Effort

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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April 11, 2014

Salt-Free Matzoh Nachos and Crackers

It’s that time of year when matzoh makes its way to the main market aisles (not hidden in the “ethnic food section”). And while the rest of the world may associate matzoh with Passover, matzoh ball soup, and a vehicle for eating bowls of charoset, us low-sodium folks know matzoh is one of the greatest tools for a creative salt-free kitchen. That’s because most matzoh, unless seasoned, contains zer0 milligrams of sodium (zer-OMG!). And whether you use them for to scoop up your egg salad, as an open-faced sandwich, as bread crumbs, or a pie crust, and even as a […]

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April 4, 2014

Low-Sodium Croque Madame

Today, we head to France. In first grade, I  got to choose between Spanish or French classes. This was at a moment in my life where I had just learned to tie my own shoes and ride a bike. But was still totally dependent on my elders when it came to things like bathing, eating, and pretty much getting anywhere besides my front driveway. And it was at this exact moment, when I barely started to scratch the surface of big things to come, that I was  given the great responsibility of choosing a foreign language. A choice that would […]

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April 2, 2014

Low-Sodium Coconut Cinnamon Ice Cream

Plug your ears, because everyone is about to scream for ice cream. Something happened last week. I baked a batch of botched gingersnap cookies, which I promptly turned into crumbs with the help of a plastic bag and a heavy pan. I then made those crumbs into a pie crust (which also resulted in a major baking fail). And then, after all of that, I decided to make ice cream. Without dairy. Without an ice cream maker. Without having ever done it before. Now before I go on to tell you about this ice cream, let me tell you a […]

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March 28, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 3.28.2014

Oh hot damn! Savory salt-free mini tarts. Homemade. Real deal. Let’s talk about it. If you’re like me you live at coffee shops. And while you love your cup of joe, you eye those golden pastries, nestled in the glass shelves, with longing. Maybe sometimes you sneak in a bite (no judgement – if no one sees you, it doesn’t count). But your low-sodium ways keep you from ordering the puffs and popovers and muffins and glazed thingamajigs. Sigh. Now if you’ve read this blog for a while, you know what I’m about to say – make them at home! […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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