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SPICES: WHEN TO USE Spring & Summer Fresh Foods
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CONTENTS 10
Winter 2015-2016
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Who Flew This Plane? — 20
Roast These Potatoes — 20
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Contents Heartbeat — 3 Cookbook History — 6 Spring-Summer Foods — 9 Hamburgers — 10 The Best Hamburger — 12 More Recipes? — 14 Healthy Veggies — 19 Still More Recipes— 20 Taking a Break — 24 Special 50% Off Coupon — 24 Don’s Famous Cowboy Cookie - 25
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Great Waffles Without salt or baking soda. Coming in Summer Issue of our MegaNews Magazine Mega 2 News
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HEARTBEAT Welcome to Megaheart.com.
We have spent many years attempting to help congestive heart failure patients to recover, Meniere’s patients to reduce or rid themselves of dizziness and we’ve helped hypertensive patients to lower their blood pressure. We’ve also been there for other illnesses that require a lowered sodium lifestyle. What we have also tried to do is help those who are not ill or at least seem healthy, but that effort often strikes out. Mostly because we are humans and we trust that the future will be as good to us health-wise as the past or present. It seems that until we are struck with something serious, we just don’t believe it can happen to us. Reminders about just how easy it is to learn these lessons the hard way are constant. Sometimes we who have fallen had many signals that something was amiss but we either went into denial, failed to pay attention or simply rejected them as something else. Just how precarious our lives are is demonstrated daily. Sometimes the causal factors stare us straight in the face but too often it is not us we see threatened but instead, others. This past Christmas was a good example for us. A large group of adults in their fifties and sixties who have not yet been struck with any of the above diseases gathered for a Christmas party. These same adults sat down to a meal that must have had about 4,000 mg of sodium per individual servings. It was an oversight on my part with that group to not take my own meal. I made an assumption from what I was told that all would be well. But the host had brined the roasts and doused the ribs with a salty spice mix. He also felt terrible about not accommodating me, but I was not upset nor surprised. It had not been the first time I’d fallen into that trap. I ended up enjoying string beans and some applesauce and a salad that had not yet had its dressing applied. The applesauce was sugar free with plenty of cinnamon. I felt well-taken care of. What struck me the most was that even the children present consumed that high level of sodium while a few of the adults certainly needed to cut back. I watched while some showed a flush of red in their faces as I tried to calculate just how much salt had been added to the meal. I learned that the host had barbecued ribs and pork roast and thought he’d added a “no salt” spice mix. However, when I read the jar of the large
“I have to confess, I did some research to see if you were still alive. . .”
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nearly quart size commercial mix he’d been quite liberal with, I saw that the second ingredient was salt. That’s the case with many spice mixes. It was a brand new bottle and nearly one-quarter of it had been used on the meat alone. Ingredients are listed on FDA nutrition labels with the highest measurements first.. The kicker is that when I brought it up—hopefully not sounding like a lecturer—I saw immediately what I’ve seen before: Irritation, disinterest and disbelief. When we are healthy, we don’t take into consideration the possibility that we may not behave like we should. That is, not living the lifestyle that could add years if not decades to our lives. That was party number one. The next night was party number two and at that party I took my own meal. I was lucky. The entire menu was Mexican with tamales, enchiladas and much more. Mexican food is one of the tougher ethnic foods to decrease sodium intake, although, we’ve done it with each of the above. Maureen knew the meal plan, so whipped up an enchilada dish for me that was so low in sodium nobody thought it would be tasty. Just the opposite. I explained to those who asked, that all they were really tasting was salt while I was enjoying the flavors of the ingredients. Again, a few chuckles, disbelief and “Yeah, right.” Spices, which actually have a lot of healthy nutrients in them, make the difference. And spice mixes that we make for ourselves create for us a marvelous world of healthy eating and definitely contribute to our improving our lives. They can also help those who may be approaching the age where nature often catches us off-guard. Just because we might be considered healthy doesn’t mean that we aren’t in line for a few surprises. I try to convince others who have not yet been struck with a preventable disease that one day I was healthfully and strongly rowing in a shell with others . . . the next day I was on a gurney in a local hospital with a doctor explaining that I had a terminal disease. “How terminal?”I asked not understanding that I had possibly walked into a bad pun. The response was simple. About six months, a year at the longest. Nineteen years later here I am and it’s no secret. I cut salt out of my life altogether and stuck to the medication program and importantly, I kept active, known in some circles as “exercise.” One of the best letters I’ve received from those recently visiting megaheart.com was from a book user who wrote, “Thanks Don, I found your book while looking for low salt recipes – thank you so much. I have to confess, I did some research to see if you were still alive, I wanted to make sure it worked. Can’t tell you how relieved I am. Bless You!! John Bryant “ You can find it posted on the megaheart.com testimonial page. He emailed it December 10, 2015. Quite a Christmas present for us. — Don
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SPICES AND THEIR USE I consume a third of a teaspoon of cinnamon every morning. It’s a great anti-inflammatory and helps control arthritis, even osteoarthritis. Other spices and herbs are also helpful; but one diabetics may like to know about is turmeric. In a recent USDA experiment, researchers found that Sage and Oregano doubled insulin activity, while Turmeric and Cloves tripled it. But Cinnamon leads the pack for all of us including diabetics. In another study, diabetics who consumed one gram of Cinnamon per day for 40 days lowered their fasting blood sugar by 18 percent and their LDL by 7 percent. (about 1/3 a teaspoon a day). Read about more spices below. It may amaze you to learn that some may be more powerful that prescription medications. Adobo Seasoning - A spice mixture from Mexico. Commercial brands might include garlic, onion, black pepper, Mexican (as opposed to Italian) oregano, cayenne red pepper and cumin. Make sure to buy only the no salt type. Sprinkle on fried eggs or use as a rub on beef and pork ribs when broiling or barbecuing. We also like it in tacos and as an addition to guacamole. AJI-NO-MOTO (MSG) MSG may be the most widely used flavor enhancing ingredient after salt and pepper. MSG helps bring out the best natural flavors in a variety of foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. Soups, casseroles, gravies and sauces are examples of dishes that can benefit from the proper use of MSG. While MSG harmonizes well with salty and sour tastes, it contributes little or nothing to sweet or bitter foods. Sold in the U.S. as Accent and in Europe as E621 or A.K.A. Ajinomoto or Vetsin. *Some Individuals may be allergic to MSG. (Monosodium glutamate.) Spices Contiued on Page 26 Mega 5 News
THE HISTORY OF OUR COOKBOOKS F
or many years I had been aware of the high salt content of bread and processed foods. Although years before my heart failure I had tried to lower my sodium intake to help prevent diagnosed hypertension, I wasn’t even close to the level I should have targeted. Ignorance is bliss I guess. Looking back now, I understand that I had probably lowered my intake by only 500 to 1,000 mg a day. I was still consuming way too much. I also mistakenly bought into the theme that, “Salt is in everything.” I learned differently much later and way too late to prevent the oncoming heart failure. Immediately Coreg. You may know it today as for me or for Maureen to prepare for me. I kept them in my computer after my initial diagnosis I dug carvidilol. He also prodded me to cut salt and printed them for inserting into more deeply into the salt/sodium challenges. The Internet was still down. I responded by suggesting a notebook. Six months after I was diagnosed relatively new, so not much was 500 mg a day. I had no idea what that there for help. I searched bookstores, meant but I and my wife understood with heart failure, Maureen was magazines, library reference books that if I committed to it, I’d find a diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to have the full mastectomy and the total of useful information way. and that rendered her was very close to zero. That helpless for a few weeks. was just nineteen years ago. So, naturally, I began Meanwhile I started “We are not interested in lower cooking for her. I decided preparing my own meals lighten her downtime by and writing down exactly sodium recipes. Fat is the cause towriting up menus of the day the ingredients I used and and following through with of most heart problems.. ” — all foods I ate. I bought a gourmet style meals that copy of a large book by Food Editor, major newspaper. we started referring to as Corinne T. Netzer titled: “photo ops.” Encyclopedia of Food The recipes started Values. Within months I piling up. I started posting could point to a meal and Without even thinking of them on Megaheart.com, a site come very close to telling those who would listen how sodium was publishing a cookbook, I started I’d started just before meeting Dr. preparing meals without salt. It Fowler. on their plate. I’m All during this time I spent long Needless to say, I cut salt out was tough. Not many products on the market back then were “no periods searching for cookbooks altogether and as I’m sure you’re salt added.” Some cheeses were designed to help heart patients. now aware, it isn’t an easy trick. After a bundle of second opinions available, which was handy, but Nothing was available. Someone I met Dr. Michael B. Fowler, the one by one, they dropped out of the had put a small pocket sized salt director of the heart failure program market. Earth shattering for those free booklet out years before, at Stanford. Fortunately for me, he who loved cheese but couldn’t deal but it wasn’t designed for what I was one of the leading researchers with the high sodium of standard needed and it didn’t account for the daily nutrients that we must have. for a new beta blocker known as fare. My recipes were written down Essentially it appeared too, that Mega 6 News
