Slovenian Recipes

the Slovenian-inspired salad had become one of our favorite dishes. It is a tasty twist on a familiar salad that is normally based on bulgar wheat.  Made with buckwheat instead, it is unusual and perfect for entertaining. A low-sodium version would be a challenge, because one of the key ingredients is feta cheese.  I resolved to try it with cubes of my homemade salt-free curd cheese, pressed and cubed, then doctored up with paprika, onion, and pumpkin seed oil. Without the tang of feta, the salad tasted a little bland.  So I had to make a few adjustments: more spice and a tangier dressing. For the recipe and the verdict, read on. Low-Sodium Kasha Mediterranean Salad with Curd Cheese   Salad: 1 c. dry whole buckwheat groats or kasha, cooked in 1 ½ c.  salted water 1 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 6-8 oz salt-free curd cheese (or paneer),  cubed * 4 small/medium tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded...

I wasn't sure this particular dish could survive without the salt.  I wasn't  too worried about the change in taste.  But I was concerned that the salt might be an essential component of the paste. It provided texture that the powdery paprika by itself did not.  I suspected it might play a role in tenderizing the chicken or sealing in the juice. But it was worth a chance.  So I made the dish with the easiest possible substitution: A commercially prepared no-salt seasoning mix. I am not a big believer in pre-mixed seasoning blends.  We rarely use them.  But I happened to have one on hand: Mrs. Dash salt-free garlic and herb blend.  So that's what I used. The verdict? The chicken cooked beautifully on the grill.  We sliced it and arranged it on a platter.   My husband had prepared two salt-free side dishes: a mixed green salad and kasha with mushrooms. As always, the chicken was moist and delicious.  Everything was low-so...