Sugar: the missing (label) link

I have this pet peeve about sugar and it's drawn attention to every time I look at the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) on the back of a food label (which is relatively often considering I'm a Dietitian and like knowing what's in my food). And it's not what's there that bothers me, but rather what ISN'T there: a row under total sugars labelled 'added sugar'.

Why does this bother me so much? Maybe because there's a big difference between sugars naturally occurring in the food to those added by man to sweeten a product. And yes, this problem could be solved by simply avoiding all packaged and processed foods, which is certainly a good aim to have, but isn't all that realistic for the average person.

Consider the amount of sugar in a bowl of natural muesli (21%) versus a chocolate chip muesli bar (also 21%). While they may have the same amount of sugars (total) they certainly aren't comparable nutritionally. And that's because the sweetness in the muesli is coming from sugars naturally occurring in the dried fruit, while the muesli bar contains added sugar in both the choc chips and the bar itself

Similarly, plain Greek yoghurt (with no added sugar) still has 4.8% sugars and that's because dairy products contain lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. Whereas, a low fat strawberry flavoured yoghurt which has 12.6% sugars contains a mix of natural and added sugars (but mostly sugar added for sweetness).

So be mindful when looking at labels that you make a mental note to differentiate between natural and added sugars by looking at the ingredients list. If the product contains a large proportion of fruit, milk or yoghurt then those products may have a higher content of sugars due to those naturally occurring in the fruit or dairy. But if sugar (or brown rice or malt syrup, honey, agave, molasses, dextran, glucose or invert sugar, or any other of sugars aliases) is listed on the label, particularly in the first few ingredients as they are listed in order of amount, then it's safe to say that product contains too much (added) sugar.

To find out more about reading labels, check out my post Nutrition Information Panels: Decoded.

Chickpea Blondies with White Choc Chips & Macadamias

I recently discovered the wonders of chickpeas in baking. They're an unlikely substitute for flour but somehow they just work! And the benefits? Well they instantly increase the fibre and protein content of any recipe, not to mention adding in some sneaky vegetable serves! This recipe isn't new, you will find variations floating all over the internet, mostly using normal choc chips and nothing else. But I wanted to go more down the traditional route: blondies are meant to contain white chocolate. And macadamias and white chocolate are just a match made in heaven. 

These blondies are crispy and crumbly on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. The recipe is flour less, full of healthy fats (thanks to the nut and seed butter) and can be made gluten free by choosing gluten free baking powder. And they passed my boyfriend's taste test (who is usually anti-healthifying recipes)! Which, trust me, says it all. So go ahead and try these, I will certainly be making them again (and doing some more experimenting with legumes in baking)!

Chickpea blondies with white choc chips and macadamias

400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel

1/2 C nut butter (I used Mayver's Original Super Spread but your favourite nut &/or seed spread will work fine)

1/4 C brown sugar (can be substituted for honey)

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 C white choc chips

1/3 C macadamias, chopped

Splash of water (~3 Tbsp)

1. Preheat oven to 175°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

2. Blend all ingredients, except the white choc chips and macadamias, in a food processor until smooth. It should make a thick hummus-like consistency.

3. Stir in the choc chips and 3/4 of the macadamias and pour into the loaf tin. Smooth top with the back of a spoon and sprinkle with remaining macadamias.

4. Bake for ~50mins or until a skewer comes out clean and the edges begin to brown. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Cafe review: Mint Organics

So I've got this list  of restaurants and cafes I want to try (on my phone of course, so I can add to it wherever). All my friends know about it. It's becoming quite large and now spans both Sydney and Melbourne (after a recent trip and many recommendations from a local Melbournian) so I figured it was time to start spreading the love and reviewing some of these places on my blog. Anyway, so last weekend I dragged and a girl friend of mine to one of the latest: Mint Organics. It's a small cafe in Cronulla (a beach-side suburb in Sydney, for those of you not familiar with the area) that prides itself on healthy organic whole foods (you can read my thoughts on organic food here). 

We went for lunch on a Saturday which I expected to be really busy as they don't take bookings, but despite being quite a small cafe we were able to easily find a table. Mint Organics are open 7 days a week from 7am-3pm so are definitely a breakfast/brunch/lunch/afternoon tea kind of place.

Location- 5/5

Close to Cronulla train station, it was tucked away from the rest of Cronulla's cafe scene, a lone shop opposite the beautiful Gunnamatta Bay. This had a two-fold effect of being quiet (and possibly unknown by many) and having many more parking options than the main streets! The cafe was small but cosy, with plenty of wood, metal and greenery.

Service- 2/5

Sadly, the service left a lot to be desired. While the waiters/waitresses were friendly, we waited too long for our table to be cleared (from the people who left just before us) and to be given menus. In fact, we got sick of waiting for the menus so grabbed them from the counter ourselves.

