© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals Chapter 9 Recipe Makeovers

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals

Chapter 9

Recipe Makeovers


Learning ObjectivesExplain at least three general ways to modify recipes to

change the nutrient content.Discuss three considerations to keep in mind when you

modify a recipe.Given a recipe that was modified to make it more

balanced, identify and explain modifications that were made.

Given a recipe, modify it on paper to meet a stated nutrition goal, and test the recipe. Name the six classes of nutrients and their characteristics.


IntroductionThere are different reasons to modify a recipe

for nutritional and health purposes: ◦You may want to reduce kcalories, fat,

saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, or a combination, depending on your intended result or audience.

◦You may also want to increase a nutrient—such as fiber or calcium.


Four Ways to Modify a Recipe

1. Change/add healthy techniques of preparation.

2. Change/add healthy cooking methods.

3. Change an ingredient by reducing it, eliminating it, or replacing it.

4. Add a new ingredient(s), particularly to build flavor, such as dry rubs, toasted spices, fresh herbs, acids (vinegars/citrus juice), and condiments.


To modify a recipe, consider

1. Nutritional analysis

2. Flavor

3. Ingredient functions

4. Cooking techniques

5. Acceptability of modified recipe


Appetizers: Crab Cakes

Traditional crab cakes consist of crab meat, mayonnaise, eggs, bread crumbs, and seasonings, which are molded, breaded, and pan-fried.

Egg whites are used instead of whole eggs and riced Yukon gold potatoes are used instead of mayonnaise.

The crab cake is breaded in chives and Panko, then sautéed to a crisp golden brown and served with a fresh salsa or mojo.

This version is all about the flavor of the crabmeat and the traditional seasonings.



Appetizers: Roast Chicken and Shredded Mozzarella Tortellonis

Traditional wontons and dumplings are Asian in flavor profile and made with ground meat, julienne chopped vegetables, scallions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ground ginger, and garlic.

Wontons are then deep fried or steamed, and served with a variety of cornstarch thickened and/or soy-based dipping sauces.

For this makeover, the tortellonis are stuffed with chicken, reduced-fat mozzarella, fresh herbs and spices, then poached and served with fresh tomato or roasted pepper sauce.



WontonsYou can make wontons with a variety of egg,

spring, soy, rice paper wrappers, and wonton skins for light selections.

There are many flavored and textured fillings you can create. ◦For example, use shredded vegetables with lean

bean, pork, shrimp, and crab for an Asian-style wonton.

◦Use mushroom, chicken, fennel, and caramelized onions with a variety of lean meats for an Indian, Italian, or Spanish-style cuisine.


Entrées: MeatloafUse a leaner ground meat cuts down fat but

makes a drier product—so add back the moisture by using grains, whole-wheat bread crumbs with liquid, or cooked, pureed eggplant.

Use whipped egg whites instead of whole eggs. Use flavorings and seasonings to create

interesting dishes such as BBQ Meatloaf.


Entrée: Beef StewStart with flavorful, marinated cut of meat, a

well-crafted degreased stock, and vegetable garnish.

Use cornstarch or agar-agar instead of traditional thickeners (roux).

Add little or no salt. Serve with whipped cauliflower purée or baked

sweet potato fries.


Entrée: Hamburger

In the makeovers, ground chicken or turkey breast is used to decrease the overall fat and saturated fat.

Stock, egg whites, and riced potatoes add moisture so the burgers are still juicy.


Entrée: Chicken Quesadillas

TRADITIONAL Quesadillas are made with

flour tortillas, grilled chicken breast, sautéed onions and peppers, Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, and seasonings.

The ingredients are then layered or rolled in the tortilla, browned on a flat top or plancha, and served with pica de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole.

MAKEOVER By using whole-wheat

tortillas, part-skim cheeses, and lots of sautéed vegetables and seasonings, you can have a tasty menu item without excessive fat or kcalories.

The addition of black bean salsa, puréed beans, or a little avocado cilantro salad nicely rounds out the composition of the dish.



Entrée: Vegetable LasagnaThe vegetables in this recipe (eggplant, zucchini,

bell peppers) replace the pasta, so this is perfect for a gluten-free appetizer or a smaller version as an accompaniment to an entrée.

The recipe uses skim-milk ricotta, feta cheese, and seasonings. If the cheese is replaced with a purée of white bean, roasted garlic, artichokes, and fresh herbs, this lasagna becomes a great vegan selection.

You get the feeling of cheese and flavoring without the kcalories of whole-milk mozzarella and ricotta, not to mention rich pasta sheets.


