Grilled chicken recipe for the 4th? Try this rosemary chicken

Grilled chicken recipes are everywhere online, but here’s one that’s salt-free, and low-fat that actually taste great. I enjoyed writing about it last year as one of my healthy recipe choices. So I’m revisiting it for this July 4th grilling season.

Chicken rosemary skewers were wonderfully flavorful and easy to make. — Chicken rosemary skewers are wonderfully flavorful and easy to make.

It starts with chicken breasts tenders, cut into cubes. Add olive oil, lemon juice and Italian spices, then use rosemary spriggs as the skewers for your chicken instead of metal or wooden skewers. For more skewer recipes, check out this Food Network link. Continue reading “Grilled chicken recipe for the 4th? Try this rosemary chicken” →

July 3, 2015 4

How much fat and salt is in McDonald’s new sirloin burger?

McDonald’s has a major advertising blitz going on for its new third-pound sirloin burger. Emphasizing the use of sirloin positions the burger as better somehow, at least that’s what McDonald’s must be hoping.

McDonald's third-pound sirloin burger has too much salt and fat for me to eat it. — McDonald’s third-pound sirloin burger has too much salt and fat for me to eat it.

But a quick check of its nutrition information on the McDonald’s website shows it’s not something anyone worried about salt and fat intake can eat, unfortunately.

I say unfortunately because I miss hamburgers dearly. The ones I eat now I make at home with either 96% lean ground beef or ground white-meat turkey and they’re just not the same because fat tastes good and so fattier beef tastes better than lean beef. Continue reading “How much fat and salt is in McDonald’s new sirloin burger?” →

May 27, 2015 0

A slow-cooked salmon recipe with chickpeas, mustard greens

Salmon has become a mainstay of my low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar diet. I wrote earlier this week of five ways to prepare it for a Memorial Day feast, or any day you expect a large number of people for dinner. Today, another salmon recipe, this one from the website Epicurious.

What intrigued me about this recipe is it’s slow-cooked. Salmon cooked in a 250-degree oven, a bit different from the 450-degree oven I used for my latest salmon creation. Continue reading “A slow-cooked salmon recipe with chickpeas, mustard greens” →

May 26, 2015 0

Oscar party menu that is low in sugar, fat and salt

Oscar night is a big event in my movie-oriented world and household. So I’m starting to plan my Oscar party menu with a wide array of low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar specialties from my recipe page.

Preparing salmon with Mrs. Dash no-salt marinades.

Appetizers will be low-fat puff pastry mini-shells filled with low-salt salsa. We’ll also have out cherry tomatoes, celery and home-made, salt free, fat-free potato chips. Continue reading “Oscar party menu that is low in sugar, fat and salt” →

February 21, 2015 1

Clarke’s in Evanston offers a great egg white, veggie omelet

Clarke’s is a long-time Evanston stand-by right next to the Northwestern main campus. I went there for many years and enjoyed burgers and other diner food, but since my angioplasty I’ve taken a new look at its menu searching for something that’s relatively low-fat, low-salt and low-sugar.

Clarke's Big and Tasty veggie, egg white omelet. I don't know how many egg whites this took, but it actually fills me up, a good trick these days., — Clarke’s Big and Tasty veggie, egg white omelet. I don’t know how many egg whites this took, but it actually fills me up, a good trick these days.,

I’ve enjoyed a giant fresh fruit bowl there as well as the only whole wheat waffle I know of being served on the North Shore these days. True the waffle likely has more salt than I’m supposed to eat, but I miss waffles tremendously, so I splurge on it now and again.

More recently, thought, I’ve tried an egg white, veggie omelet called the big and healthy and fallen hard for it. It contains carrots and broccoli, no cheese which would muck it up, salt and fat-wise. Also no cauliflower, which I dislike but which seems to pop up in omelets at restaurants for some unknown reason. The thing also is massive, served with a side of fresh fruit, it actually fills me up, something most dishes don’t do these days. Continue reading “Clarke’s in Evanston offers a great egg white, veggie omelet” →

February 16, 2015 1

Super Bowl Low-salt, low-fat party menu — try swordfish steaks as a main course

Super Bowl usually means ribs and burgers and beef, but if you’re on a low-fat diet, try seafood instead. A swordfish steak comes pretty close to the mouth-feel of a good beef steak.

