Recipe Box: Pick a Pickled Pepper

Or carrots.  Or fennel.  Or grapes. On Monday night, I rushed home with vinegar in hand to prepare for the 18 Reasons Jam It event as well as create some down-home gifts for my relatives in Philadelphia.  It's Turkey Time people, and nothing says "thank you" on Thanksgiving like a jar of pickles.  Am I right?  I know I am.

Let me tell you this - sodium-free pickling is not only possible, it is easy and can be even more thrilling than your typically transformed cucumber.  Without salt, you become more creative with your seasonings and spices.  And if you are a nervous to create your own pickling blend, lucky for us, salt-free pickling spices already exist in cute little pre-packaged packages (available at your local Whole Foods).

So put your pot on the stove and get ready to infuse some veggies with sweet and sour tang.  Here are three zippy recipes for mind-blowing treats that can be equally impressive as an appetizer or as an accompaniment in salads, side dishes, and main courses.

Pickled Fennel 
"Licorice never tasted so good" - Me

1.  Take two bulbs of fennel, cut off stems, and slice in to crescent shaped spears

2.  Stuff fennel slices, some of the soft fennel fronds from the stem (packs extra flavor), three cloves of garlic, and two dried chili peppers into a small mason jar

3. Zest one orange and place in the mason jar with fennel

4.  Heat 2 cups of white wine vinegar, 1/2 a cup of sugar, juice from one orange, and a teaspoon of black peppercorns in a pot.  Remove from heat once it begins boiling

5.  Carefully (it's hot!) fill the mason jar with heated pickling liquid (step 4).  The heat tends to reduce the size of the fennel almost immediately, so if you have left over slices, stuff more into the jar

6.  For added punch, slice fresh ginger and put in jar as well.  Once lid is closed, shake it up, allow to cool, and stick it in the fridge.  In two days, it will be ready for munching.

Pickled Grapes 
"Not jam, not wine, just plain delicious" - Me 


As a quick disclaimer: I stole this recipe from Smitten Kitchen who was inspired by Orangette  and tweaked it according to my sodium girl needs.


1.  Pick up some plump, seedless back or red grapes and slice off the belly buttons - the top part where the stem was - of five or six handfuls.  By taking off their tops (get your mind out of the gutter) you will allow the pickling juices to seep into the fruit immediately.

2.  Fill a small mason jar with the grapes, 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seed, and one stick of cinnamon- or, as in my case, three teaspoons of ground cinnamon because I forgot to buy cinnamon sticks

3.  Heat two cups of white wine or champagne vinegar (how fancy) in a pot with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns.  Remove from heat once it boils

4.  Let the pickling liquid (step 3) fully cool before filling the mason jar.  This will keep the fruit from becoming too mushy

5.  Shake and shimmy your mason jar and put in refrigerator.  Will be good to go in two days.

BONUS TIP: on my quest to find a good substitute for olives, I realized that a savory grape pickle could do the trick.  I think they could act as a mischievous doppelganger in tapenade and Mediterranean salads, fooling any palate.  I can't wait to test out this theory in the weeks to come.

Pickled Carrots
"Curry in a hurry" - Me

1.  To make this as effortless as possible, buy some pre-washed, pre-peeled carrots.  I went with some beautiful yellow carrots and I think if I had more time, I may have even chosen to go with the more colorful  heirloom variety

2.  Stuff a small mason jar with carrots, three cloves of garlic, teaspoon of freshly sliced ginger, and two dried chili peppers, 1/2 a tablespoon of turmeric, 1/4 tablespoon of curry, and 1 tablespoon of salt-free pickling spices

3.  Heat 2 cups of distilled vinegar,1 cup of water, and 1/2 a cup of sugar.  Remove from heat once it is boiling

4.  Carefully fill jar with pickling liquid, wait until it is cool, and place in the fridge.  Wait 2 days before cracking open and noshing on some healthy and spicy carrot nuggets

Now wasn't that easy?  Just wait until you taste them!

