April 1, 2016

Top Low-So Ingredient Swaps

Happy April Fools Day, World!  A time to practice extreme silliness and joy, and plan a prank or two. And, in my opinion, the perfect holiday to play a little (or a lot) with your food. Because really, everyday on a low-so diet (or any diet) is a “fool” day, in which one uses creativity and fun to trick those eyeballs and those tastebuds. And trust me, if I can make vegan, low-so, and gluten-free Twinkies a reality, seriously, anything is possible. So to inspire your own edible tom-foolery — today and everyday — check out some of my favorite ingredients swaps that expertly mimic favorite foods […]

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March 25, 2016

3 Flexible Easter Feasts!

Whether or not you plan to celebrate Easter, it is a perfect time to start perfecting your brunch game. Because it is SPRING! And spring means warmer(ish) weather. And a great excuse to start gathering friends together — inside or outside — to enjoy an array of sweet and savory treats. And maybe a low-so good beet bloody Mary or two. But here’s the challenge: How do you feed a gaggle of guests all while tending to your low-so needs as well as the dietary needs of others (think: egg-free, gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30, vegetarian, etc). All while making something stunning. And not too time or budget consuming? The answer is the […]

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March 11, 2016

Eating Clean Bell Pepper Soup

Right now, I am answering emails from 2012. Yes. 2012. And I have about 200 more to go until I’ve completely cleared my inbox. This may make you nauseous. Or anxious. I know it makes me anxious. And that’s probably why I still have emails from 2012. It’s taken me a long time to get over that overwhelming hump of what’s ahead in order to dive in and tackle that electronic mountain of letters. I’ve put it off for days. Years, actually. Telling myself that I would get to it tomorrow. Or more like 2,190 tomorrows. But finally, today, I did it. Starting with the oldest. I began to […]

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February 19, 2016

Low-So Cauliflower Vegetable Bread

Kale may be a superfood. But cauliflower is a food unicorn. It’s totally magical. With the right recipe and ingredients, cauliflower can turn into a pizza crust. Or white pizza sauce. Mashed “potatoes.”  Popcorn. Rice. A steak. CHORIZO!!! Vegan macaroni and “cheese.” And even a ricotta-like situation (which I have in my new book and coming soon to theKitchn.com, but you can find a similar recipe here). Come to think of it, cauliflower is not just a unicorn; it’s a top tier impersonator. And if it could, I’m sure it would headline as Cher in Vegas. The point is, now that I’m on an even more limited […]

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February 12, 2016

Low-So Sauces

For anyone tackling a low-sodium diet for the first time, start by making sauce. Lots of sauce. From scratch. Why? Because when the fridge is full of colorful sauces, that YOU made, your food will never be without flavor. People tend to fear that low-sodium food means bland, boring food. And of course, this is not true. There are more spices on the spice rack than just salt. And beyond seasoning, it’s easy to enhance a dish just by adding texture (think: toasted nuts) or unexpected additions (think: cauliflower stuffed burgers) or smells (think: fresh mint). But there’s something about drizzling a sauce over a thick steak, […]

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January 29, 2016

Low-So Dinner Skillets

Happy 2016. And, well, also happy January to you, too. I know. It’s been weeks since I posted. And I have received some (wonderful!) emails from you concerned about my health. And of course, that I had stopped cooking. But the absolute opposite was true. I have been so focused on wellness and, YES, food, that I haven’t had a moment to write. And that’s because I’ve spent all of January tackling an anti-inflammation diet. One based on a hybrid of plans outlined in Whole30, Dr. Ann Myers The Autoimmune Solution, and Dr. Susan Blum’s The Immune System Recovery Plan. All finessed […]

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December 18, 2015

Low-So Brownies, Gifts, and Books

We are in the final weeks of holiday season, which means it is time to talk gifts. Last minute gifts. Little gifts. And in the case of today’s post, stocking gifts. Specifically, low-so good snacks that will not only stuff those big decorative socks, but more importantly, your stomach in times of hunger. There are also brownies made with black beans. But we’ll get to that. Even a year ago, finding low-sodium snacks was pretty darn impossible. There were a few brands of tortilla chips, potato chips, and rice crackers on the store shelves. As well as some granola mixes. But not much […]

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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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December 4, 2015

Super Easy Low-So Good Waffle Latkes

With the Thanksgiving turkey long gone and gobbled up, it’s time to turn our attention to the next winter holiday ahead of us. Chanukah! Or Hanukkah. Or Channanoonanookahhhhh. Because I never really learned how to spell it correctly. But beyond a rather abundant number of c’s and h’s, there’s one thing I do know a lot about when it comes to this festival of lights — you can’t have Chanukah without latkes. A crispy, fried, potato delight that usually gets smothered and shmeared with applesauce and sour cream, latkes are a staple of any Chanukah feast.  And over the years, I’ve tasted some great latkes. Some overly-oily latkes. […]

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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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