Salty Tooth

All this Halloween talk has made me realize something I’ve probably known for a while. There are sweets I like. I mentioned Wednesday that I liked Mounds’ bars. I also like caramels, lemon meringue pie, crystallized ginger and dates. My mother used to give me Teuschers’ champagne truffles while I sat when she had her hair done and I still like those. If forced to choose between any of these treats and say delicious cheese or a French fry, the sweets will lose. I googled “salty tooth” and found a lot of information on various dental procedures and salt water rinsing. While that expression may not be legit, I know I’m not alone. At Foodtrainers, all of us are more salty than sweet. And so I offer some of our favorite “salty tooth” foods.
(photo above is from India, these are salt gatherers and photo take my the mother who bribed her child with champagne truffles)

Popcorn
My friend, chef Julie Negrin had a great blog post about popping popcorn in a pot and it changed my life. You put a little oil in a pot, add your kernels and cover the pot leaving a little room for air to escape. When the popping stops a little Kosher salt or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Salty and crunchy.

Cerignola olives
Olives have to be one of the great salty foods and these are the king of olives. These large green olives have a firm flesh and amazing flavor. They are 3-4 times the size of a typical olive and fantastic for parties or snacks. In NYC, I get them at Citarella market.

Applegate Sunday bacon What’s salt without bacon? My kids love bacon but the nitrites and nastiness of bacon worried me a bit. I was happy to discover this Applegate product. Two slices are 60 calories and 290 mg of sodium (a serving of canned soup has 500). It’s gluten free and really good.

Marcona almonds
I referred to the Cerignolas as the king of olives and just read these almonds described as the “Queen of almonds.” What a great couple they would be. This “queen” hails from Spain. The almonds derive their saltiness from sea salt and there’s olive oil involved too. Add these to a salad or simply pop them in your mouth.

Nori snacks
I love nori (the black seaweed used for sushi) and often use it as a sandwich wrapper. A client brought me these snacks and they’re delicately salty and very low in calories. I could see these used in soups or one their own.

Pickles
I wrote about McClures  before and have jars of their pickles, bloody mary mix and relish in my pantry at all times. They would go in my salty hall of fame but they might have another pickle with them. I love NY Deli Pickles Horseradish Kosher Pickles . Ricks picks are pretty darn good too.

As far as my fellow Foodtrainers, Melissa loves salted edamame and crumbled feta cheese and Lisa likes avocados with kosher salt. None of us are advocating salt up the wazoo. The funny thing is many of these foods are far lower in sodium than processed foods. One still needs to exercise caution. Too much salt isn’t good but a little sure is.
Do you have a sweet tooth or a salty tooth? What are your favorite salty foods?

Let's Do Lunch Challenge

In our February Foodtrainers’ newsletter we issued a challenge. We suggested readers pick a week and make their lunch for that entire week. Making your lunch saves money, calories and we find usually tastes better than salad-bar salads and salty soups.

Foodtrainers’ favorite lunches:

1. Zoe tuna is this amazing tuna that comes in a jar. Try ½ jar, ½ avocado and beets  over greens. Other great jarred tuna brands are ortiz and callipo.

2. Nori Wraps-I was reminded of this great idea reading The Kind Diet. You can use sheets of Nori and wrap your favorite sandwich filling. Another calorie-saving option is to use large lettuce leaves. Try this with Zoe tuna or curry chicken salad below.
3. Muffin Frittatas- these are a go-to recipe of mine for breakfast or lunch. I make a batch and freeze or refrigerate the leftovers. Recipe below
4. Curry Chicken Salad- Ellie Krieger has some of the tastiest, healthy recipes around. I love her curry chicken recipe.
5. The Easiest Soup in the World- I hosted a cooking class with Jenna Helwig of Rosaberry  a couple of months ago for family friendly recipes. This soup was a hit, takes very little time to prepare and is a staple in my lunch repertoire. Recipe Below

Recipes:

Mini Muffin Veggie Frittatas

2 mini muffin trays

Cooking Spray (I like Spectrum brand Canola spray)

Veggies (experiment with any veggies!) 1 red bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach, onions, broccoli whatever you have.

6 omega 3 eggs, 4 additional egg whites (can use 8 whole eggs, 16 whites, 2 whites=1 whole)

½ tsp each salt and black pepper

1 tsp chopped herbs (parsley or chives)

½ cup grated reduced fat cheddar or any cheese (OPTIONAL)



Spray 2 mini muffin trays with cooking spray. Preheat oven 375. Chop 1 red pepper, handful of spinach and couple of mushrooms (you can use any veggies). Mix together eggs/whites, herbs, salt and pepper. Add veggies to muffin trays. Spoon egg mixture over veggies almost to top. Scatter cheese on top if using or wait until halfway through cooking. Cook about 15 min or until frittatas rise up and slightly brown. These can be reheated in toaster oven at 300 degrees or nuked in a pinch.

The Easiest Soup in the World (White bean and tomato soup)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 can (14-15 oz.) organic diced tomatoes with juices

2 cups chicken broth (I like Pacific regular or low sodium)

2 cans Eden cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 pound ham, cut into strips or cubes (we used Rosemary ham, delish)

Baby greens, like arugula or romaine (1 bag or 5 oz.)

1/2 tsp. salt.

 Heat oil over medium heat on stove. Add garlic and stir until golden for one or two minutes.
Add tomatoes and juices to garlic. Stir in broth, beans, and ham and bring liquid to a simmer
Simmer soup for five minutes. Stir in greens and cook until wilted, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Store in refrigerator or freezer.


What are your favorite healthy lunches? Are you ready to accept the Foodtrainers “let’s do lunch” challenge?