you may not know it from all my angry rants and posts, but I’m fairly domestic in the sense that I throw shit down in the kitchen.

I’ve got a fully stocked pantry/fridge most of the time and I’ve gotten pretty good at throwing together what I have on hand to save money and ensure that I’m eating natural. I can’t even begin to describe how grossed out I am by processed food. 

The other day I bought a nice chunk of salmon from Trader Joe’s (about $8.00 something) and baked it. I live alone and usually end up with leftovers, and like most people get bored eating the same dish over and over again. So, I present: salmon cakes! 

These can be made with leftover salmon or canned salmon. Flake up the salmon, put it in a bowl, and add some dill (fresh or dried. I used fresh). Give it a quick stir, then grate some lemon zest and garlic into the bowl. I like to grate the garlic into my dishes so it really infuses into the food. Give it another stir, then add some salt, pepper, and panko bread crumbs. Stir again (this may be excessive but that’s just the way I roll). Throw in a little mayo and egg, and stir it all together until it becomes workable. Form into patties, brown on a skillet, and throw it in the oven at 400 degrees for another 4 minutes or so. 

BAM. You’re welcome. 

cooked lentils for the first time and they came out delicious! 

the soup looks rich, but there’s no cream or anything in it. recipe is found HERE

I like to make my own pasta sauce for several reasons:

• it’s a great way to use all those random spices you received with your spice rack
• my boyfriend is a kidney patient and I like to control the amount of sodium in my dishes so he can happily enjoy them. 
• I’m kind of a health nut and like to eat as naturally as I can, with no added preservatives/chemicals etc

So if you’re like me and have a bunch of random groceries and leftovers in your fridge, have no fear! 

I start with a can of Contadina organic tomato paste (6 oz). It has a miniscule amount of salt, like 20 mg. I take a small pot and fill it with water, let it boil, then turn it down and add the paste. I use a whisk to get it all incorporated, and then add a shit ton of spices and herbs. today, I used

• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• thyme
• herbs de provence
• basil
• oregano
• parsley 
• rosemary 
• red chili flakes (if you don’t like your food spicy, skip this)

stir it, put the heat on SUPER low, and cover. if you leave the heat too high it will start to bubble over and get all weird… so keep it low and stir. constantly. like always. seriously, every few minutes I’m stirring this thing. I like to do this for about half an hour, but I don’t think there’s any real reason to do it for that long.. I’m just weird and feel like if I keep stirring it through for a long time the flavors will all blend together and be more flavorful. I’m pretty sure I’m just trippen though. 

I also have some leftover ricotta cheese, so I’ll be blending that in when it’s done. My boyfriend takes a phosphate binder, and it’s a small amount of cheese.

Leftover veggies? Get a separate pan and cook them together. I use onion, garlic, mushroom, baby spinach, and bell peppers. I’m sure most kidney patients know this, but bell pepper is great for you to eat! then add the sauce, stir, and throw in your pasta. then you toss all that shit together and you’ve got an awesome dinner. bam. low sodium. tomato & bell peppers, good for kidney patients! the end.