pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) in ½ whole wheat pita

Snack: ¼ cantaloupe

Dinner: 1 serving baked salmon in dill sauce on steamed spinach, with 4 corn tortillas, and 2/3 C steamed corn.

Dessert: 1 C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: ¼ cantaloupe and 1 small bag 94% fat-free popcorn

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1310.17, Protein: 61.15, Carbohydrates: 238.94 g, Fiber: 49.47 g, Fat: 21.55 g, Percent calories from fat: 14.81%, Saturated fat: 6.5 g, Cholesterol: 102.5 g, Sodium: 906.92 mg.

Sunday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/3 C egg whites, 3 shiitake mushrooms-chopped, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, 3 T red bell pepper, and 1 T mild salsa.

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Lunch: 2 Joel’s healthy enchiladas, 1/3 C Joel’s chili 3,

Snack: 3 oz. baby carrots, ¾ C GoLean Crunch

Dinner: 3 oz. roasted skinless boneless chicken breast in ½ whole wheat pita with secret sauce, 1 C steamed corn.

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 medium orange, 5 Ritz low sodium crackers

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1349.82, Protein: 74.99, Carbohydrates: 216.57 g, Fiber: 28.6 g, Fat: 20.99 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.83%, Saturated fat: 6.58 g, Cholesterol: 135.8 g, Sodium: 1078.01 mg.

As you can see, I eat a lot for someone on a calorie, fat, and sodium restricted diet. But, I lose weight consistently, I have good energy, and I am seldom hungry.

Here is my recap for the last two days.

Daily Dietary Recap-6/1/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1349.68	90.86 g	228.62 g	957 mg	11.55 g	7.55%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/31/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1389.53	92.68 g	234.55 g	718.14 mg	12.43 g	7.51%

Dining Out on a Diet: Chinese

Today is the day before my wife’s birthday and as I am going to grill bison tomorrow night, I decided to take her out for a birthday dinner a day early. As before, I ordered off the menu while she enjoyed the generous buffet. I ordered steamed vegetables, steamed chicken, about 3 oz., and steamed rice, all without salt or sauce. I asked for Szechuan sauce on the side in a cup. I brought my own Butter Buds to sprinkle on the vegetables and used the old dieter’s trick of dipping my fork in the sauce before taking a bite of chicken. The result was quite satisfactory and I conservatively estimate the following: 458.5 calories, 33.73 g protein, 64.51 g carbohydrates, 3.37 g fat, and 262 mg sodium. This wasn’t bad at all for a dinner out at a Chinese restaurant. I was able to take my wife out for a birthday dinner without compromising my diet at all. This meal qualifies as low-sodium, low-fat, and low calorie.

Here is my recap for yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/25/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1193.96	59.05 g	190.38 g	727.31 mg	14.63 g	11.01%

As I Close In on My Goal, the Loss Continues Slowly

When I found out last week that, based on my body composition using skinfold testing, I was only 7 pounds from my goal, I was excited about pushing across the finish line. The first two months of my diet, I was losing at an average rate of .4 pounds per day, and most recently that has slowed to about .2 pounds per day. When I weighed in at the fitness center today I was a little disappointed to find I had only lost 1 ½ pounds in the last week despite working out more frequently. This continues the trend of .2 pounds of weight lost per day.

I have had some breakthroughs in my strength training and in my work on the treadmill. I have increased my resistance weights and increased my stride and speed on the treadmill. I am probably building muscle and that accounts for the slower loss of weight overall.

I am starting to think about how I will use those extra 600 calories when I go on weight maintenance and, about my new wardrobe.

