Luscious Dessert OK for Kidney Patients

While the holidays come to a close with Three Kings Day on Friday Jan. 6, many people still feel delicious dessert treats are just the thing to ward off January's chill.

Patients with kidney disease and diabetes don't have as many food options, but a celebrity chef has developed some good ones, says Kelly Ziemkiewicz, a dietician who has worked at the Niles and other local locations of a company that provides dialysis services. It's at 9371 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, in a shopping plaza just south of .

"Ths dialysis diet is considered restricted," Ziemkiewicz said. "Sodium is limited, potassium and phosphorus are also limited. We want to emphasize they can still enjoy foods, though."

To that end, Ziemkiewicz is encouraging local patients to enjoy the recipe for Apple Cinnamon Bundles (below) as well as other savory and sweet recipes at ultracare-dialysis.com. Chef Aaron McCargo Jr., who has appeared on the Food Network, deveoped the recipes for Fresenius Medical Care and they are appropriate for these limited-diet patients. Some have modifications that make them OK for diabetes patients, too.

"He created recipes that are tasty and satisfying for people with kidney disease," Ziemkiewicz said.

To do that, he had to steer clear of foods such as dairy, beans, tomatoes, avocadoes, bananas, oranges, potatoes, etc., which cause trouble for kidney disease patients.

Providing services to kidney patients

Ziemkiewicz explained that kidney disease progresses from mild (stage one) to end stage (stage five), and that end stage patients must undergo dialysis three times a week, usually for three to four hours at a time. The various Fresenius Medical Care facilities, which have dialysis equipment, provide the treatment.

"Dialysis is a life-sustaining process that cleans waste products from the blood. It removes extra fluids as well," Ziemkiewicz said. In other words, it performs the function the kidneys perform in healthier people.

"Generally, dialysis patients require treatment on an ongonig basis unless they get a kidney transplant," she added.

About one in nine American adults has chronic kidney disease, she said.

Recipe for Apple-Stuffed Cinnamon Bundles

Ingredients

Apple Mixture

4 apples or 3-1/2 cups (of peeled medium diced Granny Smith, Washington Gala, and Honey Crisp apples mixed)

¼ cup light brown sugar*

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, firm

¼ cup melted unsalted butter (for buttering phyllo pastry sheets)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon corn starch

1 package (6 sheets) phyllo dough

Combine in a small bowl:

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Garnish:

Powdered Sugar

Fresh mint

Whipped cream or Low fat whipped topping

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Preparation:

Prepare apple mixture:

In large sauté pan on medium high heat, sauté apples in butter for 6-8 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. In a small cup, mix cornstarch and vanilla extract until dissolved, stir into apple mixture and cook for additional two minutes on medium high heat. Turn off heat and set aside.

Prepare phyllo dough bundles:

• Lightly grease a large six muffin tin pan. 
• Starting with the first sheet of phyllo dough, brush each side with melted butter then dust with the powdered sugar and cinnamon mix. Continue until all 6 sheets have been buttered and dusted with sugar and cinnamon mix, stacking one sheet on top of the other as you go.

• Cut each stack into 6 squares. Line the bottom and sides of each muffin cup using one stack of squares.  Leave an over-hang.

• Fill each phyllo lined muffin cup ½ - ¾ full with the apple mixture (this will depend on how big the apples are cut), making sure each phyllo lined muffin cup has equal amounts of apple mixture.
• Fold excess phyllo dough over the apples in each muffin cup and pinch top closed to create the bundles. 
• Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Garnish with powdered sugar, whipped cream and sprig of fresh mint.

*1/4 cup Agave Nectar may be substituted as a sweetener for those with diabetes

Note:

• These are a few types of year-round apples that are available are in most supermarkets and fruit stands. Select one sour and two sweet apple varieties for your recipe:

o        Empire

o        Fuji

o        Golden Delicious

o        Red Delicious

o        Granny Smith

Nutrient Analysis:
Serves: 6
1 Serving: 1 bundle

Calories                   249 calories             Trans Fat      0 grams
Protein                    2 grams                  Cholesterol     31 milligrams
Carbohydrate           29 grams                 Potassium      102 milligrams
Total Fat                 14 grams                 Phosphorus    26 milligrams
Saturated Fat           9 grams                  Sodium          99 milligrams

For more information, please visit www.ultracare-dialysis.com.

Eat better. Like Niles Patch on Facebook.