Cooking

February 18, 2011

Love Your Heart Recipe Rally

I had a dream. I know. I’m one national holiday too late. But still, I had a dream. And no, it wasn’t the one where I was flying over buildings or showing up late to school without my pants. Or flying pant-less over buildings to make it to school on time. That would be absurd. This was a real life dream and something that could impact more than just me and my personal well-being. This was something that had the potential to change people’s approach to food. To health. To life. This was a dream about making bagels, pizza, and […]

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January 28, 2011

Awesome Bucco and Awards

I think it’s safe to say that this week has left me feeling quite full. I’m full from a special olive oil tasting I had at Long Meadow Ranch and thrilled by a newfound appreciation for how a little drop of the “good” stuff can make a bite of citrus burst. I’m full from Wednesday night’s salt-free Mediterranean blogger dinner with Farm & a Frying Pan and Anne Pao (two ladies always up for a low sodium challenge), and my latest recipe for “awesome” bucco (modesty not included). And I’m full of that giddy, buzzy feeling that comes when you feel […]

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January 12, 2011

Staying Alive – Herbs

Earlier this week, I tweeted about herbs (see above) and the arsenal of low sodium flavor one can uncover when cooking with them. As a quick aside … just in case some of you do not know what “tweeting” is – and yes, I realize that is probably .2% of the population – let me explain. I’m not talking about tooting in public or partaking in illegal substances. I’m talking about dispensing advice (or for some, a poetic recounting of the frozen yogurt they just ate) on the site Twitter, using 140 characters or less. It’s like the radio of […]

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November 24, 2010

Low-Sodium Thanksgiving Stuffing

As you probably can tell, I’ve been busy in the kitchen getting ready for tomorrow’s feast. And I can promise, between this family of twelve, the word feast will not be an exaggeration. But before I sign off for the holiday, I wanted to be sure to give one final tip. So let’s talk stuffing. Just because there is broth and bread involved – both ingredients which tend to be commercially produced with loads of sodium – there is no need not to make it. And you also don’t have to spend all day baking your own bread and broth […]

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November 22, 2010

Low-Sodium Mash

What you see above is not ground mustard or white pepper gone bad. Or gold. It is nutritional yeast. But we will have to come back to that in a moment. First, let’s talk about Thanksgiving and specifically about an important side dish: mashed potatoes. This one’s for you, Michelle. My mother is quite famous for her creamy, parmesan mashed potatoes. I remember eating them as a kid, scooping seconds and thirds onto my plate, and the only thing I can compare them to is a puppy with a mean streak – they are sweet and fluffy looking with a […]

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November 19, 2010

The Bird and the B

With Thanksgiving creeping (ok, barreling) around the corner, it is time to talk about turkey (the bird) and that other b word – brine. Here’s the deal: a lot of poultry, especially around the holidays, is already plumped and brined. So when buying your bird, to make sure it is absolutely as low in sodium as possible, you have to do a little research. The best option is to shop at a butcher or at stores like Whole Foods, which can provide in-depth information about their meat products and the farms on which they are raised. You can explain your […]

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November 15, 2010

Do You Fuyu?

While it may not feel exactly like fall (oh hey, 70 degrees and sunny in November), the market sure looks like fall. Oranges, reds, and tans line the produce aisle and all the fun, cool-weather fruit and veggies are just begging to be eaten. That’s how we find ourselves with the beautiful fuyu. Persimmon, that is. There are two types of these golden fruits that you will typically find in the grocery stores and markets: fuyu and hachiya. The fuyu is stumpier and looks more like a mini pumpkin. It can be eaten raw, like an apple, although most people […]

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November 10, 2010

All Dal-ed Up

There is nothing quite like a basket of colorful ingredients to help brighten your day. Or distract you from the long list of to-do’s that seem to be constantly starring you down. I see you, dry cleaning. This afternoon, I took a nice trip through Whole Foods, picking up red lentils, green chili peppers, some beautiful lamb, and two juicy Meyer lemons. What was the reason for this vibrant haul? Other than needing some inspiration for dinner, I also wanted to take a quick culinary pause before we dive head first into low sodium holiday meal makeovers. Today, we’re going […]

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November 5, 2010

Running, Runny, Run

This was supposed to be a picture of a box overflowing with golden, low sodium, maple granola brittle. This was supposed to be the little treat I made to keep my friends full and fueled throughout the day on Sunday. This was supposed to be the way I thanked my superhero, Natalie Schwartz, for running her first NYC Marathon this weekend in my honor and in support of Lupus research. This turned out to be a sticky, runny mess. I guess I can now add candy making to my list of culinary talents that have yet to fully “mature.”  True […]

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October 25, 2010

Garbanzos on a Boat

This post goes out to all the moms and dads in the house. Holler parental units. With the school year well on its way, I thought it would be fun to revisit a classic lunch snack and give it a bit of a Sodium Girl makeover. Who didn’t eat Ants on a Log as a kid? Whether it was provided as fuel while hiking through Muir Woods or as a fun treat to enliven that lunch box, Ants on a Log was not only delicious, but fun to put together. It was one of the few childhood moments when you […]

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