Oh the temptations

Since Christmas in right around the corner I thought I would share some kidney friendly recipes, and web sites where you can find some more.

This can be an especially difficult time of year for some. Watching everyone indulge (read gorge) themselves with such treats as honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, squash, stuffing. Not to mention all the cakes, cookies, pies, chocolates, eggnog, and all the other irresistible treats that will be dangled in front of our faces. Hard enough for anyone to resist in the attempt to avoid a bulging waist line, now imagine being someone who, because of medical restrictions can NOT stray from their diet.

So how can we help so everyone can join in on this epicurean event? With a little planning it can be more than just palatable, it can be delicious too. Be sure to have a little something for each course.

A great way to start is by letting them bring something that they may already like to make. Then find out what their particular restrictions are and go from there. Who knows you may find a fantastic variation on an old favorite. Here are some tasty recipes I have found.

Breakfast:
Breakfast sticky buns: 16 servings, 2 slices per serving
1 packet active dry yeast                                    3 to 3 1/2 c all-purpose flower
1/4 c warm water                                               1/2 c unsalted butter
3/4 cup rice milk, heated to a simmer               1 package(4 servings) butterscotch jello instant pudding
2 tbls sugar                                                        1 tbls ground cinnamon
2 tbls canola oil
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix warm rice milk, sugar, and oil and cool to lukewarm. Add 1 1/2 c flour, yeast mixture and stir together. Add enough of the remaining flower to make a soft dough. Turn out on a lightly flowered surface and knead about 8 min. until dough becomes smooth across the top when it is shaped like a ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm spot, and let it rise about 15 min. Punch down, knead out the bubbles, and shape into 16 balls. Melt butter add butterscotch pudding and cinnamon together. Dip each piece of dough into the mixture and place into a pre sprayed, oiled, non-stick bunt pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning bake at 350f for 40 min or until the dough is browned on top. Let cool, and flip out of the pan.         

Frittata:
8 eggs
1/3 c rice milk                                      1/4 tsp ground sage
1/3 c chopped green peppers                4 vegetarian sausage patties, browned, cooled(optional)
1 tbls chopped chives                            and diced
3/4 tsp dijon mustard                            vegetable oil spray
1/3 c chopped onion                             1/3 c diced swiss cheese (optional)
Whip together all ingredients except the spray. pour into a skillet and bake in a 350f oven for 15 to 20 min or until firm.

Fruit plate: a mixture of some or all of these fruits suggested serving is 1/2 c
blueberries, raspberries, strawberries cut in 1/2, pineapple sliced, cherries, red grapes, and apples sliced

Finger foods:
Horseradish spread:
6 tbls reduced fat cream cheese              1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbls sour cream                                     1 tsp mrs. dash onion herb seasoning
1tps horseradish

cream both sour cream and cream cheese together. Add other ingredients together and serve with Melba crackers(bagel chips), carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, cauliflower, red pepper slices

Filo cups:
3 sheets thawed filo                                                                             cooking spray or drizzle evoo
2 tbls melted unsalted butter                                                               1 tbls mrs.dash onion herb seasons
1/2 med summer squash, onion, zucchini, and red pepper diced        Parmesan cheese
1 inch mini muffin tin
Roll out filo and butter each sheet, layering them while buttering. cut into 2 1/2 in X 2 1/2 in squares. Meanwhile, dice and saute your veggies with the oil and seasonings. Place filo squares in small inch muffin tin and fill with veggie mix, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350f oven till filo is browned, about 15 min.

Ham and turkey are fine to cook as usual (turkey is better if salt is an issue for your loved one)

Side dishes:
Mashed potatoes: these need to be started the night before. Serving size can be up to a cup

1 sm. head cauliflower chopped and boiled                    white pepper to taste
5-6 med sized potatoes peeled diced and leached           mrs. dash onion herb seasoning(if desired)
3-4 tbls unsalted butter                                                    1/2 tbls garlic and onion powder(not salt)
2-3 tbls sour cream                                                          each if desired and not using mrs. dash                                                          

To leach your potatoes(this is very important) peel and cut into chunks. soak in a pot of water over night, changing the water several times. This cuts the potassium by a third. Boil the potatoes as usual, they will cook a little quicker. At the same time boil the cauliflower till tender. Mash both potatoes and cauliflower together. Start by adding 1/2 the cauliflower at first along with the pepper and other seasonings if desired. Then add the sour cream and butter one table spoon at a time. Adding the ingredients this way helps you find what tastes best to you. I tried a cauliflower mash once as a mashed potato substitute and did not think it was even close. By chance, with my leftovers I mixed the two and came up with this. When mixed with the right portions of potato and cauliflower I couldn't tell that it wasn't all potato. The cauliflower also helps to moisten the potatoes without having to add milk or lots of butter.

Glazed carrots: 1/2 c serving size
 2c carrots, sliced 1" thick                      
1/8 tsp salt
1tbls sugar                       1/4 c apple juice
1tsp cornstarch                2 tbls margarine, melted

Cook carrots in water until tender. Mix together sugar, salt, ginger, apple juice, cornstarch, and margarine. Pour mixture over carrots and water in the pot. Stir until thick.


Deserts:
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake: portions:8  serving size 1/8         1/2 egg substitute
one 9-inch Nilla wafer crumb pie crust                                    1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 egg white                                                                               1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2  8-oz packages cream cheese, softened                                 8 tbls frozen nondairy topping
1/2 c sugar                                                                                   (like cool whip)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat  oven to 375f. brush pie crust with egg white and bake for 5 min. Reduce oven heat to 350f.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a lrg. bowl and beat with mixer on high until smooth.
Beat in egg substitute. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and blend until smooth. Pour pumpkin mixture into pie shell and bake 40-50 min. until center is set. Cool pie, then refrigerate.
Cut into 8 slices, and serve with 1 tbls of whip topping.

I hope these give you all a place to start. There are lots of sights out there for more recipe ideas. A great place to start, and my favorite is www.davita.com . They have a great section called kidney-friendly recipes. www.kidney.org has a bunch just click on kidney disease, then a to z heath guide, then nutrition diet, and finally kidney kitchen. Its a lot of clicking but the recipes are worth it.  www.kidneywellbeing.com which is chef Laurence Keogh's web site, and also has great food. He is a chef who had a kidney transplant, and created a free cook book available to down load. I also always have a link to these on the blog. Enjoy!!

I hope you all have a happy holiday.