Tips & Tricks, Good Eats, and Recipe Box: This Spud's For You

I think potatoes are (a) utterly delicious and (b) really confusing to spell.  I like them fried, baked, sliced, in soups and stews ... but mostly, I like them fried.  At first, I thought it would be impossible to find low-sodium or sodium-free versions of these beloved potato products - and I took to making my own sweet potato fries at home (which, if I say so myself, was not a bad substitute...recipe below).  But I had completely underestimated the possibilities of no-sodium/low-sodium snacking and in almost 6 years of searching for a salt-free French fry or a sodium-free bag of chips, I've compiled the following list of delicious salt-free options, which even have the salt freaks exclaiming snacking nirvana.'

For A Sit-Down French Fry Fix:

Hop into Frjtz - a Belgium fry and mussel palace located in the Mission and Hayes Valley.  Just ask the incredibly accommodating staff (yes, they know me by name) to hold the salt on your LARGE cone of fries.  Don't hesitate to explain your reason for salt shaker resistance - the more they understand your situation, the more serious they will take your request.

As for the sauces - for which they are famous - they are all heavy in sodium content.  So to be absolutely safe, ask for a wedge of lime to give it a zest of flavor.  Or douse the fries in pepper.  I've even recently seen malt vinegar available at the condiments counter - that has a nice kick too.  And if you're really craving something more substantive, I have been known to bring my own bottle of low-sodium mustard in my purse.  Don't be embarrassed.  It's totally cool and the people staring are just jealous. But if you're not up for social defiance, you can eat them sauce free.  These fries are so perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside that they don't need any cover up.  They are natural beauties.

Added tip:  If you attempt ordering French fries at other restaurants, and I do, just remember to ask if they cut them fresh or if they come from a bag.  If they come from a bag (i.e. frozen) they most likely have sodium.  Also, make sure the potatoes are not blanched in salt water before being cooked.

For Out-Of-The-Bag Snacking:

My first experience with no-salt/low-sodium snacking was with Kettle Chips unsalted, proud spuds.

In 2007, during a crisp fall afternoon and a mostly unproductive work day, I spent an hour and half crafting a heartfelt letter to the Kettle Chips crew thanking them for their bravery and leadership in the production of a salt-free chip, which had filled a large void in my junk-food junkie soul...and would they be so kind as to create another innovative salt-free chip product to dazzle my taste buds (balsamic vinegar and rosemary anyone?).  The next day, I received a kind response, but no mention of any future salt-free lines and no shipment of a life-time supply of unsalted chips to my door.

While I continue to wait for my free box of Kettle Chips (wink wink), these other brands are also jumping on the salt-free train and making my no-sodium snacking dreams come true.

Utz has unsalted potato chips and no salt BBQ 

Terra Chips has unsalted potato chips, unsalted Hickory BBQ (so delicious!), and unsalted Sweet Potato chips for a totally wild taste experience.

Added tip: When I make my own tuna tartar - yeah, you've got some drool on the side of your lip - I line the plate with salt-free potato chips and use them to transport the dreamy, diced fish from the plate to my mouth. East meets west in a dazzling salt-free appetizer.

For A DIY, At-Home Adventure:

When Super Bowl Season rolls around, grab a few sweet potatoes and follow these instructions:


1.  Turn on oven, preferably to 400 degrees.

2.  Wash and scrub your spuds, but no need to peel.  I think the skin, when crisp, makes them extra delicious.

3.  Cut the sweet potato into fourths and then into thin strips - you want each fry to be about half and inch wide at the most (check out the picture here to get a good idea of size and length).  The thinner they are the crispier they will get.

4.  Put all of your potato sticks on a pre-greased or pre-sprayed baking sheet - you want most of them to be touching the bottom of the sheet so they all cook evenly - and sprinkle olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and a mixture of the following spices:

For spicy - cumin, paprika, white pepper, and cayenne
For herby - rosemary (fresh or dried), white pepper, ground mustard, a pinch of cayenne
For special - use a flavored olive oil (like orange, avocado, or truffle!)

5.  Toss the potato sticks so they are evenly coated with the oil and spices.

6.  Bake for 20-30 minutes.  Watch the first batch carefully and from then on, you'll know how long it takes.

7.  Repeat until all the potatoes have been cooked and gobbled up - make sure you set a good handful (or ten) aside for yourself.

