Slice the calories, fat, and sodium with a cauliflower-based alternative

Pizza very well may be the world’s favorite food, but it can really bust your diet. The more mainstream it has become, the further it has diverged from the use of authentic, high-quality ingredients as well as the larger the serving sizes have become – the bread is thicker, the number of toppings defy the point of the dish, and the amount of cheese is greater.

But one thing that has never changed is its difficulty to digest. The pairing of protein and starch, from the cheese and bread respectively, is a classic train-wreck in the stomach. Protein requires an acidic environment for stomach enzymes to digest it and the addition of starch weakens the mix, making it exhausting for your body to process a slice. This is why you may experience extra bloat on pizza night and feel tired quickly. Not to say you shouldn’t enjoy the traditional combination when you crave it, but whenever you’re looking to tighten those abs or avoid the sluggish feeling, keep this knowledge in mind!

This is even before we get to pizza’s nutritional stats. Using Pizza Hut as an example, in a 12-inch medium size pizza, one slice bears 240 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 530 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, and only 1 milligram of dietary fiber. And, let’s get real, who ever stops at just one slice? Double, triple, or quadruple those numbers and you’ll realize just how much saturated fat, sodium, and empty carbohydrates you are consuming in just one sitting. Regular consumption of pizza can lead to raised blood pressure, weight gain, an increase in blood-sugar levels, and cardiovascular diseases.

To avoid the hard-to-digest starch and protein combination and reduce the sodium, fat, and empty carbohydrate levels, I created a recipe that uses cauliflower as the base. Cauliflower has a natural cheesy aroma when cooked, so you can omit cheese altogether without missing out of the flavor. Full-fat yogurt holds together the cauliflower crust, and the “icing” on these mini pizza cupcakes is made up of a simple cooked cherry tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Mini Cauliflower Pizzas

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

For the Crust

• 1 head cauliflower, grated in food processor
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup full-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For the Marinara

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the crust, pulse the florets of one head of cauliflower in the food processor until rice like. Cook in a saucepan over medium heat with 1/2 cup water. Cover saucepan with a lid and let steam for 5 minutes, mixing every minute or so to make sure the cauliflower does not brown. This step softens the cauliflower. Once softened, remove from heat and let cool in a large bowl before adding the wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt, egg whites, basil, oregano, salt and garlic powder together. Pour the wet mixture into the cooled cauliflower mixture. Fold until thoroughly combined.

Scoop the cauliflower crust mixture into muffin cups that have been greased with coconut oil. Pack them in firmly until they reach the top of the tin. Flatten the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the tops have browned lightly and the edges begin to pull away from the tin.

While the pizzas bake, prepare the cherry tomato marinara sauce. Stem and slice in half 1 cup of tomatoes. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the tomatoes in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil with 1 diced garlic glove, 1 teaspoon oregano, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes have broken down.

One cooled, line the edges of the cauliflower crusts with a knife and remove each carefully.

Top each cauliflower crust pizza with a spoonful of the cherry tomato marina.

Photo Credit: Kohtzy, GlowKitchen

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Pizza’s Healthier Half Takes Center Stage appeared first on EcoSalon.

When thinking of a healthy french fry, think zucchini. When thinking of eating this at a McDonalds, wait for pigs to fly.

French fries seem easy enough – just a matter of potatoes and frying oil, right? Wrong. The kind of fast-food fries we’re used to aren’t as straightforward as they seem. McDonald’s French Fries contain the likes of natural beef flavor (wheat and milk derivatives), citric acid, dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, hydrogenated oils, stabilizer tertiary butylhydroquinone, and anti-foaming agent dimethylopolysiloxane. Many of these artificial ingredients are dangerous in large quantities and overall toxic in your body.

One medium serving (117 grams) of McDonald’s French Fries packs 380 calories, 19 grams of fat, 270 milligrams of sodium, and 48 grams of carbohydrates. With one serving accounting for nearly 30 percent of your daily value of fat, the 5 grams of dietary fiber and vitamin C calcium, and iron quantities, albeit scant to begin with, are vastly overshadowed. The carbohydrate count isn’t doing any favors to your waistline either.

