Food that heals the ravaged soul...

Taking care of my parents upon their return to "normal" life post mitral valve replacement surgery has been more of job than I had expected. My father has a terrible time hearing, and is anxious for Mom to be able to cook for him again. My mom, though doing pretty well considering everything, has had a rough time of it. So, I've become nurse, chef and general task manager when it comes to so many details. They are still very independent, but the lifestyle changes required for her conditions, congestive heart failure prevention and Vitamin K monitoring make nutritional planning and meal prep a bit of a challenge, even for moi! haha...

Anyway, and  anywhosit, as Katie often says, I've been trying to cook palatable meals that are also heart healthy and low sodium while also giving a nod to watching foods that are high in vitamin K. The current wisdom about that is that the vitamin K diet content should be generally the same week per week. Don't go "hog wild" on the greens, for instance. (what is it with me and colloquial speech today? Oh, yeah, motherland-stuff...) Well, that was working out great until she started on an antibiotic that  she has had a bad reaction to, and her appetite has been way off. So, today I decided to tempt her to eat with some wonderful Italian Vegetable Soup, which I will post here. It isn't exactly low-sodium fare, but by the time it is finished, I calculate that 400 mg per sodium per serving is about where we will be. And added to that, I will serve some homemade cornbread, which she dearly loves, made with low sodium baking powder...which I still have to locate in the dismal world of local grocery stores available here. I'm so spoiled to our Kroger, Publix and when all else fails, Whole Foods.

Also, I noticed that Martha Stewart is following the trend toward gluten-free cooking and found a simply fabulous recipe for gluten-free Chocolate Overdose Cookies. Yes, Art, sweetheart! I will prepare for you when I finally return home to you...hopefully tomorrow!

Lastly, I wanted to share another recipe that would go well with the Italian vegetable soup. Serve the soup as an appetizer, and add  the delicious Greens with Grapes salad to the menu served with  the Braised Mediterranean Chicken with Polenta ! Ahh, a taste of the Old World!

Italian Vegetable Soup

8-10 garlic pods
1 cup each chopped celery, carrots and green onions
1/4 cup olive oil
bay leaf
pepper and scant salt (I use Mrs. Dash and Molly McButter instead of salt) to taste
Canned tomatoes
Pinto beans, quick soaked or soaked overnight
lean ground beef or lean sausage, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cup V8 low sodium
low sodium chicken broth
thin spaghetti, broken by hand over pot while liquid boils (use gluten-free pasta, such as rice pasta for a gluten-free soup)

Put olive oil in large soup pot. Heat on medium low heat. Add garlic stirring continually. Do not let garlic burn, but you want it to brown slightly. I used whole garlic here, not minced garlic. I remove the paper skin, and let them cook. When they are in the soup like this, and you get a bite of garlic, it tastes like warm melted sweetness! yum. Add onion and continue to stir. Add remaining carrots and celery. Continue to stir, allowing the vegetables to begin to change color and tender somewhat, and then add tomatoes, beans and chicken stock. Stir. Add V8. Add seasonings. Put lid on pot and bring to boil, add spaghetti, stir and then reduce heat to bring soup to simmer for about 1 and a half hours. Check often to make sure soup is not sticking. If you prefer a thicker soup, remove 2 cups of soup and process in food processer until smooth and add back to the pot. Makes about 8-10 servings.

Greens with Grapes Salad

1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half
3 cups bitter greens, such as radicchio, escarole, frisee, watercress, dandelion or a mix well washed
1-2 tablespoons of chopped red onion
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
black pepper to taste
Place grapes, greens and onion in large bowl. Dress with the vinegar, oil and pepper. Toss gently and serve.

Braised Mediterranean Chicken with Polenta

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 chicken thighs
ground pepper
dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablesppon frech chopped oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup low sodium chicken
3 small zucchini quartered and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, hear oil over medium-high. Season chicken with dijon mustard and pepper. Working in two batches, cook chicken until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Pour off all by 1 tablespoon of fat and return to pot to heat. Add garlic, tomatoes, and oregano; cook until fragrant, about 30  seconds. Add wine and cook, scrapping up browned bits until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth; return chicken, skin side up, to pot. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Add zucchinin; season with salt and pepper. Cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine 4/12 cups water, scant sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. whisking constantly, slowly add cornmeal. reduce heat to medium-low, and cook whicking frequently until thickened, about 20-25 minutes. Whisk in butter. Serve chicken and vegetables over polenta.

Death by Chocolate Cookies (gluten-free!)

3 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teasoon coarse salt (I cut this down to 1/4 teaspoon, and use sea salt)
5 ounces bittersweet choclate, chopped
1/12 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
4 large egg whites at room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whick together sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in chocolate and pecans. Add egg whites and stir just until incorporated...don't overmix!
Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto parchment lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake until cookie tops are dry and crackled, about 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through cooking time. transfer sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool completely. Very important step, always, with gluten-free baking. I've learned the hard way. To store, keep in an airtight container up to 3 days if they last that long!