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I was hoping to just use store bought condiments and dressings, but digging further into the numbers, homemade condiments are worth the trouble due to much better nutrient values, not to mention more cost friendly than store bought. In Davita's Homemade Condiments Cookbook, they give several comparisons, and the difference in nutrient values between homemade condiments and store bought condiments are quite significant. For example, one teaspoon of Davita's Lemon Pepper Seasoning contains zero mg of sodium, whereas store bought of the same condiment contains 320 mg of sodium.
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Easy Dijon Dressing
Davita Cookbook: Homemade Condiments
This was the easiest condiment recipe I made so far. One of my favorite snacks is mixed raw vegetables dipped in a creamy dip. Unfortunately store bought dips like Ranch dressing is very high in sodium. 100 grams of store bought Ranch dressing is over 900 milligrams of sodium, whereas 100 grams of Davita's Easy Dixon Dressing is only 131 milligrams. So this is a flavorful substitute if you're trying to keep your sodium intake down.
Just keep in mind store bought dressing can keep in the refrigerator for months because of the preservatives. This homemade recipe can keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. When making Davita's recipes, I often make large batches by doubling the ingredients and store individual servings for later. But this condiment recipe I resisted the temptation to make a large batch since it has a short fridge life.
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Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Davita Cookbook: Homemade Condiments
I realized making homemade condiments was going to be a chore, but this recipe was one of the more laborious condiment recipes. That's the only reason I gave it 3 stars, it's taste is 5 stars. When you're tempted to shake salt onto that juicy steak, sprinkle on a bit of this seasoning instead, it's a worthwhile alternative.
It was a chore to prepare because you have to grate the yellow pulp only from the lemon peel. My electric grater would grate the white pulp of the peel also, so I had to grate the peel manually. The peppercorn also has to be cracked, which I had to do manually. Once the ingredients have been processed, the rest is quite easy. The unused lemons, I made lemonade, and the remaining lemon peel was used for potpouri.
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Meat Marinade
Davita Cookbook: Homemade Condiments
Other than mincing the garlic, it was a breeze to prepare the ingredients. It also includes red wine, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, black pepper, and olive oil. I put this to use immediately on a strip steak and allowed it to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours. Half way through that marinade period, I flipped the raw steak for the other side to saturate. After grilling the steak, it was tender and teeming with flavor.
I consume a lot of beef to replenish the protein that dialysis removes from my blood. So this marinade adds some variety to the steady supply of beef I eat. This is a homemade condiment that I will make frequently considering how easy it is to make and the flavor it adds. You can also use this marinade for poultry and if you add some of your favorite spices, use it on salad.
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Mexican Seasoning
Davita Cookbook: Homemade Condiments
You will feel like an Apothecary Master mixing the various spices to make this tasty Mexican Seasoning. The spices you will need are chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Super simple to make, just measure the required amounts and mix with a spoon. This seasoning is also called for in other Davita recipes.
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Mojita Salsa
Davita Cookbook: Homemade Condiments
This is a bowl of fruit. How this is considered a homemade condiment is beyond me. Other than a little honey and mint leaves, there's nothing "condiment" or "salsa" about this recipe. I didn't give this recipe a one star because of the ingredients. A bowl of fresh fruit is about as tasty treat as you can get and it's nutrient values are a plus for a kidney-friendly diet. I gave it a one star because, do we really need a recipe for this? You chop some fresh fruit, put it in a bowl, and you're done.
The recipe suggests you serve this "salsa" with unsalted torilla chips. There's no practical way to eat this using tortilla chips. You would have to eat them seperately, or try balancing a whole grape on a chip. Good luck. I used Davita's image to clarify there was no confusion on my part following the instructions. The image shows their intent is you end up with a bowl of chopped fruit.
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Tzatzika Sauce
Davita Cookbook: Unknown
Found in Davita.com's recipe search
I don't know why they didn't include this sauce in their Homemade Condiments cookbook, it's actually an ingredient for other Davita recipes. In any case, Tzatziki Sauce is a tangy compliment to a number of entrees and sandwiches. It's every bit as good as the Tzatziki sauce served with gyro sandwiches by restaurants.
It's easy to prepare (if you have electric food processing) and includes the following ingredients - cucumber, plain Greek nonfat yogurt, dried dill, garlic powder, black pepper, and lemon juice. I allowed it to chill overnight in the fridge in preparation for using it as an ingredient in Davita's Chickpea Burgers recipe.
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