PrintNeed help w/sodium in recipe
Good morning everyone!
I need alittle assistance lowering the sodium in one of my favorite recipes passed down from my Nana.
The basic recipe calls for thinly sliced potatoes, onion soup mix, & butter....layering potato, soup mix, then butter into a 2 qt dish until full...then baking. When I make the dish now, I also add some grated cheddar cheese to add some extra gooey,yumminess (yes...I swear yuminess is a word! lol)
I began making the dish Sat. night & discovered I was out of soup mix, so I improvised using beef base in a small amount of water, and dehydrated onions. (I use dehydrated because the flavor is stronger in some dishes).
I thought by using the beef base it would bring down the sodium....but it was still salty.
Any thoughts on how to get that great beefy flavor into my potato dish without all the salt?
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7 Comments:
There are low-sodium seasonings on the market, but none of them seem to give me that salty hit I crave. A few years ago both my husband and I needed to address our high blood pressure problem, so eliminated all high sodium foods (pickles, condiments, chips, soy sauces, (and yeah, those soup bases are loaded with salt) etc) for a few months. We lost weight in the process (a VERY good thing), and at first really really missed those salty things we love so much, but must admit to feeling better after a while and hardly missing it at all.
I pay attention now after my mom underwent a surprise triple bypass this winter, and have learned to find other ways to cook flavorfully without relying on those super-hi-sodium seasonings and soup bases I used to love using. Do I miss the flavor? I little bit, but honestly, the enjoyment is muted when I remember what my mom went through and I can't justify using the salty stuff so much anymore.
So....for your potato recipe, why not shift the focus from beef flavor (I wouldn't expect my potatoes to taste like beef) and instead find a way to incorporate some lovely herbs or spring onions instead. Maybe using a more strongly-flavored cheese would help ramp up the flavor a bit, too, or sprinkling the layers with some chopped bacon.
moibec at 10:20AM on 04/14/08
If beefy flavor is what you're looking for, make your own beef stock, or at the very least, buy low sodium stock. You might be surprised how good chicken stock can be as a substitute, too. You can make a large quantity of either stock and freeze it - and you control the salt. If you know you're going to be using butter and other salty ingredients, you could eliminate most salt from your stock. I'll bet you'd like carmelized onions better than dehydrated, too. They take about 20 minutes and are so worth it - sweet and delicious. If you want stronger flavor, then raw might work (check for doneness). Fresh ingredients always taste better than something in a box that isn't even real food. You might like your recipe better!
PerkyMac at 10:30AM on 04/14/08
........I forgot to add that sweet butter (no salt) would help bring down the salt content.
PerkyMac at 10:34AM on 04/14/08
Thanks for the comments! I have done potatoes w/other flavors....and carmelized onions are a steady part of my diet...I appreciate the suggestions! What I'm trying to do is replicate this recipe w/the closest flavor as possible to the original....you know...that childhood comfort food thing. I have tried the recipe using fresh onions.....they don't stand up to the other flavors.
For the record....I cook fresh food every night of the week, and am a big proponent of cooking from scratch w/fresh ingredients...I probably should have indicated that in the beginning. This is one of the last hold outs from my childhood that uses any convenience products. I have cut back the amount of butter than my Nana used....it's just replicating that beef flavor w/o the salt....and yes...I do want the beef flavor in there.
I think you might be on to something PerkyMac...making my own beef broth so I get the beef flavor...which I could concentrate...because I don't want too much extra moisture in these potatoes. I have some soup bones sitting in my freezer from the 1/4 cow I got a few months ago...I think I'll work on that this week-end! :-)
mepolo at 11:17AM on 04/14/08
There are some good beef sauce bases and stocks available now that are salt free. Find one you like a lot. If it a stock, then reduce it till it's concentrated. Then caramelize your onions and mix them with some concentrated beef stock or sauce. Basically, making your own onion soup mix but since you make you control the salt level. With the additional liquid, you could also cut back on the butter too.
kjgibson at 11:19AM on 04/14/08
@mepolo......that sounds like a good plan! I never know whether I'm talking to a home cook like myself, an experienced chef or someone just learning to cook. I hope I didn't come across as offensive in any way. Just trying to help. You obviously have lots of experience and lots of soup bones!!!
PerkyMac at 8:54PM on 04/14/08
Hi Perky....no worries! Unfortunately there is no place for us to include our cooking levels. That does give me another idea for a post.... :-)
I just figured I'd seek other thoughts about my dilemma here because there are so many great people here, with so many innovative ideas...I thought someone might come up with something my brain just wasn't coming up with....like making my own stock! Sometimes our brains don't want to think of the easiest solutions! I appreciate it! :-)
mepolo at 8:02AM on 04/15/08