Current Weight: 164.5 pounds

Cumulative loss: 45.75 pounds

Target weight: 159 pounds, 5.5 pounds away

Here is my dietary recap for the last few days.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/21/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1088.88	69.06 g	160.20 g	646.95 mg	12.21 g	9.15%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/22/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1228.71	74.6 g	214.91 g	659.36 mg	12.39 g	7.88%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/23/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1377.67	60.74 g	238.13 g	407.17 mg	14.99 g	9.07%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/24/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1032.79	49.01 g	205.02 g	813.47 mg	11.6 g	9.66%

Balsamic Turkey Scaloppini with Eggplant

Tonight I made a scaloppini casserole with eggplant based on thinly sliced turkey breast. This recipe is a winner with loads of flavor and is very low in calories, sodium, and fat. I used the pre-sliced low fat (99% fat free) Honeysuckle White turkey breast for scaloppini. This recipe makes 6 servings and has only 210.42 calories, 28.61 g protein, 16.53 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g fat (.91% fat), and 128.67 mg sodium.

Ingredients

1 eggplant-small, cut into slices
1.25 lb. turkey breast sliced 1/4'” thick
1 lemon-juice only
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/3 C flour
Onion powder to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Ground pepper to taste
6 mushrooms-sliced
.25 C Balsamic vinegar
1 Can diced tomatoes-no salt added
1 t. Italian seasoning
½ C Mozzarella cheese-shredded, part-skim

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Marinate the turkey slices in the juice of one lemon for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, slice and chop the mushrooms and onions. Slice the eggplant to cover the bottom of a casserole dish, brown the eggplant in a large skillet sprayed with olive oil pan spray at medium-low heat until soft and place in an olive oil sprayed casserole dish. Mix the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground pepper, and dredge the turkey slices through the seasoned flour. Spray the skillet you used for the eggplant with olive oil spray, and brown the turkey slices, about 1 minute per side. Place the turkey slices on top of the eggplant. Spray the skillet again and add the onions. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits of turkey and flour while stirring the onions, add the mushrooms and sauté until the onions and mushrooms are soft. Add 1 can of no salt added diced tomatoes, 1 t. Italian seasoning, and ¼ C balsamic vinegar. Increase heat to medium high and reduce slightly until thick and smooth. Pour the balsamic vegetable mixture over the turkey and eggplant and top with ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Place the casserole in the oven until it is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Blood Test Results

I got the results of my blood tests today and my low-fat, low-calorie diet, and weight loss is working. My cholesterol was 170, not bad for a 57-year-old formerly fat guy and my blood sugar was normal.

Here is my recap for the last three days.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/18/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1341.64	51.92 g	199.51 g	928.68 mg	15.45 g	10.35%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/19/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1085.29	50.62 g	198.87 g	1077.22 mg	12.13 g	9.63%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/20/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1401.69	79.19 g	283.13 g	1069.08 mg	12.91 g	7.96%

Joel’s Healthy Enchiladas

I am fond of Mexican food but most of it is too high in sodium, and frequently fat, to fit my diet. I had a taste for enchiladas the other day and decided that I would try to see if I could come up with a recipe that was low in sodium, fat, and calories. This recipe fit the bill nicely and made enough for a satisfying dinner and a couple of lunches I took to school.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

2 C tomato sauce-no added salt
2 T corn starch
2 T chili powder
1 C water, reserve ¼ C to mix with the corn starch

Combine tomato sauce and ¾ C water with chili powder in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmering boil. In a small cup, add the cornstarch to ¼ C of cold water and stir so the cornstarch doesn’t settle to the bottom, and add it all at once to the simmering tomato sauce. Simmer for about 7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and become smooth. Stir with a wooden spoon frequently while the sauce cooks.

Sauce: This recipe makes 3 cups and we will only use one cup in the enchilada recipe, so freeze the rest for later. Nutrients per 1 cup: calories-66.67, protein-.23 g, carbohydrates-1.4, fat-0, sodium-24.48.

Enchiladas

Ingredients

9 Mi Casa white corn tortillas (any corn tortillas will do)
1 C Joel's Enchilada Sauce
¾ pound extra lean ground beef (94/6)
1 C black beans (cooked)
1 medium onion, chopped (reserve 2 T if desired to put over the top of the enchiladas)
2 T chili powder
4 T. low-fat mozzarella cheese-grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Brown ground beef with onions in a skillet sprayed with pan spray. When nearly browned, add 1 C cooked black beans and 2 T chili powder and heat through. This is the filling for the enchiladas. Heat the tortillas a few second in a microwave oven until warmed. Add the filling to each tortilla, roll it, and place seam side down in a casserole dish sprayed with pan spray, repeat until all tortillas are finished. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of grated mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of Joel’s enchilada sauce, and the reserved 2 T chopped onion (if desired) over the tortillas and place in the oven until the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.

