whole grain sorghum<\/p><\/div>\n

This dish came about with having leftover Greek dressing in the fridge.<\/p>\n

We just finished developing recipes for the American Kidney Fund. One of the recipes we developed was a Greek Couscous Salad, hence the leftover dressing. We used couscous and feta cheese in the salad because they are low in phosphorus and potassium.<\/p>\n

The dietary and nutritional management of chronic kidney disease is very complex. For a quick explanation about phosphorus and potassium, as kidney function diminishes, extra phosphorus can start building up in the blood, causing the bones to get weaker. Excess potassium can harm the heart and cause an irregular heartbeat or difficulty breathing.<\/p>\n

We All Are Different<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s just amazing how our bodies are all so different, and how some foods can be so good for some, yet harmful, and even deadly for others.<\/p>\n

The Greek Couscous Salad is a good choice for those with kidney disease, however, it’s off limits for those with celiac disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, allergies to wheat and milk, and so many other special diets.<\/p>\n

We tweaked the recipe to be allergy-friendly. The pearl couscous was replaced with sorghum, which is about the same size, but has a delicious bit of chewiness to it.<\/p>\n

Not good for everyone, this dish now restricts someone with kidney disease who is on a renal diet from eating it. Why? Because sorghum is high in potassium and phosphorus. We also added artichokes hearts, which are also high in potassium.<\/p>\n

We didn’t want our leftover dressing to go to waste, so here we have our ingredients for this allergy-friendly version of our Greek Couscous Salad.<\/p>\n

mise en place<\/p><\/div>\n

Let’s talk about this salad.<\/p>\n

This was super easy, since we had some cooked sorghum in the freezer. Because it takes about an hour to cook, when we do, we cook a large batch so we can portion and freeze.<\/p>\n

You can make the dressing a day or two in advance. In a large bowl, gently toss cooked whole grain sorghum, artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, black olives, red onions, allergy-friendly cheddar cheese, parsley, and the dressing. That’s it!<\/p>\n

You can use whatever cheese you like, and add or sub any fun ingredients you want.<\/p>\n

And look, it’s the perfect lunch box idea for that busy day at work.<\/p>\n

Yes, lunch!<\/p><\/div>\n

We love sorghum and all the health benefits it brings. We talked a lot about the benefits in our recipe post, Thai Sorghum Bowl<\/a>. Check it out to learn more about this ancient grain and give the Thai Sorghum Bowl a try. It’s delicious, we promise!<\/p>\n

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