they’d just removed salt. I wanted to retain the flavors of the food and add spices to replace the salt kick that we learned was really a “destruction” of the palate. After that first year, and after a year of posting recipes and the beginnings of the 28-day meal planning guide on Megaheart. com Online, it dawned on me that maybe I had something I could publish. I had put Megaheart.com Online with a total of 8-pages. They started adding up until today it has more than 700 pages or I should say 700 URL addresses. That’s a ton of work and a ton of information. But e-mail had become popular then and Online information was becoming a big deal. Google had not yet been born but there were sites like Alta Vista and others where you could do some searching and find some information. I found nothing concerning no salt and low sodium other than the info on Megaheart.com. That coerced me into posting even more information Online. Nonetheless, I put together the
No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook and sent it out to publishers with hopes of getting a book publishing deal. Wow. The notes that came back were a sign of the market’s lack of knowledge concerning the damage salt does to the human system. Typical phrases like, “We need salt. This book is doomed to failure,” “There is no interest in salt free recipes . . .” and more. I then contacted a niece who worked in New York as an agent for writers and others. She graciously said she’d try. A few weeks later I got a call from a senior editor at St. Martin’s Press. Her name was Ruth Cavin and if you Google her, you’ll learn what I didn’t know at the time. She was a famous editor, wellknown in the publishing world. And she would be very interested in publishing The No-Salt, LowestSodium Cookbook. But, she needed some information concerning where the market would be, who would buy it, had anyone tried this before, could I find support somewhere. I answered all her questions but not before asking members of Mega 7 News
Megaheart if they’d be interested in such a book. Wow again. Scores and scores of replies were so positive that Ruth Cavin sent a contract. Eighteen months later The NoSalt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook was on the market. And it rocked the boat. The notes I received from some food editors were audacious remarks. I was shocked at some of the negative reactions. As Megaheart and the books became better known and more popular I received angry notes from salt companies and their national institute. Some notes seemed threatening. Those notes were one reason I developed a true love for the “delete” key on my keyboard. I also heard from “chefs” who stated flatly that “you can’t cook without salt.” Even the bread machine I recommended at that time had a note in their box that Warned, “You Must Use Salt” in bread. But, we prevailed. We were the first on the market and most likely the only book of its kind that had ever been designed with a meal planning guide for heart healthy living that also made sure we got all
the daily nutrients we need. That part was not easy but our oldest daughter who is a registered dietitian put the final touches on that plan and bingo, it works. Then came some lessons. Not only did heart patients need a low sodium lifestyle, so did those with Meniere’s Syndrome, Nephrotic Syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, cancer and kidney patients, Lupus and many other maladies. It wasn’t just a heart healthy cookbook anymore. It had become a necessary cookbook for more than 100 million Americans and those in other countries who needed to cut salt out. No, 100 million Americans haven’t purchased our books. Megaheart grew as well and at least one member helped us while seeking publicity. A Better Homes & Garden magazine titled heart healthy Living published a wonderful spread about our effort. Up until then we had received only rejections and some fairly uncomplimentary notes from food editors and even from a couple of food manufacturers who did not want their products included in our cookbook or on our Web site. One of those was Ghirardelli of San
Francisco who did not want their chocolate mix included in any of our recipes. Nothing can be baked, cooked, fried, etc. without salt, they reasoned, and therefore they did not want to be a part of our effort. Okay, I told them, you’re out. So, for a chocolate mix I taste tested theirs and made one for us that pretty well matches the flavor. That recipe is in our book and Online, but with “Don’s Sweet Chocolate Mix,” instead of a national brand name. (Also in this newsletter.) Others like Ocean Spray® and Nestlé® were happy to help by allowing us to use their products in our recipes and their names in our cookbook. A big plus for us were all the people who thanked us and those who signed on at the beginning of this adventure and are still with us. The proof of better health by cutting salt out still lives in those notes. Other emails we received asked for more recipes, mostly bread, soups and stews and, “Can I make Sweet and Sour Sesame Chicken?” The most popular of all recipes right from the start was and remains the low sodium pizza, Mega 8 News
which is available Online as well as in the No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook. The books that followed the first cookbook were reader and Megaheart-visitor inspired. The bread book was the most asked for after the first book. We had fun doing that, but grained a little weight testing. The weight is gone now but the book lives on. Authoring a cookbook is not easy work. It’s time consuming when you design a new recipe, test it over and over, write it down, rewrite it more than a few times, then translate it to a recipe format with all the nutrient data and finally put it into the form that the publisher wants to see. Then there’s that long stretch that the publishers need for their own typesetters and proof readers and finally a release date. All of it worth the time since these books have helped so many thousands of people to recover from CHF, reduce the hissing in ears and dizziness from Meniere’s and more. The kind notes we’ve received for these past 19 years have made it well worth our time and effort and we thank everyone involved.
Spring & Summer Fresh Veggies & Fruit We Can Enjoy Avocado— We often add avocado slices to hamburgers and tacos. Avocados can also be added to omelets or scrambled eggs, sandwiches or mixed with a dash of sour cream for a party dip known as guacamole. Relatively high in vitamin K but edible by those on Warfarin if, that is, vitamin K foods are balanced during a week’s time. Asparagus — is rock-bottom low in sodium and calories and full of essential nutrients. It is a good food for heart and diabetic patients who might like the trace of chromium, a mineral that enchances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Asparagus is 93% water.
Bell Peppers— Sweet bell peppers are hi-grade sources of antioxidants and vitamin C. Their carotene is nine times higher in red peppers. Red has twice the vitamin C content of green peppers. We snack on red peppers by slicing them and storing them in zipper lock bags in the fridge. Green Beans — Green beans can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked. They are popular with tempura cooks in a casserole with cream of mushrooms soup but make your own mushroom soup. Green bean pods come with or without a “string,” thusly the name for some is “string bean.” Tomatoes — Known as a fruit ttmatoes contain the carotene lycopene, a natural and potent antioxidant. Claims that lycopene or tomatoes might prevent prostate cancer have not been confirmed. Some studies demonstrate that lycopene may protect against the sun’s UV rays.
Onions — Onions can be sautéed, baked, boiled, grilled, fried, roasted, or eaten raw in salads and burgers or other sandwiches. Most onions are about 89 to 90% water. Very low in essential nutrients but are great flavors without added calories. Also 4% sugar, 1% protein, 2% fibre, and 0.1% fat. Mega 9 News
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T
he ever present Hamburger has so many varieties that it’s hard to keep up
with them. But one thing is for sure; it’s the most popular sandwich in the U.S. and in many other areas of the world including its hometown of Hamburg, Germany. The hamburger meat was first conceived in Hamburg, Germany in the 18th century while the sandwich idea, the one we know as a hamburger, was “invented” years later during the 19th century. Originally cattle known as Hamburg cows was ground and then combined with salt, pepper, garlic and onions and then formed into the patties. They served it without the buns that were later adopted for the sandwich concept. Hamburg beef was known for its quality and for that reason the patties and later the sandwiches were considered gourmet eating. Apparently in some of our high-end restaurants it’s still a gourmet meal if we are to believe some of the high prices we’ve seen. So, how did America end up the hamburger-king of the world? Well, German immigrants settled in New York and Chicago and quite a few of them opened restaurants. As you can guess, many menus featured Hamburg steaks in what became known as an Americanized version of the German patties. But things began to change during the Industrial Revolution. Catering wagons and food carts arrived for factory workers who found themselves enjoying Hamburg steaks at lowered prices. Once again evolution of the hamburger advanced. The patties were too difficult to eat hand-held, so an ingenious cart-chef put the meat patty between two slices of bread giving birth to what we now call a hamburger. No one knows that cart-chef’s name, but I like to think that maybe his last name was McDonald. This newsletter offers you a half dozen varieties of salt free hamburger ideas. The picture at the left shows a basic hamburger. The bun recipe is also here. Perfect for summer enjoyment including any outdoor grilling parties you might have.
