Get the Salt Out (38 page)

Trim the fat from the chicken breasts and cut each into long, ½-inch-wide strips.

Heat the oil in a wok, skillet, or sauté pan, add the ginger, garlic, and chile peppers, and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the peanuts, snow peas, tamari, and sherry; stir and continue cooking another minute or two.

Mix the arrowroot and water until smooth. Add the mixture to the skillet and stir until the sauce thickens.

Add the scallions, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the garlic, peppers, and ginger.
Serves 4.

239
Try using low-sodium Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce in recipes.
Robbie’s low-sodium Worcestershire sauce contains 45 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon, compared to 1,000 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon of soy sauce.
One Salt Shaker.

240
If you enjoy the convenience of heating up a TV dinner from time to time,
look in health food stores for brands that are lower in salt (and healthier in other ways) than mainstream TV dinners. Shelton’s Whole-Wheat Turkey Pie, for example, is made with whole-grain flour instead of refined white flour, sea salt instead of refined salt, no hydrogenated oils or preservatives, and 360 milligrams of sodium. It’s not
low
in sodium, but it is 80 percent lower in sodium than the Stouffer’s Turkey Pie, which has a hard-to-imagine 1,735 milligrams of sodium as well as hydrogenated oils and preservatives.
Three Salt Shakers.

241
Saltwater fish have only slightly more sodium than freshwater fish,
but both kinds are low in sodium. Whether you prefer saltwater cod or halibut, or freshwater trout or catfish,
prepare fish with low-sodium ingredients and enjoy!
One Salt Shaker.

242
Buy fresh fish.
According to the
American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook,
frozen fish is usually frozen in salty brine. Besides, even if frozen fish isn’t packed in a salty solution, fresh fish always tastes better.
One Salt Shaker.

243
Lemonize fish.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a natural for topping fish. Its tang complements fish so nicely that often no salt is needed.
One Salt Shaker.

BONUS TIP:
If you use freshly squeezed lemon juice regularly in your cooking, try this trick: squeeze ½ cups at a time and pour the juice into an ice cube tray to freeze. This gives you instant fresh lemon juice cubes that you can add to cooked dishes and saves you from squeezing the juice fresh each and every time.

244
Brush fish lightly with melted Herb Butter or herbed oil (in tips 42 or 44).
Top with additional herbs like dill if desired, and bake until done. Fish cooked this way is so simple to prepare, yet so good.
One Salt Shaker.

BONUS TIP:
The time needed to cook fish will vary, depending on the thickness of the fish. As a general rule, ten minutes of baking is needed per inch of fish thickness.

245
Ground mustard powder has such a robust flavor
that it can eliminate the need for salt in recipes. Try adding ¼ teaspoon of mustard powder to a marinade or baste for four people. Here’s one simple example: ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice combined with ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder and ½ teaspoon tarragon leaves. Use to brush over fish before broiling.
One Salt Shaker.