| One of the questions that comes up most frequently from our readers — particularly in our live weekly chats — is how to cook food that is just as tasty with less, or no, salt. It can be a daunting prospect. While salt has a way of enhancing the flavors of other ingredients, you can't deny it makes its presence known, too. So when looking for substitutes, I like to think of alternatives that can cut through the noise just as well. Acid is an obvious pick. Whether you're talking about your favorite citrus or vinegar, the sharpness these types of ingredients provide is just the thing to pick up the slack from salt and provide contrasting flavor. Ellie Krieger's Chicory and Citrus Salad With Toasted Almonds is a great example. Segments of sweet-tart oranges sit on a bed of pleasantly bitter chicories (frisée, escarole or radicchio), and it's all pulled together with a vinaigrette starring lemon and orange juices and white balsamic vinegar. Aaron Hutcherson also harnessed the power of acidity in White Wine-Braised Chicken and Artichokes, featuring pan-seared thighs in a briny, brothy sauce that uses canned artichokes and olives (they do have more sodium, so keep that in mind). An Indian tadka, in which spices are bloomed in ghee or oil, is another way to bring flavor without more salt. That's one tenet of the Baked Eggs With Tadka Greens that Daniela Galarza shared from cookbook author Nik Sharma. While the eggs finish cooking on a bed of silken Swiss chard, you infuse ghee or oil with caraway and mustard seeds, smoked paprika and coriander. This gets drizzled at the end for a final flourish that tastes and looks fantastic. I encourage you to try this technique with even more recipes. Have questions about making recipes work for you? Be sure to join Aaron and me in our chat this Wednesday at noon Eastern. Submit your questions in advance, and we'll see you then. Until next week, happy cooking!  (Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post/food styling by Gina Nistico for The Washington Post) This salad centers on two of winter's best produce options: chicories and oranges, both available in an exciting array of varieties. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | | Saucy, spiced Swiss chard transforms into a bed for baked eggs in this recipe adapted from Nik Sharma's "Veg-Table." By G. Daniela Galarza ● Read more » | | | For this skillet chicken dinner, the poultry is dredged in seasoned flour, then pan-seared until golden. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | | This popular Sichuan dish stars fried tofu, with a flavorful sauce and crunchy vegetables as supporting players. By Joe Yonan ● Read more » | | | Spoonbread is a classic Southern side, but don't confuse it with cornbread — it's more like a cornmeal-based soufflé. By Kristen Hartke ● Read more » | | | |
More from Food Few things say "I care" as much as a home-cooked meal does. By Anna Luisa Rodriguez ● Read more » | | | These recipes highlight the dinner power couple in arroz con pollo, garlic fried rice, meatball soup and more. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | | There are so many ways meat and potatoes can shine together. By Becky Krystal ● Read more » | | | ADVICE If your baked good failed, it's probably because of one of these reasons, including the wrong oven temperature or type of pan. By Becky Krystal ● Read more » | | | ADVICE Egg sizes are determined by the weight of a dozen. Here's when and how to take size into account for different recipes. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | | In 1978, sisters Norma Jean Darden and Carole Darden-Lloyd's cookbook memoir set a new standard for the industry. By Kristen Hartke ● Read more » | | | PERSPECTIVE Plus, a juicy Valpolicella from northern Italy and a pinot noir from the Russian River Valley. By Dave McIntyre ● Read more » | | | Nourish Peak-season chicories and oranges add crunch and color to wintry fare. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | | Dinner in Minutes White wine-braised chicken thighs give cooks a blueprint for braising poultry. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | | Weeknight Vegetarian Kevin Pang and Jeffrey Pang bring personality and chemistry to "A Very Chinese Cookbook." By Joe Yonan ● Read more » | | | Eat Voraciously Tadka, an infused oil, adds verve to this one-skillet baked egg dish. By G. Daniela Galarza ● Read more » | | | Every Wednesday at noon Eastern, Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal answer your cooking questions. By Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal ● Read more » | | | |
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