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THE BEST HAMBURGER?
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n my opinion there is no “best hamburger.” It’s what we like or make or believe to be best that is best for us. My best burger may not fit into your best burger category because there are so many ways to make great burgers and a lot of ways to make fairly poor burgers. Of course the bun and the contents make up what we like or don’t care for. Burger usually conjures a picture of a bun, lettuce, tomato, beef, often cheese and then the sauce. Okay, that’s a standard version of our American burger. But we have options. We can use lamb, turkey, chicken, pork or pork rib meat, any kind of cheese and throw in some mushrooms or oddly tasting onions. Choose organic meat or grass fed beef or bison. Pick your cuts from ground sirloin to ground chuck. There is, by the way, a whole group of people who swear chuck is the only beef to use for burgers. Strong opinions though, should not sway us away from trying something different. We may find that we like what we try. But remember that flavor is affected by anything and everything from how the meat was raised, fed to the cut and age. Truth is beef with lots of fat does not taste nearly as good a grass-fed beef. The stockyard beef is more like the very expensive Japanese wagyu while grass-fed is more like a filet mignon and a lot cheaper. Costco had wagyu last month for $109 a pound with a minimum purchase of 11 pounds. The wagyu brings to mind a story that Maureen and I have. We raised a Charolais steer years ago when the children were very young. We called him Charlie. We didn’t have our own property back then so let a friend who owned a
potato farm park the steer for a year. Charlie ranged in the grass fields but our friend had an overabundance of potatoes that year. The market for them was overfed, so, unbeknown to us he gave Charlie carte blanch with the potato bin. After Charlie became roasts and steaks and ground meat, we started eating our grass-fed, potatofed burgers and oops, burp, belch, air passing. What the heck was this? We ate a roast. Same effect. The meat looked a bit like wagyu and at the time we thought that was something special. We were right, but it wasn’t the kind of special we thought of. Like wagyu it was highly marbled with fat. I called our friend and he laughed and said, “Oh, yeah, that. I let him eat our surplus potatoes. That’ll do that.” We ended up giving the meat to all the neighbors and friends but with a caveat. Eat half of what you’d usually eat. Boy, did we get phone calls. I learned while growing up a bit on a farm, and later when we had our own herd of two, that beef cuts do matter when it comes to flavor. Today we are told that when supermarkets are under-sold with roasts, steaks, etc. they just grind them into “ground meat” and sell them with new dates for hamburgers, stews, etc. That means tenderloins, some steaks and that also means not much flavor when ground into burger meat. Mega 12 News
We know that the best tasting beef comes from the tougher muscle parts of a steer. Chuck from the shoulder is a well-worked muscle that’s full of flavor even though it can be tough and fibrous. Tenderloin lies under the ribs and doesn’t exactly get a workout at your local gym. That’s what makes it weak in the flavor department and another reason we like to add spices and rubs to such meat when grilling. The quandary then is how to get the perfect beef for a burger. Well, get your meat ground from a few different cuts. Some fat does help, so a balance of chuck (flavor) and tenderloin or short ribs and you’ll have the best beef for a burger. We’ve tried them all from 95% fat free (not tasty at all) to 25% fat (tastiest). It depends on your fat consumption requirements and what you want for flavor. I have mixed spices into the meat, and often mixed in chopped vegetables like carrots and onions and even ground peas. But that makes the meat a bit crumbly and not exactly what most people are looking for. Healthier? Yes, I should think so, but happier campers? Not always.
Variety of Meats
We can also make burgers using ground turkey, ground lamb but unlike tacos, fish just doesn’t work well with “hamburgers.” A few companies also sell ground chicken. Some turkey and chicken
are so lean, that they do not make tasty burgers without adding more fat. The best turkey burger I’ve had in a restaurant was in Burbank, California where the proprietor dreamed up a cranberry turkey burger with a lot of other flavors added in including an onion that I’m still searching for. (That was before my heart failure and new no-salt lifestyle.)
experiment with French rolls, Kaiser rolls and nearly every other roll I’ve made and those that you can find in our cookbooks. If you’re game, though, try a Brioche or the Japanese Milk Bread Roll. Each is fairly fantastic as a burger bun. They do require extra work, though.
The Cheese We know that cheese is a component of many burgers and the standard is Cheddar. Well, it was for us too, until we could no longer get it. Not even Helluva Good Cheese carries low sodium cheese anymore. When I first began Megaheart.com nineteen years ago we had a half dozen cheese makers with no-salt, lowsodium cheddar. Today we know of none. So, we are stuck with the lowest sodium cheese we can find and that’s from Sargento, who makes a low-sodium Swiss called Reduced Fat and/or Baby Swiss. It’s acceptable, although has a bit of salt in it. They package slices that weight a bit less than an ounce each and have around 35 mg of sodium per slice.
The Bun I remain a traditionalist when it comes to buns, but I do like a French Sourdough Roll and I’ve had a few burgers with Brioche rolls. Now, that’s a charming, flavorful hamburger. Problem with Brioche, however, is that it’s like eating a heavily butterladen croissant. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Jerry Seinfeld might say. I generally use my own burger bun recipe, which admittedly is rather standard. However, I also
Don’s Mini Burgers See Next Page
Cooking The Meat Here’s another area where there are a vast array of opinions. Still, understand that ground beef is more susceptible to contamination than whole cuts of beef. If you trust your butcher or the store where you bought it, you’ll still want to cook your burger to at least medium. That goes for beef, turkey, chicken and lamb. Use a thermometer and these temps as a guide for beef: (130o F for rare, 135o F for medium rare, 140o F for medium, and 150o F to 165o F or more for well done). For turkey and chicken: 165o F, no rare or medium allowed. Cooking ground turkey to the proper internal temperature is especially important due to the bacteria that are introduced into the meat mixture. For ground lamb, veal, and pork we want 160° F.
Building The Burger Balance Of The Burger Everyone has their own choice for the balance of the burger. Lettuce, onion tomato reign highest on the list. Also many like mustard, mayo, ketchup. Here’s an idea for you, though. Caramelize your onions. Add some lightly sautéed mushrooms or if you like them raw, try those. I love thinly sliced Golden Delicious apple in some of my burgers. One other food you can add your burgers, especially when using ground turkey is the avocado. Slice thinly, layer on the bun as though making guacamole, place meat on and then add lettuce, tomato and caramelized onions. Wow, that turkey becomes quite tasty. Mega 13 News
To construct your burger, toast the inside of your standard bun but not if you’re making that special Brioche or Japanese Milk Bread. Do toast the inside of a sourdough roll or French baguette roll. Slather the bottom bun with either your ketchup or mustard and ketchup sauce or ketchup and lay your onions on top of that. Then set the meat on the onions and pile on the lettuce, tomato and whatever else you like. By setting the meat on top of the onions, they won’t slip out like they often do. Enjoy!
Don’s Mini Burgers Flexitarian — 2 Carb Choices Makes 8 Mini Burgers Sodium Per Recipe: 402.1 mg Sodium Per Burger: 50.3 mg Make buns a day before or early in the morning for this recipe. You’ll want to make square buns and can use our ciabatta recipe or the best hamburger bun recipe in this edition.
Ingredients 1 pound ground round, sirloin or beef of your choice 85% lean to 90% lean (299.4 mg) ¼ teaspoon cardamom (.09 mg) 2 teaspoons Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (1.849 mg) 8 3-inch homemade Don’s Best Hamburger Buns or Ciabatta rolls, split in half or the Brioche MinI Buns on page 18 (78 mg) 1 ½ tablespoons sour cream (14.4 mg) 1 ½ tablespoons Plain Greek Yogurt (9.375 mg) ½ teaspoon dried Dill Weed (1.04 mg) ¼ teaspoon Splenda or Sucralose (trace) Preheat a griddle to 350o F. Combine the Trader Joe’s and cardamom in a small bowl or spice container and set aside.
