Meal

December 23, 2010

Hot Holiday Tamales – Part Dos

Right in time for Christmas Eve (and in advance for New Year’s Day), here is the second part of the low sodium tamale making process – the corn husk wrapping. Get ready to rock and roll up these meaty poppers, and because you’re on the low sodium “good list,” I’ll throw in a few extra dips and sides to give your taste buds something to sing (on high) about. Happy holidays to you and yours, and remember, be merry, by thankful, and be full. Chow on.   PINEAPPLE and CHILI SALSA Ingredients: 1 whole pineapple, cut into 1/4 inch cubes […]

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December 14, 2010

Green Bundles of Joy

For those of you who have read this blog for a while, you know about my tumultuous relationship with bacon. I live for the stuff and as a child, weekends and Sunday mornings (before going to temple – isn’t that ironic) were synonymous with the smell of bacon. Even though I had to give the salty-stuff up, I still find myself craving the crisp bite and smoky flavors that define this breakfast treat and for the past few years, I have been determined to find a low sodium substitute. I even went so far as to try and cure it […]

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December 8, 2010

Pâté Cake, Pâté Cake

Lately I’ve been reading Good Meat, by Deborah Krasner. Part text book, part cook book, Krasner implores readers to give sustainable meat a try and provides the advice, resources, and techniques that will make the culinary adventure worth it. When I say sustainable meat, I am talking about buying lamb, duck, beef, and poultry in their quarter, half, or full state – not just the the pre-cut packages of ribs, legs, and thighs we are accustomed to. She enthusiastically shares the joys of eating shoulders, loins, and even offal as well as the recipes needed to master these more unfamiliar […]

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November 17, 2010

Salt Free My Recipe: Pecan Pie

For two days in a row now, I’ve had pie for breakfast. Sorry I’m not sorry. And sorry I don’t fit into my pants. But as someone that rarely enjoys the lusciousness of baked goods, I’ve been digging into my latest creation with abandon. Pecan pie. There are two things about this gooey holiday dessert that usually deter me from eating it. First, there are the pecans. I happen to not only be on a low sodium diet, but also quite allergic to nuts. Fun. And second, there’s the corn syrup, which (surprisingly) happens to be high in sodium – […]

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November 12, 2010

Dinner in Delhi

Well, without an ounce of modesty, I have to say that this first foray into Indian cooking was a big success. Yes, the beef could have been slow-cooked for the entire day in order to achieve a truly melt-in-your-mouth texture. And of course the spices could have all been measured with more precision and toasted for deeper flavor. But all in all, with sixty minutes, some simple instructions, and spices from my cabinet (and not a specialty store), I think I accomplished something that comes close to what you’d find at your favorite neighborhood Indian takeout restaurant, with healthier ingredients […]

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October 28, 2010

A Pumpkin in the Oven

Last weekend was filled with one huge celebration after another. It was homecoming,my friends got engaged, and five years out of college…we are having our first baby! And by we, I don’t mean my manfriend and I, but my friend Dyani, her husband, and the rest of our girl gang. Baby doesn’t know it yet, but he has ten moms. Lucky boy. So to ring in the little muffin, we decided to take over our sorority house (sorry ladies and thanks for the punch) and throw Dyani a proper shower. And by proper I mean cakes made from diapers (see […]

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October 27, 2010

Salt-Free My Recipe: Mama's Enchiladas

A few weeks ago, I received the following, lovely letter from Sodium Girl reader Cindra Fox: Dear Sodium Girl, I’m on a low-sodium diet to prevent complications from migraines. I’ve been on it for over a year now and have found a whole new world of food and flavor that I ignored back when I could just grab a burger at the closest drive-through. What I miss the most, though, is Mom’s famous enchiladas. I’m half-Mexican and we would make these at least once a week. Now it’s been over a year since I’ve had them. But here’s the catch: […]

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October 21, 2010

Sunchoke Salutations

Happy Thursday everyone! Yes, I know that it is odd to see a post from me today but I have to make up for my lack of one yesterday. I apologize for the delay – I was preoccupied with doctor visits and as much as I wanted to talk about the delicious dish you see above, I just didn’t have the time. Excuses, excuses. But this morning, I do. And as I am hopped up on ample cups of caffeine – thank goodness coffee is sodium free – I’m ready to dig into the long-awaited recipe for sunchoke hash. Before […]

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September 13, 2010

Spice-Rubbed Cob

It’s Corn Week over here at Sodium Girl and to start off this Monday and ramp up this corn fest, I thought it wise to begin with something simple in order to (a) get our corny juices flowing and (b) give me time to actually wake up – I am only two sips deep into my sodium-free coffee and I feel it would be dangerous to talk about anything that requires heavy lifting or sharp knives. As I described last week, my first foray into corn was eating it in its most traditional form – on the cob. My dad […]

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August 13, 2010

Take Your Tops Off

I apologize for getting a bit frisky this Friday morning. It’s just that last night I discovered something novel, something exciting, something that even some might call brilliant. While making a fresh batch of potato leek soup (sweet butter + leek +  potato + blender), I was left with a bunch of hard, green leek tops. Unless you want some sort of Dr. Seuss-ish soup, it is best to only use the white parts of the leek and put the darker green parts to the side. But right there is the big dilemma. What do you do with the discarded […]

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