Recipe Box: Project Bacon - Update

Round one of Project Bacon is complete - but we are far from finished. Although the pork smelled like bacon and even looked like bacon, it did not cook up like bacon. I tried frying it, baking it, and frying and baking it - but to no avail. My hypothesis - my cut of pork was too fatty and there was not enough meat. In the weeks following, I compared my strips to those at Whole Foods and they look quite similar, but not as marbled.

With test round 1 done, it's on to round 2. There is no giving up here until we have a sodium-free bacon and egg sandwich on the table. For round two, I'm going for a meatier piece of meat and a similar seasoning blend - cumin, smoked paprika, bonito flakes, pepper, brown sugar, cayenne pepper - maybe a little lemon juice?

It may be impossible to cure meat without sodium as the salt plays a major role in preserving and protecting the meat from developing botulism (no one wants that). It also breaks down the protein which gives it its texture and color. However, I have read that acids - such as vinegars and citrus - have similar molecular capabilities. So we will try a combination of a wet soak and a dry rub for the next go. And remember, it isn't about creating an exact replica, but an approximation that is equally satisfying - and like the pickles I made this summer, sometimes even better than the salted version.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the transformation of my pork blocks into beautiful slices of "could-be" bacon. I cannot wait until they taste as good as they look.


And to keep your appetite whet for other sodium-free, impossible possibilities, the recipe-box will feature the following how-to's before the close of 2009:

PICKLING (salt-free, majorly successful, and really fun - also make great gifts!)
CURING OLIVES (just have to find some uncured olives to start...but I think I have my guy)
SAUSAGE MAKING (we have the grinder! now we just need the casing)
SOY and TERIYAKI SAUCE (you better believe it - it exists and it is delicious)

Tips & Tricks: Happy Trails

I've been a bit behind on my blogging due to some recent travels (WEDDING SEASON!) and am off again early this week for more fun on trains, planes, and automobiles. However, the time I have spent on the road reminded me that it is high time to write on one of the more challenging sodium-free subjects:

eating well while on the go

When traveling, everyone must forgo their fresh, healthy food options for fast(er) food. And for those of us trying to maintain a strict diet (health required or otherwise), it seems almost impossible to stay within our limits and not starve.

For almost 2 years after I was diagnosed with Lupus, I did not travel beyond the 4 hour drive to Tahoe and back. I thought it would be difficult if not impossible to find safe, sodium-free food when far from the comfort of my own kitchen. But over time, I found some simple tricks (and readily available food items) that make traveling with a full belly easy and attainable. Below are some of these staple, sodium-free snacks that keep me a satiated while on my journeys and enable a jet-setting lifestyle. Bali, you're next.

AT THE AIRPORT

Fruit - any coffee/cafe/breakfast "establishment" will have whole fruit options (bananas, apples, oranges) or cups of fresh fruit (think grapes, cantaloupes, and pineapple). I often buy extra fruit to cram in my bag for in-flight snacking - bananas are especially good and filling.

Baked Potato - this sodium-safe starch can be found at some in-airport restaurants. Also, keep your eye out for a Wendy's as they have a baked potato side option on their menu. This was my mainstay meal for three days in Vegas. Thank you Wendy's and your chive-filled treat.

Hard Boiled Eggs - another easy find at any coffee/cafe/breakfast kiosk. On a side note - when road tripping - hard boiled eggs are also found in most gas stations. So if you are really hungry or hankering for a protein fix, this is a great option.

Steamed rice - if there is a Japanese or Chinese restaurant in the airport food court, chances are they have steamed rice on the menu. Just make sure it is not "sushi rice" which usually has salt in it and ask if they add salt to their water when steaming.

Frosted Mini-Wheats - believe it or not, they have only 5mg of sodium, are a really filling snack, and are sold at most breakfast spots in the airport. Pure gold.

EASY TO PACK

Granola - there are a lot of sodium-free options available but my current favorite is
Erin Baker's Oatmeal Raisin Granola - 0mg sodium. The granola has a nice chunky-texture and fits easily in a purse or suitcase. One bag will last you a long weekend at minimum - just keep other sneaky hands from grabbing fistfuls for themselves.

