Snacks

August 15, 2014

Quick Cracker Hack

I will never forget how I felt when I discovered my first bag of salt-free potato chips. It was a low-sodium snacking revelation! Then came salt-free tortilla chips, beet and sweet potato chips, and finally, salt-free rice crackers. All products that increasingly improved my ability to stay fueled and well appetize’d throughout the day and evening. But what about feeding others? Most of the time, my guests were surprisingly pleased with the taste and texture of these salt-free options. Many starting to opt for the salt-free versions. But as for the flavor options — well, they all fell to the blander […]

continue reading
April 18, 2014

Matzo-Tizers & Rocky Matzo Road

I promise we’re almost done with matzo makeovers. But seriously, matzo is one incredible low-sodium ingredient that can go from breakfast to dinner, from snacks to sweets. And I just can’t help myself. It is just so fun to play with them. So this weekend, when you find yourself with only minutes to prepare something wow-worthy for Eastover brunches and  sunny picnics (please, lord, let it be sunny), try these two easy matzo non-recipes. The first is the mighty Matzo-Tizer, aka matzo crackers covered in delicious things. You can spread the matzo with avocado, yogurt, or my favorite, a smashed […]

continue reading
March 12, 2014

Low-Sodium Turnip Tots

Sometimes good things happen to old vegetables. Like these baby turnips that were sadly wilting away in my refrigerator, getting mushier with every passing day that they were ignored for things like kale and ground pork and life in general. But as I was about to throw them towards their composite demise, I realized that the softened texture and small round size made for the perfect tater tot substitute. And suddenly, these aging baby turnips were given a bright new future. Once again, a little olive oil and cornmeal give these vegetables some appealing crunch. Any spice mix will help […]

continue reading
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 […]

continue reading
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 […]

continue reading
September 27, 2013

Kidney Friendly Pumpkin Quesadillas

Fall. It’s the time of year that people go totally bonkers over pumpkin. Pumpkin spiced lattes. Pumpkin muffins. Pumpkin perfume. Pumpkin colored pants. Pumpkins in windows, on doorsteps, and pretty much every which way you look. Which leads me to this announcement: It’s officially gourd season, people, and we want to be a part of it. So I started thinking of new ways to get more pumpkin in my food and my life. Because as a kidney-friendly and low-sodium ingredient (both in the canned and fresh forms), it will help you spice up and switch up favorite recipes. Of course, there’s […]

continue reading
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 […]

continue reading
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 […]

continue reading
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 […]

continue reading
February 11, 2013

Pigs In Salt-Free Blankets

I’m not going to waste much time here, because we have some little piggies who are cold and need to be wrapped in blankets. STAT. But I will take a moment to explain why I decided to makeover this little party treat. Between the piggy (mini hot dogs) and the blankets (prepared croissant rolls), one serving can equal over 1,760mg of sodium, more than the 1,500mg daily recommended intake for most Americans. And you haven’t even added in ketchup and other dipping sauces. Not to mention that these are appetizers, which means there is a whole sodium-filled meal waiting to be consumed […]

continue reading