Holidays

April 17, 2012

Low-Sodium Brisket Taco

Life can change on a dime. One day, you’re a brisket. The next, a beef taco. But before we get to talking about either dish, there is one important truth you need to know about this particular cut of meat: Brisket can be juicy, luscious, drippy, and moist. Or it can be dry, dry, dry. So it is the sauce — along with a slooooow roast — that makes this cut of meat tender. Not to mention a perfect place to experiment in building low-sodium flavors. For a quick beef tutorial, I turned to the Pioneer Woman’s Passover Brisket recipe and [...]

April 6, 2012

Low-Sodium Kugel Muffins

I like making muffins. Especially out of unexpected muffin ingredients. Like risotto, meatloaf, and now, kugel. Kugel is basically Yiddish for noodle egg casserole. And while it is typically sweet and puckery — with ingredients like apple and sour cream — its basic eggy, milky base works well with savory ingredients, too. Like tons of green garlic and dill. Kugel also bakes up perfectly in a muffin tin. Fancy that. So while you can always get your kugel on in a casserole dish… Feel free to think beyond tradition. Replace those higher-sodium ingredients (cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, cheese) with [...]

April 3, 2012

Low-Sodium Matzo Cracker S’Mores

This Passover, show off a little. Pharaohs, plagues, parting red seas – it’s clear that this holiday is all about flare. Begging you to take your bag of tricks and use them to put on a show. Because even though the Passover sedar focuses on the old testament, Passover dinner can be about trying something new. Mixing things up. And making low-sodium chocolate matzo s’mores. Where did this idea come from? Call it a burning bush in a dessert…or just my wonderful sis-in-law who recently showed up at my door with a spring surprise: chocolate covered matzo crackers that she [...]

December 24, 2011

Low-Sodium Egg Nog

Warning: There is avocado in this recipe. And this is not a warning to turn around and run away from this egg nog. This is a warning that socks will be blown straight off by the creamy lusciousness that is this sodium-friendly drink. The all-natural, gluten, vegan, low-sodium wizardry comes from the bloggers at Cocomama and the only ingredients I left out were the banana (cause I didn’t have one) and the liquor (because it was 10am). But you can definitely make this drink as is. And how’s that for a Christmas miracle? Give it a literal whirl tonight, tomorrow, anytime to [...]

December 20, 2011

Low-Sodium Gifts You’ll Love

I got a hairdryer once for Channukah. I was six or ten, or some age when brattiness was still somewhat acceptable. I wanted rollerblades. And I’ve never let my parents forget my horror at opening a medium-sized, expertly-wrapped box to find not a toy, or anything with wheels, or a doll that I would stop playing with in exactly 23.7 days. But a hairdryer. Secretly, though, I now wish I received hairdryers every holiday. Well, not hairdryers exactly because that would be silly. And a lot of hairdryers. But useful items. Like a really good vacuum that is easy to [...]

December 16, 2011

Holiday Q & A

This is wild rice, pomegranate stuffing. It was my take on a recipe I found in one of these torn pages from one of many holiday-themed magazines. It was a dish that my mom specially requested for Thanksgiving. And one I happily made over for my salt-free diet. I added pickled cherries and pomegranates. Caramelized onions and fennel. And fresh apple and dill for some bite. And soon, I not only fulfilled my mother’s holiday cravings, but I had created a new recipe and tradition of my own. I want the same to be true for you and your holidays [...]

December 13, 2011

No Buttermilk, Yes Sweet Potato Biscuits

I’m a planner. When I start my day, I usually know how I want to spend every single second of it. I overstuff and jigsaw errands, work, and various activities, until everything I want to accomplish snuggly fits within the hours of daylight (and many in the dark) that I have to play with. But I’m also human. Which means my perfectly stacked agendas easily crumble to pieces when a last minute doctor’s appointment, broken lock, minor kitchen fire, or two hour wait at the social security office completely throws off the schedule. Of course, at this point in my [...]

November 28, 2011

Small Bites for Big Feasts

I am happily stuffed from Thanksgiving. But I’m far from being done with my holiday eatings. And I hope you aren’t giving up on the feasting any time soon either. Because this holiday season, I want to hit everything on your wish-list. I want to make sure all your wildest culinary dreams come, whether it is salt-free caviar or the perfect low-sodium BBQ spice blend. Or the personal butler to make you french fries any time of day or night. And while I can’t actually help you with the butler thing (sorry, backordered on Amazon), I can most definitely help [...]

November 23, 2011

Honey Five Spice Candy Apples

Before I sign off for a few days of feasting, I wanted to leave you with a sweet thought. Honey. Chinese five spice. Mini apples. They are a perfect final bite for any holiday meal. Or if you wrap them up real nice in some parchment paper, you can give them away as party favors for everyone to take home. The recipe does require some caution (hot caramel) and a candy thermometer. But other than those two warnings, it is extremely simple. And the results are extremely worth it. The original hails from natural cooking guru, Heidi Swanson, and her [...]

November 22, 2011

Salt-Free Any Holiday Recipe

This is a salt-free curry coconut gravy. That took twenty minutes to whip up. That’s a perfect substitute for saltier, meat-based gravies. That comes from a recipe I borrowed from Todd & Diane. And this Thanksgiving, I want you to do a little borrowing too. I challenge you to cook from a cookbook. From memory. Or by the smells you remember and the tastes you crave for so-and-so’s so-and-so that you look forward to eating every November. This Thanksgiving, I dare you to salt-free your favorite holiday recipes. It doesn’t matter how much cheese, bacon, brine, or store-bought, sodium-filled ingredients [...]

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