Main Ingredient

April 4, 2014

Low-Sodium Croque Madame

Today, we head to France. In first grade, I got to choose between Spanish or French classes. This was at a moment in my life where I had just learned to tie my own shoes and ride a bike. But was still totally dependent on my elders when it came to things like bathing, eating, and pretty much getting anywhere besides my front driveway. And it was at this exact moment, when I barely started to scratch the surface of big things to come, that I was given the great responsibility of choosing a foreign language. A choice that would […]

April 2, 2014

Low-Sodium Coconut Cinnamon Ice Cream

Plug your ears, because everyone is about to scream for ice cream. Something happened last week. I baked a batch of botched gingersnap cookies, which I promptly turned into crumbs with the help of a plastic bag and a heavy pan. I then made those crumbs into a pie crust (which also resulted in a major baking fail). And then, after all of that, I decided to make ice cream. Without dairy. Without an ice cream maker. Without having ever done it before. Now before I go on to tell you about this ice cream, let me tell you a […]

March 26, 2014

Falafel Wraps

There are two big lessons that I want to impart to you today: first, cabbage makes an amazing, low-sodium pita replacements and second, cooking with dried chickpeas is kind of amazingly more amazing than using the canned kind. Now I’m all for convenience. Trust me on this. I’ll happily buy peeled garlic, no-salt-added canned tomatoes, and pre-mixed no-salt spice blends. Anything that makes me low-sodium life and cooking easier. And when it comes to beans, I’ve never, I repeat, NEVER used the dried kind. I always rely on the trusty no-salt-added pre-cooked version and a can opener. But yesterday, I […]

March 14, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 3.14.2014

Are we finally transitioning from winter to spring? I think I actually got a little sun kissed yesterday. Nothing inappropriate, just a peck. Here in San Francisco I’m down to one light jacket versus a knit cap and multi-layers. And I’m craving things like fresh fish tacos and a glass of rose instead of hot rice porridge and a warm bath. And if it really is true that the frost is starting to melt away, then it also means we are moving from months of root vegetables into months of peas and sun chokes and Padrón peppers and then, at long […]

March 7, 2014

Strawberry Obsessions 3.7.14

This will not be shocking news to anyone who is a longtime reader, but I am pretty hopeless when it comes to baking. I mean, I get anxious just thinking about cupcakes. The words “baking powder” and “baking soda” make me dizzy. And my hands sweat at the notion of making something sweet for a loved one. Unless that something is a meatloaf muffin — yeah, that happened. But a three layered cake? You’ve got to be kidding me. The way I see it (slash, explain my lack of skills in this area) is that I am plain awful at baking […]

March 5, 2014

To-Go Tostada

Let’s talk about work lunches. A subject fraught with fear over soggy sandwiches, gloppy noodles, and smelly leftovers. And the reason most people ditch the paper bag for quick take-out or plastic wrapped food instead. Luckily, though, a lot of people have tackled the problems of a work, afternoon meal. Bringing more flavor, more options, and more whole foods to the desk (whether it is beef lettuce wraps or using last night’s dinner party spread for a creamy meat sandwich). But for those on a low-sodium diet, making a simple, satisfying, and packable snack still poses a challenge. And it […]

February 26, 2014

Low-Sodium Faking Bacon

Heart Health Month is coming to a close. And so I thought there’s no better way to celebrate these few weeks of good health and good choices than to talk about salt-free, low-sodium bacon. Wait, what? Now I know that high-fat, high-calorie, high-sodium bacon is usually on the “don’t you touch that!” list for people watching their weight and cholesterol and overall health. And especially in light of the dramatic childhood obesity shift (did you read about this), I do feel a pang of guilt even promoting eating pork belly, i.e. one fatty cut of meat. But here’s the thing. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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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