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. Even though American Heart Month is in February, tips for maintaining your ticker apply year-round.
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,” said Michelle Carrick, a dietitian at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif. One pickle, she added, contains about half the daily recommended sodium level.
Patients with conditions such as high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or Meniere’s syndrome should consume even less. Take, for example, the case of Fresno poet Philip 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, Philip Levine’s bout with Meniere’s ended.
“A great many people get over Meniere’s disease,” Frances Levine said. “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 said, “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.
Spices and herbs
Cooks who want spice mixes can reach for Mrs. Dash seasoning in supermarkets or order salt-free mixes from companies such as Penzey’s (penzeys.com), The Spice House (several locations in the Chicago area, visit thespicehouse.com) and Home Economist stores. Frances Levine favors Penzey’s adobo seasoning, jerk chicken and fish seasoning, and Chinese five-spice powder.
Fresh herbs, too, add plenty of flavor when cooked in dishes or simply minced and sprinkled on top.
Nuts
Levine uses many different types of unsalted nuts in her cooking. “It’s amazing how much flavor they have,” she said. “Toasting them seems to make the flavor stronger.”
She advises tossing nuts on sauces and salads or stirring nut butters into soups or stews. Supermarkets often stock unsalted and/or low-sodium peanut butter.
Condiments and stocks
For the best flavor, Levine said she prefers to make her own stocks. Time-stressed cooks, however, can buy frozen stocks and boost their flavor with herbs and spices.
Levine pointed out that the Perfect Addition brand, which features unsalted fish, chicken and vegetable stocks.
She also likes to use mustards. They’re not salt-free, but their sodium levels are low enough for them, she said.
When choosing low-salt condiments and other products, read the food labels, Carrick said. She recommended buying ones with 200 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.
Citrus
Alexander and Levine agreed that citrus in all forms is a great way to boost food’s flavor.
Levine, for example, uses fresh orange and lemon juices to flavor country-style pork ribs.
Fresh food
Another reason to eat lots of fruits and vegetables: It will reduce the amount of processed food you eat.
Processed food is a major source of sodium in the diet, Carrick said. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the best choices. Frozen vegetables likely have low levels of sodium, but canned vegetables often have too much salt, she added.
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,” she said. “A carrot really tastes like a carrot.”
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Chicken and peanut stew (Maffe)
Recipe key: Easy
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Adapted from a recipe by Frances Levine, who serves this hearty African-style stew with rice or couscous.
3/4 cup chunky, unsalted peanut butter
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 cup unsalted chicken broth
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 chicken legs with thighs, separated, skin removed, if desired
1 bone-in chicken breast, cut in half
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
Ground red pepper, freshly ground black pepper, dried thyme
1. Combine the peanut butter and tomato paste in a small bowl. Gradually stir in chicken broth until mixture is smooth and blended; set aside. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken thighs and breast until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer chicken to a bowl.
2. Add the onion to the skillet; cook, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter mixture. Add bay leaves and the red pepper, black pepper and thyme to taste. Return the chicken to the skillet; heat mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer; cover skillet. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition information
Per serving (with skin on chicken): 611 calories, 65% of calories from fat, 46 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 77 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 491 mg sodium, 5.2 g fiber
Mushroom sauce for pasta
Prep: 10 minutes
Soak: 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Frances Levine serves this sauce over pasta and sprinkles it with a small amount of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
1/4 ounce each, dried: oyster mushrooms, portobello mushrooms
1 1/2 cups hot water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red onion, chopped
1/4 pound each, fresh, chopped: oyster mushrooms, small portobello mushrooms
Freshly ground pepper
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups of the hot water until soft, at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the mushroom to a sieve; reserve the soaking water. Rinse the mushrooms under fresh running water; drain well. Chop mushrooms into small pieces. Strain the soaking water through a coffee filter; set water aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 10 minutes. Add the dried mushrooms and 1/2 cup of the soaking water; cook 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, remaining 3 tablespoons of the butter and pepper to taste. Add more soaking water if mixture seems too dry. Cover the skillet; cook 25-30 minutes, adding more soaking water as necessary.
Nutrition information
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Per serving: 192 calories, 80% of calories from fat, 17 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 46 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 9.6 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber