Easy on the salt... but tasty

It's World Hypertension Day on Sunday May 17, the theme of which is 'Salt and High Blood Pressure: Two Silent Killers'.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness.

To mark the day, Angela Day prepares a delicious, low-sodium menu devised by dietician Claire Julsing of Anne Till & Associates at the request of health-care company, Novartis.

POLENTA TRIANGLES WITH SMOKED SALMON

Makes 24

10ml olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

500ml water

125ml polenta

100g sliced smoked salmon

10ml finely grated lime rind

175ml fat-free plain yoghurt

10ml finely chopped fresh dill

Heat oil in a small pan and cook garlic and onion, stirring, until onions softens.

Boil potatoes until just tender, drain and mash.

Bring water to the boil in a medium pan, gradually add polenta and simmer, stirring, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the onion mix and mashed potato. Spread mixture into an oiled, 15cm square cake pan and cool. Refrigerate until firm.

Remove polenta from pan and cut into 24 triangles. Brush triangles with a little olive oil and cook in a nonstick frying pan until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

Cut salmon into smaller pieces and arrange on top of the triangles. Combine the yoghurt, lime rind and dill and spoon a little on to each triangle. Garnish with a sprig of dill.

Energy = 167 kJ

Carbohydrates = 7.6g

Protein = 1.8g

Fat = 0.3g

Calcium = 26mg

Potassium = 118mg

Sodium = 28mg

TOMATO PESTO HAKE WITH CASHEWS AND CAPERS

Serves 4

10ml olive oil

1 large red onion,

finely chopped

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

5ml sugar

4 fillets hake

20ml ready made sun-dried tomato pesto

30ml capers, well rinsed

10 cashew nuts, finely chopped

Heat oil and fry onion and the tomato until softened, then add sugar.

Place hake fillets in an ovenproof dish and spread 15ml of pesto on each fillet. Pour tomato and onion mixture over the fillets and sprinkle with capers. Bake fish for 25 minutes at 180°C.

About 5 minutes before the fish is cooked, sprinkle the cashew nuts over the fish and cook for the remainder of the allocated cooking time.

Serve with basmati rice.

Energy =1 110 kJ

Carbohydrates = 6.7g

Protein = 31.6g

Fat = 12.2g

Sodium = 143mg

Potassium = 626mg

Calcium = 57mg

CITRUS CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEA SALAD

Serves 4

4 small chicken breast fillets

15ml grated lemon rind

15ml finely grated lime rind

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 medium red onion, chopped finely

2 medium tomatoes, diced

15 finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

1 medium avocado, peeled,seeded and diced

15ml lemon juice

Combine chicken, lemon rind and lime rind in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until required.

Combine chickpeas, onion, tomato, coriander, avocado and lemon juice in medium bowl and mix well.

Cook chicken on heated oiled griddle until chicken is browned on both sides and cooked through.

Spoon chickpea salad into serving bowls and top with warm chicken.

Energy = 1463 kJ

Fibre = 4.8g

Fat = 11.8g

Carbohydrates = 29.7g

Protein = 28.5g

Calcium = 64mg

Potassium = 610mg

Sodium = 72mg

APPLE AND PEAR STRUDEL

Serves 2

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

1 medium pear, peeled and chopped

15ml castor sugar

3ml finely grated lemon rind

2ml ground cinnamon

30ml water

3 sheets phyllo pastry

beaten egg for glazing

Custard sauce:

15ml custard powder

15ml castor sugar

180ml skim milk

Combine apple, pear, sugar, rind, cinnamon and water in a saucepan. Cook until fruit is soft, then cool.

Layer pastry sheets together, and then fold in half. Spoon fruit mixture along centre of pastry. Fold in ends and roll up.

Place strudel with folded edge underneath on a lined baking tray and brush with egg. Bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes or until well browned. Serve with custard sauce.

To make it, combine custard and sugar and 50ml of the milk and mix until smooth. Bring rest of milk to the boil and gradually stir in custard. Stir until sauce boils and thickens.

Energy = 494kJ

Protein = 23.9g

Carbohydrates = 3.1g

Fat = 1.8g

Calcium = 97mg

Potassium = 211mg

Sodium = 68mg

RASPBERRY AND POMEGRANATE MERINGUES

Makes 18

2 egg whites

5ml lemon juice

125ml castor sugar

50g shelled pistachios, chopped finely

250ml fat-free smooth cottage cheese

250ml vanilla yoghurt

half a fresh vanilla pod, seeds removed

75g fresh raspberries

50g pomegranate seeds

Beat egg whites in small bowl until soft peaks form. Beat in lemon juice. Add sugar, 15ml at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture should be thick and glossy.

Line 3 oven trays with baking paper, trace 12 x 5,5cm circles on each sheet. Spread meringue thinly over circles. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 150°C for about 40-50 minutes or until crisp. Cool in oven with door ajar.

Combine cheese, yoghurt and vanilla pod, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Place a meringue on a serving plate, spoon on some yoghurt mixture and then scatter over pomegranate seeds and raspberries.

Top with another meringue disc and repeat. Serve immediately.

Energy = 260kJ

Carbohydrates = 9.1g

Protein = 3.2g

Fat = 1.6g

Calcium = 31mg

Potassium = 87mg

Sodium = 67mg

Don't stop at the salt shaker

Start by cutting your salt intake by half. Move the salt shaker away and off the table. But that is only the beginning. Sodium is hidden in many processed foodstuffs.

Here are tips for reducing salt intake:

Choose fresh or frozen vegetables. Canned varieties often contain a lot of sodium.

Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked or processed types. Limit cured foods such as bacon and ham.

Limit foods packed in brine (salty water) such as pickles, olives and sauerkraut.

Limit condiments such as mustard, horseradish and tomato sauce. Limit even lower sodium versions of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Treat these condiments as sparingly as you do salt.

Choose low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods and condiments when available.

Cook rice and pasta without salt. Cut back on instant or flavoured rice and pasta mixes, which usually have added salt.

Choose traditional cooked porridges rather than ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that tend to be high in sodium.

Limit or avoid using convenience foods. If selected, choose those lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, ready-to-eat meals such as pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups and salad dressings, which often have a lot of sodium.

To flavour food during cooking and at the table, use herbs, spices, lemon, lime, ginger, garlic, vinegar or salt-free seasoning blends.

Rinse canned foods such as tuna and canned beans to remove some of the sodium.

When eating out, ask whether dishes can be prepared without added salt, MSG or salt-containing ingredients.

Source: DASH Eating Plan

HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD BE HAVING A DAY

1g salt (sodium chloride) is equal to 393.4mg of sodium.

WHO recommends that everyone strive to restrict salt intake to 5g a day (about 1 teaspoon) from all food sources, which is about 2 000mg of sodium.

People with hypertension should aim to restrict sodium intake to 1 500mg daily from all food sources as far as possible. However even a reduction to 2 300mg of sodium daily will be beneficial.

Limiting dietary salt intake implies the reduction of total sodium intake from ALL dietary sources including, for example, additives such as monosodium glutamate and preservatives and preserved foods.

• This article was originally published on page 13 of The Star on May 14, 2009

Source : http://www.iol.co.za