When someone is sick or a family crisis occurs, the first response is often to bring food! Recently when someone in my own family was ill we were so grateful to receive gifts of homemade muffins, casseroles and freezer-ready meals. Friends, neighbours, co-workers and family all helped out during a very difficult time giving us one less thing to worry about.
I’ve heard kidney patients tell me that they too have been brought gifts of food but that because of their renal diet they can’t or are afraid to use these items. And I’ve received many a call from people asking what they can bring their Mom/Dad/Neighbour who is on dialysis. So I thought today I would write about some ideas for renal-friendly gifts of food. In fact, I can’t think of a nicer thing to give someone who is probably already exhausted when they get home from appointments or treatments and would love a break from cooking.
It helps to make a note of the ingredients in the food you’re giving (send along the recipe) or the source of the recipe (ie from a kidney friendly cookbook or the Kidney Foundation website). That helps to make sure that everyone is comfortable enjoying your gift without stressing about the salt or phosphorus content.
Bring someone one of these lovely soups portioned in two containers (one to eat now and one to freeze). Check out www.myspiceitup.ca for more recipe ideas.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup: (yields 6-8 servings)
5 large roasted red peppers (10 oz jar)
5 cups water
2 small chopped yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and aromatic. Combine peppers, onions, garlic, and seasonings in blender. Slowly add water to vegetable puree until desired consistency. Chill before serving or can be heated and served hot. (1 serving=1vegetable choice)
Puree of Corn and Fennel Soup
shrimp shells
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 kg frozen corn
2 onions/leeks chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
6 cloves garlic
2 cups chopped fennel
black pepper to taste
tarragon to taste
2 liters cold water
Sauté shrimp shells in oil until the shells turn pink. Add onion, celery, garlic, fennel, & corn and sauté until the onions become translucent and the flavour begins to develop. Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Process soup in a blender and strain to remove excess fibers. Adjust seasonings with freshly ground black pepper and tarragon. Yield : 8-10 cups, 2/3 cup serving = 1 vegetable choice.
Fennel is a higher potassium vegetable but pairing it with an acceptable potassium vegetable like corn is a great way to safely include it into your diet!