Living Salt Free
It's the perennial problem of cooks who make low-salt or salt-free dishes: How do you boost flavor in food?
If a doctor hasn't told you to cut salt intake, this may not seem like an issue. But cooks across the nation can use more reduced-salt recipes in their repertoires. Salt contains sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure, a condition that increases risks of heart disease and stroke. And even though American Heart Month may end with February, tips for maintaining your ticker apply to the rest of the year.
According to the American Heart Association, the average American eats 2,900 to 4,300 milligrams of sodium daily. That's much more than the 2,300 milligrams of sodium — the amount in one teaspoon of salt — recommended daily for healthy adults.
"It's a very, very little amount," says Michelle Carrick, a registered dietitian at Saint Agnes Medical Center. One pickle, she adds, contains about half the daily recommended sodium level.
Patients with conditions such as high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or Meniere's syndrome need to eat even less. Take, for example, the case of acclaimed Fresno, Calif., poet Phil Levine. He was diagnosed with Meniere's, a disease in which changes of inner ear fluid affect balance and hearing.
To alleviate his symptoms, Levine cut the salt in his diet — a move that reduces fluid retention. That prompted his wife, cookbook author Frances Levine, to experiment with dishes such as pork with orange sauce, maffe (an African dish of meat in peanut butter sauce) and mushroom sauce for pasta.
After a year and a half, Phil Levine's bout with Meniere's ended.
"A great many people get over Meniere's disease," Frances Levine says. "My mother had it and got over it. ... I had hopes that he would, too."
Even though she's cooking with salt again, Frances Levine finds her salt tolerance distinctly lower than it used to be.
"Once you cut down on salt," she says, "you get used to it."
Of course, healthy individuals who aren't forced to cut out salt may have a harder time retraining their taste buds. Here are some tips for flavoring food without sodium.
Cooks who want spice mixes can reach for Mrs. Dash in supermarkets or order salt-free mixes from companies such as Penzey's.Frances Levine favors Penzey's Adobo Seasoning, Jerk Chicken & Fish Seasoning and Chinese 5-Spice Powder.Sharon Alexander, the former chef of the defunct restaurant Upstairs Downtown in Fresno, Calif., relies on lots of fresh herbs."Now is a good time to plant some by the kitchen door so that they can be used liberally in cooking," she writes in an e-mail.
Levine uses many different types of unsalted nuts in her cooking. "It's amazing how much flavor they have," Levine says. "Toasting them seems to make the flavor stronger."She advises tossing nuts on sauces and salads or stirring nut butters into dishes such as maffe.Supermarkets often stock unsalted peanut butter. Levine likes the Trader Joe's brand.
For the best flavor, Frances Levine says she prefers to make her own stocks.Time-stressed cooks, however, can buy frozen stocks and boost their flavor with herbs and spices. Frances Levine points out the Perfect Addition brand, which features unsalted fish, chicken and vegetable stocks.She also likes to use mustards, such as ones from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico. They're not salt-free, but their sodium levels were low enough for the Levines. Flavors are Pale Ale & Honey, Stout & Stoneground and Porter & Spicy Brown Mustard.When choosing low-salt condiments and other products, read the food labels, Carrick says. She recommends buying ones with 200 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.
Alexander and Levine agree that citrus in all forms is a great way to boost food's flavor.Levine, for example, uses fresh orange and lemon juice to flavor country-style pork ribs.Alexander says her favorite seasoning is citric acid, a component of citrus fruit that's extracted and used as a flavoring and preservative in food."I find that it brightens flavors and is a wonderful replacement for salt in seasoning your food," says Alexander. One of her favorite snacks is popcorn cooked in olive oil, then seasoned with curry powder and citric acid. A touch of cayenne pepper also works well, she says.Citric acid is great to use when cooks want a lemony flavor without the liquid of lemon juice, she says.Be careful when shopping for citric acid, however. A similar flavoring and preservative is sodium citrate, which is often called sour salt.Fresh food, cooked properlyHere's another reason to eat lots of fruits and vegetables: It reduces the amount of processed food you eat.Processed food is a major source of sodium in the diet, Carrick says. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the best. Frozen vegetables likely have low levels of sodium, but canned vegetables often have too much salt, she adds.To get the best-tasting produce, head to the farmers market, Alexander says. "If you get things at their peak ripeness," she says, "you don't have to salt a lot."And once you get that produce home, don't overcook it. That way it retains its flavor."I steam vegetables, and you can't imagine the difference it makes," Levine says. "A carrot really tastes like a carrot."
2/3 cup tomato paste¾ cup chunky, unsalted peanut butter1 cup unsalted chicken broth3 tablespoons peanut oil2-3 chicken legs and thighs, separated (can be skinless, if desired)1 bone-in chicken breast, cut in 2 pieces1 large yellow onion, choppedCayenne pepper, black pepper and thyme to taste2 bay leavesIn a bowl, combine the tomato paste and peanut butter. Gradually stir in chicken broth until mixture is smooth and well blended. Set aside. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken until nicely browned on all sides.Transfer chicken to a bowl. Add onion to the pot; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the pot with the onions, then add cayenne pepper, black pepper and thyme to taste. Add bay leaves. Return the chicken to the skillet, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is done, about 30 minutes.Serve immediately, with rice or couscous.Makes 4 to 5 servings.
1/3 ounce dried oyster mushrooms¼ ounce dried portobello mushrooms¼ pound fresh oyster mushrooms¼ pound fresh, small portobello mushrooms1 cup chopped onion6 tablespoons unsalted butter, separatedPepper, to tasteSoak the dried mushrooms in 1½ cups hot water for at least 30 minutes. Carefully remove them from the soaking water and rinse in a sieve under fresh running water. Drain well, then chop into small pieces. Strain the soaking water through a coffee filter, then reserve.Clean the fresh mushrooms under running water and dry with paper towels. Shred them with a box grater, or pulse in a food processor.Brown the onion in 3 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn golden brown and begin to caramelize.Add the dried mushrooms with ½ cup of the soaking water. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add fresh mushrooms, pepper and remaining butter. Add more soaking water if the mixture seems too dry. Cover the pan, and cook for 25-30 minutes, adding more soaking water as necessary. Serve over pasta, and sprinkle with a small amount of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.Makes 3 to 4 servings.Recipes by Frances Levine
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice1 shallot, minced¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon ground cuminLemon or lime juice, optional2 pounds country-style pork ribs, cut ¾-inch to 1-inch thickFreshly ground pepper, to tastePreheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the orange juice, shallot, cayenne pepper and cumin in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, until the mixture has reduced to about ½ cup. Taste, and add lemon or lime juice, if needed. Set aside.Place the pork in a single layer in a large, cast-iron (and ovenproof) skillet. Sprinkle the meat with pepper, then brown it quickly on both sides over high heat.Transfer the skillet to the oven, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and check for doneness. The meat should be firm, but not tough. (Its center should still be a little pink.)Spoon the sauce over the ribs, and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.Makes 4 servings.
