Low Sodium Recipes. Salt Free Cooking. Fabulous Food Photos. and MORE.

When Debbie Benson contacted me several months ago, asking whether I’d be interested in taste-testing her salt free seasoning, I said OF COURSE! In the interim, however, my husband got a new job - moving us 400 miles north, and said seasoning got lost in the shuffle. Fortunately, Debbie’s sample was UNEARTHED yesterday (Earth Day!) and promptly put to the test on a batch of popcorn.

Above is a bottle of Table Tasty, the Benson’s blend that we sampled (one of NINE salt free seasonings available). The website states:

Table Tasty is an all natural no potassium gourmet salt substitute. A nice salty taste and no bitter aftertaste. This blend started our business. We wanted a really good popcorn seasoning. Also good sprinkled on raw or cooked foods where you miss the salt taste, such as eggs, fresh tomatoes, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob. It also helps take care of those salt cravings. Use at the table instead of the salt shaker. This heart healthy seasoning is better for you than salt and it really tastes great!

No Potassium Salt Substitute Ingredients:
Nutritional yeast extract (No Candida Albicans, No Msg), carrot, red bell pepper, onion, lemon, arrowroot, garlic, celery, dill, paprika, allspice, sweet basil and parsley

I’ve been using salt-free blends since being diagnosed with Meniere’s. I’m familiar with Mrs. Dash, Bell’s, and others. All good. But none of them - even the best I’ve found, taste remotely salty. My doctor warned against using potassium-based salt substitutes, so I’ve avoided those. Besides, having tried them in the past - I know they taste terrible.

But Benson’s Table Tasty? You won’t believe your taste buds. Really. This seasoning unleashes a whole new world of flavor for those on a low sodium diet. WHY? Because it tastes salty. S_A_L_T_Y.

At first taste, you simply can’t believe this is a salt-free seasoning. And I mean, seriously - Table Tasty tastes like it has salt IN IT. I stuck my pinkie in, dipped and licked. Having trained myself to avoid salt at all costs, I must admit - I was shocked. I looked at the package and information brochure three times to establish that it was indeed SALT FREE. After regaining my composure, I called in my kids. We sprinkled it all over the popcorn. They looked at me skeptically. I tasted, they followed, and then, WOW. My two young daughters - one of whom eats NOTHING - she is so picky - wolfed the popcorn down by handfuls and begged for more. These are kids who can eat DORITOS!!! They know their snack food. And they were inhaling this seasoning like it was the best thing EVER. Because it is.

And let me tell you - I have no stake whatsoever in this company. I am not being compensated for this endorsement. Though I’m more than willing to taste-test more samples; I would LOVE to try the rest!!

If you’d like to try them too, contact Benson’s today. www.BensonsGourmetSeasonings.com
or call Toll Free 1-800-325-5619.

One of the perks of living in Portland is having a wonderful library a block from my house. A second perk: they lend MAGAZINES! I love Cooking Light - their recipes are always attractive and tasty, and they provide nutritional information to boot. I spied this fabulous recipe and photo on the cover of this month’s (April 2009) issue. We bought 2 lbs. of wild sockeye salmon from the market yesterday (a THIRD perk of Portland), and devoured this last night. The marinade infuses the fish with a tangy sweetness - a little different, very delicious - and leaves the flesh tender and moist. Recipe serves 4.

SODIUM CONTENT: 63 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS

2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. pure maple syrup
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
4 6-oz. boneless skinless salmon fillets
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
cooking spray, for pan

DIRECTIONS

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal. Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning bag once.

Remove fish from bag, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute.

Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle fish evenly with ground pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over. Brush marinade evenly over fish. Place pan under broiler. Broil 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from broiler and serve immediately.

Sometimes things just magically fall into place. In the past three weeks, I have done more than settle into a new city and apartment. I’ve also managed to land myself a sweet new job. And by sweet, I mean SWEET - as in BAKING. My very own sticky buns for a bakery around the corner. As the recipe itself came to me in a dream, and this is for me a dream job, you can imagine my state of mind right now. A little bit country, a little bit rock-n-roll. And a whole lot of WOW.

Three months ago, if you’d told me I’d be living in Portland, walking my kids to school, and baking for a living, I’d have told you you were crazy. But here I am. The first time we visited - wwaaaaayyy back in February - a sign greeted us at the border.

Who would have known>?