Low Sodium Oyster Dressing

Low sodium oyster dressing.

My biggest challenge for Thanksgiving dinner this year was making a low sodium dressing.  I usually use Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing mix which is extremely high in sodium.  I've discovered a whole wheat bread from Trader Joe's that has no salt, so I made my own bread crumbs and added my own salt-free seasonings. Penzey's has a number of salt-free seasonings including poultry seasoning, and they are located conveniently nearby in Cameron Village.  I made the bread crumbs a day in advance so they would dry out.  Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I used Canola)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cups dry bread crumbs
1 pint oysters, liquid reserved
2 eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's salt free Poultry Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
2.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.  Mix in the bread crumbs and remove from heat. Add the oysters and eggs, and season with pepper, poultry seasoning and thyme.  Stir in enough reserved liquid from oysters to moisten and mix everything thoroughly.  Transfer to the casserole dish.
3.  Bake in the preheated oven until the top is toasted and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

6 to 8 servings

The main ingredients.

 

Four cups of dried bread crumbs using Trader Joe's salt-free whole wheat bread.

Remove sauteed celery and onion from heat and add bread crumbs.

Add oysters and slightly beaten eggs.

Add seasonings.

Mix well and transfer to casserole dish.

Ready to eat.

This was very good and a big hit at dinner.  If you're limiting the sodium in your diet you might like to try this recipe. 

Low Sodium Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Low sodium grilled cheese sandwich.

I've had to adjust my cooking because I'm trying to limit my sodium intake to 2000 mg (preferably 1500 mg) daily, and it's difficult.  I find it especially hard to come up with low sodium snacks.  Grilled cheese sandwiches are a favorite of mine, and I have managed to make one that is low in sodium, thanks to Trader Joe's.

The only bread I have been able to find that has no sodium is Trader Joe's Sodium Free Whole Wheat Bread.  Each slice has 0 mg sodium.

Cheese on the other hand, and I love cheese, is loaded with sodium.  Trader Joe's has two cheeses that are fairly low in sodium.  Their raw milk Emmentaler Swiss Cheese has 50 mg sodium per one ounce serving and that is extremely low for cheese. And their Yogurt Cheese has 140 mg sodium per slice.  So it's possible to make a cheese sandwich limiting the sodium to 50 or 140 mg.  I must admit I like the Yogurt Cheese better even though it is a bit higher in sodium content.

Low sodium Swiss cheese at Trader Joe's,

Trader Joe's low sodium yogurt cheese.

I've made grilled cheese sandwiches with both of these cheeses, and I believe I can get accustomed to having these instead of sandwiches that are loaded with sodium.

Low sodium (50mg to 140 mg sodium) grilled cheese sandwich with bell peppers as a snack or to accompany soup for a meal.

 I had no idea how much sodium is in food until I started checking labels carefully. Consider that a typical 1-ounce slice of bread has between 100 and 200 milligrams, depending on the type and brand.  An ounce of cheddar cheese has about 180 mg of sodium.  So a typical grilled cheese sandwich could contain anywhere from 380 to 580 mg of sodium.  That would be about a third of my daily quota.  And I'm not about to use a third of my daily allowance on a grilled cheese sandwich, no matter how much I like them.

I'll be posting other low sodium recipes on my blog in the future from time to time.  I've found there are a lot of folks out there trying to limit their sodium intake.