Main Ingredient

May 8, 2012

Carrot Soup By Color

When introducing a carrot to your friends, what do you tell them? Do you begin by describing it as healthy? A betacarotene and fiber-filled vegetable? Peas’ better half? Or do you tell your best buds stories of how this wonder root likes to be the center of attention in salads and slaws; how, at times, yes, they can be loud and crunchy, but mild and gentle when the moment calls for it; and of course how they’re so flexible to your silly whims, ready for any culinary adventure you decide to throw at it. Broiling? Carrot says lets do it. […]

May 1, 2012

Low-Sodium Commandments

This is no ordinary guacamole. I know it looks like it. Creamy. Green. Ready for a salt-free chip or a spoon. But no. This is no ordinary guac. It has toasted coriander seeds and some fresh cilantro. There’s even diced jalapenos, which got into my eye and yes, stung quite a bit. But none of these ingredients are ground shaking. The real star is in there, though. Hiding, smushed, camouflaged, and bursting with surprising low-sodium flavor. Can you see it? It’s right there, between the avocado and the green onion. It’s the oven roasted zucchini. I know, I broke every […]

April 23, 2012

Low-Sodium Kimchi Umami Burger

Did you ever think you’d see all those words together in the same sentence? Well believe it. Because it’s here. The low-sodium, salt-free kimchi umami burger. A creation that takes any notion that low-sodium food has to be tasteless and boring and gives it a karate chop in the pants. But let’s back up. Because I can’t take complete credit for this tower of power. Although I did make everything — from the buns to the BBQ ketchup — by hand. Just for the record. Before these burgers landed in my kitchen, their journey began in LA, where one dude […]

April 17, 2012

Low-Sodium Brisket Taco

Life can change on a dime. One day, you’re a brisket. The next, a beef taco. But before we get to talking about either dish, there is one important truth you need to know about this particular cut of meat: Brisket can be juicy, luscious, drippy, and moist. Or it can be dry, dry, dry. So it is the sauce — along with a slooooow roast — that makes this cut of meat tender. Not to mention a perfect place to experiment in building low-sodium flavors. For a quick beef tutorial, I turned to the Pioneer Woman’s Passover Brisket recipe and […]

April 12, 2012

Low-So NOJO Avocado Salad

Picture this: The dim light of bulbs and moon beams bounces off the recently rained streets of San Francisco’s cultural axis point: Hayes Valley. And tucked away from post-Symphony rush hour and late-night staples sits NOJO, a Japanese restaurant that makes traditional cuisine with careful hands. But no California rolls. Meaning “farm,” Nojo combines the art of yakitori (things on sticks) with izakaya (traditional bar food) and of course, fresh local ingredients. Like crisp asparagus topped with pink easter radishes and a hen-fresh egg. Or chewy duck neck sprinkled with the chef’s personal stash home-dried and crushed cayenne pepper. An […]

April 6, 2012

Low-Sodium Kugel Muffins

I like making muffins. Especially out of unexpected muffin ingredients. Like risotto, meatloaf, and now, kugel. Kugel is basically Yiddish for noodle egg casserole. And while it is typically sweet and puckery — with ingredients like apple and sour cream — its basic eggy, milky base works well with savory ingredients, too. Like tons of green garlic and dill. Kugel also bakes up perfectly in a muffin tin. Fancy that. So while you can always get your kugel on in a casserole dish… Feel free to think beyond tradition. Replace those higher-sodium ingredients (cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, cheese) with […]

March 28, 2012

Low-Sodium Citrus Pasta

What do you do with a bushel of grapefruit, oranges, and lemons? If you said juice, that’s a great idea (and, yes please, I’d love a glass). If you said pasta, that’s even better (and I’ll take a whole bowl, thank you). I can’t take credit for this idea. It’s genius. I was actually served citrus pasta while dining out at one of my favorite local restaurants: Firefly. They always do me right with incredibly thoughtful, salt-free food. And this bowl of noodles proved to be no different–and, I mean, I’m talking giant soup bowl that was twice the size […]

March 22, 2012

Secret Low-Sodium White Sauce

Shhh. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. White sauce. It’s usually made of milk, cheese, butter, and other ingredients that can be full of sodium. But here’s what people don’t know. And please, try to contain your reaction as we don’t want to draw attention to this news. White sauce doesn’t need milk, cheese, or butter. (Are you sitting down?) White sauce can actually be made with one, simple ingredient: Cauliflower. Steamed cauliflower that gets pureed with a little bit of water and, if you’re feeling up to it, a head of roasted garlic. Amazingly, the result […]

March 13, 2012

Low-Sodium Nuggets for Nick Cannon

In case you missed it, there was big news in the lupus and kidney world last week. Nick Cannon, star of such films as Drumline (which I’ve watched three times in one night — thank you TBS), the host of America’s Got Talent, and hubby to Mariah Carey announced that his recent kidney troubles are due to a form of lupus that attacks the kidneys, called lupus nephritis. Sound familiar? What’s thrilling for the lupus and kidney disease communities is that Nick is so open about his diagnosis, helping raise major awareness about both conditions. But what is equally exciting […]

March 8, 2012

Low-Sodium Corn Poblano Posole

When thinking about making posole, two things may seem to pose a challenge: time and the hominy. Now the whole “time” thing really isn’t much of an issue. While this recipe may seem complicated, it really just involves sticking things (peppers, chicken, soup) in pots and pans and letting them heat and cook. There’s no risotto-like ball-and-chain action here. Once you plop those ingredients in your cooking decive, you can seriously let them do their thing. On their own. While you do yours. So as for time? We’ve got that one covered. But hominy. That’s a challenge of a different […]

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