Mix together the sour cream, yogurt, dill weed and Splenda or Sucralose, set aside.
Don’s Gourmet Ketchup
Vegan — ½ Carb Choices Makes 1½ Cups Sodium Per Recipe: 183.7 mg) Sodium Per Tablespoon: 7.655 mg 6 tablespoons white granulated sugar or granulated Splenda (trace) 1 6-ounce can no salt added tomato paste (we use Contadina) (166.6 mg) ¼ cup white vinegar (1.19 mg) 1 tablespoon Grandma’s Robust Molasses (15 mg) 1 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice (.153 mg) 1 teaspoon garlic powder (.728 mg)
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (trace) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (trace)
Place all ingredients into a small bowl, stir until well mixed and smooth. Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a few weeks. For longer storage time, crush one or two vitamin C tablets and stir into mix. Or add 1/8 teaspoon of the same ascorbic acid you use for making bread. May add ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil to help spreading.
Line a jellyroll or cookie sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the ground meat at center of pan and cover with plastic wrap. Roll meat with a rolling pin pressing down hard enough to force the meat to each edge of the pan. This will 1 produce a thin layer of meat. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the meat with Diabetics, you may remove the seasoning. Remove the plastic wrap, and sprinkle the meat with the Trader the molasses and save 1 g Joe’s and cardamom mixture. Using the parchment paper, fold the meat in half, carbohydrates per serving. then without the parchment paper, fold meat in half again. You should now be able to cut out 8 square pieces when using a large bladed knife or a pizza cutter. Ketchup Nutrient Data Per Tablespoon: Calories: Slice buns in half using a serrated bread knife. Place the meat patties on the 21.5, Protein: .329 g, Carbohydrate: 5.259 g, Dietary Fiber: .307 g, Total Fat: .035 g, Saturated Fat: .007 g, griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Toast the inside of the buns on the Monounsaturated Fat: .005 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: griddle for about a minute. .012 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Remove the buns from the oven. Spread a small amount of the sour cream yogurt Omega-3 FA: .001 g, Total Omega-6 FA: 0 g, Potassium: mix on each bun and top with the patty and if you wish, tomato, onion, lettuce, 74.2 mg, Sodium: 7.655 mg, Vitamin K: .814 mcg mushrooms or other condiments you like.. Serve immediately. Nutrient Data Per Mini-Burger: Calories: 275.8, Protein: 15.4 g, Carbohydrate: 24.4 g, Dietary Fiber: 1.169 g, Total Sugars: 1.262 g, Total Fat: 12.4 g, Saturated Fat: 4.178 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.82 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: .845 g, Cholesterol: 57.6 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: .53 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .09 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .007 g, Potassium: 236.2 mg, Sodium: 50.3 mg, Vitamin K: 3.091 mcg
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EGGLESS MAYONNAISE Lacto Vegetarian – 0 Carb Choices Serves 2 Sodium Per Recipe: 23.8 mg Sodium Per Serving: 11.9 mg Commercial mayonnaise is high in sodium at 104.5 mg sodium and nearly 5 grams of total fats per serving. So, we came up with another use for our Yo-Cheese recipe. This works well, especially with sandwiches and potato salad. 2 tablespoons homemade Yo-Cheese (23.3 mg) ¼ teaspoon dill weed (.53 mg) ½ packet Splenda or 1/8 teaspoon sugar (trace)
Mix together and use or store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 4 days. May double, triple, etc. Great for salad dressings, sandwiches and sauces. Use less Splenda or sugar if you want it a bit more tart. Nutrient Data For Eggless Mayonnaise per Tablespoon Using Sugar: Calories: 13.6, Protein: 1.219 g, Carbohydrate: 2.112 g, Dietary Fiber: .017 g, Total Sugars: .402 g, Total Fat: .036 g, Saturated Fat: .015 g, Monounsaturated Fat: .009 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: .001 g, Cholesterol: .459 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: 0 g, Total Omega-6 FA: 0 g, Calcium: 32.7 mg, Potassium: 43.2 mg, Sodium: 11.9 mg, Vitamin K: 0 mcg
Portobello Mushroom Burger Vegan — 1 Carb Choices Makes 2 Sodium Per Recipe: 105 mg Sodium Per Burger: 52.5 mg Want a burger without meat? Here’s our answer. Try it, we think you’ll like it. The Buns Use any of our homemade bread/bun recipes for this burger. We like our favorite bun recipe that is in this newsletter. (19 mg) The Marinade 2 tablespoons quality balsamic vinegar1 (7.36 mg) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (trace) ½ teaspoon dried basil (.238 mg) 1 teaspoons minced garlic (.476 mg) Don’s Flavor Enhancer to taste (.559 mg) The Portobello 2 Portobello mushroom caps (10.1 mg) 2 slices Sargento Baby Swiss (60 mg) 1 medium onion, chopped, sautéed in 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoons of unsalted butter at low for 20 minutes, stirring often (3 mg) 2 slices of tomato from large tomato (2.7 mg) 2 leaves of favorite lettuce like iceberg, butter leaf or Romaine (.5 mg) Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow bowl or dish. In another small bowl whisk together the aged or quality vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, basil, garlic and Flavor Enhancer. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning twice. Preheat grill or broiler for medium-high heat. Reserve some of the marinade. For the grill, brush the grate with a light coating of oil. For the oven broiler, place a rack on a cookie or jellyroll pan covered with parchment paper and brush the rack with oil. To cook on grill: place the mushrooms on the grill. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side basting once or twice. Grill until tender. Broiling is much the same. Except that your broiler may cook the Portobello in five minutes, each side. Cook until tender. For grill and broiler, top with the Sargento Baby Swiss for the last one to two minutes. Quality balsamic cost more at the store, but last a lot longer at home and tastes a lot better. Since it’s so flavorful, you don’t need much of it. 1
Nutrient Data Per Portobello Burger: Calories: 221.7, Protein: 22.9 g, Carbohydrate: 18.3 g, Dietary Fiber: 7.346 g, Total Sugars: 2.876 g, Total Fat: 5.947 g, Saturated Fat: 1.778 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.628 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.128 g, Cholesterol: 55.9 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: .034 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .058 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .427 g, Potassium: 708 mg, Sodium: 101.8 mg, Vitamin K: 4.027 mcg
Mega 15 News
Maureen’s Quick Paprika Pork Soup Vegan — 1 Carb Choices Serves 6 Sodium Per Recipe: 610.9 mg Sodium Per Serving: 90.6 mg Perfect for cold days or a quick soup to serve yourself or drop in guests. 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (trace) 1 pound pork tenderloin (236.3 mg) 1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning salute1 (.934 mg) 1 tablespoon paprika (2.346 mg) ½ large onion, chopped fine (3 mg) 4 cloves garlic chopped (2.04 mg) 1 15-ounce can diced no-salt-added tomatoes (66.1 mg) 1 15-ounce can Eden organic butter beans or any no-salt-added variety of beans that you prefer (52.5 mg) 4 cups Swanson unsalted chicken broth (180 mg)
Quick & Easy Summer Salad Vegan — 1 Carb Choices Serves 2 Sodium Per Recipe: 36.8 mg Sodium Per Serving: 18.4 mg Refreshing, healthy, full of nutrients, this salad is perfect for a spring day and on through summer, too. 6 small to medium leaves of butter leaf or favorite lettuce1 (2.25 mg) 1 large or two small tomatoes, quartered, then halved (24.6 mg) ¼ medium to large red or Spanish onion, chopped or sliced thinly (1.5 mg) ½ golden or red Delicious apple, halved, sliced thinly (1.115 mg) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or to taste (trace) 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar or to taste (7.36 mg)
Cut pork tenderloin into bite size pieces. Heat olive oil over med.-high heat in 4-quart pot and brown meat on all sides, approximately 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle meat with spices and stir until well covered. Add onions and garlic and cook an additional 10 minutes or until translucent. Add tomatoes, beans, and broth. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Makes about 6 servings of delicious and easy soup for cold winter days. Or Costco’s No Salt Seasoning Mix or Don’s Flavor Enhancer 1
Nutrient Data Per Soup Serving: Calories: 206.7, Protein: 22.9 g, Carbohydrate: 18.3 g, Dietary Fiber: 7.346 g, Total Sugars: 2.876 g, Total Fat: 4.357 g, Saturated Fat: 1.158 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.782 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.066 g, Cholesterol: 49.2 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: .027 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .044 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .361 g, Potassium: 750.2 mg, Sodium: 90.6 mg, Vitamin K: 4.027 mcg