Entrée: Chicken Pot Pie

This dish is usually made with a rich roux base (chicken velouté), chicken meat, a variety of vegetables, and pie dough.

In the recipe makeover, we use a light velouté sauce and a ricotta chive crust made with skim milk ricotta, egg whites, herbs, flour, and butter.


Sauces and Dressings

Velouté Sauce: This alternative sauce can be the foundation of a lighter cooking style.

A good defatted stock is used, and thickened with arrowroot. This base sauce can be used in sauce making or in soup preparation.


Creamy Dressings

Creamy dressings are traditionally made with mayonnaise, sour cream, and/or heavy cream; ingredients that add flavor such as fresh herbs or citrus juices; and cheeses.

Balanced creamy dressings use tofu, puréed white beans, vegetables, nonfat yogurt, nonfat sour cream, or nonfat milk with the addition of bold seasonings to add flavor depth.

These balanced preparations can be used for dips and sandwich spreads.


Oil and Vinegar Dressings

Classic French vinaigrette, oil and vinegar dressings typically have a ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid.

To use less oil, try a slightly thickened stock or reduced juice (to replicate the viscosity of oil), with a strong flavorful oil such as extra virgin olive, pecan, pistachio, or hazelnut.

You can add fresh herbs, spices, finely diced vegetables, or chilies to create a wide variety of options.


Desserts: Carrot Cake

Carrot cake typically has a batter consisting of shredded carrots, vegetable oil, whole eggs, brown sugar, honey, spices, and nuts.

This lighter version reduces the oil, the amount of eggs, and substitutes the cream cheese frosting with a nonfat yogurt sauce sweetened with maple syrup and thickened with gelatin.

The use of egg whites helps to reduce the amount of saturated fat.



Oatmeal Raisin CookiesTraditional oatmeal raisin cookies use sweet

butter, sugar, whole eggs, oatmeal, spices, and raisins.

This recipe uses mostly applesauce (and a little canola oil) to replace the butter, egg whites instead of whole eggs, and plenty of oatmeal and golden raisins.


Hot Topic: Gluten-Free BakingWhen a person with celiac disease consumes

anything containing gluten (found in wheat, barley, rye, or oats contaminated with these grains), his is her immune system is “triggered” and responds by damaging the lining of the intestinal tract.


To avoid gluten, check food labels for:

Wheat—including durum wheat, farina, graham flour, wheat bran, semolina, kamut, and spelt wheat

BarleyRyeTriticale (a cross

between wheat and rye)

Oats (unless labeled gluten-free)

Malt as in barley malt extract

Brewer’s yeastDextrinModified food starch


Someone avoiding gluten CAN eat:

Brown rice, wild rice, white rice

Corn and cornmealAmaranthQuinoaMillet, teff, sorghumBuckwheatLegumesAlmondsCoconut

AND THEIR FLOURS

FlaxStarches/thickeners such

as:◦ Potato starch◦ Tapioca starch◦Arrowroot◦Corn starch



Baking without GlutenBaking without gluten-free flours and starches

can be challenging because gluten contributes important properties to various types of baked products like cookies, cakes, pastries, and breads. Gluten development is not as important for cookies as it is for cakes.

Gums like xanthan gum and guar gum may be used to retain gas and give gluten-free baked goods the structure, volume, and texture that gluten would normally provide.


Baking without Gluten (cont’d)Cakes and other types of batter-based products,

like pancakes, need gluten for its gas-retaining ability that produces a light and airy interior structure and a tender crumb.

Bread is perhaps the most challenging gluten- free baked product to make because gluten provides structure, creates a tender crumb, and retains gas. With experimentation and practice, a combination of gluten-free flours and gums can be used to create a loaf with good volume, softness, and texture.


Gluten-Free Flour BlendsThere are many gluten-free flour blend

formulations for use in making breads and other baked goods. The formula might include three or four different flours and starches.

Flours with stronger flavors (such as bean flours) typically make up no more than 25 to 30 percent of the total blend and are balanced by neutral flours and starches.


NutritionGluten-free flours have less protein than wheat

flour, and many are low in fiber.Choose mostly whole-grain flours to improve

the fiber and nutrient content of your baked goods.

Whole-grain flours, and especially bean flours, also contain more protein that will help give structure to your baked goods.


To avoid cross-contact:Clean all surfaces thoroughly. Keep gluten-free ingredients and foods separate

from gluten-containing foods.Wheat flour can linger in the air in the kitchen

for over 24 hours, so do your gluten-free baking first.

Make sure you have scrubbed your kitchen and tools before starting baking.

Use a different rolling pin and work surface than you do for conventional baking.

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© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals Chapter 9 Recipe Makeovers