Lunch (at home)

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, […]

July 19, 2013

Salad Party

I’m seriously horrible at breaking up. Always was, always will be. I avoid it at all costs and just the thought of having to do it makes me break out into a sweat. Sorry for over sharing. But when it came to salads, I didn’t give it a second thought. For years, I cut salads completely out of my life and I never looked back. I was over them. And that’s because, for me and my salt-free way of eating, salads always proved disappointing. They were bland. They were underwhelming. They were all I could ever get to eat when […]

June 21, 2013

Greek Yogurt Egg Salad

I never understood why tea was for two. I mean, it’s fabulous to have one-on-one time with a special friend. But if I’m making tea (or cocktails) you better believe the more is always the merrier. And summer seems to be filled with these kinds of last minute get togethers. Whether it is a beautiful sunny day and you skip work for a picnic in the park. Or have breakfast plans for a few that quickly turns into brunch for many. Needless to say, I’m the queen of over-inviting and finding reasons to rally people around my table (or bar). […]

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 […]

June 8, 2013

Pork and Pinto Chilaquiles

I eat a lot of beans. Is that weird? And until recently, I have been known to eat them pretty much the same way, every time, as chili. It’s my go-to, I-don’t-have-time-to-cook-a-real-meal meal. It’s easy and delicious and terribly filling. And that’s where my bean (slash, chili) obsession came from. So there’s that. But then I stumbled upon an issue of Eating Well magazine and I realized that beans could be so much more than slowly cooked legumes. They could swim with tortillas and even a bean poached egg. They could get topped with cool Greek yogurt and bright green […]

May 24, 2013

Root and Fruit Salad

It’s that time of year for potato salads. (Can I get an amen!?) It’s that time for potato salads and picnics. Potato salads and BBQs. Potato salads for long lunches in the park. Potato salads for hot days at the beach. Potato salads for breakfast. Don’t judge. It’s time for potato salads and this Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to give you a very special version to try. One that celebrates the freedom to make this classic dish without globs of mayonnaise or lots of potato skin peeling or even any hot steaming. Or even potatoes for that matter, if […]

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 […]

September 12, 2012

Joy Bauer and Low-Sodium Lo Mein

When it comes to healthy eating, do you know who’s the boss? Joy Bauer. This little package of high energy and healthy eating advice knows the ins and outs of the foods we love to eat. And in her new series, “What the Heck,” made in partnership with Everyday Health, she’s exposing the good, the bad, and the better choices. From fro yo to hot dogs. While her videos are not salt-intake specific, you’ll be surprised how often sodium makes an appearance. And how much of it ends up in processed foods. Plus, it never hurts to brush up on other […]

August 29, 2012

Salt-Free Bloody Mary Soup

Let’s talk about backpacks for a moment. Before there were backpacks there were bags. A newfangled way to tote your stuff around, whether in a nifty sack that one would tie on a stick or sling over their shoulder. There were purses and murses, brief cases and satchels. But no matter the name or design, the point was the same: bags were the coolest. Then someone decided to do something different. Some dude or dudette looked at that bag and thought to give it a twist. And by twist, I mean straps. Two straps. That fit over both shoulders. Hanging […]

July 25, 2012

Baked Grapes, An Olive Alternative

I read books. As long as you count Fifty Shades of Grey. But my preference for literature lies strongly in culinary novels. Of every kind. Cookbooks, blogs, and most definitely magazines. And yesterday, I splurged. I bought four food glossies and spent an afternoon poring over every word. Every recipe. Every picture. And then I found this: Baked grapes. I thought my pickled cherries were a snazzy party trick. But man, Sunset magazine really raised the bar for olive substitutions. And when you pull these out at your next cocktail night or brunch with friends, you too will set a […]

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