Wash lettuce, pat or spin dry. Chop into larger than bite size pieces. Leave some a few inches larger than others. Toss with tomato, onion and apple pieces. For dressing, spoon on extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir salad. Serve cold. Butter leaf lettuce heads have a range of small, medium and large leaves. If using the outer or large leaves, two leaves per serving would work. For medium range 3 leaves and for the smaller size about 4 leaves should serve one. 1
Nutrient Data Per Serving: Calories: 221.7, Protein: 22.9 g, Carbohydrate: 18.3 g, Dietary Fiber: 7.346 g, Total Sugars: 2.876 g, Total Fat: 5.947 g, Saturated Fat: 1.778 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.628 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.128 g, Cholesterol: 55.9 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: .034 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .058 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .427 g, Potassium: 708 mg, Sodium: 101.8 mg, Vitamin K: 4.027 mcg
Mega 16 News
Don’s Flavor Enhancer Vegan — 0 Carb Choices Makes: 13 ½ teaspoons Sodium Per Recipe: 37.7 mg Sodium Per Teaspoon: 2.793 mg
This is our spice mix that we originally designed to help replace the kick of salt. Today, it’s one of our most popular spice mixes and can be used in just about anything requiring an added kick. You may also add a pinch of red pepper flakes or Cayenne pepper to give it even more boost. 5 tablespoons granulated onion powder (17.5 mg) 3½ tablespoons unsalted garlic powder (7.644 mg) 1 tablespoon paprika (2.346 mg) 2 tablespoons dry mustard powder (trace) 1 tablespoon ground t hyme (2.365 mg) 1 teaspoon white pepper (.12 mg) 2 teaspoons teaspoon celery seed (6.4 mg) ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (1.276 mg)
Mix ingredients together, place into empty spice jar, shake and use in soups, stews, on BBQ chicken or wherever it calls for a no-salt spice mix like Trader Joe’s or others. Store in a tight container in dark area. Nutrient Data Per Serving: Calories: 23.8, Protein: 1.011 g, Carbohydrate: 4.416 g, Dietary Fiber: .672 g, Total Sugars: 0 g, Total Fat .485 g, Saturated Fat .081 g, Monounsaturated Fat: .194 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: .169 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Calcium: 25.6 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: .0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .0 g, Total Omega-6 FA: 0 g, Potassium: 70.8 mg, Sodium: 2.793 mg, Vitamin K: 0 mcg
Easy Stuffed Green Peppers Flexitarian — 1.5 Carb Choices Makes 4 Sodium Per Recipe (Beef): 339.5 mg Sodium Per Recipe (Turkey): 466.5 mg Sodium Per Serving (Beef): 84.9 mg Sodium Per Serving (Turkey): 116.6 mg
Easy and quick. Make this delicious dish even more elegant by placing slice of Sargento Baby or Reduced Fat Swiss cheese over top of each and heating an additional 5 minutes. 2 large green peppers (9.84 mg) 1 pound turkey (426.,4 mg) or ground beef (299.4 mg) 1½ cups cooked brown rice (about 1/3 cup raw) (2.531 mg) 1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning mix (.924 mg) 1 large can no salt added tomato sauce (26.8 mg) Preheat oven to 350o F. Clean and halve peppers, remove core and seeds. Mix meat with cooked rice and seasoning. Press into cavity of the peppers. Place the 4 halves in a 8” x 8” casserole dish and cover with tomato sauce Bake in oven 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on oven. Nutrient Data Per Sweet Pepper (Beef): Calories: 344.4, Protein: 23.8 g, Carbohydrate: 21.5 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.986 g, Total Sugars: 5.156 g, Total Fat: 17.7 g, Saturated Fat: 6.807 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7.617 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: .747 g, Cholesterol: 77.1 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 1.06 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .126 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .014 g, Potassium: 753.3 mg, Sodium: 84.9 mg, Vitamin K: 10.5 mcg Nutrient Data Per Sweet Pepper (Turkey): Calories: 269.6, Protein: 22.5 g, Carbohydrate: 21.5 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.986 g, Total Sugars: 5.156 g, Total Fat: 10.1 g, Saturated Fat: 2.706 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3.699 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.525 g, Cholesterol: 89.6 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: .311 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .141 g, Total Omega-6 FA: 0 g, Potassium: 683 mg, Sodium: 116.6 mg, Vitamin K: 9.743 mcg
Mega 17 News
Brioche For Mini & Standard Burger Buns Lacto Ovo — 2 Carb Choices Bread Machine Recipe Makes 10 Mini Buns or 6 standard size buns Sodium Per Recipe: 328.1 mg Sodium Per Bun: 32.8 mg An exciting way to serve burgers to your friends and family. Guaranteed to please. Most Brioche is made by hand, but we’ve converted the standard recipe for a no-salt, bread machine kneading and handshaped buns. Careful, these are heavy on the calorie side.
Ingredients 1/3 cup warm filtered water (110o F) 4 large eggs (280 mg) 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temp (25 mg) 1 tablespoon white sugar (trace) 1 teaspoon cider vinegar (.25 mg) ¼ teaspoon ascorbic acid (trace) 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (8.75 mg)( 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast (6.16 mg)
Glaze 1 egg yolk (7 mg) 1 teaspoon cold filtered water (trace) (Using your brush, whisk the water and egg together for a bun wash just before their last rise.)
Overnight 2 teaspoons Extra-virgin olive oil for rubbing bowl (trace)
Directions Place ingredients into bread machine basket in order listed or in order your bread machine maker directs. Set on dough and let it make its first rise in machine. When ready remove and press down on dough then shape into ball. Lightly oil a large bowl with 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 6-hours or overnight. When chilled, remove from fridge and set on lightly floured board. Press dough down so that you can cut out 10 standard buns or 10 Ramekin rolls or two loaves of bread. Use a circular cutter for buns and also for Ramekins. After cutting, hand-shape into a ball and place into lightly oil and flour dusted Ramikens or Texas size muffin tin. Brush with egg yolk wash. Continued Next Page
Mega 18 News
Brioche Continued
ANYTIME SANDWICH
Set dough into a warm place, lightly covered or use your oven after turning heat to 200o F for one minute and then turning it off. If using ramekins, place then on a jellyroll pan or cookie sheet. Let rise uncovered for one hour. If in oven, leave them there and turn standard oven to 400o F and bake for about 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure they are baked through. If using a convection oven, set to 375o F and bake for about the same time. Transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy! Nutrient Data Per Bun: Calories: 372.5, Protein: 7.958 g, Carbohydrate: 35.3 g, Dietary Fiber: 1.433 g, Total Sugars: 1.556 g, Total Fat: 22.2 g, Saturated Fat: 12.6 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6.234 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.513 g, Cholesterol: 154.4 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .175 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .492 g, Potassium: 105.3 mg, Sodium: 32.8 mg, Vitamin K: 1.981 mcg
Our any-time sandwich with salt-free pickles from Healthy Heart Market.. Enjoy avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, Sargento Swiss and if you are so inclined some thinly sliced apples. Perfect low-sodium lunch and fits right in with a good Vegan diet. Makes One Sandwich Vegan — 1 Carb Choices Sodium Per Sandwich: 38.7 mg 2 slices homemade or Safeway or Trader Joe’s no salt bread (5 mg) 1/4 avocado sliced thinly (4.8 mg) 2 thin slices medium tomato (2.01 mg) 1 leaf lettuce of choice (1.5 mg) 1 slice Sargento Baby or Reduced Fat Swiss (30 mg) 1 thin slice onion (.18 mg) 2 thin slices of cored apple (Optional) (.156 mg)
Layer bread with prepared vegetables and apple slices. Place cheese on bottom or top. Close sandwich and slice in half. Enjoy a side of Healthy Heart Market no-salt-added pickles (not brined, either). Enjoy a local no salt mustard if you have it available or make your own mayo. See page: Calories: 186.4, Protein: 6.54 g, Carbohydrate: 9.04 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.85 g, Total Sugars: 2.706 g, Total Fat: 14.3 g, Saturated Fat: 4.287 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.885 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.117 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .151 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .009 g, Potassium: 374.7 mg, Sodium: 38.7 mg, Vitamin K: 17 mcg
Mega 19 News
ROASTED WHITE OR RED POTATOES Vegan — 2 Carb Choices Serves 8 Sodium Per Recipe: 91.7 mg Sodium Per Serving: 11.5 mg
Prep your potatoes with or without skin. Then roast in oven or in your barbecue. Serve with any meat or fish dish. Store leftovers in airtight container. Slice for cottage fries at breakfast. Great flavors.
