Sauces

December 18, 2013

Southwestern Quinoa Bowl

Right now, the world is filled with caramels, fruit loafs, chocolate covered what-nots, and sugar plum fairies. Everywhere I look, I see sweets and breads and sweet breads. And I’m definitely not complaining about this. It’s my favorite time of year and I enjoy every bite of it. But since the holidays bring with them a major candy and carb rush, it’s nice to find some balance in between all the parties and glasses of bubbles. And by balance I mean a Southwestern Quinoa Bowl, complete with homemade BBQ dressing. And blue corn chips. Yep, balance. It’s a lighter, healthier, more […]

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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 […]

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November 8, 2013

Weekend Obsessions 11.08.13

This week’s theme: try it. We are three weeks out until my favorite day of the year, aka Thanksgiving. Usually, on this holy of holy food days, by the time dinner is finally served I’m so stuffed with stuffing and soup and tastes of turkey drippings (don’t judge) that I can barely finish my plate. But somehow I usually manage to finish two. Because did you hear what I said? Favorite. Day. Of. The. Year. Just wait a minute, though. Could things get better? By golly they could. Because on top of gravy and mashed potatoes and yes, turkey drippings, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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November 21, 2012

Grateful for Lentil Gravy

There’s so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. No-salt added sweet potato chips. Low-sodium swiss cheese. Chocolate. The fact that kale and banana smoothies may look gross, but actually taste really good. And after today, you can add low-sodium lentil gravy to that list. Like the kale banana smoothie, you may be nervous to try this recipe. I can understand that. If you haven’t eaten lentils lately (or have had a bad experience with them in the past), you probably think these legumes are mushy and flavorless. But you’re only half right. Yes, they can be mushy…and that’s why […]

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November 14, 2012

Low-Sodium Thanksgiving: Sides

Here’s the quick and tasty: when losing the salt over the holidays, it doesn’t mean you’re burdened with bland meals. Instead, it means you have the opportunity (and duty!) to really stretch the classics and bring your favorite dishes to life with surprising flavors, exciting pairings, colorful twists. So over the next week, I’m going to do my best to stuff you full of low-sodium Thanksgiving tips. Keep an eye on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook for my favorite bites from the past and my new tricks for this year. And check back here often for recipes that will keep your […]

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June 12, 2012

Low-Sodium Asian Slaw & Spareribs

I know it’s Father’s day this weekend. But I want to talk about grandparents. My grandparents. Nana and Papa. Yeah, they were as adorable as they sound. Their house was filled with knick knacks and chachkis from around the world. Shoots and Ladders. Tons of crossword puzzles. Books by Shell Silverstein. PBS programming. Origami paper and party hats for crafting. And re-crafting. And then fashion shows for everyone after dinner. The kitchen was filled with Hansen’s soda (because it was natural). The smell of toasted wheat bread. And a rotating schedule of cornflake crusted chicken parmesan and some other chicken dish […]

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February 23, 2012

2012 Love Your Heart Recipe Rally

Let’s begin with the facts and the numbers, because that’s 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 more than the recommended daily intake of sodium, averaging over 3,300mg (and if you really consider the soy-sauced sushi, chorizo burrito, and milk swamped cereal…that number clilmbs even higher) More than 800,000 […]

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February 21, 2012

Salt-Free, Hand-Mixed Worcestershire

Here’s a fun fact: Majoratively. It’s not a real word. I know, I just found that out too. And I’ve been using it for a long time. A very long time. And you know what? I have no intent of stopping. Because there are a lot of weird words already out there that have been deemed “usable” and “real” and “in the dictionary.” February? Raspberry? Library? Are you serious, Webster? So, yeah. I’m keeping majoratively and I’ll use it whenever I want. And as for things like worcestershire, which I can hardly spell let alone say, I’m going to stick […]

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