Corn Tortillas - check the nutrition label, but most corn tortillas (not wheat or flour) are sodium free. Because of their flat shape they pack well and add substance to a breakfast or lunch dish (like a veggie salad or an egg scramble). Who knows, you may even be lucky enough to stumble upon an avocado and then you'll be really glad you brought those doughy discs with you!

Just Peas/Corn/Fruit - I know I've posted about these freeze-dried treats before, but they have a wonderful flavor and are great snack to have on hand. As an added plus, you are getting your daily dose of veggies and fruit...now how's that for eating well on the go!

Dried Fruit/Nuts/Sunflower seeds - before I leave for a trip, I hit the bins at Whole Foods and fill up on dried strawberries, figs, apple rings, and sunflower seeds (since of course, I am also allergic to nuts). What is especially great about traveling with these snacks is that you can eat them to curb mid-day tummy rumblings and you can use them to brighten up salads or other dishes. Their dual purpose makes these snacks a packing priority!

Tuna Fish - okay, so it can be smelly and there is that whole "mercury" thing, but for a guaranteed tummy filler a can of tuna will get the job done. There are two kinds of low-sodium tuna that you can find at most grocery stores: BumbleBee and StarKist. Just remember to pack a can opener... and some breath mints.

Popcorn - this suggestion is dependent on proximity to a microwave oven. But, popcorn is such a delicious and filling snack and, when not popped, it is completely flat and negligible in terms of space. So, it never hurts to throw a bag of salt-free popcorn in your suitcase or purse just in case the opportunity to snap, crackle, and pop arises.

Safe Travels and Safe Eating!

Recipe Box: Fridge Frittata

First off - go see Food, Inc. I've read the books, I volunteer at the Ferry Building, I shop at Farmer's Markets whenever I can. But this movie, even for the most food-enlightened, is a huge wake up call. We truly are what we eat and our food industry is the cornerstone of our community's and our world's health, social, and environmental issues.

So I have to say, after I left the movie, I was glad to know that my fridge was full of locally produced, seasonal ingredients - all of which needed to be eaten right away if I was going to keep them from ending up in my compost bin. And yes, that was probably the most typical Northern Californian sentence I have ever written - sorry I'm not sorry.

My refrigerator had the following items to work with:

chard (grown from my own potted garden)
heirloom tomatoes (from my monthly Farm Fresh To You delivery- thank you Capay Farms)
potatoes
eggplant
half of a red onion (woopsies...a few weeks old)
one slice of Heidi's Hens no-salt turkey breast
and two eggs

What do you get when you combine all of those ingredients?
A delicious, oven-baked dinner frittata! Here's how:

1. Set oven to 360 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a pan. When hot add diced red onion and cook until translucent. I was low on olive oil and added a few dashes of champagne vinegar to help deglaze the pan and add some extra moisture to cook the onions. When softened and clearer in color, transfer onions to a bowl.

3. Slice one small eggplant into half-inch disks and wrap in paper towels. Find something heavy - I used a cutting board and a potted plant on top - to squish the water out of the eggplants. Most people sprinkle eggplants with salt to get out the extra moisture but this is my sodium-safe trick. It will allow you to brown the little nuggets more easily.

3. Add more oil to pan and reheat. When hot, add diced potatoes and eggplant and sauté until brown (because they are small, this should take about 5-10 min). I added a little curry powder and red wine towards the end to add some extra flavor. When cooked, take out potatoes and eggplant and put in bowl with onions.

4. Add oil to pan again and reheat. Take off stems of chard (keeping them on is also completely OK - they will soften in the oven - just dice more finely to help cooking process) and chop the chard into bite sized bits. Throw into hot pan for 3 min or so. I added some no-sodium mustard and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar towards the end.

5. In an oven safe dish, coat bottom with oil or salt-free (sweet) butter and add the onion, eggplant, potato mixture.

6. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. I added some white pepper, cumin, and a little water and red wine.