Ingredients 3 pounds (1360 grams) small white or red potatoes (81.6 mg) ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (trace) 1 teaspoon Don’s Flavor Enhancer (2.793 mg) 2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 5 to 6 cloves (3.06 mg) 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or rosemary (4.256 mg)
Directions Preheat oven or outdoor grill to 400o F. Wash potatoes, leave skin on or peel as in the photo. Slice the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, Flavor Enhancer or Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute and garlic. Toss until well coated. Place potatoes on or into a pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven or outdoor grill for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Roll potatoes over using tongs or your own tools while cooking to make sure you get even browning. Remove potatoes from oven or grill, toss with parsley or rosemary, add more seasoning if you like and serve hot. Nutrient Date Per Serving: Calories: 185.8, Protein: 3.154 g, Carbohydrate: 28.1 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.243 g, Total Sugars: 1.986 g, Total Fat: 7.189 g, Saturated Fat: 1.062 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3.393 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.41 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .048 g, Total Omega-6 FA: 0 g, Potassium: 715 mg, Sodium: 11.5 mg, Vitamin K: 19.8 mcg
Mega 20 News
Living Well Without Salt Still our bestselling cookbook and recently updated to take care of a few typos. Easily found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other Online bookstores. May be ordered if a local bookstore.
Maureen’s Question Who Flew That B-17 In Don’s Painting? Don did. After a lifetime of fascination with the B-17, Don, a licensed commercial pilot with all kinds of ratings, flew this plane two years after being diagnosed with CHF. I took the picture below after the flight. It was a windy day, too. Don painted the plane the day after he got to fly it.
HEALTHY LOW-SODIUM SNACKS Tree Nuts & Legumes Nuts are seeds and fruit combined, making them the most nutritious foods on our planet. No Kidding.
Cashews & Peanuts
Almonds
Many research efforts found that people who regularly eat tree nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews and macadamias have lower risks for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Those eating nuts proved to have lower C-reactive protein levels were lower and their good cholesterol (HDL) was higher. Nuts are well known for their nutritional benefits, including high levels of healthy unsaturated fats, which help to lower levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol and they offer high levels of heart-healthy protein, antioxidants, plant sterols,fiber, and minerals. Sterols help lower overall cholesterol.
Pistachios
Macadamia Nuts
Unsalted pecans are also a good source of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese,magnesium, zinc and B vitamins.
Walnuts
Peanuts are legumes, but are also heart-healthy and definitely approved for diabetics. Unsalted peanut butter is as good as peanuts. Yes, you can have that peanut butter sandwich if you enjoy them. And that peanut butter/banana recipe your family has used for years is still good — but without salt. Mega 21 News
Pecans
Cinnamon Buns
Makes 12 Buns1 Lacto Ovo - 3.5 to 6 Carb Choices Sodium Per Recipe: 516.6 mg Sodium Per Bun (12): 43 mg Sodium Per Bun (18): 28.7 mg
Every Easter I’m called upon to make cinnamon buns. Even without salt these are a bit high with sodium but not out of our range. The calories, however, must be taken into account in your daily plan. They are high. So are the carbohydrates. If we keep count for the day and want a treat, then enjoy a half of a bun or even just a bite. These disappear quickly, so maybe you won’t have to worry eating them. Note: You can serve these without a topping or use your favorite topping. If serving without topping.
Prepare Dough In Bread Machine 1 cup reduced fat milk with vitamin A warmed to about 105o F to 110o F (100 mg) 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (.745 mg) 2 large eggs, room temperature (140 mg) 1/3 cup butter, softened to near melting (8.315 mg) 1 tablespoon almond extract (trace) 4 ½ cups bread flour (11.2 mg) 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (5.355 ¼ teaspoon ascorbic acid (trace) 2 tablespoons potato flour (11 mg) 4 tablespoons white granulated sugar (trace) 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon bread machine yeast (7.2 mg)
In Separate Bowl Sift Together and set aside 1 cup brown sugar, packed (61.6 mg) 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon (1.95 mg)
Add to mix
1 cup chopped unsalted walnuts (2.34 mg) 1 cup of black seedless raisins or dried cranberries (Craisins) (17.4 mg)
After Dough Is Rolled Out Brush On 1/3 cup butter, softened (8.315 mg)
Top With Powdered Sugar Mix After Resting 2 to 5 Minutes 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened2 (273 mg) ¼ cup butter, softened (6.242 mg) 1½ cups powdered sugar (also called confectioner’s) (1.8 mg)4 ½ teaspoon almond extract (trace) Mega 22 News
Make the dough in your bread machine. While the dough is being prepared in your bread machine, prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish with either spray oil , dusting it with flour, or fit some parchment paper into it. We use the parchment paper for an easy lift out and perfect buns all the time.
Warm oven to about 70o to 85o F. Set rack in middle. When dough is ready, roll dough out on floured bread board with a rolling pin until dough is rectangular to about 16” wide and 22” long. 1 Brush softened or melted butter onto dough. Using your hands sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, walnut and raisin mix over the entire spread of dough. Roll dough from 16” side, making a long log. Slice into 12 or more pieces. (If more, you will probably have to prepare another baking dish.) Place into baking dish “sideways,” that is showing the curl on the top. Cover with very light cloth and place in prewarmed oven. Don’t let oven get over 85o F. Let rise for about 45 minutes. It may not rise as high as you want at this point but hang in there. At 45-minutes, remove the cloth, close the oven door and turn the oven on to 400o F. If using a convection oven, turn on to 375o F. Bake this way for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. While rolls are baking, beat together the topping of confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, unsalted butter and almond extract. When buns are done, remove and place dish on a cooling rack. Around two to three minutes later, spoon an equal amount of the topping onto each bun, then go back to first bun and spread the sugar on each bun without pressing down on the buns. Enjoy!
