Eating Well on Dialysis

Basic Pork Chops

Turning now to pork recipes from "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

Rub chops with garlic, rosemary, sage or powdered cloves (Wow. Go easy on the cloves. That's powerful stuff!) Brown chops in a little oil. Reduce heat and cook until well done. Season with black pepper. Pork chops may be cooked covered or uncovered. To prevent drying out, a small amount of water may be added during cooking. Serving size is 1 3-oz. pork chop.

Curried Lamb and Rice

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

3 lbs. lean lamb breast, cut in cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Boiling water
2 small onions, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
8 whole black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons cold water

Brown meat in hot oil, cover with boiling water, add onion, parsley, bay leaf and peppers. Cover and cook slowly 2 hours or until meat is tender. Strain stock, reserving 2 cups. Mix flour and curry powder, add cold water and blend. Stir into stock. Cook until thickened. Add meat mixture. Serve over rice. Serves 8.

Lamb Chops with White Wine

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

6 3-oz. loin lamb chops
Garlic clove
Black pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine

Rub chops with garlic and pepper. Brown chops in iron pot or ovenproof dish and keep warm. Saute onion, parsley and shallots in butter or margarine. When they are soft, stir in flour and blend well. Add wine and cook until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over chops. Cover iron pot with buttered paper and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 25 minutes . Remove paper and bake 10 minutes longer. Serves 6.

Baked Lamb Chops with Pineapple

We move from beef recipes to lamb. Still using "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

6 3-oz. lamb chops
1 cup canned crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or 1/2 tablespoon dried mint flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Place lamb chops in greased shallow pan. Mix crushed pineapple, orange rind, mint and ginger and pour over chops. Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup pineapple juice heated with 2 tablespoons wine vinegar. Sserves 6.

Pineapple Spareribs

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

2 lbs. spareribs
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Fry spareribs, drain on brown paper. Pour off fat and place spareribs and pineapple back into skillet. Simmer 5 minutes. Cook water and cornstarch in double boiler. Stir until thick. Add vinegar and sugar, add pineapple juice. Serve over spareribs. Makes 3 servings.

Sauerbraten

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

4 lbs. beef pot roast
2 cups vinegar
2 cups water
3 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
8 whole cloves
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine vinegar, water, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves and onion. Bring to boil. Place meat in bowl. Pour hot mixture over meat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 days, turning occasionally. Remove meat, drain and rub with flour. Brown on all sides in hot oil. Add marinade. Place in iron pot or ovenproof casserole. Cover and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer 2 to 3 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Stew in a Rush

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt." The original recipe called for canned vegetables, but these are fresh, so it is less of a rush. Use white mushrooms --- they are the lowest in potassium.

2 lbs. ground lean beef
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/4 cup sherry
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
8 sliced mushrooms
18 small white onions

Thoroughly combine first 6 ingredients, shape in walnut-size meat balls (about 30). Dust lightly with flour. Brown on all sides in hot oil (about 10 minutes). Add cooked carrots, mushrooms and onions with water. Cover and heat through. Makes 6 servings.

Beef Burgundy

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt."

3 lbs. lean round steak, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup leeks or scallions, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons cognac
1 1/2 cups burgundy wine

Dredge meat in flour and pepper. Saute in hot butter or margarine until very brown. Transfer meat, drained, to casserole. Add vegetables and garlic to remaining fat in skillet; brown lightly, stirring constantly. Flame cognac in a soup ladle and pour over beef. Add seasonings and vegetables. Pour over enough wine to cover casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 3 hours. Serve with buttered noodles. Makes 8 servings.

Old-Fashioned Beef Pot Roast

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt." This would also make a good slow-cooker recipe. Simply brown the meat first, place in the slow cooker with the other ingredients, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Dialysis-friendly go-withs might be cornbread, noodles or rice.

3 lbs. lean beef
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pint boiling water
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced thick
2 cloves

Mix the flour with pepper and allspice and dredge meat with the mixture. Melt the oil in a heavy pan. Brown meat on all sides, add the boiling water, onions and cloves, cover and allow to simmer for about 3 hours or until meat is tender. Makes 6 servings.

Beef Goulash

From "Cooking Without a Grain of Salt." Elma's original recipe called for boiled potatoes on the side, but I'd serve with egg noodles or even macaroni. You might want to dredge your stewing beef cubes in flour and brown them up before adding them to the stew. The browning will improve the flavor and the flour will act as a thickening agent for the sauce.

1 1/2 lbs. lean stewing beef, cubed
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons low-sodium catsup
2 tablespoons water

Saute onion in butter or margarine for 5 minutes. Add beef, caraway, marjoram, garlic and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Combine paprika, catsup and 2 tablespoons water. Add this mixture to the stew and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with egg noodles or macaroni.