Dinner Parties

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 […]

September 9, 2013

Baked Tofu Fries

I’m actually going on a vacation. A real life break from real life (kind of). And I can’t wait to tell you all about when I return. But in the meantime I’m leaving you with a Bon Voyage pre-vacation souvenir. I call them Tofu Fries and I really think you should give them a go while I’m gone. They’re really easy to make. Super low-sodium, as long as you make sure your firm tofu contains 0 to 15mg of sodium. And they’re completely addictive so don’t say I didn’t warn you. And apparently Mark Bittman loves them too because a […]

August 30, 2013

Bake-less Low-Sodium “Cheese” Cake

Cheating as a kid is bad. I think I did it once and I’m pretty sure it didn’t make me feel very good. But when you enter adulthood, the rules totally start bending. And “cheating” a bit to make life’s to-do list a little easier, faster, and mostly easier starts being a good thing. And whether you call it cutting corners or life hacking or dry shampoo — taking a short cut every now and then is always acceptable, often genius, and when it comes to overcoming dietary challenges, totally necessary. So let’s do it. Let’s cheat on cheesecake. And let’s […]

August 9, 2013

Zucchini Tortilla Bites

There are exactly three things I am super good at: 1) putting two words together to make one new word; 2) feeding friends during spontaneous gatherings, and 3) finding awesome substitutes for high-sodium ingredients. And low and behold, all three of these highly-useful talents have finally come together in one small bite of food. The Zucchini Tortilla Bite. It’s a snappetizer (snappy appetizer) that can be easily thrown together when unexpected guests arrive, wowing everyone with the pure geniusness (and tastiness) of stringy, melty zucchini used in place of salty cheese. So I’m going to keep it short and spicy this […]

July 25, 2013

Salt-Free DIY Dumplings

You better believe that a little soy sauce wouldn’t stop me from DIYing one of the most enviable bites around town: dumplings. Because if you’re like me, your relatives LOVE dim sum and as a result, you’ve spent a lot of time soaking in the sights and smells of these savory Asian bites. Dreaming of having a pile of salt-free dumplings to call your own. I’ve spent years now waiting, watching, and researching all in the name of recreating these tastes at home. And recently, thanks to one of my favorite food site, theKitchn.com (if you don’t go there regularly, […]

June 14, 2013

Strawberries for Papa

Last week, I got a sweet treat: two days of frolicking in the strawberry fields of Carmel Valley care of California Strawberries. I called it my summer straw-cation. And I know. Is this real life? Turns out, it is. And yes, I wore strawberry pink pants. Obviously. From the fields to the bar to the dinner table, this “work” trip was all about strawberries all day long. We met multi-generational farmers, toured strawberry chilling facilities, stood inside huge strawberry trucks, and even had a strawberry “Iron-chef-like” smack down (which my team won, salt-free, NBD). And while I learned some really […]

April 24, 2013

Quinoa Crusted Chicken

Let’s just get this out of the way. Wiener Schnitzel. (God bless you). It’s a silly name for a pretty simple dish: veal cutlets, pounded until they are Kate Moss skinny, dipped in egg and seasoned bread crumbs, and fried until golden brown. Because the meat is so thin, they cook up real quick. And because the outer layer is so crispy, they disappear real fast too. Which in my book equals a recipe for happy hosts and happier guests. And explains why this fried meat treat is the national dish of Austria — well done, Austria. But how do we […]

April 12, 2013

Creamy Sweets & Grits

This post has been a long time coming. Thank you for being patient. I promise, by the end of this short intro, you’ll be happy. Shrimps and grits. It’s been requested a few times. Times a hundred. And while I’ve know all along that I could conquer this high sodium recipe — with its typical cheese and shrimps and salty spices — I wanted to do it perfectly. Without the shrimps. Without the cheese. And without the sodium. But with all the creamy, smoky, succulent flavors that you’re looking for. I wanted to create something that would not only satisfy […]

March 1, 2013

Eat, Meet, Write

I’m overwhelmed. Not in the stressy way. But in the “oh my god this is what makes life so grand” kind of way. Because over the last two weeks, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet so many of you out there in the blogosphere. I’ve heard your stories. We’ve swapped low-sodium recipes. We’ve even had a hug or two hundred. And I’m blown away by the amazing low-sodium community that exists. And they waves that, together, we are creating in the culinary and health world. We’re changing the look of salt-free food, people. And things are only going to […]

February 11, 2013

2013 Love Your Heart Recipe Rally

Let’s begin with the facts and the numbers, because that’s always a very good place to start: The recommended daily sodium intake for a healthy American is 2,300mg, which equals 1 teaspoon of salt The recommended daily sodium intake for over 50% of adults (due to health problems, age, and other needs) is 1,500mg, which equals just over 1/2 teaspoon of salt Nine out of 10 Americans (that’s 90%) eat almost double the recommended daily intake, averaging over 3,500mg per day (and if you really consider the soy-sauced sushi, chorizo burrito, and milk swamped cereal…that number climbs even higher and adds […]

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