Footnotes (This is where you can decide whether to make 12 large buns or 18 medium size buns. For large buns, roll dough out to 20 to 21”. For 18 buns roll out to about 24” or after rolling into log, use both hands stretch log lengthwise a few inches.) 2 May be left out. If leaving out, add 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter or leave out and beat together with more powdered sugar and a few drops of almond extract or flavor with drops of lemon or orange juice or if you like maple flavoring a few drops of maple extract.. 3I f making 12 buns, each bun will have about 59 grams of carbohydrates, which computes to 3.5 Carb Choices. If making 18 buns, each bun will contain approximately 5.86 or 6 Carb Choices. 4 To make your own powdered sugar if you don’t have any in stock, just put 3/4 cup of white granulated cane sugar into a food processor with cornstarch and process for a full minute. Commercial powdered sugar is simply a mix of granulated sugar blended with cornstarch. Add cornstarch one teaspoon at a time. Test for your personal likes after each pulsing. 3/4 cup could take a tablespoon of cornstarch or a bit more or less. 1
Nutrient Data Per Cinnamon Bun (12): Calories: 593.1, Protein: 9.795 g, Carbohydrate: 88.4 g, Dietary Fiber: 3.625 g, Total Sugars: 45.5 g, Total Fat: 23.9 g, Saturated Fat: 11.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.323 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.477 g, Cholesterol: 46.7 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: 1.038 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .387 g, Potassium: 302.6 mg, Sodium: 43 mg, Vitamin K: 2.828 mcg Nutrient Data Per Cinnamon Bun (18): Calories: 395.4, Protein: 6.53 g, Carbohydrate: 59 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.416 g, Total Sugars: 30.4 g, Total Fat: 15.9 g, Saturated Fat: 7.489 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3.549 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.651 g, Cholesterol: 31.1 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .692 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .258 g, Potassium: 201.8 mg, Sodium: 28.7 mg, Vitamin K: 1.886 mcg Mega 23 News
Taking a Break T
ime to take a break and this time I’m actually promoting a book I wrote. I’ve received so many kudos for this novel and many asking me to expand the lead character and produce a follow-up that I thought I’d post it here. It takes a lot of chutzpah to put one of my novels into a Megaheart newsletter and to back that up, this is a first time. In the 19 years of posting Megaheart newsletters I’ve not promoted any of my artwork nor writings. But this tale has apparently caught many by surprise and the notes and e-mails I’ve received have been more than encouraging. So, for this section’s addition to the newslettter I’m suggesting that if you like action adventure mystery novels, this one might work for you. It’s available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble online. It can be ordered by any local bookstore or throujgh www.donaldgazzaniga.com
Novel Special - Spring Time Only
50% off Kindles and EPUB version of Who Killed Rita Simply enter coupon code UY47J when purchasing book at Smashwords.com Total Cost: $3 Copy and paste or write this address into your browser: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/460040?ref=arrohead
Mega 24 News
Don’s Famous Cowboy Cookies Updated Lacto Ovo — 2.5 Carb Choices (3-inch cookie) 2 Carb Choices (2-inch cookie)1 Makes 24 2-inch cookies Sodium Per Recipe: 242.1 mg Sodium Per Cookie (18): 13.5 mg Sodium Per Cookie (24): 10.1 mg There are some treats in life I just can’t give up. A great cookie is one of them and I think this one fits the bill for that description. Use either golden or black seedless raisins or Craisins™ from Ocean Spray™. Recipe makes 18 3-inch cookies or 24 2-inch cookies. Beat Together: 2 sticks room temperature unsalted butter (25 mg) ½ cup granulated sugar or granulated Splenda (trace) ¾ cup brown sugar, packed (46.2 mg) 2 large eggs (140 mg) 1 tablespoon marzipan (trace) 1 teaspoon almond extract (.378 mg) Stir Into Above Mix: 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (3.125 mg) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (.52 mg) 1 cup chopped unsalted walnuts (2.34 mg) 1 cup black, golden raisins or Craisins, not packed (17.4 mg) 3 cups Quick Quaker Oats (7.2 mg) Use a medium size mixing bowl. Beat together the softened butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla, marzipan and almond extract. Stir in the flour, cinnamon and then add the walnuts and raisins. Mix with a spoon or your favorite tool. Add in the oats while stirring. Preheat oven to 350o F. If using convection oven, set at 325o F. Set rack in middle for baking. If you have a convection oven you can cook too sheets of cookies at the same time. Separate racks appropriately. Prepare cookie sheets (jellyroll pans) by covering with parchment paper. Using a baker’s scoop or large spoon set dough on sheets. You can fit 6 3” cookies on sheet or 8 2 to 2½ inch cookies. Because we do not use salt or baking soda or baking powder, you’ll have to use a flat surface (preferable a spatula or pancake turner) to flatten the dough. Spray the flat metal surface with spray can oil each time. Separate the dough from the metal surface using another pancake turner. This is the only odd and tough part about Mega 25 News
this recipe, but it’s worth it. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove, let sit for a minute, the move to cooling rack. Repeat the above for the next batch. Carbohydrates drop a little using Splenda instead of sugar Carb Choices for 3-inch cookie drop to 2, 2-inch cookie Carb Choices remains the same. 1
Nutrient Data Per Cookie (18 3-inch): Calories: 308.4, Protein: 4.898 g, Carbohydrate: 38.7 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.399 g, Total Sugars: 20.3 g, Total Fat: 16.2 g, Saturated Fat: 7.223 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3.717 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.879 g, Cholesterol: 50.6 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .692 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .273 g, Potassium: 170.1 mg, Sodium: 13.5 mg, Vitamin K: 1.9 mcg Nutrient Data Per Cookie (242+-inch): Calories: 231.3, Protein: 3.674 g, Carbohydrate: 29 g, Dietary Fiber: 1.799 g, Total Sugars: 15.3 g, Total Fat: 12.1 g, Saturated Fat: 5.417 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.788 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.91 g, Cholesterol: 38 mg, Trans Fatty Acids: 0 g, Total Omega-3 FA: .519 g, Total Omega-6 FA: .205 g, Potassium: 127.6 mg, Sodium: 10.1 mg, Vitamin K: 1.425 mcg
Continued From Page 5 Allspice, Ground - Add to ground beef for Swedish meatballs. Use in spiced tea, cookies, fruit pies and French toast, also works with cakes. Add a pinch to asparagus, chicken or tomato soups. Use in beets, baked beans, squash and carrots. Anise Seed, Ground - Use on baked apples. Add to cakes, cookies, breads, candy, fruit pies, beef stew, fish dishes, hot or cold spice beverages, salad dressings, and appetizers. Basil Leaves - Use basil leaves in tomato sauces, sprinkle over salads and sliced tomatoes. Finely chopped basil stirred into Don’s mayonnaise replalcement makes a good sauce for fish. Use as a garnish for vegetables, chicken and egg dishes. Add to hot tea to aid in digestion. Bay Leaves - Add to water when stewing chicken. Flavor increases upon standing so remove from food after cooking. Add to the liquid when preparing pot roast or stew made from beef, lamb, or venison. Use in marinades for chicken, beef, lamb, and veal. Add to French or herb salad dressing and let stand several hours for flavor to develop. Use when preparing barbecue or spaghetti sauce. Black Pepper, Ground - Add to meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, soup, stocks, meat sauces and pickling. Caraway Seed - Add to potato salad. Sprinkle on green beans, squash, cucumbers, omelets, stew, and poultry stuffing. Cardamom, Ground - Used
in Danish pastries, Saudi Arabian, North African, Asian, and Indian cooking and in spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, and and in no-salt breads at Megaheart. com. The spice is also very popular in the Scandinavian countries where it is used more extensively than cinnamon. Delightfully Aromatic and sweet. Use in Cheesecake, Butter Cookies, Sweet Potato Casserole, Gingerbread, Hot Cross Buns, Spice Cake, Chicken, coffee, tea, meat sauce, soup, boiled rice.
Cilantro Leaves - Used extensively in Mexican, Italian and Oriental dishes. Use in fajitas, tacos and enchiladas. Add to salsa, guacamole, gazpacho and chicken soup. Sprinkle on vegetables and beef roast. Stir into corn and corn bread batter. Add to melted butter and brush on chicken. Cinnamon, Ground - For pie, apple crisp, or stewed apples. Add to pancake mix, brownies,
Celery Seed - Used in making no-salt pickles as well as standard high sodiium pickles. Add to coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, egg salad, meat loaf, fruit salad dressing, and chicken dishes. Chili Powder - Use in chili, guacamole, tomato sauce. Mix into pinto beans, bean dip, and enchiladas. Seasons chicken wings, hamburgers, and beef, or chicken stews. Toss with shredded Low Soidum Swiss cheese and melt over tortilla chips for nachos. Chinese Five Spice - Common Ingredients include Cinnamon, Star Anise, Fennel, Cloves, Ginger, Peppercorn and White Pepper. Add it to stir-fries, soups, sauces and red-cooked dishes. It works well with meats and chicken. It is often used in meat marinades and as a spice in barbecuing. Chives - The smallest species of the onion family. Use as condiment for fish, potatoes and soups. Chives are one of the finer herbs of French recipes. Chives can be found fresh at most markets year-round, they can also be dryfrozen, giving home growers the opportunity to store large quantities harvested from their own garden. Mega 26 News
chocolate cake, and hot chocolate. Sprinkle over French toast, hot or cold cereal, eggnog, broiled grapefruit and bananas. Use on ham, pork, yams, carrots, or beets. Combine with honey and softened butter to spread over biscuits or rolls. Use to help control arthritis. Cloves, Ground - Use in applesauce cake and gingerbread. Add to baked beans, cranberry relish, sauerbraten, chili sauce, green vegetables and ham sauce. Use in plum pudding, cookies, spiced nuts, stewed fruits, and dessert sauces.
