Dinner is probably the easiet meal to eat when on the LID. If you use an Internet search engine and look for "Low Iodine Cookbook" you should find at least three: Two that are free via the web and another you can buy via Amazon or any other book seller. I'l share a few of my dinner recipes here:
LID Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Peel and boil potatoes in lightly salted water - use Kosher iodine free salt! When soft, pour off most of the cooking water and return the pot to the stove. Grab your potato masher! Toss in (to taste) the garlic spread we made earlier, black pepper and two tablespoons or so of Rich's Coffee Rich. Mash away. These are great and you can serve then along side a small pork chop and a side of fresh steamed green beans.
Baked Potatoes
I also like to have a baked potato or baked sweet potato with dinner. Remember to not eat the skins! Scrub the potato as you normally would and pop into a hot oven (400 degrees F). Bake until done (about an hour). Top a regular potato with the garlic spread or the regular spread. Add some Kosher salt and pepper to taste. If eating a sweet potato, top with the regular spread and some cinnamon and sugar. There were nights when I was on the LID when my family ate pizza and I had a huge baked sweet potato for dinner. It's a stressful time in your life and if you want to order out for the family yet make things simple for you, this is a great option.
Pasta
In my house, we normally eat a lot of pasta. But, an integral part of pasta is tomato sauce and grated cheese. You may not have any commercially available sauce when on the LID, nor can you have grated cheese. Bummer! But, you can have pasta!!
For tomato sauce, find canned or boxed tomato products where the ingredient list is just 100% tomato. Season it up with oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil, basil, rosemary or whatever herbs and spices you like. Warm it through and let it simmer. Pour over pasta and top it with my mock grated cheese:
Mock Grated Cheese:
1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin or light - whatever your taste is)
1 cup finely crushed walnuts (crush first, then measure)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Warm a large frying pan (10 inches or so) and heat up the oil. Sprinkle on the crushed walnuts and toast them in the oil. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and stir well. Use on pasta when the walnut mixture is warm. Put leftovers into the fridge and use on pasta as you desire. Warm it before use.
More Pasta
I love to put something on top of my pasta to jazz it up - another grated cheese replacement: Gremolata. If you are not familiar with Gremolata - go here to learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremolata but if you make one on your own, be sure to use LID safe ingredients. Here's my version:
Gremolata (note, I recently fine tuned this recipe)
The zest of 3 lemons (wash the lemon well first, try to use organic ones) - minced (the zest is the colored part of the skin only...avoid the white pith, it's bitter)
1 cup of fresh parsley - minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Mix the ingredients well. Refrigerate until use. Warm to room temperature before using.
Lemon pasta with Gremolata
1/2 pound pasta - shape of your choice - cooked in salted and lemon infused water (use Kosher salt)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced rosemary
black pepper to taste
One lemon - the juice
Two tablespoons Gremolata
Bring your pasta water to a boil, add a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Juice the lemon and reserve the juice. Remove any pits and toss the lemons into the water. I use the lemons that I have leftover from making the Gremolata when I make this dish. When the water is boiling, add your pasta and cook until done. Drain and return to the pot (toss the lemons into the garbage or into your garbage disposal unit to freshen it up). Add the olive oil, rosemary, pepper and the lemon juice. Toss until coated. Serve up a healthy portion (half of it) and top with one tablespoon of Gremolata. Makes enough for two people as a main dish or four people as a side dish. Goes great with some lemon chicken and a steamed LID safe vegetable.
Tortilla Encrusted Chicken
Four 3oz. chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups tortilla crumbs (LID safe with ingredients of just corn and lime)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if you want)
Juice of two lemons
Let the chicken sit in the lemon juice for a few minutes while you do the rest of the recipe. In a Ziploc bag, combine the tortilla crumbs, salt and peppers. Mix well. Toss the chicken in and shake well to coat. Pan fry in a non-stick frying pan with some canola oil in it. Turn when golden and finish on the other side. Cover the frying pan for the last few minutes of cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Serves four.
LID Safe Pork Tenderloin
Four 3 oz. pork loin chops, boneless and fat trimmed. Pound them flat
2 Tablespoons home made mayo (or use oil)
1 1/2 cups salt free matzo meal
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed thyme
Brush the oil or mayo onto the pork. Mix the matzo meal, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme together. Dip the pork chops into the matzo meal mixture. Coat on both sides. Let them stand so they "dry" a bit. Either bake on a greased cookie sheet or pan fry until done. Enjoy!
Veggies
Most fresh vegetables are LID safe. Those to eat in moderation, or limit completely, are spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy and all other members of the cuciferous vegetable group. You can eat these as a side dish (1/2 cup portion) but they should not be the focal point of any meal. I personally avoid them when I am on the LID. Focus on other vegetables such as string beans, asparagus, carrots, cucumbers, Iceberg lettuce, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes. A nice side salad that is refreshing and acts as your veggie is as follows:
Side Salad
2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 carrot - shredded
1 clove of garlic - minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, canola oil or oil of your choice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or vinegar of your choice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Mix well and let stand refrigerated for an hour before serving. Serve on top of iceberg lettuce to bulk it up and add more crunch. Enjoy!
