Eating Well on Dialysis

Baba Ghanoush

From "Low Fat Living."

2 medium eggplants, sliced
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the eggplant and garlic on a lightly oiled broiler pan or grill. Coat the eggplant very lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Cook for several minutes, until the garlic peel is browned. Turn the garlic and cook for a few minutes more, until browned. Remove the garlic.

Continue cooking the eggplant until lightly browned on one side. Turn the slices and cook until browned. Remove the skin from the garlic and eggplant.

In a blender or food processor, puree the garlic and eggplant until smooth. As the mixture blends, add the lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Taste to adjust the seasonings and serve at room temperature with wedges of pita bread. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Sweet Pea Guacamole

Adapted from "Low Fat Living." Since avocados are high in potassium, peas make a good alternative.

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chili peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. frozen sweet peas, thawed
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine the cilantro, lime juice, chili peppers and oil. Add the peas, salt and cumin. Puree until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl and stir in the onions and red pepper. Season with black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.

Deviled Eggs

Why didn't I think of this before? One of my favorite picnic foods is dialysis-friendly and a good way to get the protein we all need in our diets. This version is from the Illinois Council on Renal Nutrition cookbook.
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Pepper to taste
Dash of paprika

Cut eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolk. Mash yolks with a fork and mix with remaining ingredients. Refill eggs, heaping slightly. Sprinkle with paprika.

Serving size: 2 egg halves
80 mg potassium
7g protein
110 mg phosphorus
90 mg sodium

Sesame-Lime Shrimp Salad with Lettuce Wraps

Recipe adapted from "30 Minute Meals." A good first course.

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled and tails removed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges

Mix the honey, soy sauce, lime juice and oils in a medium bowl. Add cucumbers and shrimp; toss to coat. Season with salt and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with lettuce to wrap and crunch on spoonfuls of salad. You can make this a few hours ahead and refrigerate, allowing the flavors to marry.

Richmond Peppered Shrimp

Recipe from "The Best of Food & Wine." This is a party appetizer than even non-dialysis people can enjoy. They can be served hot or cold; provide lots of toothpicks and napkins.

12 medium scallions
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons sherry or Madeira
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 lbs. large shrimp (about 48) shelled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1. Thinly slice scallions, separating the green and white portions; set the green aside for garnish. In a medium bowl, combined the sliced white portions of scallion with the ginger, garlic, horseradish, sherry, soy sauce, tomato sauce and brown sugar. Mix well and set aside.

2. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until just pink, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the sauce mixture, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and the sauce is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving dish or platter and serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the parsley, cilantro and the reserved sliced scallion greens.

Roasted Pepper and Rosemary Relish

Recipe from Cooking Light, June 2003. Serve the relish on crostini or tossed in salad or pasta.

3 orange, red or yellow bell peppers
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of kosher salt

Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Combine bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; toss well. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Makes 4 1/2-cup servings.

Iceberg Salad with Shrimp

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray.

1 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup prepared cocktail sauce
Few drops hot sauce
1 lemon, juiced, plus 2 teaspoons zest
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (300 count) small shrimp
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chives

Core the lettuce, and cut in quarters.

Combine cocktail sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice and zest and mayo. Stir shrimp into dressing and spoon it evenly over quartered lettuce. Season salads with a little salt and pepper, if desired, and scatter chives over the salads and serve.

I would probably go ahead and shred the lettuce if I were making this salad, just because I think it would be easier to eat that way. But the quartered heads make a prettier presentation, if that's what you want.

Baba Ganouj

Ethnic foods can be a challenge on the dialysis diet. I often enjoy Lebanese/Middle Eastern food, but I missed the hummus that I love. Chickpeas, the main ingredient, are high in phosphorus, like other legumes. Baba ganouj is also a Lebanese dip, but its main ingredient is eggplant (negligible phosphorus and only 119 mg potassium in 1/2 cup). Making your own is easy ... and you can control the amount of salt in the dish.

1 medium to large eggplant
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced scallions
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush a light coating of olive over the cut side. Place in a 400-degree F. oven and roast for 45 minutes or until tender.

Allow the eggplant to cool enough so you can handle it. Scoop out the flesh and place in the bowl of a food processor along with the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, parsley, scallions, salt and pepper. Process in pulses until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth. Scoop into a serving dish and drizzle olive oil over the top. Serve with toasted pita wedges or crackers.