With these stats, there is room for a serious makeover. To lower the fat, this recipe requires baking the fries, which are lightly coated with olive oil. I also used zucchini as the base to slash the carbohydrate load. Zucchini won’t crisp quite like a potato when baked, but it will firm slightly and taste absolutely crave-worthy. The corn flour helps to achieve a crispy brown coating, but if you want a firmer fry, replace the zucchini with a sweet potato or white potato. Regardless of how you alter the base vegetable or ratio of spices, you are bound to end up with a healthier alternative to the Micky D’s classic.

Spicy Zucchini Fries

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini
• 1/4 cup corn flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut off both ends of the zucchini and slice it along its length into 1/2-inch pieces.

Set aside one of the rounded edge slices and turn zucchini onto its side so it is lying flat. Again, slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick pieces to create French fries shapes.

In a medium bowl, toss zucchini strips with corn flour, salt, pepper, turmeric, oregano, red pepper flakes, and olive oil until each fry is evenly coated with the spices and oil.

Lay fries out on a baking sheet so each has its own place.

Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and slightly crisped. Serve with herbs and ketchup!

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Revamping the McDonald’s French Fry appeared first on EcoSalon.

A childhood favorite gets a massive revamp.

Pop-tarts may look like fun and games, but their festive colors and playful sprinkles are where the goodness ends. These famous breakfast treats are no way to start the day.

One Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry pastry contains 200 calories, 5 grams of fat, 170 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of protein, and 16 grams of sugar. Its ingredient list includes the likes of wheat flour, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, coloring, preservatives, and a slew of other hard-to-pronounce artificial ingredients.

The most alarming feature of store-bought pop-tarts is their sugar content. With 16 grams of sugar and less than 1 gram of fiber, the famous treat is not fit for breakfast. Its white flour and sugar content only offers something to chew on, not thrive on. And with two pastries per bag, the risk of having more than just one is worrisome, ultimately doubling all the aforementioned statistics. This begs for a recipe that lets you get some pop-tart love, without the handles.

These Strawberry Spelt Pop-Tarts use a simple spelt flour crust and no-added-sugar strawberry preserves. For a sweet and decadent finish, coconut butter is infused with strawberry flavor and slathered on top of the pop-tart. When all is said and done, you’ll be licking your lips and asking for more.

Spelt is a better alternative to white flour because it contains more B-vitamins, protein, and complex carbohydrates. It is also easier to digest. Coconut butter and oil are among the healthiest fats on earth. Most oils change biochemically when cooked at high temperatures, rendering them toxic and acidic in our bodies. Coconut oil has a relatively high burning temperature and is thus a better bet when cooking and baking. Studies have shown that coconut oil and butter both contribute to increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

This recipe should be tweaked to your fruit preferences. Use any flavor preserves you like! Make the dough on a Sunday night and each morning of the following week, roll out a piece of the dough, assemble pieces with preserves, and bake to a crispy finish, all under 15 minutes. It’s deceivingly simple. Now, let’s get poppin’!

Strawberry Spelt Pop-Tarts

Makes 6

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil* (semi-hard)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons ice cold almond milk

For the Filling

• 3 tablespoons strawberry preserves

For the Icing

• 1/2 cup coconut butter*
• 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

*Note: coconut oil and butter are not the same thing. Coconut oil is extracted from coconut meat, while coconut butter contains the meat.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl mix together the spelt flour and sea salt. With a fork, begin to press the coconut oil, which should be soft but not melted, into the flour.

Add the almond milk and knead the dough with your hands until it holds together in a ball.

Form a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the refrigerator for at least an hour, so that it becomes easier to work with and roll out.

I make one pop tart at a time. Sprinkle spelt flour on the counter surface, take a handful of the dough, and roll it out until it is 1/4-inch thick, using more spelt flour when needed to prevent sticking.

Use a pizza wheel to cut two, 3×4-inch rectangles. Place 1/2 tablespoon of preserves onto one of the rectangles, leaving a half-inch space between the preserves and the edges.