7. Pour egg mixture over onion, eggplant, potato-ness.

8. Cover the top of onion, eggplant, potato, and now egg-ness with your softened chard - building a top layer.

9. Slice one heirloom tomato into 1/4 inch or smaller rounds.

10. Put tomato rounds on top of the chard and sprinkle some black pepper on top.

11. Bake in oven for 30 min (or until all egg is cooked).

12. Put under broiler on high for 2-3 minutes to crisp the chard and tomatoes.

13. Invite friends over to marvel your ingenious fridge-spiration...or eat it all yourself. This recipe will feed 2-4 and although the picture is a bit hideous, it is really delicious and works with any veggie combination!

And the next day...I used the leftover eggplant to make EGGPLANT CHILI! Sounds weird but seriously good. I cubed the eggplant - mimicking chunks of meat - and used all my other standard chili ingredients: tomatoes, black beans, peppers, cumin, cayenne pepper, a pinch of oregano, and paprika. After little it simmer for an hour, I topped it off with some arugula and avacado and even used some really old Matzoh crackers for dipping. It tasted chili-tastic and was full of good, healthy things. This seemed a little bit daring but I am glad I tried it and was successful in heroically saving the food in my fridge from going unused and transfered it safely to my belly. All in a day's work.

Good Eats: San Fran Favorites

So this blog will be divided into three main sections that cover: finding salt-less goodies, making salt-less goodies, and eating at restaurants that provide salt-less goodies.

Posts titled "Good Eats" will be reviews (raves mostly) of those dining establishments that have gone out of their way to produce safe and delicious, sodium-free meals for me. Much to my surprise, eating out has not been as much of a hassle/challenge as I had expected it to be. There are definitely some steps to take that make it much easier (see the next Tips & Tricks post) but I do want to give one big shout-out to all those chefs and waiters who have enabled me to enjoy the many delicious eats in this town - SAN FRANCISCO, I love you.

So here are some of my absolute favorite spots that have been consistent and generous with their cooking skills:

Maverick: Without a doubt, this is my number one - great ambiance, amazing wait staff, inventive dishes, well priced, and an extraordinary wine list. I have dined here about 7 or 8 times and every time, I am served something flavorful and satisfying. The first time I went, they made me seared duck and special, salt-free gnocchi. Hand rolled potato dumplings are definitely the way to my heart - and a sizzling piece of duck fat on the side doesn't hurt either. The attention to detail and casual atmosphere make this an ideal spot for any occasion. Plus, their wait staff is small and friendly and you really feel like you are eating amongst friends.

Delfina: Not really breaking news here, but Delfina consistently serves up hot, steamy plates of pure deliciousness. And without fail, they have accommodated my dietary needs. I do have to admit, I always end up having the steak here (it is the only item on the menu that I can eat), but every time I have it, the chefs at Delfina have some new trick up their sleeves/aprons to make it special (red wine reduction, slivers of garlic, thickened pan juices, savory olive oil, or scoopings of BONE MARROW!) I have often thought about what my last meal on earth would be - and Delfina's superb execution of a good steak definitely puts this fine piece of meat in my top five.

Spork: When I can just walk into a restaurant - no pre-planning, no day-before phone calls - and get served a sodium-free, flavor-full dinner, I am impressed and forever grateful. Spork is just that place. I have been there 4 times now - and three of these experiences were extraordinary. There was one miss (time number three) when the meal was most definitely drenched in salt - but I have to admit, I was with a big party, had not called ahead, and had a rather new server. So luckily, I decided to try out this spot one more time, and I was once again overwhelmed and delighted by the great service and great food. I generally order the fish, and like Delfina, the chefs at Spork have continuously shown their creativity with new sauces (like fennel sautéed in lemon and garlic) and sides (olive oil roasted cauliflower) that make a plain piece of fish pop.

Sauce: The name of this restaurant kept me from exploring its premises for at least a year. After glancing it its menu though, I realized that it was a dining possibility. When I called the afternoon before my reservation, I was immediately transferred to speak directly with the chef (who also came by the table as soon as I arrived). I had had my eye on the spectacular sounding mushroom fries but didn't think it was a possibility. When I asked coyly if this fried delight could be re-imagined for me - the chef whispered those magic words ("of course") and whipped up my very own basket of mushroom fries with a home-made, spicy mayo sauce on the side. It was a busy night, a big group of girls, and the staff at Sauce still went above and beyond the call of duty. Mushroom fries...I'll be back.

