Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I have a few tricks that make these the best soft chocolate chip cookies that you’ll ever try. With hundreds of positive reviews from bakers around the world, I’m confident you’ll fall in love with this chocolate chip cookie recipe too. Chilling the cookie dough is imperative and cornstarch makes them extra soft and thick!
Chocolate chip cookies are a household favorite, a timeless classic, an unparalleled snack, warm, cold, dunked in milk, in dough form, or in baked form. No one can resist the comfort of a chocolate chip cookie and everyone has their favorite recipe whether it’s on the back of the yellow Toll House bag or scribbled in your grandmother’s recipe book.
Heck, I even have separate recipes for crispy chocolate chip cookies and chewy chocolate chip cookies!
Like many of you, I’ve searched far and wide for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe: the best chocolate chip cookies, a recipe I can bake again and again for years. I’ve lost sleep, I’ve burnt dough, I’ve tested and retested and retested… and retested countless times. And I’m so happy to report that I finally found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I’ll treasure for years. And I know you’ll enjoy these cookies too!

How to Make Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Start with Butter: Use room temperature butter. You can soften butter quickly with this trick or set the butter out 1-2 hours before you begin.
Use a mix of Sugars: Cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together. This process aerates the butter, which promises soft chocolate chip cookies. Brown sugar yields soft chocolate chip cookies and white sugar helps the cookies spread. For chewier and more flavorful cookies, use more brown sugar than white sugar.
Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar are interchangeable in most recipes. Though either works in this chocolate chip cookie recipe, I love using dark brown sugar for extra flavor because it holds a little more molasses.
Add Egg & Vanilla Extract: Eggs provide structure and richness, while vanilla adds flavor.
Use Cornstarch in Dry Ingredients: Cornstarch, a thickening ingredient, is the secret weapon in this cookie recipe. 2 teaspoons give the cookies extra lift and leave them extra soft. You can’t taste it! You also need all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients: Combine all the ingredients, then add the chocolate chips.
Chill the Cookie Dough: For extra thick chocolate chip cookies, chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. Chilling cookie dough will make or break the recipe! The colder the cookie dough, the less the cookies will over-spread. If you’re interested, here are 10 tips to prevent cookies from over-spreading.
Extra Chocolate Chips: This is optional, but as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a few chocolate chips on top. They’ll melt right down into the cookie, making them extra pretty. And melted chocolate is never a bad thing!

Room temperature butter.
Room temperature butter is cool to touch and about 65°F (18°C), which may be cooler than your kitchen. To test it, poke it with your finger. Your finger should make an indent without sinking into the butter. The butter should not be shiny or greasy. You can’t cream cold butter and you can’t cream partially melted butter either. Room temperature butter is imperative to the outcome of these cookies! You need 3/4 cup, which is 1.5 sticks.

Don’t Have Time to Chill Cookie Dough?

If you don’t have time to chill the chocolate chip cookie dough, try my Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies. Or even these soft chocolate chip cookie bars, which don’t require individual cookie rolling either!

After the cookie dough has chilled in the refrigerator, roll the cookie dough into balls. Chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Place the solid and cold cookie dough balls into a labeled zipped-top bag– large or small depending on how much dough you have.
Label the bag with the month and the baking temperature and place the bag in the freezer.
Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. The date will help you determine when the cookie dough is fresh and the temperature is written for obvious reasons. Really, you can write whatever is helpful to you. The date, temperature, time, recipe name, etc.
When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer. Preheat the oven according to the recipe’s instructions.
Bake the cookies for a minute or two longer since the dough is frozen.
Bake the frozen cookie dough balls whenever the craving hits or when you need a big batch of fresh-baked cookies. I do it all the time!

Sometimes the simplest recipes are what stick. I really don’t need to convince you– it’s a chocolate chip cookie. THE chocolate chip cookie!

I have a few tricks that make these the best soft chocolate chip cookies that you’ll ever try. With hundreds of positive reviews from bakers around the world, I’m confident you’ll fall in love with this chocolate chip cookie recipe too. Chilling the cookie dough is imperative and cornstarch makes them extra soft and thick!

Ingredients.
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar.
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar.
1 large egg, at room temperature.
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled).
2 teaspoons cornstarch.
1 teaspoon baking soda.
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1 and 1/4 cup (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Instructions.
In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add into the wet ingredients, then beat on low speed until combined. The cookie dough will be slightly thick. On low speed, beat the chocolate chips. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together when you work the dough with your hands. Roll balls of dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, into balls.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. The cookies will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. If desired, while the cookies are still warm, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops. This is completely for looks!
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes.
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with preheating the oven in step 3. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Click here for my tips and tricks on freezing cookie dough.

