Simple Chinese 5-Spice Stir Fry

In the past, most of my stir fry recipes relied heavily on two things: sriracha and soy sauce*. Frequently, both were used in large quantities, and now I still rely on them quite a bit - just in markedly smaller amounts. For this one, I decided to only use Bragg's Liquid Aminos as the base, allowing the spices to do most of the heavy lifting. This stir fry is a little sweeter with just a hint of spicy.

Ingredients: 
1 package tofu (the brand we use has 45 mg total), drained and cubed
2 c. jasmine rice, cooked (0mg)
2T. peanut oil (or olive oil, if you prefer)
1 carrot, chopped (25 mg)
1 celery rib, chopped (32 mg)
1 broccoli crown, chopped (25mg)
(feel free to add in whatever veggies you have around, we usually mix it up quite a bit in the veggie department - but note that this may affect your sodium tally overall)
2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (640 mg)
1/4 c. water
2 tsp. Chinese Five Spice from Penzey's (0mg) 
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
To taste: sesame oil & rice vinegar (both of which are 0 mg)
Optional garnish: chopped green onions (4.5 mg)

Cook rice according to directions on package, or in a rice cooker. In a large skillet or wok, heat peanut oil on medium heat and saute garlic and crushed red pepper for about thirty seconds, or til fragrant. Add veggies and tofu and saute for about 5 more minutes. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine Bragg's, water, Chinese Five Spice, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Stir to combine, then add to tofu and veggies. Stir to completely coat veggies and tofu, reduce heat to low and saute for a few more minutes, or until veggies reach desired amount of tenderness. Serve over rice. 

Total: 767, excluding optional garnish. Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are (384 mg per serving if divided in half; 192 mg per serving if divided into fourths).

*Also included in this category is Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which is similarly sodium-laden. 

What's in my Cupboard: Penzey's Essentials

My friend Sarah recently messaged me to ask which Penzey's spices I deemed essential for low-sodium cooking - since she doesn't have a bricks-and-mortar store nearby, she wanted to make sure she got everything she needed when ordering online. For anyone else in a similar situation, here's a rundown of some of my favorite spice blends from their salt-free section:

Tuscan Sunset is my go-to for making marinara and just about any pasta dish. I go through a large jar fairly quickly these days.

Adobo Seasoning is a fantastic seasoning for beans or potatoes to be used as taco filling. It's so flavorful, you don't even need to add salsa or other fixings to potato tacos. 

Penzey's has a lot of salt-free Chili Powders, and the Regular is the first one I've tried - it makes excellent Tempeh Tacos. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other variations, too. 

Bangkok Blend is something that I'm still getting the hang of - so far, my preferred use is in a Thai-style coconut curry (spoiler alert, that's next week's recipe). 

Hot Curry Powder is what I use for my Indian-style curry, and it is definitely hot, even in small amounts (there is also a Sweet Curry Powder if you prefer).

Mural of Flavor is a new-to-me spice blend that I've been experimenting with - it's been pretty tasty in scrambled tofu and pasta dishes. A little seems to go a long way, so this small jar has lasted quite a while. 

Not pictured above is the Chinese 5-Spice, which I've been using in stir fries a lot lately. I'm also a huge fan of their bay leaves (for making no-salt-added vege stock) and more "basic" spices like dill, black pepper, etc. Each time I place a Penzey's order or visit the shop, I try to pick up something I haven't tried before. Here are some other blends that are on my list to try: 

• Arizona Dreaming
• California Style Seasoned Pepper
• Sunny Paris
• Vindaloo Seasoning 

It should be noted that I haven't received any compensation for this post, and no one at Penzey's has contacted me (yet) to do proper reviews. I have purchased all of these spices myself and just want to share the love.

Spicy Egg Noodle Stir Fry

Spicy noodle night is one of our favorite dinners - in fact, it's a recipe we enjoyed quite a bit before Tyler's diagnosis, and I quickly realized we could continue to enjoy it if I just made a few tweaks here and there, especially in the soy sauce department. Vegans can still enjoy this dish with a few minor tweaks (see asterisk below).

Ingredients: 
1 package tofu (the brand we use has 45 mg total), drained and cubed
1 package wide egg noodles* (we use Peapod store brand, which has 30mg total)
1 carrot (25 mg)
1 bell pepper (4 mg)
3 tsp. Sriracha (240 mg total)
1.5 tsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (480 mg total)
1 T. unsalted butter** (0 mg)
To taste: water**, paprika, red pepper flakes, sesame oil & rice vinegar (all of which are 0 mg)
Optional garnish:
Cilantro (1mg per sprig) and Green Onions (4.5mg in 30g)

Cook egg noodles according to package directions (obviously, omit salt if the instructions call for it). In large skillet, melt butter and saute red pepper flakes as it melts. Add tofu and veggies and saute for about 3 minutes. Add Sriracha, Bragg's, water, paprika, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, and stir to mix evenly. Add to drained noodles, stir, cover and set for about 5-10 minutes. Top with cilantro and green onions if desired.

*For a vegan version of this recipe, sub in wide rice noodles and 2T. olive oil in place of butter - it's just as delicious!
*I usually use about a 1/4 c. of water.

Total: 824, excluding optional garnish. Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are (412 mg per serving if divided in half; 206 mg per serving if divided into fourths).

Quickie Meal: Lemon Butter Pasta

On nights when I really don't want to cook or the cupboards are looking a little bare, this quick pasta dish can be a real life saver. I almost always have a box of pasta and a lemon on hand - and while it sounds simple and maybe a little boring, it can actually be surprisingly flavorful (plus, it lends itself to a lot of variations). Another bonus is that this dish uses very little of your sodium allowance if you don't add cheese - and still is a member of the Under 100 Club if you decide to splurge!

Ingredients:
1 box pasta, any kind (0mg)
1/4 c. unsalted butter (0mg)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (9mg)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely (0mg)
Freshly ground pepper and dill weed, to taste
Optional: 1/4 c ricotta or mozzerella cheese (sodium content varies, the brands I use range in 80-135mg)

Cook pasta in unsalted water according to package directions. Just before the pasta is finished cooking, begin to melt butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and saute for about a minute, being careful not to burn. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and dill weed - remove from heat.

Drain pasta, then return to stock pot and pour lemon butter mixture over pasta. Toss and add optional cheese, if desired. Serve with freshly ground pepper to taste.

Total: 9mg (without cheese); 88-144 (with cheese). Serves 4 (2.25 (22-36mg) per serving). Your stats may differ based on your ingredients; be sure to read all labels carefully.