Tips & Tricks: Design your Diet

There are two things you need to best plan your new diet: inspiration and information.

For me, inspiration came first - I dove into cooking meals from scratch (nothing canned or pre-packaged) and experimenting with spices, herbs, and different flavors in the kitchen. My first two cookbooks - and still my favorites for breads, sauces, and desserts - are The No-Salt Cookbook and The No-Salt Lowest-Sodium Cookbook. The recipes tend to be simple (great for the novice cooker) but the basics are the best place to start and will help you build more complex flavors or tackle more difficult food genres over time. These will become your saltless Joy of Cooking.

As for information - this part is key. First, it is important to decide what your sodium limit is - for everyone it is different (depending on your health needs) and you must remember that all foods have a natural amount of sodium. Eggs, for example are 70mg per serving. Beef tends to be around 90mg per serving. Monkfish is only 15! I personally do not worry about natural amounts of sodium (except for shellfish which is in the upper 1,000mg per serving) and decided to cut out the additional sources like baked goods, sauces, canned items or anything that I could make from scratch, sodium-free.

Once you figure out your personal limit, the next step is educating yourself on sodium - which foods are high and which are low. For a long time, I was eating food that was higher in sodium than I had imagined (milk, baked goods, shellfish ... okay, that last one was just blissful ignorance) or I was ignoring foods that were incredibly low (clams, oysters, pork, beer!). Reading the nutritional listings on the back of packages is the best place to start, but for a more thorough overview of sodium and its culinary whereabouts is Pocket Guide to Low Sodium Foods. I even travel with this little gem. It covers natural foods, canned versions, and fast-food restaurants. It is an exhaustive resource and is essential to eating smart and eating well.

Tips & Tricks: Dairy discoveries

On my first date with my most adorable roommate/boyfriend/partner-in-crime, I decided to tell him all about my health situation and dietary restrictions - no butter, no salt, no sauces, and the list went on.

He looked at me, smiled, and said the most comforting thing that he could imagine:

Well, at least you can still eat cheese.

And when I had to break the news that no, in fact, I definitely could not eat cheese, I think a little piece of his foodie soul melted.

But, the conclusion of this story is not completely true. I CAN eat cheese and so can you. There are some wonderful options of low sodium cheeses that you can order from the world-wide interweb. My favorite is the Heluva Good Low Sodium Chedder with a whopping 5mg of sodium per serving - virtually nothing! By "my favorite" I mean I order eight blocks of this at a time and finish them in approximately four weeks (I tested this over-exaggerated comment during the holidays and trust me, its true). And it is actually Heluva good and works well for any cheese based sauce, dish, or pop-in-your-mouth snack moment.

If you want to pick up something at the store, I suggest Alpine Lace Swiss you can find the low-sodium product at Safeway and most large markets and it is a mere 15mg per slice! Its great for throwing onto some bread or in a corn tortilla for a quick hiking or picnic snack.

For more wonderful low-sodium products (like baking powder, baking soda, sauces, condiments, and deliciously dangerous BBQ chips) check out the Healthy Heart Market. I check regularly - there are new products cropping up everyday and they are becoming more and more prominent in grocery stores.

Tips & Tricks: Low-Sodium Bible

A wonderful man named Dick Logue started a Low Sodium Cooking website and community board dedicated to living on a low-sodium diet. The recipes are a great place to start if you are just beginning to learn how to cook without salt and his newsletters always contain seasonal recipes. I definitely suggest trying the soy sauce and Teriyaki recipes - these can be used as bases for more complicated Asian dishes (like a thick plum sauce for pork lettuce cups...do I have you drooling yet?) and are also delicious on a freshly steamed bowl of rice.

I believe the magnificent Mr. Logue has now moved to charging for a full membership (complete access to recipes v. only recently published ones), but his email and advice remains accessible to all. Also, I suggest looking over the tips section which points you in the direction of lifestyle changes, cooking techniques, and brand name products that really let you to spice up your home creations.