Sodium Girl Guest Blog - Part 3: Beating Odds and Eggs

Now that you know my story, let me introduce you to my passion – low sodium cooking. What I love most about making low sodium meals (besides eating them of course) is that it constantly reminds me to turn trials into triumphs.

So for those of you, who must take on the task of a restricted diet, here are a few recipes to prove that you can make anything low sodium and you can make it taste really good.

Faux-Miso Marinated Cod:

One of my proudest achievements so far, as a low sodium cook, has been creating a recipe for Faux Miso-Marinated Cod. If you have never experienced the real thing, a two-day, miso bath gives this already fatty fish a sweet and silky flavor that truly melts in your mouth. The problem? Miso contains over 700mg of sodium per tablespoon and the thick, fermented flavor and dark, mahogany color it provides is essential to mastering this meal. But I wasn’t going to let that minor detail stop me from enjoying this dish and I was determined to find a way to mimic the taste of the miso without the salt.

My successful, low sodium substitution is thanks to a moment of olfactory déjà vu. As my cooking partner scooped out the traditional miso paste, I realized it had a familiar aroma – sweet and musky. I gazed back at my collection of sauces and there it was. Molasses. Dark, syrupy, and bitter sweet, it was the perfect stand-in.

To serve, I suggest some steamed brown rice with either sautéed leeks or wild mushrooms and garlic. Anything earthy will pair nicely with the sweetness of the cod. And do invite over friends. They will be forever impressed and you there’s no need to reveal how easy it was.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup molasses (0 mg of sodium)
• 1/2 cup sugar (0 mg of sodium)
• 1/4 cup sake (0 mg of sodium)
• 6 tablespoon mirin cooking wine (0mg of sodium)
• 1 pound boneless black cod or sablefish (46 mg of sodium per 3 oz)

Directions:

1. Heat sake and mirin in a pot over medium flame and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and add the molasses and sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool.

3. Cut black cod into 6 equal pieces and place in a shallow dish, large enough so that all of the pieces of cod can lay flat.

4. Pour half of the cooled miso marinade into the dish, add cod, and then pour remaining marinade on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours to 2 days. Turn the fish every so often so that they get an even coating.

5. Preheat broiler on high.

6. When hot, remove cod from marinade and place on a baking sheet on the bottom rack of oven. Broil until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Turn cod over and broil until fish flakes easily, about 3 minutes more.

7. Seriously. That’s the whole recipe. Amazing, right? Now have a glass of wine and
admire your work. Chow on.

Hope you enjoyed the 3-part post from Jessica. Visit her at http://sodiumgirl.wordpress.com for more delicious recipes. Check below for entries you may have missed within the last week.

Learn more about Jessica
Part 1: The Detour
Part 2: Not in Kansas Anymore