Swordfish can be a great Super Bowl Party dish that's low-fat and low-salt. — Swordfish can be a great Super Bowl Party dish that’s low-fat and low-salt.

I’ve written about making swordfish with a salt-free spice rub. You also can use any of the salt-free marinades from Mrs. Dash or others out there. I think teriyaki goes with everything which is why I love the salt-free version Mrs. Dash has.

I buy my swordfish frozen at a local Trader Joe’s. If you’re lucky enough to be near a fresh fish store that sells it, all the better. Enjoy!
John

January 30, 2015 4

A Great no-salt, low-fat way to ring in the New Year

New Year’s Eve was always a special time in my family, a night for major partying at my grandmother’s house. I loved those days so much I wrote a play about it all. With my current low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar diet, however, finding a place for a New Year’s Eve Gala serving food I can eat seemed a challenge to me. Luckily, the Hilton Orrington hotel in my town of Evanston came to the rescue this year.

The Orrington is an Evanston landmark that has gone through its ups and downs in the almost 40 years that I’ve lived here. Thankfully, its in a major up period now and the special New Year’s Eve celebration it hosted for 2015 showed that in spades.

New Year's Eve at the Orrington was a big hit for us. — New Year’s Eve at the Orrington was a big hit for us.

My wife and I attended what the Orrington was calling it’s New Year’s Eve rooftop gala after I checked the menu and saw that it was friendly to my diet.

The main course was a combination of sea bass and fillet mignon, the only steak I eat now because of its leanness. Sides were vegetables and mashed potatoes. I contacted the event manager and mentioned my diet issues and was told everything could be prepared in a low-salt way and all sauces would be served on the side, which they were. Continue reading “A Great no-salt, low-fat way to ring in the New Year” →

January 5, 2015 1

Chicken parmigiana for everyone: here’s a low-salt recipe

Our 12 days of Christmas menu guides ends with a new twist on an old favorite for me, chicken parmigiana, but made in a low-salt, low-fat way.

Start with fresh chicken breasts, egg whites, panko breadcrumbs and no-salt-added marinara sauce.

Use panko breadcrumbs to cut salt, low- and no-fat cheese, and egg whites rather than whole eggs to coat the chicken breasts before breading. Bake rather than fry and you’re on your way.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these menus for the holiday season. Comments have been great for them and viewership has been solid, so I hope they’ve helped people get through the holiday food season without going off their low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar diets, too much.

Keep coming back here all year for more great recipes, news about ingredients and other helpful, healthy shopping tips.
John

January 2, 2015 5

New Year’s Day: time for some (lean) beef

New Year’s Day 2015! Wow, who would have imagined I’d be here to see this day after having angioplasty back in 2012. I’m a bit beside myself with the wonder of it all. But that aside, let’s continue with our 12 days of Christmas low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar menu offerings with some beef today.

Yes beef, but the leanest beef you can find. That’s 96% lean ground beef in my case. I get it at the Jewel supermarket chain here in Chicago, see if you can find it in your market as well.

A lean burger, along with peppers and asparagus.

Patties made from this type of beef are extremely lean. Have them on some salt-free bread with some low-salt, low-sugar ketchup and you’re all ready for a day of football and friends!

Happy 2015 everyone, let’s hope the world find some peace this year for all the troubles of recent times.
John

January 1, 2015 1

Going fishing, day 2: walleye for dinner tonight

Fish is on our 12 days of Christmas menu again tonight, but this time it’s walleye, another Midwest favorite, especially in Wisconsin where I spent my undergrad college years.

Walleye may taste fishier than most to some people who are sensitive to such things, but I find it a filling, hearty fish for a cold winter’s night.

My walleye at Heartland made without salt in the crust, hopefully.

Try it with a salt-free honey mustard marinade as I did this past year. And then start thinking about New Year’s Eve which is almost upon us!
John

December 30, 2014 0

Category: protein