jessg23

January 13, 2010

Holy Anchovy

When my kidneys failed six years ago, and I began my low sodium diet, I assumed certain foods were permanently off the “safe food” list. Anchovies, sardines, and any other tiny fish packed in a tin can, I thought, were swimming in sodium, and while I cannot say that I ever consciously chose to eat them before my diet changed, I found myself wincing with culinary jealousy when I read about other cooks using this fishy flavor to enrich their dishes. Anchovy and herb pate, kale puttanesca, a chunky Mediterranean tapenade, a milky Cesar salad dressing, even bread – these […]

January 12, 2010

Take Home Take Out

Chinese chicken salad is to an extensive menu as “Don’t Stop Believing” is to karaoke. It is the ultimate go-to. History has proven that, without fail, you will find satisfaction with this choice. A cold bed of cabbage topped with juicy chicken, silky dressing, and those delicious crispy things. It is delicate enough to make you feel healthy, but full of savory bites so that you feel full. Now, as you’ve probably guessed, most prepared versions contain a high amount of sodium due to either the dressing, which is usually soy based, or the spice blend used to flavor the […]

January 11, 2010

Get Fresh

When it comes to people, getting “fresh” can be a turn-off. But when it comes to your produce? It’s ideal. This past weekend was a festival of fresh, and between the Noe Valley Farmer’s Market and a surprise treat at Whole Foods, I found some extraordinary vegetables that, in their fresh variety, added punch to my ordinary meals. A quick note of warning. Buying fresh versions of your favorite ingredients will generally cost you a few extra dollars and a few extra minutes. But in terms of creating memorable, healthy, and low sodium meals, the big flavors you find in […]

January 8, 2010

Dream a Little Dream Bar

This recipe for Dream Bars is care of my wonderful Nana, who I am sure pick-pocketed it from someone else, but for the sake of legacy and honor, we will just go ahead and give her full credit. The brookies (brownie cookies) make the most of baking’s basic ingredients and the extra flare of sugar-soaked coconut will transport your taste buds to a magical, tropical island in the dead of winter. They are perfectly chewy and hold up well when given a deep dunk in a glass of coconut milk. You will use one bowl, one pan, and only 40 […]

January 7, 2010

Truth In Advertising

The culprit: Dragonfly Brand Dark Soy Sauce. The problem: Up until one night ago, I was under the impression that this was an unbelievable low sodium soy sauce substitute. The well-worn, nutritional label on the bottle I own says that it only has 55 mg of sodium per 1 tablespoon. But on Temple of Thai, a site that sells the imported sauce, states that there is a whopping 510 mg of sodium per tablespoon. Curious indeed! While I clearly need to do more investigating on this particular subject, my moment of being hoodwinked reminded me of a very important topic: […]

January 6, 2010

Not Your Average Tamale: Part Two

Now that you have your carnitas filling ready to go, it is time to prepare the salsa, the masa, and the corn husks. So let’s wrap this dish up, literally, so you can get your tamale on the table and chow on. Pineapple and Serrano Chili Salsa Ingredients: 1 whole pineapple, cut into 1/4 inch cubes 3 tomatoes 2 tomatillos 2 serrano chilies 1 white onion, diced 8 cloves garlic, diced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Directions: 1. To prepare the tomatoes, wash and remove the stems. For the tomatillos, remove stems and the outer leaves and wash off the […]

January 5, 2010

Not Your Average Tamale: Part One

Here we go, everyone. We are about to embark on a journey through the creation of homemade, low sodium, high-kicking tamales. A two-part adventure filled with mouth watering photos and step-by-step instructions will whisk you off to a world where fresh herbs, roasted tomatoes, and a juicy pork butt are transformed into a decadent and edible celebration for your mouth. For those of you who have never been privy to the fun of these little steamed presents, a tamale, or tamal, is a Latin American dish that traditionally consists of corn husks filled with masa, meat, cheese, chilies, salsa, and […]

January 4, 2010

Crispy Fried Chicken

Happy new decade! I have a great feeling about this one and since I am always scheming on how to push the boundaries of low sodium cooking, I have a lot of fun low sodium projects ahead. The last weeks of 2009 were filled with a host of low sodium feasting and as promised, these next few days will be spent recapping each delicious bite: low sodium tamales, low sodium Chinese chicken salad, low sodium dream bars, low sodium gumbo. They are all coming your way and will blow your mind in due time. But to kick us off, I […]

December 28, 2009

The Squeeze

Well good morrow my low sodium friends. I hope you have all had a pleasant holiday season so far filled with low sodium treats and at least one or two fruit cakes. I have had a few noteworthy, low sodium cooking adventures myself and come the new year, I will be sharing with you tales of: low Sodium tamales low sodium Chinese chicken salad low sodium latkes low sodium lemon meringue pie and low sodium log cake (a Sodium Girl family tradition) So sit tight. After the clock strikes midnight on the 31st, Sodium Girl will be back with daily […]

December 23, 2009

Put a Lime in Your Coconut

It’s the holidays (and my birthday) which basically means I have license to stuff my face with as many sweet treats as possible. An annual chubby bunny experiment of sorts. But low sodium desserts, especially at restaurants, tend to be difficult to find. Caramel, baking powder and baking soda, salted butter… it all kind of gets in the way of a low sodium diet. But thanks to the delicious coconut, new doors of decadence have been opened. Coconut has recently been a low sodium scene stealer. Its milk (15mg of sodium per serving) makes a wonderful substitute for recipes that […]

Previous Entries

Next Entries