A serving of this recipe is 2 tortillas and it makes 4 ½ servings. Nutrients per serving: calories-225.82, protein-8.22 g, carbohydrates-28.69, fat-4.54 (17.1%), and sodium-206.82. This recipe freezes and reheats well.

Food Labeling: Part 1

Understanding food labeling is important for maintaining any diet that is based on making choices among different foods on the basis of calories, fat content, and sodium. The strategy I’ve been using successfully is to log my consumption throughout the day using my diet spreadsheet and to let the results inform the choices I make. If I get to the end of the day and I am close to my self-imposed limits (1400 calories, less than 20% of those calories from fat, and less than 1500 mg sodium), I make informed decisions about what and whether to eat. It’s amazing how tasty and satisfying an orange can be when I’m near my daily limits.

Nutrient Content Descriptors and Claims

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition regulates what specific words can be used to describe nutrients for food products. The major nutrients covered are calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugars.

Free: Also means, zero, no, without, trivial source of, dietarily insignificant source of, and is based on the labeled serving size or on the regulated reference amount as are all the following terms. The amounts are as follows.

• Calories: Less than 5 cal for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label.
• Total Fat: Less than 0.5 g for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label.
• Saturated Fat: Less than 0.5 g saturated fat and less than 0.5 g trans fatty acids for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label.
• Cholesterol: Less than 2 mg for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label.
• Sodium: Less than 5 mg for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label.
• Sugars: Less than 0.5 g for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label.

Low: Also means, low, little, few in reference to calories, contains a small amount of, low source of.

• Calories: 40 calories or less for the reference amount and serving size listed on the label and for 50 g (about 1.76 ounces) if the reference amount is small. For meals and main dishes, 120 calories or less per 100 grams (about 3.52 ounces).
• Total Fat: 3 g or less for the reference amount or per 50 g if the reference amount is small. For meals and main dishes, 3 g or less per 100 g and not more than 30% of calories from fat
• Saturated Fat: Less than 1 g for the reference amount 15% or less of calories from saturated fat. For meals and main dishes, 1 g or less per 100 g and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat.
• Cholesterol: 20 mg or less for the reference amount and for meals and main dishes, 20 mg or less per 100 grams.
• Sodium: 140 mg or less for the reference amount or per 50 g if the reference amount is small. For meals and main dishes, 140 mg or less per 100g
• Sugars: The term low is not defined for total sugars.

Reduced/Less: Also means lower (fewer in reference to calories). The term modified may also be used. Definitions for meals and main dishes are the same as for individual foods when assessed per 100 grams.

• Calories: At least 25% fewer calories for the reference amount than an appropriate reference food that has not been reduced.
• Total Fat: At least 25% less total fat for the reference amount than an appropriate reference food that has not been reduced.
• Saturated Fat: At least 25% less saturated fat for the reference amount than an appropriate reference food that has not been reduced.
• Cholesterol: At least 25% less cholesterol for the reference amount than an appropriate reference food that has not been reduced.
• Sodium: At least 25% less sodium for the reference amount than an appropriate reference food that has not been reduced.
• Sugars: At least 25% less sugar for the reference amount than an appropriate reference food that has not been reduced.

HeHere is my recap for yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/6/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1315.26	62.68 g	218.83 g	747.45 mg	18.46 g	12.57%

Joel’s Black Bean Confetti Salad

This healthy salad goes well with an outdoor barbecue or a formal dinner. It is served cold and has black beans, multicolored bell peppers, red onions, and yellow corn in fat-free lime vinaigrette. A generous one cup serving has 97.63 calories, 5.86 g protein, 20.19 g carbohydrates, 4.75 g fiber, .32 g fat, and 81.82 mg sodium.