Place the other dough slice on top of the one with preserves. Use the edge of a fork to seal the edges.

Place the sealed pop tart on a baking sheet greased with coconut oil. Brush a layer of coconut oil on the top layer as well. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.

While the pop tart bakes, prepare the icing by mixing together the coconut butter and strawberry preserves until evenly combined. Each pop tart will get a hefty teaspoon slathered on top.

Garnish with strawberries and mint and pop ‘em in your mouth! Enjoy!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Photo Credit: Oksay

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Revamping Pop-Tarts appeared first on EcoSalon.

A childhood favorite revamped.

There’s something incredibly nostalgic about macaroni and cheese. Even if you rarely ate the meal as a kid, you most certainly recognized the commercials for the box brands and knew what it was. For me, mac & cheese was an after-school staple, a weekend lunch, a quick dinner that never fell short of filling the carb and cheese quota I necessitated as a youngster.

But it’s no nutritional powerhouse. Sure, advertisements can skirt the overall lack of nutrition with a “high in calcium!” banner, but last time I checked, just because something includes dairy ( e.g. ice cream, crème brûlée, pizza) doesn’t mean it’s a nourishing and balanced meal. Across the board – in both store-bought and homemade versions of it– macaroni and cheese has a lot of room for improvement in terms of nutritional benefit.

Using Kraft Macaroni & Cheese as an example, box brands include the likes of whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, milk, calcium phosphate, yellow 5, yellow 6, cheese culture, and enzymes. Artificial coloring and preservatives prevent the assimilation of nutrients and with often over 500 milligrams of sodium, box brands are blood pressure’s natural nemesis.

And while homemade macaroni and cheese both is better for you and can cut the sodium, enzymes and preservatives from the mix, the classic recipe made from scratch will include the following: white pasta, butter, plain white flour, milk, and grated cheese. White flour is essentially the result of having stripped everything useful from wheat, adding synthetic vitamins, and bleaching it. The vitamins in white flour are toxic, and because the flour is devoid of fiber, it passes slowly through the intestine, giving more time for the body to absorb the toxicities. The bleaching process also increases the flour’s gluten content. Additionally, the butter and cheese are by no means used scantily in homemade macaroni and cheese, so you can be sure the result is high in artery-clogging saturated fat, sodium, and the hard-to-digest animal milk protein, casein. To say the least, homemade macaroni and cheese is also no poster child for health.

Today, it’s hard to justify eating macaroni and cheese when little is to be gained (except for taste, of course). I’m all about eating what gives you pleasure, and if you are craving little white flour noodles flavored with powdered cheese every now and then, don’t hesitate to dig in! But there are times when the conscience outweighs the desire and when part of me wishes there were a healthier alternative. So, I created one.

This recipe is a vegan version of macaroni and cheese. The cheese has a sweet potato base. Skeptical? I was too until I tried it. The sweet potato is baked and mixed with mustard and nutritional yeast to give it the “cheesy” taste. Nutritional yeast is one of those ingredients that has changed my life. It’s the only plant-based source of vitamin B12, which is music to vegans’ ears. It is super versatile and one of the few ways to match the taste of cheese without using dairy. Combining the “cheese” with whole-grain or whole-wheat pasta, the result is a rich, satisfying macaroni and cheese experience, without the food baby to show for it.

Whole-Wheat Macaroni & Sweet Potato Cheese

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cooked noodles (according to package instructions)
• 1/2 baked sweet potato
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Dash of salt
• Dash of freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast and 1/2 tbsp of olive oil for crust

In a medium-sized bowl combine the sweet potato half, juice of half a lemon, mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Fold 1 cup of cooked noodles into the sweet potato “cheese”.

Place the mixture into a serving-size baking dish.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast over the dish and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. This will allow the top to crisp while cooking.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. Serve and enjoy!

The result is super soft and creamy. Its flavors satisfy the sweet, salty, sour and bitter taste buds, making it a decidedly complete dish without you craving anything else, except for maybe more of what you just ate!

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Image: Pink Sherbert Photography

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Macaroni and Cheese Gets A Sweet Potato Revamp appeared first on EcoSalon.