January 27, 2012

Lo-So January Week 4: Chelsea Salt-Free’s Her Very Own Recipe

The girl doesn’t need any introduction. So let’s just get to straight to words from Chelsea and week four of her heroic journey through the low-sodium world… Week Four has been marked by two milestones: entertaining Low-So style and branching out beyond Sodium Girl’s ravishing recipes to create my very own. Last weekend, I hosted a little fête for a friend’s birthday and really wanted to showcase some tasty low-so treats. Remember: I live below the Mason-Dixon Line. Three amigas of mine host an annual Bacon-Off (and, it’s incredible/one of my favorite days of the year). Sodium is alive, well, [...]

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January 26, 2012

Greatist Low-Sodium Advice

You know what I love? I love when I see non-sodium related blogs and websites talking about a low-sodium lifestyle. And a few weeks ago, the latest in online Health and Fitness – Greatist — offered 21 Lower-Sodium Solutions to help slash high-salt continent from one’s life. And for a bunch of food and fitness writers who do not have to keep the diet themselves (and admittedly love pretzels with mustard), they really hit the salt-shaker on the head. Some of my favorites? Eggs for baking soda This superfood an do more than round out a morning omelet. Depending on the recipe, one [...]

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January 24, 2012

Low-Sodium Inspiration Pizza

Inspiration. For me, it comes from cravings. From menus. From other people’s dinners. From smells. From pictures in magazines. From trips elsewhere. From ingredients that are past their prime. From questions sent in by you. From dreams I have about cooking. From prepared food at Whole Foods. From television cooking contests. From websites like this. And blogs like that. From childhood memories. From the determination to turn the word “no” into a “yes.” From the season and what’s in season. And did I mention cravings? Yeah, those inspire me too. And this past week, I needed a good slice of [...]

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January 20, 2012

Lo-So January Week 3: Chelsea Improvises

I’ve dragged friends and loved ones to plenty of amateur sketch comedy hours to know that improv can be pretty painful. But when it comes to cooking–especially low-sodium cooking–improve is essential. And totally delicious. Take last night’s dinner, for example. Forget about what happened when the chicken crossed the road. Let’s focus instead on what happened when the chicken and some chopped coleslaw cabbage met my crock pot. BBQ chicken stew. That’s what happened. Inside my bag of tricks were: three poultry thighs, garlic, red onion, crispy cabbage, Stonehouse 27 Tomato and Chilies sauce, and fresh squeezed orange juice. And [...]

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January 19, 2012

How To Sex-Up That Salad

As you may have noticed, this month we have been tackling the most difficult challenge for low-sodium eaters: Lunch. And as you may have already experienced in your own low-sodium adventures, finding something to eat during this middle meal of the day often leads to one thing: Salt-free, dressing-less salads. Which, in my opinion, are like the carnations of the food world. Technically a part of the edible kingdom, but pretty much the last item on an actual menu that you’d want to order. (Sorry, but it’s true). Turns out, undressed salads aren’t all that sexy. And while you can [...]

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January 17, 2012

Low-Potassium Potato Skins

When I receive a request, I respond. At some point. And this week, I received two requests. The first from a very special friend and fellow kidney patient who craves the taste of crispy potato skins. And the second from our very own Low-So January heroine, Chelsea, who is hosting a little get together this weekend and craves some tiny treats to impress her friends. So in one quick post, I’m going to answer both questions. Let’s start with the potato skins. Most of you out there–who are diligently watching your sodium intake–can handle a traditional potato skin recipe as [...]

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January 13, 2012

Low-So January Week 2: Chelsea Dines Out

Doesn’t that dish look succulent? Rich with colors and juices and, hey, even a side of gravy? This is a meal worth talking about long after the food is gone. And that gravy boat has been emptied. (Straw please?) And believe it or not, this beautiful plate is completely salt-free and low-sodium. Yeah, I kid you not. Thanks to Chris Consentino at Incanto restaurant, I’ve been eating this good at his table for almost four years. The king of salty pig parts himself has happily (and successfully) prepared intricate low-sodium meals for me anytime I show up on his door step. [...]

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January 12, 2012

Low-Sodium Microwaveable Lunch Challenge, #2

It’s chilly. Which means it is time to make chili. And while I am quite devoted to my black and red beans, I thought these blustery days deserved something a little lighter. A little whiter. So I traded the darker hues for some creamy Cannellini (or butter beans). But just because the beans are pale doesn’t mean the dish has to be colorless. So I added yellow corn, green jalapenos, red onion, red tomato, yellow and purple potatoes, and some matchstick zucchini and orange carrots. All of this could easily go in a pot, with a little water, to steam [...]

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January 10, 2012

Low-Sodium Microwaveable Lunch Challenge

Wouldn’t it be extraordinary to simply unpack a pre-made meal from its cardboard box. Rip off the plastic. Throw it in the microwave. And have your lunch ready and hot in minutes? That would be nice. But on a low-sodium diet, these “open and heat” dishes are filled with sodium (not to mention other non-food unmentionables). So to stick to the diet, one must either (a) quit your job and work and cook from home or (b) bring leftovers with you for your noon-time chow fest. I’ve tried both. And while working from home definitely lets me (over)feed myself great [...]

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January 6, 2012

Low-So January Week 1: Chelsea Travels

Meet some of your best low-sodium friends. They are plastic containers. And they’ll help you take low-sodium meals wherever you roam. It’s just one trick of many that make low-sodium eating and traveling and dinner party-going possible. And our low-sodium hero, Chelsea, already picked up on the idea during her first week of low-sodium living. She’s so smart. But enough from me. Let’s hear about it from her…. (And if I got paid to write this blog, I’d surely be worried about my job right about now. This girl’s got skills) LOW-SO JANUARY DIARY: WEEK ONE Greetings from week one [...]

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