Cloves, Whole - Add to hot chocolate and tea, onions, glazed pork, beef pot roast, marinades, poached fish and soups. Use in pickling, pomander balls and fruit peels for a garnish. Coriander - Has a mild, distinctive taste similar to a blend of lemon and sage Coriander is used in Indian curries. Ground Coriander seed is traditional in desserts and sweet pastries as well
black bean soup, lentil soup and chicken soup. Add to cabbage, tomato sauces, curry dishes, beef stew, meat loaf, Mexican-style baked eggs, marinades for shish kebab and wild game. Use to season Mexican-style rice, tacos, enchiladas, chili, tomato sauce, and beef stew. Curry Powder - Use with beef, chicken, lamb, shrimp and vegetables in making curries. Common ingredients contain coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper, and ginger. Dill Seed - Use for steamed cauliflower, dill and Don’s Mayonnaise substitute. Also good with homemade no-salt pickles, sauerkraut, tomato juice, no-salt cottage cheese, season fish, bread, vegetables, noodles, salad dressing and sauces. Dill Weed - Use with carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, salad dressings, and eggs and Don’s Mayonnaise substitute.
as in curries, meat, and seafood dishes with South American, Indian, Mediterranean, and African origins. Cream of Tartar - Add ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar to egg whites and beat to stabilize the whites in angel food cake, meringue shells, meringue for pies, and 7-minute frostings. Also works with cornstarch as a baking soda substitute. Cumin, Ground - Universal usage. Broad scope of foods and recipes such as in pea, bean, lentil or chicken soups, fajita marinade,
Fennel Seed - Add to mayonnaise or salad dressing for macaroni or potato salad. Crush to use in seafood salads, soups, sauteed mushrooms, marinades or cheese dishes. Use in spaghetti sauce, homemade no-salt pickles, cakes, cookies, beans, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Fenugreek - An extract of the seeds is also used commercially in artificial flavorings such as vanilla, caramel, butterscotch and especially maple. Fenugreek will enhance meats, poultry and vegetables. Too much of it will cause foods to become bitter, however, so use with caution until you become familiar with it. Mega 27 News
Garam Masala - is a blend of ground spices common in the Indian and Pakistani cuisine, whose literal meaning is ‘hot (or warm) spice’. There are many variants: most traditional mixes use just cinnamon, roasted cumin, cloves, nutmeg (and/or mace) and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. Garlic Powder - Use for pork, lamb, beef, tomato, barbecues, spaghetti sauces vegetables, soup, chicken, marinades, gravy. Some nephrotic patients cannot consume garlic or garlic powder. Ginger, Ground - Add to sliced carrots and sweet potatoes. Use in cakes, cookies, gingerbread, fruit, or steamed puddings, oriental dishes, lamb, pork, beef, veal, chutney, salad dressings, teriyaki sauce, and chicken dishes. Italian seasoning - Stir into spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, meat marinades, and cooked vegetables. Sprinkle on pizza, sub sandwiches, and fresh tomatoes. Use with beef, veal, pork, and chicken. Ingredients contain marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil. Mace, Ground - Add to cakes, brownies, cookies, steamed pudding, and nut breads, add a dash to hot chocolate, lemon glaze, baked custard, sliced fresh fruit and fruit salad dressing, spinach, carrots, asparagus, and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle on eggnog and milk shakes. Use in pound cake, nut breads, Danish pastries, fruit pies, puddings, fish, chicken, spinach, and yellow vegetables. Mix in with creamed sauce for chicken and turkey. Marjoram, Ground - Mix in ground beef for meat loaf or
hamburgers and gravies. Add to barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, stuffing for poultry, pork and veal. Marjoram Leaves - Add to spaghetti sauce, pizzas, lasagna, barbecue sauces, poultry, beef, pork, salad dressing, stewed tomatoes, green beans. Mustard, Powder - Add to baked beans, egg yolks for stuffed eggs, sauces. Use in French dressing, Don’s mayonnaise substitute, barbecue sauces, chicken curry, potato salad, Italian dressing, egg salad, deviled crab or deviled ham, crab imperial, shrimp salad, meat loaf and creamed onions, ham glaze, macaroni salad and seafood crepes, Chinese hot mustard for egg rolls or shrimp. Nutmeg, Ground - Use in cookies, cakes, puddings and fruit dishes. Sprinkle on eggnog. Add to meat loaf, spinach and creamed chicken. Pumpkin pie a natural. Onion Powder, GranulatedUse for Don’s bread recipes and a others, for soup, vegetables, stews, and casseroles, salads, potato, pasta, chicken, tuna, ham, beef, pork, chicken, fish, veal, dips, salads, dressings, cheese sauce, egg dishes. A little goes a long way and helps replace that “salt kick.” Oregano - Use on tomato, eggplant, zucchini dishes. Add to spaghetti, pizza, and barbecue sauces, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish, stew. Oregano Leaves - Sprinkle over pizza, add to spaghetti sauce, chicken, fish, tomatoes, potatoes, rice, sauteed zucchini, squash, eggplant, mushrooms, tomato or minestrone soups.
Paprika - Sprinkle on eggs, potatoes, fish and use in meatloaf. Add with sour cream to make a chicken or beef sauce. Bright red in color. Parsley Flakes - Universal uses. Mix with butter and pour over vegetables or fish. Use as a garnish as well as for flavor. Sprinkle on top of fish after cooking, potatoes, carrots, yellow squash, and soups. Use to top creamed dishes. Pumpkin Pie Spice - Use in pumpkin for pie, bread, cookies, sweet potatoes, and acorn squash. Add to sugar for spice toast or streusel topping. Ingredients contain cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Saffron - The Most expensive Spice in the World. Saffron is used in French bouillabaisse, Spanish paella, Milanese risotto, and many Middle Eastern dishes. Don learned abut saffron in Milan, Italy while filming a top level chef. A very small pinch goes a long way with Saffron. Use it in Italian risotto, Spanish chicken and rice dishes, French seafood stews and Scandinavian sweet breads. Rosemary Leaves - Use in ground beef for spaghetti, barbecue, pizza, lasagna sauces. Use on lamb, pork, and chicken, eggplants, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, green beans, marinades. Sage - Use for stuffing for poultry, beef, pork, or fish. Add to beef or lamb. Use in pot roast, beef stew, venison, cheese spreads, vegetable soup, chowders, and eggplant. Tarragon Leaves - Add to turtle or chicken soups, peas, spinach, yellow squash, corn, cauliflower, mushroom, bearnaise Mega 28 News
sauce, salad greens, potato, tuna, chicken, egg and pasta salads, and sauces for fish or chicken. Texas Chili Powder - Use in guacamole, tomato sauce, corn and corn bread, and Spanish rice. Mix into pinto beans, bean dip, tamale pie enchiladas and chili con carne. Season chicken wings, hamburgers and beef or chicken stews. Toss with shredded Cheddar cheese and melt over tortilla chips for nachos. Ingredients contain chili pepper, cumin, oregano, black pepper, garlic. Thyme, Ground - Use on green beans, eggplant, carrots and zucchini. Add to beef stew, barbecue and pot pies. Use in cheese spreads or sauces. Thyme Leaves - Use with green beans, eggplant, carrots and zucchini, tomato soups, lamb, beef stew. Mix in with barbecue or spaghetti sauce, cheese spreads, sauces, pot pies. Turmeric, Ground - Use to make pickles, chow-chow and relishes. Add to chicken and rice to give a yellow color. Use in Don’s mayonnaise replacement, cream sauces, and scrambled eggs for color and flavor and as a strong anti-oxidant. Vanilla Extract - Use in sour cream frosting, rice pudding, whipped cream topping, French pancakes, cakes and pies and many other baked recipes. Note: A combination of rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme and cayeene or other chili pepper makes a terrific barbecue rub.
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