Juli 26, 2020

Tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies.

Tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies.

I have made these Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies at least 20 times now. Not exaggerating.

I first made these when we were in the Philippines, when it was a struggle to just keep butter solid for 2 seconds on the counter, and they were absolutely incredible. I had no idea how or why, but they just WORKED. And they blew my mind in the way only a perfect chocolate chip cookie really can.

But then every once in a while, they didn’t work. I’m not always super exact with my baking, but still. They were not thick and chewy and buttery like the perfect cookie should be. Some of your comments said the same things – most of the time they worked, but sometimes they didn’t. And I don’t like that.
Now I’m back home in dry, cool Minnesota and I have been waiting for this day just so I could figure out what would really make these cookies awesome for you. You who live in normal climates and shop at Cub Foods. I am now speaking your cookie-baking language.

Since I’m responsible for bringing some treats up the cabin for my big family and I had an excuse to make excessive amounts of cookies, I made these. Many times. To get to the bottom of this cookie perfection.

So here are my semi-scientific but mostly trial-and-error regular home cook tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies that look like this on the inside.

Here are my simple tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies with an easy recipe for my all-time favorite, classic, perfect chocolate chip cookie.
USE SALTED BUTTER.
Butter. Butter butter butter, butter. Butter. Yum. Whether I’m baking or sauteing or eating the butter straight off the stick, I always choose good quality salted sweet cream butter. And I guess by good quality I mean the grocery store budget brand. Because, well, yum. It tastes really good, so that’s what I use.

MELT THE BUTTER ABOUT HALF WAY IN THE OVEN.
For me, for this blog, for these ultra-thick cookies, we melt the butter HALF WAY or less. So literally I heat the stick of butter until roughly half of it is melted. This gives me the most success with a cookie that is both soft and structured. And guess where I melt my butter? Well, I told you already. In the preheating oven. It goes slowly and it keeps most of the stick firm while just gently melting off the outer layer, unlike melting in the microwave where the whole thing gets kinda soggy. Try to melt half or less – my goal is usually about one third and it usually takes just 3-5 minutes. Set a timer, please! Any more than that will start to make the cookies flat (and you can check out my last picture of my failed cookies for proof).

BRING THE BUTTER BACK TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.
It’s almost like a soft solid again. I sometimes stick it in the fridge or freezer to help speed up the process but then I let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to come back to room temperature before actually making the dough.

I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW this is annoying. Because you just want to make cookies right now. Believe me, I know. But hot melted butter just doesn’t work the same way as the cooled, soft-solid room temperature butter. Beeee paaatient.

JUST BARELY BEAT THE EGG.
Just a little beating in with the sugar and butter will be enough. Too much beating makes the cookie more stiff, and I like ’em soft.

ADD FLOUR UNTIL THE DOUGH PULLS AWAY.
When in doubt, add a little flour to the dough, especially if the butter was melted. I always go by feel more than by measurement, because sometimes the amount of flour in a recipe (my OWN recipe) doesn’t seem right for a particular batch. This is what I always look for –> the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Just slightly.

When you’re using those electric mixers and mixing all your flour in with your dough, if the dough is just stuck all over the sides of the bowl and feels wet, add a spoonful of flour. And again, and again, until your dough is soft and dry to the touch and pulls into a large dough ball at the center of the bowl when you’re mixing it.

I also notice that when I get just the right amount of flour in the dough, it makes kind of a delicate sticky noise when I stir it. Annnd you can file that under the world’s most obscure baking tips.

USE TWO KINDS OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
At least two, possibly ten. I love texture, so having at least two types or two shapes of chocolate in my cookie is a must. My favorites are Nestle semisweet chocolate chunks, Hershey’s milk chocolate chips, and Guittard dark chocolate chips. The slightly different tastes of the chocolate and the varied shapes and sizes of the chips make for a more interesting (ehmm, more chocolatey) cookie.

BAKE IN SMALLER BATCHES.
This is a weird one, but I always have better luck getting that awesomely thick and buttery cookie when I make half of my favorite recipe. Go figure. I included the measurements for the “half” recipe at the end of this post.

