If you think summer dishes can’t be full of flavor, read on! Inspiration for this posting began with the roasted butter beans I prepared (see recipe below)…so good, so crunchy, so much better than potato chips! Other healthful recipes are below. Enjoy!
Savory/umami…
Umami (the fifth taste) provides a savory flavor. Are there ways to get a savory, smoky, bacon flavor with no/lower sodium? Raquel Pelzel’s ‘Umami Bomb’ suggests using smoked paprika and ground chipotle. Other options: hickory smoke powder with no or low sodium, reduced salt soy sauce powder and dulse flakes with low sodium. What about liquid smoke? Find out what is is, how it’s made (usually it’s low in sodium). New on the scene is black garlic which is low in sodium when found jarred in a supermarket minced in water but salt is the first ingredient in black garlic powder seasoning. More about black garlic and its health benefits.
Recipes when you crave that savory bacon flavor…
Cauliflower ‘bacon’ bits: note that this recipe calls for soy sauce which is high in sodium and low-sodium versions often are also higher in sodium. Consider substituting Worcestershire sauce which is very low sodium; coconut bacon using unsweetened coconut flakes (or one of these alternative recipes here and here); carrot bacon.
Filling and flavorful…
Portobello pizzas (4 ingredients) can be personalized for individual tastes. Crunchy chicken nuggets (3 ingredients) made with barbecue sauce to give them lots of flavor. Pre-made barbecue sauce not your thing? A homemade barbecue sauce recipe is provided along with the recipe.
Craving that crunch…
Roast butter beans for a crunchy and filling snack. A substitute for the garlic salt in the roasted beans with a bit of a ‘kick’ (adjust as desired): 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle. Crunchy apple roll ups (4 ingredients) can be cut into smaller bite-size pieces.
Quick and easy…
3-ingredient avocado tuna salad provides a creamy texture without mayo. You can make this tuna salad your own by adding spices, pesto, pico de gallo or other tasty additions or replace the tuna with salmon or chopped chicken. Bell pepper nachos (4 ingredients) substitute peppers for chips plus seasonings. Banana bobs (and in Spanish) is a great way to set up a banana ‘bar’ with different flavor yogurts and different cereals for dipping the banana slices. Carver dip (4 ingredients) goes with pretzels, fruit and graham crackers and is made with canned sweet potatoes, unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon and sugar.
Frozen…
Frozen blueberry bites (2 ingredients): blueberries and yogurt take about an hour to freeze. You can use other fruits in lieu of the blueberries to make these bites.