Low Sodium Recipes - Baked Lemon Herb Chicken With Fresh Mushroom Stuffing Recipe

ByDebbie Benson

This is a very moist and flavorful baked lemon herb chicken recipe. The mushrooms help keep the stuffing moist and the flavorful green onions (scallions), celery, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil, make this recipe very flavorful. No salt is added. A salt free lemon herb seasoning is used, so this would be a more heart healthy, chicken recipe especially good for a low sodium diet. Using fresh lemon is a low sodium tip that helps food taste more salty. If you like chicken and the flavors of fresh lemon and fresh mushrooms, you will enjoy this healthy chicken recipe.

Lemon-Herb Chicken With Fresh Mushroom Stuffing

1 whole chicken 3 to 3 1/2 pounds (broiler-fryer size)

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 pound (8 ounces) fresh mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon Lemon-Herb seasoning, (preferably a salt-free seasoning), divided

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (lemon rind, yellow part only), finely grated

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided

1 cup soft or fresh bread crumbs

Remove giblets and neck from inside chicken. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In large non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium low heat. Add green onion and celery and gently cook until softened, then add mushrooms, and cook until tender. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt free lemon herb seasoning, lemon zest, 2 Tablespoons of the lemon juice (1/2 of it), and the bread crumbs. Stir well to combine but don't make a mush. Turn off the heat and let stuffing cool a bit.

Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Stuff with the mushroom stuffing. Don't pack it in, just lightly spoon it into the bird. Truss the chicken, (this will make a nicer presentation), but not absolutely necessary. In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon-herb seasoning. Brush this mixture all over the chicken. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until done. Serves 4 - 6.

Note: You can double the stuffing recipe and bake half of it or all of it in a dish, covered with foil or a lid along side the chicken for about 45 minutes, remove the cover and bake another 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Pan drippings for a sauce: Skim off the excess fat. Add some water (up to a cup) or dry white wine or even add more fresh lemon juice with some water to the pan and bring the drippings to a simmer with a little more lemon-herb seasoning and perhaps some freshly ground white or black pepper. Scrape up the fond (browned bits at the bottom of the pan) and let the liquid reduce to intensify the flavors. Serve on the side.

Serving suggestions: Slice the chicken and serve with some of the stuffing and some of the sauce. Serve with rice, or pasta like orzo, with minced fresh parsley, sprinkled over all. A fresh green salad would also go well with this chicken recipe. Fresh lemon wedges, (optional), served on the side.

And now for more low sodium tips, recipes and information I invite you to sign up for our FREE Season It Newsletter when you visit Benson's Gourmet Seasonings at http://BensonsGourmetSeasonings.com

Get more free information about low sodium, including a low sodium diet, low sodium cooking tips, salt free seasonings, salt substitutes and low sodium recipes. You'll learn how you can use seasonings, fresh herbs, fresh fruits & vegetables, olive oil, nuts, vinegars, wine and different cooking techniques to flavor your food without adding salt and sugar. You'll find out how to get more flavor than you ever thought possible.

From Debbie Benson owner of Benson's Gourmet Seasonings with over 30 years experience promoting salt free seasonings. Loving to cook and being salt free most of my life by choice, I have learned a lot of tips and tricks to create flavor without salt and sugar that seems to be in everything these days.

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What Fresh Foods Can Parakeets Eat?

Your parakeet may require coaxing to eat something other than seeds.

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New parakeet owners should ensure that their birds eat healthy foods and stay away from harmful substances. Some foods that are normal for humans are toxic to parakeets. Avoid feeding your parakeet lettuce, avocado, chocolate, cabbage, guacamole or anything with caffeine or alcohol. Don't allow your parakeet to roam free because it may eat poisonous houseplants, lead-based items, carpet and other hazardous fabrics. Ensure the health of your parakeet by feeding it fresh foods.

Related Searches: Seed Mixtures and Pellets

Pet stores sell prepackaged food for parakeets that consist of seeds, pellets or a combination of the two. The best seed mixtures contain a variety of seeds. You can occasionally create a tasty seed snack by combining seeds with honey to form a seed stick. However, give these treats to your parakeet only once or twice a week to prevent excessive weight gain.

Vitamins and Minerals

Purchase vitamins for your parakeet at a pet store and add them to its water two or three times a week. Some parakeets won’t drink water with vitamins added, so monitor your bird to make sure it will drink the water. Vitamins can be introduced through food or by a vet if the parakeet refuses to drink the vitamin water after a few days. Parakeets can obtain minerals through a mineral block or cuttlebone, which are good for their beaks. Other items that contain minerals include oyster shells, bird gravel and bird sand.

Fruits and Vegetables

While some parakeets only want to eat seeds, they need fruits and vegetables to supplement their diet. Feed your parakeet vegetables such as carrots, peas, peppers, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, corn and sweet potatoes. Parakeets can also eat fruits such as mangoes, apples, peaches, grapes, berries, bananas, melons, oranges and pears. Clean fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and remove them from the parakeet’s cage before they get old and moldy.

Other Foods

To complete the parakeet’s diet and add more variety, give your bird calcium and proteins from legumes, meat and dairy products. The diet can include boiled eggs, cheese and peanuts. Other foods the parakeet might enjoy include plain cooked spaghetti, crackers or bread.

ReferencesUniversity of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine: Tips to Keep Your Parakeet HealthyPurdue University School of Veterinary Medicine: General Husbandry of Caged BirdsMassachusetts Institute of Technology: Food Mistakes With BirdsMassachusetts Institute of Technology: Some Random Ideas on How to Get Your Bird to Eat VeggiesParakeets; Kelley MacAulay and Bobbie KalmanAnimal World: Parakeet CarePhoto Credit BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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