Improbable Eats

February 19, 2016

Low-So Cauliflower Vegetable Bread

Kale may be a superfood. But cauliflower is a food unicorn. It’s totally magical. With the right recipe and ingredients, cauliflower can turn into a pizza crust. Or white pizza sauce. Mashed “potatoes.” Popcorn. Rice. A steak. CHORIZO!!! Vegan macaroni and “cheese.” And even a ricotta-like situation (which I have in my new book and coming soon to theKitchn.com, but you can find a similar recipe here). Come to think of it, cauliflower is not just a unicorn; it’s a top tier impersonator. And if it could, I’m sure it would headline as Cher in Vegas. The point is, now that I’m on an even more limited […]

October 29, 2015

Unprocessed Purple Sweet Potato Cupcakes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: low-sodium diets have a major branding problem. Many people — with heart disease, kidney disease, menieres disease, and other health issues — can stand to benefit from eating less salt and sodium. And yet no one takes the bait. Because the bait still sounds pretty boring and bland and more like a prescription than something you want to eat. Here’s the thing, though: A low-sodium diet is food. FOOD! And while yes, it can be boring, any kind of food can be boring. So it’s up to you to make it exciting. To use spices […]

September 25, 2015

Low-So Crispy Mushroom Bits

This lesson starts with bacon bits. The crispy, crumbly pieces of cooked pork product that people (i.e. me) love/loved to pour on top of everything from wedge salads to creamy soups. Maybe even ice cream. And beyond big bursts of bacon flavor, these savory sprinkles add texture to “softer” foods, giving you something to crunch. But as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, they also tend to add a lot of sodium; about 200mg per 7g serving (or a few teaspoons). And that’s because bacon bits are (surprise!) super processed and mostly made from cured, salted bacon. Of course, I’ve found a few low-so […]

July 31, 2015

Low-So Frittata Focaccia

I’ll have to keep things rather short today as MY BROTHER IS GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEKEND! And I’m off for “Best Woman” duties for the weekend. But if you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed a little confession yesterday: I’ve been doing something called The Whole 30 plan. Now, I’m no dieter and eating for me — especially eating a low-so diet –has always been about adding more to my life versus taking things away. But due to some recent Lupus flare ups and overall, just feeling a bit on the crappy side, I decided to look more […]

June 12, 2015

Low-So Cheesy Guacamole

Let me begin by saying that I never thought I’d write this post — one that features goat cheese. Real goat cheese and not some sort of cauliflower/nut/faux-cheese concoction. Along those same lines, I never thought I’d be putting said goat cheese (or any cheese, for that matter) on top of guacamole — an already rich and creamy delight. Because for a long time, real cheese has been on my low-so, do-not-eat lis. But low and behold, it has happened. I’ve eaten goat cheese. And I’m so glad it did. And I’m actually doubly glad I get to share it with you. Because (1) this […]

May 15, 2015

Low-So Good Cheese Swaps

This May, we are going to discuss all things cheese. From the creamy shmears to the hard stuff to the grated sprinkles that melt all over your nachos. Because while most cheeses end up on the low-sodium “do not eat” list, there are plenty of amazing solutions that will keep your favorite oozy, gooey, cheesy recipes on the table. So don’t say goodbye to those enchiladas or stuffed pastas or Croque Madames quite yet. But before we get to the creative swaps, let’s talk about the real thing, i.e., the low-sodium cheeses that exist on the market. Thankfully, there are several brands that […]

April 17, 2015

10 Ways to A Low-So Good Lunch

One of the biggest challenges for a low-so eaters happens everyday around noon (or 10:30 if you’re like me and you just can’t wait that long). I’m talking about lunch. If you hang out at home, near a kitchen, and a stocked pantry and spice drawer, well then, the only thing standing in your way of a filling afternoon snack is a little bit of time. But if you’re out and about or at work, eating good food suddenly poses a bit of a problem. Grab-and-go meals are a big part of our work culture, whether you actually take the […]

March 6, 2015

Salt-Free Salt and Lamb Jam

This month we are going to cover yet another seemingly impossible sodium challenge: salt. Yup. Salt. Because when it comes to a truly low-so good diet, if you simply take out the salt, you will still find yourself longing for it. And that’s why you cannot just remove it from your life and diet and favorite roast beef recipe; you have to replace it. I’m not the only one saying so. The recommendations for the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines (coming later this year) actually highlight this very essential fact as well — i.e. putting emphasis on replacement versus removal — and make a few […]

February 27, 2015

Cauliflower Chorizo and Pork Chorizo

We are at the very end of our low-so bacon and sausage month. And what better way to celebrate another four weeks of incredible low-so-good makeovers than to make chorizo two ways. One with traditional pork. And the second with mind-blowing cauliflower. BOOM. But before we get to the recipes, let me say a few words about what we learned this past February. We learned that making salt-free bacon is not only possible, but really easy. We learned that making salt-free sausage at home is not only possible, but again, really easy. And we learned that with the right salt-free spices and […]

February 20, 2015

Bacon Spice and Coconut Bacon Bits

We are midway through our month of low-so sausage and low-so bacon, and it’s time to shift our focus from the big bites to the itty bits. I’m talking bacon bits. That crunchy topping that gets sprinkled on top of iceberg lettuce salads, crumbled on top of pastas or deviled eggs, and baked right into the crispy crust of a casserole. Even though they are teeny teeny tiny, these little bits can sure add a lot of sodium to a simple, healthy meal. Like over 200mg per 7g serving (or a few teaspoons). And that’s because bacon bits are (surprise!) mostly made from cured, salted bacon. But you […]

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