Menu Variety- 4/5

There was a good variety of choices- from mueslis with various alternative milks to bacon and egg rolls, wraps and salads to brown rice sushi. There were certainly a lot of vegetarian options, and opportunities for add-on's and alterations and the cabinet was lined with raw, vegan, sugar-free and paleo treats like raw (bliss) balls, brownies, muffins and cakes. So this really is more of a health-conscious person's mecca (i.e. don't bring your Dad, or the blokes from the footy team- unless they're into that kind of thing!). 

Taste- 5/5

I chose the seeded sourdough topped with avocado, fetta, basil pesto, rocket, toasted pepitas and a poached egg which was delicious and the perfect size! My friend and I also shared a coffee cacao raw ball which was tasty and my takeaway vegan chocolate brownie was yummy too (but I'm afraid there was no hiding the fact that it was still very much a treat).

Price- 4/5

Organic food doesn't come cheap. And this was evident in some of the prices (such as $10 for a smoothie) but other food items were quite reasonable and comparable to other cafes ($5.50 for sushi, $10 for muesli or $13.50 for a panini).

OVERALL- 20/25

The walls were adorned with interesting 'health' foods, like veggie chips, raw bars and organic grains which seemed in contrast to the highly processed protein powders, but Mint Organics did provide an array of basic, tasty and healthy options. I'd go there again!

Check out their website here for more details.

Ricotta Gnocchi

I've said before on this blog how much I love Italian food and this recipe is no different. I had only ever known of potato gnocchi (which didn't overly excite me), but after some particularly good ricotta gnocchi in a restaurant, I knew I had to recreate this type! Based on a Margaret Fulton recipe, these gnocchi are so easy to make. They take less than 15 minutes to mix and roll and only 5 minutes to cook! Talk about speedy cooking. You can also make up a bigger batch and freeze some for later.

I served mine with my homemade arrabbiata sauce and a large garden salad, but you can certainly experiment with that. These gnocchi can be served 'as is' after being boiled or they can then be pan-fried in a little olive oil until golden- both ways are delicious.

Ricotta Gnocchi

250g reduced fat fresh ricotta

1/3 C grated parmesan

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½-¾ C plain flour

 

1. Combine the ricotta, parmesan and egg in a medium sized bowl. 
2. Add the flour and mix lightly until just combined. Add only as much flour as you need to make a workable dough.
3. Divide the dough in three and roll each piece into a 2-3cm thick log (depending on how small or large you like your gnocchi). Cut 2-3cm slices and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook gnocchi by dropping them into the saucepan and removing then when they float to the surface (after ~5mins) as this means they’re cooked.
5. Optional: Pat gnocchi dry with paper towel and add to a frypan over medium heat with a little olive oil. Toss until lightly golden on each side. Remove and serve.

          Serves 3.

Profiteroles

Profiteroles. Delicious choux pastry filled with creamy custard and topped with rich chocolate. Yep, I have a recipe for that. It's not that hard either! I promise you'll feel like a Masterchef when you present these babies to your family and friends (and they'll love it too). 

So, yes, these are a treat, but they have been adapted to make them a healthier version than most of the other recipes you'll find. And I challenge you to try them and not like them!

Profiteroles

¼ C margarine or butter

½ C water

½ C plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces, melted

Vanilla custard:

1 ¼ C reduced fat milk

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

2 egg yolks

1 heaped Tbsp castor sugar

1 heaped Tbsp cornflour

1. Make custard: Heat milk and vanilla in a small saucepan over high heat and allow to just come to the boil. Remove from heat. In a medium sized bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until well combined. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Once mixed in, return to the saucepan over low heat. Mix cornflour with a small amount of water to form a thin paste. Pour slowly into the saucepan, stirring continuously until thickened. Refrigerate.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
3. Make choux pastry: Place margarine/butter and water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add flour and stir vigorously for 30 seconds or until mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Transfer mixture to a medium sized bowl and beat with electric beaters for 1 minute or until mixture resembles large breadcrumbs and has cooled slightly. Slowly add eggs as mixture thickens, beating until well combined. Drop tablespoons of mixture onto baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden.
4. Pierce a small hole in the side of each profiterole with a skewer and allow to cool in the oven with the oven off and the door slightly ajar (around 45 minutes).
5. Cut each profiterole in half horizontally and fill base with custard (or cut a small slit and pipe in custard with a piping bag). Replace tops and drizzle profiteroles with a teaspoon each of melted chocolate.
6. Allow to set and store in the fridge. 

Makes ~12

Saturated Fat: Saint or Sinner?

There's been a recent shift in public opinion when it comes to fat. What was once demonised as the cause of all weight gain (plus heart disease and many other health conditions) is now being applauded for being the exact opposite. We've seen the rise of paleo lifestyles and butter enthusiasts and we're now being encouraged to once again eat the fat on our steak and slather butter on our bread. But is such a complete one eighty warranted? Should you really be eating spoonfuls of coconut oil or dropping butter in your coffee? (Yes, it's a thing!).