REFRIGERATE THE DOUGH.
This is a SOMETIMES tip. For the recipe in this post, I found that I actually really didn’t need to refrigerate the dough as long as I had enough flour, but sometimes you bake the first batch and you get spread-flat-cookie-city. In that case, try refrigerating or freezing the dough until it’s more firm to help it stay together better.

USE A CALPHALON COOKIE SHEET.
I don’t have a baking stone or any other fancy baking sheets, just a few cheap Target finds that sometimes do the pop-bend while baking. So this isn’t a hard and fast rule – this is just the cookie sheet out of my very basic cookie sheet collection that seems to work best the most often. It’s non-stick, dark, and small.

MAKE ’EM BIG.
Hi, I’m a crazy cookie lady and I mean really big. Like possibly 1/4 cup of cookie dough big. If everything goes like it should, the more dough you can cram into that dough ball, the thicker and more irresistibly divine they will be.

SHAPE YOUR COOKIES BY HAND.
I’ve spooned dough without shaping, I’ve used a special cookie dough scoop to get the rounded top, and yet the thing that works best for me is shaping them by hand. Like, literally, rolling them in between my palms to get a perfect round ball.

STRATEGICALLY PLACE YOUR CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
Sometimes I put tons and tons of chocolate chips in the dough, but then the tops of my cookies just look plain white. Mehhh. We want chunky, chocolatey cookies here. So I take a few chocolate chips from the dough bowl intentionally press a few extra into the top to make it look extra chocolate chippy.

LOOK FOR BARELY BROWNED SPOTS.
For this recipe, I always look for those very slightly browned spots on top. That’s how I know they’re done.

CROSS YOUR FINGERS.
Science shmience. For a regular baker like myself, sometimes baking just feels like a little bit of dumb luck. There are so many factors that can make a cookie great or not so great. Even if your cookies didn’t turn out juuust how you wanted them, I bet your dough still tastes pretty darn good, right? Grab a spoon and a glass of milk and enjoy.
One more thing before the recipe! I wanted to show you my three failed batches during testing, and the things that I think made them turn out the way that they did.

Half-batch perfect chocolate chip cookies.

Prep Time: 45 mins  Cook Time: 9 mins  Yield: 10–12 big cookies.

INGREDIENTS.

7 tablespoons salted butter, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar.
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (to start, but plan to add a few tablespoons), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
1 cup mixed varieties of chocolate chips,  1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg,  1/4 teaspoon salt.

INSTRUCTIONS.

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Put the butter in the oven in a stainless steel or glass bowl as it’s preheating until about one third to one half of the butter is melted. Do not melt more than half of the butter. Turn the oven off. Let the butter come back to room temperature for at least 30 minutes – it doesn’t have to harden completely but it should be a soft solid.
Add the sugar and vanilla. Cream with electric mixers until well mixed and lightly fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated..

Measure in the flour, baking soda, and salt. You can do this in a separate bowl, but I usually just dump it all into the mixing bowl. Slowly mix with the electric mixer on low speed, scraping the sides, until all the flour is incorporated. If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl and looks wet, add one tablespoon of extra flour at a time until the dough feels dry and sticks together in one large ball. Too much flour will make the cookie stiff, so stop adding flour right when the dough starts to take on that dry look and feel. Stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll 1/4 cup dough into high, round balls with chocolate chips at the top. Place on a baking sheet a few inches apart and bake for about 9 minutes. You want to take them out when they are puffy and just a tiny bit brown on the tops and edges. Let stand for a few minutes – they will lose a little of their puffiness but they should stay thick and hold together well.

Juli 26, 2020

how to use amaranth

How to Use Amaranth.

Considered an ancient grain, amaranth is a great source of nutrition. It has high fiber at 15%, high protein at 14% and can be used in many ways. It also contains high lysine, an amino acid found in few foods and higher calcium than most other grains. The best reason to eat amaranth is for its high nutritional value, but it also can become a staple food in the diets of people who are diabetic or have celiac because of its low glycemic index value and lack of gluten. Children also benefit from amaranth in their diet because of its high nutritional value. Amaranth is a whole grain and can also be counted as a vegetable. Although amaranth is gaining popularity, it is still not widely used and many people are unsure how to cook and eat amaranth. Knowing how to use amaranth will help you incorporate it into your diet more often.



Part 1 Using Amaranth as the Grain Portion of a Meal.

The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming grains as part of a healthy meal. These grains can be served separately or as a part of a dish. Amaranth is a nice substitute for rice or pasta in a meal and satisfies the grain portion of the meal.

