Veggies

September 5, 2014

Low-So Broccoli Tater Tots

You may be skeptical, you may be amazed. But either way, behold the broccoli tater tot! (I think I just won motherhood) But before we get into specifics, let me explain something: I’m not a believer of “hiding” vegetables from my daughter or a green-fearing person of any age. But I sure do love the idea of stuffing vegetables in really yummy things, wherever and however possible. Like tater tots. Everybody loves tater tots. This is not up for discussion. And recently I’ve found that broccoli can do a lot more than steam and turn into mush. It makes a great pesto. I love it chopped and […]

July 26, 2014

Blistered Bean and Nectarine Salad

Peas and carrots. Rice and beans. Peanut butter and jelly. Just like Hollywood and history books, the food world has its own set of iconic duos. And if you’re looking to play matchmaker in your own kitchen, you need look no further than what’s in season. Right now, stone fruit and beans (of the green, cranberry, and yellow wax variety) are taking over the market. They are, as you might say in the tabloids, “hot items.” And while they might seem like a totally odd couple at first glance, they actually work beautifully together; the crunch of the beans balancing […]

June 13, 2014

Salt-Free Chunky Carrot Dressing

Carrots aren’t just for rabbits. Or dips. Or stews. Or over-steaming in microwaves. Fresh carrots are a thing of beauty. They actually come in a rainbow of colors, which will easily jazz up a raw veggie party platter. And they are pretty much “in season” all year long. Which you can’t say for asparagus or cherries or white pants. Best of all, carrots are higher in natural sodium than most whole ingredients. It charts in at 50mg per large carrot. Seriously. Take a look at a bottle of carrot juice the next time you’re at the market. Which is why they […]

May 29, 2014

Cauliflower Rice and Corn Salad

Hold your lunch, things are about to change. Forever. I recently discovered the wonders of cauliflower rice, a darling of Paleo, raw, and vegetarian diets alike. And now, a darling of mine too. It’s a super creative solution for grain-free versions of things like sushi rice or couscous tabbouleh. You know, things like that. And while I was skeptical at first, after giving it a cauliflower rice salad try, I’ve become seriously obsessed. Not just because it is easy and surprisingly filling. But also because, once you ‘ve made it, there are so many ways you can use it. And note: even though […]

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 […]

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 […]

November 25, 2013

Thanksgiving Obsessions

I hope you’re wearing a loose pair of pants right now because I’m about to STUFF you full of Thanksgiving ideas, tips, and yes, some turkey. We are four days away from the big day, people. So it’s time to get seriously serious about all this holiday cooking stuff. But before we get to mashed potatoes and brine-free birds, I want to pass forward this piece of wisdom. To make the best Thanksgiving feast of your life, you only need to do one simple thing: MAKE WHAT YOU WANT. It’s that easy. Forget about recreating the soggy green beans and […]

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 […]

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 […]

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