Well, to answer that I first need to explain that there are different types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. And unsaturated fats can be categorised further into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. So what's the difference? Without getting into the nitty gritty of the science, unsaturated fats, found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and oily fish, have typically been termed 'good fats' and saturated fats, found in animal products, butter, vegetable oils, full cream dairy and coconut, have been typically been termed 'bad fats'. This is because most of the research we've had up until recently has shown that unsaturated fats can decrease our cholesterol and protect our hearts and other organs, while saturated fat does the opposite. Let's also remember though, that saturated fats are typically found in very high quantities in many of the foods deemed 'junk' which we know aren't great for our health: think hot chips, pastries, cakes, chocolate bars etc.

"… unsaturated fats, found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and oily fish, have typically been termed 'good fats' and saturated fats, found in animal products, butter, vegetable oils, full cream dairy and coconut, have been typically been termed 'bad fats'."

Recently there has been some emerging research on fat which told us to 'loosen the shackles because saturated fat might not be as bad as we once thought', but was then interpreted as 'eat all the butter you want!'. Well, I don't mean to burst that bubble the media has so carefully crafted, but the science wasn't quite that robust. What it really proves is that when saturated fat is replaced with refined carbohydrates, health worsens (so, not quite the same as saying saturated fat is healthy, just that it's better than refined carbs). But also, that there are different types of saturated fats, some better for our cholesterol and overall health than others.

So while saturated fat may no longer adversely affect your health, we can't yet definitely say that it will be beneficial to your health. And let's not forget that there is also still a hell of a lot more evidence on the health benefits of unsaturated fats (a part which I think has been largely ignored).

The verdict? I'm afraid the jury's still out on this one because we still need more research into the effects saturated fat on health. Our bodies certainly do need fat in general, but remember that gram for gram, fat is still the most energy dense macronutrient, so probably don't get into the habit of going through half a tub of coconut oil in a day, or eating croissants every day for brekky. I recommend eating a moderate amount of a variety of fats (rather than betting all your chips on just one type). And by moderate amount I mean a few serves a day in the following quantities: 1 tablespoon of any oil, 2 teaspoons of butter, a small handful of nuts or seeds, a small fillet fresh salmon, 100g regular mince, one quarter of an avocado or a 200g tub of full fat yoghurt.

Arrabbiata sauce from scratch

I don't know what you did in the recent holiday period, but I got my cook on. Cooking is one of those things that I love filling my spare time with, and lucky for me I actually cook all day long for one of my jobs (paid to do what you love? Winning!).

So here is one of my holiday period trials (don't worry, there will be plenty more filtering through over the coming weeks and months): home-made arrabbiata sauce- you know, the spicy tomato one that goes perfectly with pasta? I actually used mine to top my pan-fried ricotta gnocchi (recipe coming soon). It was a lot of fun! And so delicious. And I can imagine myself making big batches of this with the Italian Nonna I don't have and putting it into jars for all the family to last for months…

Yea ok, so I'm not Italian. But I do love pasta! And together with this sauce, they make the perfect pair. Best of all, you know exactly what's going into it and it's nothing but fresh ingredients.

A note to the cooks: I kept mine chunky, but you could whiz it up with a stick blender if you like a smoother consistency. And alter the amount of chilli depending on your taste for spice. This batch was medium in heat, but you could make it hotter with more chillies, or milder by taking out the seeds and white pith of the chilli (the hottest part).

Arrabbiata Sauce

6 medium tomatoes

1 medium red capsicum, deseeded and cut into quarters

½ brown onion, diced

1 small red chilli, finely chopped (or more if using larger, milder chillies)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or minced)

1 tsp oregano

Small pinch salt and pepper

1. Roast capsicum: Place capsicum pieces skin side up on a baking tray lined with foil, along with whole garlic cloves. Bake at 200°C for ~15 minutes, or until skin starts to blacken. Gather up foil to enclose the capsicum (like a little parcel) and steam in the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove capsicum from oven and place immediately into a bowl of ice cold water for a couple of minutes to blanch. Remove from water and peel off skin. Discard skin and set capsicum aside to cool slightly.
2. Blanch tomatoes: Prick the skin of the tomatoes a couple of times each and place in a medium-sized saucepan of water. Cover and bring to the boil for ~10 minutes or until cracks appear in the skin of the tomatoes. Drain and place tomatoes in a bowl of ice cold water for a couple of minutes to blanch. Remove from water and peel off skin. Discard skin and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Roughly chop capsicum and tomatoes, reserving the juices.
4. Sauté onion in a little olive oil in a medium saucepan until translucent. Add garlic and chilli and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add capsicum, tomatoes and juices, oregano, salt and pepper to the saucepan. Stir and simmer for at least half an hour, until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
6. If not using within a couple of days, place in a sterilised glass jar until needed.

Makes ~ 400mL or nearly 2 cups. Serves 4.

Note: to sterilise a jar, wash in hot soapy water, rinse and dry well. Place in the oven at 120°C for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately fill with sauce.