1. Serve amaranth instead of rice.

Use 2.5 to 3 cups of water to 1 cup of amaranth.

Simmer it in a covered pan for approximately 20 minutes.

All the water should absorb and the grains should be fluffy when finished.

You can also toast the amaranth in butter and add some of it into a rice pilaf with rice and other grains.

2. Use amaranth instead of couscous, risotto or orzo in pasta dishes. Amaranth works well because the texture and size are not far off from these pastas or grains. You will want to use slightly less water to cook the amaranth to help it retain its structure.

Make whole grain rolls with amaranth. Amaranth is a nice addition to whole grain breads. It can either be used whole or as flour.

Using it whole, it will add texture and nuttiness to the bread.

If using the flour, you can substitute 5% to 30% of the regular flour with amaranth flour, and the only other change you need to make to the recipe would be a slight increase in water.

It also works well as gluten free flour. When making gluten free rolls, you will need to substitute all the regular flour for amaranth flour, increase the water and add xanthan gum and a starch to help the bread bake correctly.

3. Make amaranth instead of oatmeal.

Amaranth can be simmered in juice for a sweet flavor.

Add nuts, spices and fruit for a healthy and sweet breakfast.

4. Add amaranth to soups or chili. Amaranth flour can be added to thicken up soups or cooked amaranth can be added for flavor and texture.



Part 2 Preparing Amaranth in Dessert.

Amaranth has a mild flavor that lends itself well to many applications, including dessert. Many people describe amaranth as being slightly nutty and toasty.

1. Make amaranth pudding. This is just like rice pudding. You can follow a rice pudding recipe and just substitute the amaranth for rice.

2. Use amaranth to make cookies.

Amaranth seeds add a nice crunch to cookies.

The flour can also be used to make gluten free cookies. You only need to substitute the amaranth flour for regular flour when making a gluten free cookie. This will affect the flavor and give a slightly dryer cookie. To help counter these effects, try adding applesauce to your cookie recipe. The applesauce will add some flavor and retain moisture.



Part 3 Baking with Amaranth.

Amaranth works well in baked applications, especially for gluten free baked goods. Using amaranth in baked goods increases the nutritional value, mainly the fiber and protein. Also, amaranth has a low glycemic index and people looking to keep blood sugar stable while still enjoying baked goods can do that with amaranth.

1. Substitute a portion of regular flour or whole wheat flour with amaranth flour. By substituting no more than 30% of the flour with amaranth you can still follow most recipes, with the exception being the amount of water. You may need more water when using amaranth flour because it absorbs more liquid than regular flour.

2. Make gluten free baked goods. Going gluten free in baking requires more changes to recipes because you need a way to build air structure in bread without gluten. The way this is overcome is by using xanthan gum and a starch. When making cookies or baked goods that don’t require much air cell structure, you may be able to substitute 100% of the flour.

3. Add whole amaranth for flavor and texture. You can toast the seeds before you use it or just add them raw to many bread and cookie recipes. Toasted amaranth seeds go well in items like biscotti because they add flavor and crunch.



Part 4 Making Amaranth Part of a Healthy Snack.

Healthy snacking is part of a balanced diet. Ideally, when snacking you want carbohydrates and protein to help satiate you until the next meal. Amaranth provides carbohydrates and protein and can be added to many snack foods.

1. Pop amaranth into a crunchy snack. Amaranth will pop easily and creates nice “puffs” that can be eaten alone or added to a snack mix.

To pop the amaranth, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of amaranth to a very hot skillet.

Stir the seeds continuously until they pop and while they are popping.

Once most of the seeds have popped, quickly remove them from the pan to avoid burning them.

Try drizzling honey and cinnamon on popped amaranth for a sweet snack.

2. Add course ground amaranth to smoothies. This will boost the nutritional value of the smoothie while giving it a thicker texture and nutty flavor.

3. Finished.



Question : How do you make popped amaranth?

Answer : Making popped amaranth takes a little getting used to but once you've mastered it, you'll be able to do it quickly and easily. It is popped without oil or other additions, which may feel odd at first, but it's a great low calorie way to make a treat. For step-by-step instructions on making it, check out the wikiHow: How to Pop Amaranth.

Question : How do you pronounce amaranth?

Answer : Depending on your own accent, it is pronounced "am-uh-ranth". A brief online search for "how to pronounce amaranth" will provide you with a sound file to listen to so you can perfect it!

Question : Should vegans eat amaranth?

