Cooking Still 'Amore'

Cooking Still 'Amore'

By Gen Lucidi Payne
Last updated: January 07, 2011

Good cooks don’t just whip up mouth-watering meals. They know how to adapt favorite recipes to meet their family’s evolving dietary restrictions.

Just ask Esther Mele whose sumptuous Italian meals have been the centerpiece of family celebrations for decades.

Nowadays her dinners are still winning raves — and most importantly — they are in compliance with her husband’s food constraints due to heart disease, diabetes and dialysis treatments.

When Joe learned he was a diabetic almost 40 years ago, Esther began eliminating sugar. After Joe underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery, she cut back on fat. Last year he went on dialysis and now follows a low-sodium diet that limits potassium, phosphorus and fluids.

A retired account executive, Joe says he felt between a rock and a hard place on hearing he needed dialysis. “I knew my habit of soaking spaghetti in tomato sauce, loaded with potassium, was over. But,” he quickly adds with a satisfied smile, “we’ve reached a happy medium by revising recipes and finding new ones that satisfy our taste or Italian food.”

Esther has found that preparing meals within dietary restraints is easier today than four decades ago when Joe’s medical problems began surfacing. “Now we know what we are buying because food labels spell out sugar, sodium and cholesterol levels,” she says, adding “there are many more low fat and low sodium products available.”

The Meles’ advice to other couples is simple. “Work together on the menus, enjoy friends and family and always stay positive.”

And Joe follows one other rule when he shops at Italian grocery stores. “I keep my hands in my pockets, just to make sure I don’t reach out for pickled hot peppers or lupini beans to put in the buggy.”

The Recipes: Here are Esther’s recipes – some are her originals and others are adapted from the DaVita.com website.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

12 ounces dry fettuccine 3 tablespoons unsalted margarine 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 3/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced 2 tablespoons flour 1/3 cup white wine 3/4 cup unsalted chicken broth 3/4 cup nondairy creamer (in the dairy case) 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook fettuccine according to package directions, omitting the salt. Drain fettuccine and set aside.
Melt margarine in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and red bell pepper. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes until vegetables are soft. Slowly stir flour into the pan. Cook 1 minute until smooth. Add wine gradually, stirring until smooth. Add broth, Coffee Rich®, parsley and black pepper. Stir to blend. Gradually add Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 to 7 minutes until mixture starts to simmer. Stir occasionally. Toss the sauce with the drained fettuccine.
ITALIAN BEEF & PEPPERS

3-pound lean beef roast, fat trimmed 2 teaspoons oregano 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (adjust to taste) 1 large green bell pepper, sliced 1 large red bell pepper, sliced 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1/2 cup pepperoncini juice

Put beef roast, oregano, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper in Crock-Pot. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours until tender. Remove beef and let cool.
Shred beef and remove fat. Place shredded beef into the Crock-Pot. Add sliced peppers, onion and pepperoncini juice. Cook on high for 45 to 60 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS 2 medium zucchini 4 slices white bread 1/4 teaspoon ground sage 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon original Mrs. Dash® seasoning blend 1 teaspoon salt-free lemon pepper 1 teaspoon dill weed 1/2 cup water (from zucchini cooking water)

Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds, forming a trench in each zucchini half. Place zucchini in boiling water and boil 3 to 5 minutes.
While zucchini cooks, toast 2 slices of bread. Place toast and 2 uncooked pieces of bread in food processor; mix until they form breadcrumbs. Add seasonings to breadcrumbs and mix. Add 1/2 cup of the zucchini cooking water and blend with a fork to get the consistency of stuffing.
Remove zucchini from water and place in 8 x 8” baking dish, peel side down. Spoon stuffing into trench of each zucchini. Bake 20 minutes.
JOE JR.’S GRILLED ZUCCHINI

Cut zucchini into bite size pieces, along with bell peppers, sweet onions. Marinade in low-sodium Italian dressing and refrigerate for at least two hours in a plastic bag. Spread out on baking tray and grill or bake to taste.

PRIMAVERA PASTA SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 bunch (6) green onions (scallions) cleaned and chopped 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (more or less to taste) 1 medium zucchini, julienne cut 1 medium yellow summer squash, julienne cut 1 medium red bell pepper, julienne cut 1 teaspoon dry or 1 tablespoon fresh basil or oregano 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese

Warm olive oil in a large, uncovered frying pan on medium heat. Add green onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Add remainder of vegetables and stir-fry lightly. When they begin to soften, cover pan and lower heat to medium-low. When sauce thickens, season with herbs and serve over pasta. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese over each serving of sauce.
CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLIC SAUCE

4 cups small cauliflower florets 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1. In large saucepan with steamer rack, steam cauliflower over boiling water 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender (cover with lid while steaming). 2. In a small saucepan, cook garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds then remove pan from heat. Stir in honey, apple cider vinegar and parsley. Return saucepan to heat until sauce is heated. Transfer steamed cauliflower to a serving dish. Pour sauce over hot cauliflower and toss to coat.

KIDNEY-FRIENDLY FOODS

A KIDNEY-FRIENDLY DIET IS NOT A CURE,, but it can help slow the disease’s progression. When people have chronic kidney disease (CKD), their kidneys do not effectively remove waste and excess fluids from their bodies, causing the kidney function to decrease,” explains Pat Dialoiso, renal nutritionist at the DaVita Dialysis Center in Bloomfield. “A kidney-friendly diet is beneficial because it avoids foods that increase the accumulation of these waste products and extra fluids.” Pat adds that since each CKD patient has unique medical circumstances, diets should be discussed with a nurse, dietitian or doctor. Patients also should be monitored with routine blood tests and their diets altered according to the test results. Although there is no uniform CKD diet, there are some general guidelines: Avoid salty foods to control blood pressure and thirst; restrict potassium in foods, such as tomatoes and potatoes; and limit dairy foods. Since protein consumption varies as to the stage of CKD, chicken is normally a better choice than red meats.

FOR FRUITS, SELECT grapes, pears, cherries, apples, berries, pineapple, plums, tangerines and watermelon.

Limit or avoid oranges and orange juice, nectarines, kiwis, raisins or other dried fruit, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew, prunes and nectarines.

BEST VEGETABLE CHOICES cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, green and wax beans, lettuce, onion, peppers, watercress, zucchini and yellow squash.

Limit or avoid asparagus, potatoes, tomatoes or tomato sauce, winter squash, pumpkin, avocado and cooked spinach.

Many websites offer kidney-friendly diet advice. In addition to davita.com, sites connected to national organizations include kidney.org (National Kidney Foundation) and aakp.org. (American Association of Kidney Patients)

FACT: 26 million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk.

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