J's Sweet 'n Savory Spinach Salad

Greetings once again, dear Readers,

Just sharing today's most enjoyable luncheon delight with you all.

This recipe is not exactly renal diet-friendly, but, as my Nephrologist says almost every time I see him these days, "You can relaaaaax on the potassium restriction some."  Soooo, this is me relaxing with of one of my all time favo salad treats and I hope you all dig it as much as I do.  P too.  ;)

This pic is of his plate, which had considerably more feta content than mine did.  More cranberries too.  I kept mine as low sodium/potassium as possible.

J's Sweet 'n Savory Spinach Salad
-230 grams of nice and crisp raw spinach
-2 cloves of finely minced garlic
-1 onion, cut into thin rings, sauteed in a lil olive oil and set to cool.
-2 tbsp's of extra virgin olive oil, (aka EVOO)
-1.5 tbsp's of crumbled feta
-Juice from 1/2 a lemon.
-A small handful of chopped, dried cranberries, (these kind are sweetened a bit, which goes wonderfully with the feta.)
-A small handful of crushed walnuts.
-Fresh ground pepper to taste.

Serves 2.

For people not on sodium or potassium-restricted diets, I highly suggest topping the plate with another crumble of feta and some whole cranberries, which not only add to the flavorful experience, but looks real purdy too.

(I added more lemon to mine at the table.  The pic above was of P's plate.) 

Lemon is my new salt.  ;)

I used to make these often as starter salads, back in the days when I was able to entertain and cook all day for it and it was GREAT to taste a bit of those old times again.

Bon ap and as usual bon viiiibes,

: J

You Say Potato, I say POTASSIUM

Hello, All and in particular, fellow compromised kidney-beaners,

Since being so down with the flu, I have been CRAVING potatoes like mad and today I came across this gem from science that is one hell of a time-saver in the kitchen for those of us needing to restrict the K-count.

The effects of boiling and leaching on the content of potassium and other minerals in potatoes.

The white potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a valuable source of potassium in the human diet. While most consumers benefit from high levels of potassium in potato tubers, individuals with compromised kidney function must minimize their potassium intake.    

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of leaching and boiling on levels of potassium and other minerals in potato tubers. 

Leaching alone did not significantly reduce levels of potassium or other minerals in tubers. 

Boiling tuber cubes and shredded tubers decreased potassium levels by 50% and 75%, respectively. Reductions in mineral amounts following boiling were observed for phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, manganese, and iron. There was no difference between the leaching and boiling treatment and the boiling treatment. In addition, mineral levels in tubers of 6 North American potato cultivars are reported. 

Significant differences in mineral levels were detected among cultivars, but they were too small to be nutritionally important.  Those who must reduce potassium uptake should boil small pieces before consuming them.

Taken from one of my FAVO research sites: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18576999

It's gonna be a GOOD luncheon today, methinks: taters, garlic jumbo shrimp and likely a nice green salad on the side.  And today--for the first time in two weeks, a wee glass of wine again for me!

bon ap and ++++vibes,

: J