Improbable Eats

December 13, 2011

No Buttermilk, Yes Sweet Potato Biscuits

I’m a planner. When I start my day, I usually know how I want to spend every single second of it. I overstuff and jigsaw errands, work, and various activities, until everything I want to accomplish snuggly fits within the hours of daylight (and many in the dark) that I have to play with. But I’m also human. Which means my perfectly stacked agendas easily crumble to pieces when a last minute doctor’s appointment, broken lock, minor kitchen fire, or two hour wait at the social security office completely throws off the schedule. Of course, at this point in my […]

December 6, 2011

Salt-Free Mochi Muffins

Sometimes you don’t want to haul the mixer out from the bottom cupboard, up to the counter, only to spill flour and sugar on the floor, to then clean up the mess, and the mixer bowl, to finally lug the whole shebang back into that bottom cupboard. Which is now filled with sheet pans and tupperware that fell when you took that ginormous thing out in the first place. (Welcome to my kitchen) Sometimes all that work is worth a moist muffin or a fluffy cupcake or a fresh loaf of chocolate zucchini bread. But for me, I’d usually rather […]

November 28, 2011

Small Bites for Big Feasts

I am happily stuffed from Thanksgiving. But I’m far from being done with my holiday eatings. And I hope you aren’t giving up on the feasting any time soon either. Because this holiday season, I want to hit everything on your wish-list. I want to make sure all your wildest culinary dreams come, whether it is salt-free caviar or the perfect low-sodium BBQ spice blend. Or the personal butler to make you french fries any time of day or night. And while I can’t actually help you with the butler thing (sorry, backordered on Amazon), I can most definitely help […]

October 11, 2011

Low-Sodium Corn Dogs

This story begins with my love of baseball. I know most of the players by name. And by nickname. I can talk trash with the best of them. I’ve caught one fly ball in my life and finagled countless others from catchers and umps. I watched Bonds hit most of his hundred-mark home-runs. I danced in the streets to celebrate the world series. And I dressed up as Brian Wilson for Halloween. The closer. Not the Beach Boy. But my love of baseball would have never been without my love of corn dogs. Or nacho cheese. Or garlic fries, cotton […]

October 4, 2011

Salt-Free Radish Sushi

Before I say anything else, let me tell you that I just ate some rice doused in Dave’s Total Insanity Hot Sauce (0mg of sodium). And they seriously aren’t lying in their marketing. This is total insanity. I overdoused. And now I think I’ve permanently scarred my mouth. Or, less melodramatically, I’ve definitely started sweating profusely in public. But moving on. Speaking of insanity, I experienced another form of this emotion (less burning) a few weeks ago at Bar Agricole here in the good old Bay Area. And while I can hardly remember the meal they so carefully crafted for me […]

September 23, 2011

Low-Sodium Spinach Leek Dip

Just in time for the weekend football lineup (there are games on Sunday, right?) here’s the second of my low-sodium, super healthy tailgate treats. And oh my goodies, is this one scrumptious. But don’t think I’ve lost my sense of modesty. It’s still right next to my love of watching horrible reality TV with my mother (a.k.a never going anywhere). No, no. The tastiness of this dish has nothing to do with me. I mean, I practically threw a bunch of delicious aromatics in a pan, mixed it with naturally tangy Greek yogurt, and called it a meal. Truly, the […]

September 19, 2011

Carrot “Cheddar” Chili

It is finally football season again. And even though that means Sunday afternoons (and my living room) have been taken over with grunts, guffaws, and (hopefully) giddy explosions of team spirit, it also means that my kitchen and belly are full of my favorite tailgating treats. In the short period between pre-season fun and the real deal, the likes of ribs, beans, dips, fries, and chips have all already made game-day appearances. And you better believe that these simple dishes are just a warm-up for the real masterpieces to come on my second favorite day of the year–the Super Bowl. […]

September 16, 2011

Salt-Free Savory Doughnuts

It’s our final day of mini doughnut pan fun and I think–in my humble opinion–that we’ve saved the best for last. As soon as I bought the doughnut pan, I’ll admit that I did not think about sprinkles. Or sugar. Or frosting. Or apple fritters. Actually, I may have thought about apple fritters, but that had nothing to do with the mini doughnut pan. What did cross my mind, however, was chili pepper flakes, fresh herbs, and other aromatics like leeks, onions, and toasted garlic. Because a good low-sodium doughnut is possible. But a great one is made with a […]

September 12, 2011

Carrot and Coconut Doughnuts

Please direct your attention to these salt-free carrot and coconut mini doughnuts that are fresh out of the oven…a week ago…just for you. Inspired by both the mini doughnut pan and my newfound love of carrot cake batter, I thought this would make a perfect bite. And luckily, the recipe on the packaging didn’t need too many low-sodium adjustments. I swapped the salt and the sodium-heavy buttermilk with lemon zest and coconut milk. I spiced up the mix with some clove, cinnamon, and ginger. And I topped the little sodium free lifesavers with a basic powdered sugar glaze and a […]

September 9, 2011

Low-Sodium Bagel Bites and Tid Bits

It’s been a long week since we last chatted and I miss you. Almost as much as I have missed bagel bites. And this is meant to be a compliment. You know, bagel bites. Those small nuggets of processed dough and cheese, topped with hard chunks of sausage-ness. I loved bagel bites. And in my childhood, they were a symbol of one thing: studying for final exams. My mother tried to keep a somewhat healthy household. But dear old dad would always sneak in KFC on a Sunday or take-out any other day. And I quickly learned that if you […]

Previous Entries

Next Entries