Oven Barbecued Spareribs

While rummaging through my freezer, I discovered a package of pork spareribs. I figured I'd better fix them, so I let them thaw in my fridge. Once thawed, I prepped them by removing excess fat & the tissue resting on the bones that can make ribs tough to chew. Once that was done, I cut them into serving size portions. I rubbed them with a mixture of The Spice House Salt Free Barbecue Seasoning, brown sugar, and some garlic powder. Then I placed them in a large roasting pan and covered it with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and let the ribs sit overnight in the fridge. The next day, I roasted the ribs covered for about an hour at 350 degrees until they were tender. I poured off any excess juice and brushed them with a mixture of honey & Heinz No Salt Added Tomato Ketchup. I turned up the heat to about 450 degrees and roasted the ribs until the glaze was bubbly. Yum!

Columbus Low Sodium Dry Salami

Columbus Low Sodium Dry Salami

Yes! A lower sodium choice for salami! 5 slices add up to 290 mg. sodium. Portion control is everything here. Sure, you wouldn't to serve this stuff every day, but for an occasional treat, it's great. I've been using it on homemade pizza -- 5 slices of salami for him & five slices for me. Then I freeze the rest in 10 slice portions. So far I've found this product at Trader Joe's, Costco, and a few local grocery stores.

St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef

So, I'm not Irish! I still love corned beef. And it's been over two years since I've fixed any kind of corned beef, pastrami, or ham. Way too much salt! But I wondered... Could I come up with a way to reduce the sodium content of corned beef so we could enjoy an old fashioned corned beef & cabbage dinner? Just once a year!

I decided to give it a try, and headed out to my local grocery store where I bought a small corned beef. Once home, I rinsed it well, set aside the seasoning packet (just crushed spices -- no salt added), put the beef in a bowl of water, and stuck it in my fridge. I let it soak for two days, changing the water 2-3 times each day. Before cooking it, I rinsed it once again & put it in a pot with fresh water along with the reserved seasonings. I let it simmer on the stove until fork tender. I braised the cabbage in a combination of half corned beef cooking liquid & half water.

The end result was a a mildly flavored corned beef that was a whole lot less salty than the regular stuff. I was quite pleased, and it was a super special treat for my husband. We had enough left over for sandwiches the next day. Of course, I won't be doing this often, probably just once a year.