Dinner

December 11, 2015

Low-So Sweet Potato Fish Cakes

When my health takes a dip, the first thing I look to is the cabinet. But not the one you think. Not the one with pills and bandaids and hot water bottles. The cabinet I’m thinking of is full of spices and grains and all the things I can put on my plate and into my body. I’m talking about food. Because that’s my favorite kind of medicine. If you’re a regular reader, you may have noticed that I’ve been a bit more absent this year and that’s because, well, my body kind of had it with me. After almost 11 full years of post-Lupus-attack-survival […]

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November 19, 2015

Low-So Good Thanksgiving Roundup

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I repeat: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. That’s because it marks the start of “snuggle” season, where the air gets cooler. The neighborhood gets covered in lights. The music on the radio changes from Top 40 to jingle bells. Evenings get filled with alternating smells of squash soup and cinnamon. And, as for the holiday itself, the home and the table gets filled with tradition, memories, and family and friends. But if you’re on a low-so or really ANY kind of special diet, holiday season may give you both stress and indigestion. And that’s because so […]

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September 25, 2015

Low-So Crispy Mushroom Bits

This lesson starts with bacon bits. The crispy, crumbly pieces of cooked pork product that people (i.e. me) love/loved to pour on top of everything from wedge salads to creamy soups. Maybe even ice cream. And beyond big bursts of bacon flavor, these savory sprinkles add texture to “softer” foods, giving you something to crunch.  But as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, they also tend to add a lot of sodium; about 200mg per 7g serving (or a few teaspoons). And that’s because bacon bits are (surprise!) super processed and mostly made from cured, salted bacon. Of course, I’ve found a few low-so […]

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July 16, 2015

Low-So Grilled Party Kebabs

Oh, hey! We are entering yet another summer weekend. Which means another excuse to heat up that BBQ. And today, I want to talk about skewers. Or kebabs. Or whatever you want to call grilled food on a stick. Because these finger foods make for an easy canvass to play with big flavors and bright colors. Which means an easily adaptable feast that will please both low-so and non-low-so guests. And let’s face it, will show that BBQ’s don’t have to just be about burgers and buns. Last year, I did a project for my good friends at Mrs. Dash to […]

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March 17, 2015

Low-So Green Sauces

Pardon the interruption of Salt-Free Salt month. But I though, it being St. Patty’s day and all, I’d bring you something green. Well two things: First, my Low-So Spinach Sauce. And then, my Kale Pesto French Toast. They are both superhero condiments of edible proportions. So let’s start with spinach. I love this sauce not just for it’s velvety texture. Nor its tangy taste. Nor the fact that you can sneak in a whole load of vegetables into your next pasta, salad, or steak dinner. What I love so much about this sauce (or dressing, depending on how you use it) is that it uses spinach. […]

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February 27, 2015

Cauliflower Chorizo and Pork Chorizo

We are at the very end of our low-so bacon and sausage month. And what better way to celebrate another four weeks of incredible low-so-good makeovers than to make chorizo two ways. One with traditional pork. And the second with mind-blowing cauliflower. BOOM. But before we get to the recipes, let me say a few words about what we learned this past February. We learned that making salt-free bacon is not only possible, but really easy. We learned that making salt-free sausage at home is not only possible, but again, really easy. And we learned that with the right salt-free spices and […]

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February 13, 2015

Low-Sodium Homemade Sausage

Two things stand between your love of sausage and your low-so diet. One, the salted casings and two, the salty brines or cures or just plain salt used in the stuffing. So pretty much, the whole shebang. But hold up. Because there are a few, easy, non-salty solutions to this sausage dilemma. Meaning, yes, you can still enjoy your sausage fix by making it at home. Without the salt. And with a ton of flavor. The first step is to make fresh sausage versus cured (or “hard”) sausage. This basically means you will use fresh meat, grind it, stuff, it and, then […]

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January 30, 2015

Low-So Boule, Challah, Challah Buns

I love my daughter’s preschool. But there are two stand-out reasons why it has changed my life: 1) they are helping me potty train a toddler and 2) they make fresh challah every Thursday. Not at the same time. As we’ve been discussing all month, bread can seem like a big low-sodium challenge. The store-bought loaves can equal upwards of 200mg per slice. And because we tend to eat a lot of bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, those numbers can really add up. But with many low-sodium products on the shelves and many more creative low-sodium swaps at your fingertips, you now know how […]

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November 24, 2014

Roasted Lamb Thanksgiving Roundup

Alright friends. Get ready for a roundup of Thanksgiving dishes that is going to be bigger than last year’s 26-pound turkey. Hint: anytime you see anything bolded in orange, that is a link to a recipe or tips. So click away for total Thanksgiving domination. But before we jump into the lentil gravy boat (see how I did that?) and talk stuffing, sides, and other non-traditional dishes, let me say this about this year’s low-sodium holiday feast: break tradition. I give you permission. It’s the easiest way to free yourself from the salty brines and canned soups, and create a whole new […]

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September 16, 2014

Whole Foods Market Hack Challenge

Yesterday I expressed my love (obsession) for Whole Foods Market. And today, I am going to show you — in great detail and delicious food — exactly why their store rocks my low-sodium world. As a part of the Whole Foods Market Hacks challenge, I was tasked with the task of creating TWO MEALS A DAY to feed the THREE MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY all for $125. Or in other words roughly 42 PLATES OF FOOD FOR $3 DOLLARS EACH. Got that? And let’s be honest, while I keep to a strict low-sodium diet, I do not keep to small (slash: normal) portion sizes. Sometimes I eat steak the size of my […]

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