Unprocessed

April 24, 2015

Low-So Good Microwave Meals and Chips

For a long time, I thought I would never see certain words go together. Like, “good microwave meals.” Or “fast low-sodium food.” That’s because most prepared foods (ramen!) or frozen meals (macaroni!) come with a high sodium price tags. And thus, I always thought that good low-sodium food required stoves and ovens and longer preparation times. Not just a press of a button. But as with all things low-sodium, nothing is impossible. And overtime, I discovered simple ways to make great meals in a microwave. Just using some raw ingredients, some low-so spices, and that magical heating device. Why is that important? Because if you work, […]

April 17, 2015

10 Ways to A Low-So Good Lunch

One of the biggest challenges for a low-so eaters happens everyday around noon (or 10:30 if you’re like me and you just can’t wait that long). I’m talking about lunch. If you hang out at home, near a kitchen, and a stocked pantry and spice drawer, well then, the only thing standing in your way of a filling afternoon snack is a little bit of time. But if you’re out and about or at work, eating good food suddenly poses a bit of a problem. Grab-and-go meals are a big part of our work culture, whether you actually take the […]

April 3, 2015

Matzo Bar and Apple Doughnuts

Happy EastOver, everyone! It’s that special time of year when religion, eggs, and chocolate combine. But I love this duo of celebrations for more than an abundance of frittatas, candy, and excuses to gather with friends. I love EastOver because of matzo. Matzo just happens to be one of my favorite low-sodium ingredients. It generally contains 0mg of sodium. And sometimes, during Passover, you can find flavored matzo (and chocolate matzo!) as well. Although, you can always spice it up on your own. But more specifically, I love matzo because it provides a solution to one of the biggest sodium challenges (which we will […]

March 6, 2015

Salt-Free Salt and Lamb Jam

This month we are going to cover yet another seemingly impossible sodium challenge: salt. Yup. Salt. Because when it comes to a truly low-so good diet, if you simply take out the salt, you will still find yourself longing for it. And that’s why you cannot just remove it from your life and diet and favorite roast beef recipe; you have to replace it. I’m not the only one saying so. The recommendations for the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines (coming later this year) actually highlight this very essential fact as well — i.e. putting emphasis on replacement versus removal — and make a few […]

February 27, 2015

Cauliflower Chorizo and Pork Chorizo

We are at the very end of our low-so bacon and sausage month. And what better way to celebrate another four weeks of incredible low-so-good makeovers than to make chorizo two ways. One with traditional pork. And the second with mind-blowing cauliflower. BOOM. But before we get to the recipes, let me say a few words about what we learned this past February. We learned that making salt-free bacon is not only possible, but really easy. We learned that making salt-free sausage at home is not only possible, but again, really easy. And we learned that with the right salt-free spices and […]

February 20, 2015

Bacon Spice and Coconut Bacon Bits

We are midway through our month of low-so sausage and low-so bacon, and it’s time to shift our focus from the big bites to the itty bits. I’m talking bacon bits. That crunchy topping that gets sprinkled on top of iceberg lettuce salads, crumbled on top of pastas or deviled eggs, and baked right into the crispy crust of a casserole. Even though they are teeny teeny tiny, these little bits can sure add a lot of sodium to a simple, healthy meal. Like over 200mg per 7g serving (or a few teaspoons). And that’s because bacon bits are (surprise!) mostly made from cured, salted bacon. But you […]

February 13, 2015

Low-Sodium Homemade Sausage

Two things stand between your love of sausage and your low-so diet. One, the salted casings and two, the salty brines or cures or just plain salt used in the stuffing. So pretty much, the whole shebang. But hold up. Because there are a few, easy, non-salty solutions to this sausage dilemma. Meaning, yes, you can still enjoy your sausage fix by making it at home. Without the salt. And with a ton of flavor. The first step is to make fresh sausage versus cured (or “hard”) sausage. This basically means you will use fresh meat, grind it, stuff, it and, then […]

September 12, 2014

Broccoli Crusted Fish Sticks

I’ve been on a major broccoli kick lately. And my six year old self is in total shock. But my thirty-something self is totally blown away by broccoli’s chameleon like capabilities. Not to mention its wonderfully herby flavor that it lends to favorite dishes. Like casseroles. Tater tots. Spreads. And now, fish sticks. I just can’t seem to get enough of it. Broccoli, you had me at broccoli. So with a bag of low-sodium (but stale) blue corn tortillas on hand, I found myself with the urge to bread and bake some proteins. And with a quick pulse in the food processor and a cup of […]

August 1, 2014

Unprocessed: Coconut Choco Tacos

As a little kid, I loved the idea of school. So much so that, even before I entered Kindergarten, I made my parents create fake homework assignments for me. And once I got older and started to get real homework, I still loved school. Mostly because of the colored pens I got to buy every August in prep for the year ahead. And Choco Tacos. While my parents kept a pretty healthy household — no sodas, no sugary cereals, no candy, although I’m sure they had their own private stash — when it was finals week, all bets were off. And our awesome […]

June 12, 2012

Low-Sodium Asian Slaw & Spareribs

I know it’s Father’s day this weekend. But I want to talk about grandparents. My grandparents. Nana and Papa. Yeah, they were as adorable as they sound. Their house was filled with knick knacks and chachkis from around the world. Shoots and Ladders. Tons of crossword puzzles. Books by Shell Silverstein. PBS programming. Origami paper and party hats for crafting. And re-crafting. And then fashion shows for everyone after dinner. The kitchen was filled with Hansen’s soda (because it was natural). The smell of toasted wheat bread. And a rotating schedule of cornflake crusted chicken parmesan and some other chicken dish […]

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