Entertaining

January 28, 2010

A Tale of Two Cods

One of my proudest achievements so far, as a low sodium cook, has been creating a recipe for Faux Miso-Marinated Cod. If you have never experienced the real thing, a two-day, miso/sake/mirin bath gives this already fatty fish a sweet and silky flavor that really does melt in your mouth. I personally believe it is one of the greatest ways to prepare fish. The texture is satisfying and the taste overcomes any remnants of fishy-ness that might displease your palate. It is an utterly decadent dish and as an added bonus, incredibly easy to cook. The problem? Miso contains over […]

January 25, 2010

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the Lunch Edition

Last week, I played caterer to a very special guest. Apron tied on tight, prep bowls aplenty, and a glass of white wine to keep me cool under pressure, I served a three course meal that was light, bright, and of course, low in sodium. While my companion’s identity will remain anonymous – sorry, I’m keeping this one to myself – I will share with you the secrets that made this mid-afternoon feast an easy success. I went simple, choosing recipes that I could make the evening before, that required minimal attention, and that, well, honestly, had a lot of margin […]

January 19, 2010

Soup's On

Say hello to a bowl of caramelized fennel corn chowder. It was noon thirty on Sunday and I was hungry. But it was raining, I was pretty full from breakfast, and what I really needed to focus on was cleaning the house. Never a good sign when your feet turn dusty gray from walking around barefoot. So I did what I always do when I want something healthy, light, and quick to eat. I made soup. But I’m not talking pour-it-from-a-can, chunky chicken and wimpy noodle soup. I’m talking about a delicate, earthy soup that is complex in flavor and […]

January 18, 2010

Couscous, Sunny Side Up

First off, a gigantic thank you to Sodium Girl readers for passing on the link to Friday’s post. A big ‘ol check for $300 smackaroos is being sent off this afternoon to help recovery efforts in Haiti. And while I wish Ed Macmahon could be the one handing it over to the Red Cross, I think we can all be quite proud of participating in this necessary call-to-action. Now that our hearts are filled by good deeds, it is time to fill our tummies with good food. This rainy California weather demands something hearty and warm and this dish is […]

January 14, 2010

Holly Holly Hollandaise

Happy Semi-Hump Day (just two more afternoons to go until the weekend) and a special thank you to those readers who wrote in their votes for this morning’s post. The winner, of course, was the perfectly poached Eggs Benedict that Mom whipped up during Stanford’s bowl game on New Year’s Eve. The origin of this dish is still a mystery. Multiple people and places have been accredited for its creation, from a special order by a hungry (and demanding) patron at the Waldorf Hotel circa 1894, to a traditional French cuisine named œufs bénédictine, consisting of a toasted piece of […]

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 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 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 […]

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