Ingredients

1 cup dried black beans
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 medium red onion, diced (I have used half red and half Vidalia onion)
1 large bell pepper’s worth of green, red, and orange peppers, diced
1 cup corn kernels (I undercook frozen corn, chill and add to salad)
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
White pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Rinse and clean the beans in a colander with cold water. Cover the beans with cold water and soak overnight or at least 4 hours. Drain, rinse, and return the beans to a pot with bay leaf, ground black pepper, cumin, coriander, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil, simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Drain the beans, remove the garlic and bay leaf, and rinse under cold water until chilled. In a large bowl, add the onion, peppers, and corn, to the black beans. Spray lightly with olive oil spray and toss gently. Add the lime juice and seasonings and mix again. Refrigerate before serving to allow the flavors to blend, at least 30-60 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving. This recipe makes six generous one cup servings or 8 three-quarter cup servings.

Here is my recap for yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/5/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1281.83	90.16 g	166.4 g	939.37 mg	21.92 g	15.39%

Low Sodium Barbecue Sauce

In the middle of a diet, there are times when a hunger strikes that is so deep it can only be satisfied by barbecue. Here is the solution. Commercial barbecue sauce is high in sodium (370 mg for a 2 tablespoon serving) so I came up with a low sodium version that is truly satisfying. A two tablespoons serving contains only 52.89 calories and 43.81 mg sodium. It contains no fat, but has 12.14 g carbohydrates.

Ingredients

1 C catsup-no salt added (some of these have potassium salt added, so if you can’t have added potassium, this may not be for you)
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T molasses
1 t. Liquid Smoke
Tabasco Sauce to taste, I used 5 splashes
¼ t. ground black pepper
¼ t. garlic powder

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes while the sauce thickens and become dark and rich, stirring frequently. Recipe makes 9 two tablespoon servings. This recipe doubles well.

Tonight I served it with boneless, skinless chicken breasts roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes with the sauce. This sauce held up very well in the heat of the oven. With a four ounce chicken breast, and the sauce, it contained 192.89 calories, 25 g protein, 12.14 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, and 83.81 mg sodium.

Here is my recap for the last two days.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/3/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1310.17	61.15 g	238.94 g	906.92 mg	21.55 g	14.81%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/4/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1380.6	59.38 g	246.28 g	1144.25 mg	19.05 g	12.41%

Baked Salmon in Dill Sauce on a Bed of Steamed Spinach

Tonight's dinner was a nice salmon filet baked in a mild dill sauce. Preparation was quick and easy and the result was impressive as well as being healthy.

Ingredients

2 filets wild salmon 4 oz. each
12 C raw spinach

Sauce
1/4 C non-fat sour cream
1/2 t. dill
1/2 lemon juiced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the sauce by combining 1/4 C non-fat sour cream, about 1/2 t. dried dill, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Set this aside in the refrigerator so the flavors can blend while rinsing and drying the salmon filets, about 4 ounces each. Wash about 12 cups of spinach and put them in a microwave safe bowl, covered.

Spray an ovenproof container with olive oil spray and spoon in enough sauce to cover the bottom. Place the salmon filets in the container, spoon more sauce over the filets, and put the container in the oven for fifteen minutes. While the salmon is baking, microwave the spinach on high for three minutes. Placed 1/3 of the cooked spinach, about four cups raw, onto each plate and top it with a salmon filet. Sprinkled each salmon filet with paprika and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

This entree' contains 136 calories, 23 g protein, 8.5 g carbohydrates, 4.17 g fat, and 151.25 mg sodium. As pictured with 2/3 C steamed corn, and two corn tortillas, warmed in the oven, the meal contains 286 calories, 28.08 g protein, 49.04 g carbohydrates, 5.33 g fat, 246.5 mg sodium.

Here is my recap from yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-5/2/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1121.5	57.42 g	180.76 g	906.25 mg	16.56 g	11.29%