Brunch

February 19, 2014

Crunchy Cornmeal Broccoli

For all those broccoli haters and naysayers, I’m about to seriously rock your world. And change snack time forever. FOREVER. In doing some research on how to make truly scrumptious turnip fries (this is a thing), I discovered the power of mixing vegetables with a simple cornmeal coating, thanks to the gorgeous blog My New Roots. Her “shake and bake” strategy cuts down on time and mess while increasing the crunchy coating factor. Meaning, little work and big crunchy results. And since trying this technique with turnips and baby broccoli florets, I’ve also used it to make flour and fry-free […]

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February 12, 2014

Egg in a Heart

Remember my good friend who didn’t have any special dietary needs but decided to put herself on a low-sodium diet for the month of January, just to put herself in my shoes for a little while and experience a whole new world of flavor makers? Well one thing you didn’t know was that when that friend decided to cut out salt and processed foods and embark on this routine shifting, meal changing experiment, she also started another life-altering adventure at the same time. She started dating a new dude. Yup. True story. Just as she was getting to know a […]

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January 30, 2014

Salt-Free Super Steam Buns

Happy almost Super Bowl Chinese New Year. If you’ve never celebrated before, it’s a very special time of year where people eat dumplings and chicken wings all in the same weekend. Or at least, that’s what is happening in my house. And if you’ve been on the Internet lately you’ve probably been bombarded with different recipes for dim sum, pot stickers, and egg rolls, all loaded with high sodium products (including those ready to use wrappers). Which is why I made something special for you: SUPER SALT-FREE STEAMED BUNS. All so you can celebrate, of course. First things first, I […]

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January 24, 2014

Creamy Chowder’d Corn

Friends. Let’s chat for a quick second. Whether you’re cold or have a cold (and I’m going to assume it’s one of the two right now), this chowder’d corn is just what you need. But wait, what in the what is chowder’d corn? Well I’m so glad you asked, because I cannot wait to tell you all about it. Chowder’d corn is simply frozen (or fresh) corn, blended with a little water.  It can  be used in pretty much anything from a creamy corn sauce for tacos to a creamy corn broth for chicken and mushroom soup to a creamy corn […]

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January 15, 2014

Banana Blueberry Coconut Pancakes

I’ll start with an apology as I’ve kind of gone bonkers for bananas lately. They’re just so mushy and malleable and crazy transformative when it comes to creativity in the kitchen. And I just simply cannot get enough of them lately. Of course there are banana breads and banana smoothies. But did you know that bananas can also be used as a substitute for eggs? True story. Or that with a little powdered sugar, they can become buttercream-like frosting, without the buttercream? Or that, when mixed with sugar and cinnamon, they make a delightful and sweet stand in for butter […]

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January 6, 2014

Breathing and Blueberry Banana Bread

As I kid, I  announced new career aspirations as often as the months changed. In January, I wanted to be a veterinarian. By August, an archeologist. And come October, a mermaid. So let’s just say commitments and resolutions have never been my thing. Which is why each new year, I don’t make promises. I choose mantras. A word that helps define my every move for the days and weeks to come. A word that remains the same even as plans change and life does its twisty turny thing. And this year, I picked the word BREATHE. To remind myself to […]

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November 20, 2013

Bringing Hasselback

If you asked me to choose between a baked potato and some baked french fries, I’d have a really hard time coming up with an answers. (Okay, I’d probably pick the fries). But thanks to a little technique called “hasselback” you never have to make that choice again. This is awesome. It’s a game changer. And you may just want to skip the mashed potatoes this year for this simple starchy side that delivers the comfort of mushy potatoes and crispy skin, all at the same time. To make a hasselback potatoes, you simply make cuts along the “back” of the […]

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October 9, 2013

Chinese Five Spice Quinoa Meatballs

When’s the last time you had an Chinese Quinoa Meatball? TRICK QUESTION! Because the answer is probably never, because I totally just made them up. (Please note: no official research was done to confirm this statement). So I guess the better question then is WHEN will you eat a Chinese Quinoa Meatball? Let’s just make that a resounding, SOON! Because these meatballs are the perfect metaphor for satisfying low-sodium living. They’re all about not just losing the salt and sodium, but replacing them with interesting, intriguing, and attractive tastes. Taking salty ducks and turning them into gorgeous low-sodium swans. Or […]

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September 27, 2013

Kidney Friendly Pumpkin Quesadillas

Fall. It’s the time of year that people go totally bonkers over pumpkin. Pumpkin spiced lattes. Pumpkin muffins. Pumpkin perfume. Pumpkin colored pants. Pumpkins in windows, on doorsteps, and pretty much every which way you look. Which leads me to this announcement: It’s officially gourd season, people, and we want to be a part of it. So I started thinking of new ways to get more pumpkin in my food and my life. Because as a kidney-friendly and low-sodium ingredient (both in the canned and fresh forms), it will help you spice up and switch up favorite recipes. Of course, there’s […]

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August 26, 2013

Freezing Summer: Float Pops

We learn most lessons in kindergarten: it’s kind to share, paint is for your hands, naps are essential (as are cookies and milk), and while playdough isn’t tasty, if you eat some, it won’t kill you either. But today’s pearl of wisdom hails from beyond the childhood homeroom and from  nature itself. Or bears more specifically. Beyond preventing forest fires, bears know what’s up when it comes to preparing for the winter months. As summer closes up shop, they stock up. They hoard, they save, the pluck the best of what the warm days had to offer and  make sure its […]

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