Type

March 29, 2010

Morocco Had a Little Lamb

Let’s kick off this week with a simple dish that features one of Spring’s finest cuts of meat: lamb. As an “appetizer” for our Moroccan Feast, we decided to begin with something light. Which in my world translates into a lamb stew cooked in orange juice, mint, and a bevy of other spices. Served, of course, with a cool cucumber and yogurt salad. It’s a palette cleanser fit for vikings. The trick, to making the lamb as succulent as it sounds, lies in two key steps: (1) marination and (2) slow cooking. So this recipe does take patience, but little […]

March 23, 2010

Risotto Cakes

I am sucker for texture. As a low sodium cook, it is essential to trick the senses with an unusual spice or unexpected crisp. When someone is overcome by food that is exciting, they do not have the time to miss the salt. It’s like a magician distracting the audience from noticing the cards already tucked up his or her sleeve. When it comes to noodles and rice, I also love to have a bit of broiled crunch on the top. Whether it is mac and cheese or in this case, risotto, the oven-fried pieces make the traditional “mushiness” all […]

March 19, 2010

The Grand Finale

Today, our Hawaiian journey comes to an end. Time to pack up your bags and head back home to oven cooked risotto cupcakes and Moroccan lamb. What? That’s not what you’re planning to make next week? Cause I am. But before we close out this chapter of our low sodium Hawaiian adventure, I have one last recipe that will really set your tongues wagging and heart racing. Low sodium, Char Sui Spare Ribs. This is that illustrious, unnaturally colored Chinese pork meat that always sends a pang of jealousy my way. Whenever Boy and I take a shopping excursion to […]

March 18, 2010

Island Sides

Today, we continue our expedition into the world of low sodium Hawaiian cuisine. But first, a spoiler alert: Friday brings a big bang of a recipe for drippy, delicious, fall-off-the-bone Char Sui Spare Ribs. So leave your restraint and dignity at the door and grab yourself a bib for this one. Until then, I’m tiding you over with some low sodium Island sides that are as essential to a complete Hawaiian meal as a tropical drink with a miniature umbrella. First, Coconut Black Rice, or as it is also called, “Forbidden Rice.” This black grain turns a deep purple when […]

March 16, 2010

Kalua Pork – An Interpretation

I am a big fan of a luau and one of the most well-known dishes served at these celebrations is the famed Kalua pork. You just can’t have a luau without one – it’s almost as important as hula dancing. Almost. The word kalua literally means “cooked in an underground oven” and this is how the pork is traditionally prepared. Hot lava rocks lined with large banana leaves are used to form the underground oven, called an “imu.” Then, a salted pig is placed inside, covered with more banana leaves, a burlap sack, and dirt, and left to steam all […]

March 15, 2010

Pupus, Pineapple, and Punch

Well if you haven’t guessed already…ALOHA and welcome to Hawaiian week on Sodium Girl. The spring weather is beginning to creep in and with a few sunny days under my belt, I am itching to get to the beach and soak up some fresh air, and perhaps a few tropical drinks. To celebrate the longer days of sunshine and lazy weekends ahead, I thought I’d hop off the mainland for a bit and try out some low sodium versions of island classics. Before we launch into spare ribs and papaya coleslaw, a bit of background first. Hawaiian food tends to […]

March 9, 2010

The Art of Raw Fish

Let’s take a moment to really appreciate fish in its most untainted state. Ceviche, sashimi, and other forms of thinly sliced sea food are a perfect, low sodium dining option. If you stay away from the saltier schools, like mackarel, squid, and shellfish, and leave off the usual soy-based or salt-infused sauces, these light appetizers will generally rank low on the salt scale, hovering around 50 mg of sodium per serving (my best estimation). As I had mentioned yesterday, I substituted a Peruvian-inspired seafood ceviche for the Puerto Rican octopus salad. Although the recipe, and result, was different from the […]

March 8, 2010

Puerto Rican Challenge

A cook club. It’s like a book club, but without all the reading and the guilt of only getting through the first 30 pages. Plus, your main focus is on eating and sharing in culinary delights. Now, that’s my kind of food for thought. Last week, I connected with fellow SF food blogger and adventure seeker, Anne Pao, for our first of many cook club gatherings. While she is not a “challenged” eater like myself – no dietary restrictions for this gal – she is always up for a dining adventure. Whether it is sucking crab meat directly from […]

March 1, 2010

Gimme A Beet

It is the end of February and that means San Francisco has had a few days of faux-spring weather, causing me to swap the soup ladle for the grill. While I love a good beef patty, there is something about the taste of a nutty veggie burger. But the pre-made brands are skyrocketing with sodium and, although I have tried creating a chickpea patty of my own, the addition of breadcrumbs made it taste more like a falafel than a hamburger. This isn’t a bad thing, just not the result I was looking for. So I wondered, what vegetable is […]

February 25, 2010

The Vampire Slayer

While I am not a Twilight junkie, I’ll admit that I am quite intrigued by the current living dead cultural phenomenon. If I knew pale skin and stringy hair was “hot,” I wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to soak up sun and groom myself. I also would have bought those Ray-Bans from the ’90s. But it isn’t just the Vampire look that excites me, it is the social embrace of an aromatic that I dearly love. Garlic, welcome home. I rely heavily on garlic to infuse my low sodium foods with a deeper flavor. A few cloves will […]

Previous Entries

Next Entries