Answer : Absolutely! Amaranth is a good choice to add to a vegan or vegetarian diet because of their high protein content and complete protein profile. Not only are they healthy but they're a tasty addition to a vegan diet that will help to keep you feeling full.

Question : What is a pseudocereal?

Answer : A pseudocereal refers to a plant that has starch-filled seeds or fruits that we treat as a grain. The reason such seeds or fruits are called "pseudocereal" is that they do not meet the botanical requirements to be considered a true cereal grain but they get used in much the same way for our diet (e.g., as a cereal, as flour, etc.). Many pseudocereals were staples in ancient cultures, like amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat. In general, they have highly nutritious profiles, which is why many of them are getting "rediscovered" in current times and are thought by agricultural experts to be an underappreciated source of future nutrition (Rosentrater and Evers 2018). Another name you might find these seeds and fruits referred to is "pseudograin".

Question : Can you eat amaranth leaves?

Answer : Yes, the leaves of amaranth are edible, the Aztecs used to boil the leaves and eat them as a vegetable. If you want to enjoy amaranth as a vegetable, use either any leaves from a young amaranth plant (or even the whole plant if you can spare it) or just go for the fresh growing tips of larger, older plants. If the leaves have spines, these need to be scraped off before boiling.

Question : Is amaranth healthy?

Answer : Yes, amaranth is a healthy grain. It contains around 27 grams of protein per cup, making it one of the best sources of grain protein. It is also a complete protein. Other nutrients include manganese and iron. It is a good source of dietary fiber as well.

Question : Can it be eaten raw?

Answer : You should cook amaranth before eating it because it contains components in its raw form that block the absorption of some nutrients in the digestive system.

Question : Can I use amaranth to make porridge to feed a toddler?

Yes, you can use amaranth to make instant porridge. Add some hot milk and sugar/jaggery to amaranth puffs. Allow it to stand for a few minutes before serving. You can make the porridge as runny or as thick as you want by adjusting the amount of milk you use.

Question : Can I find this product in Bangalore?

Answer : Amazon India and several other websites sell online to customers all over India. You can also get it in large grocery stores or organic food stores in Bangalore.

Question : What does an amaranth plant look like?

Answer : Amaranth plants are highly variable in leaf size and color, also in overall plant height. Some are tiny with solid green leaves and few seeds (pig weed), while others are over 6 ft/ 2 m tall with bright orange/red/green leaves. If you type "amaranth plant" into Google and click on Images, you'll see plenty of examples.



Tips.

Purchase and taste some products made with amaranth before committing to cook with it or use it regularly. This will help you determine if and how you want to use amaranth.

Use tea strainer (fine mesh) to rinse amaranth, and dry well before use.

The USDA recommends at least 51% of grains come from whole grains and amaranth counts towards the whole grain recommendation.

Februari 23, 2020

How to Substitute Vegetables for Grains

How to Substitute Vegetables for Grains.

Giving up grains and eating vegetables as a substitute can be difficult. Grains are tasty and play a huge part in the average Western diet. Whether it's having bread on your sandwich, serving rice with your stir-fry or having pasta for dinner, grains are a big food group that can be hard to replace. However, many people are now moving away from grains at the advice of some diet plans (like the Paleo diet) or just to improve their overall diet. Some people restrict carbs in their diet as research has shown this helps with weight loss. Now there are tons of recipes and ideas on how to cut back on grains and replace them with more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables. Try using some of your favorite veggies to help reduce how many grains you eat on a daily basis.

Part 1 Swapping out Grains for More Vegetables.

1. Use vegetables to replace breads or wraps. If you normally pack a sandwich or pick up a wrap as a meal, it can be hard to think of ways to have a "sandwich" without the bread; however, there are a variety of vegetables that you can use instead.

An easy swap for bread or wraps are lettuce leaves. Many types of lettuces are cup-shaped or have large leaves which makes them great for rolling up sandwich fillings.

Choose lettuces like butter lettuce cups, iceberg lettuce, cabbage leaves, collard green leaves, kale or Swiss chard. These lettuces are big and will hold a decent amount of fillings without ripping or the items falling out.

In addition to a lettuce wrap, you can also make opened faced sandwiches with vegetables like grilled portobello mushrooms or sliced and baked sweet potatoes.

Once cooked, you can top your mushroom or sweet potato slice with your favorite sandwich toppings and serve. Use a fork and knife for this type of sandwich.

2. Swap in vegetables for pizza crust. Another item you can use vegetables in is for pizza crust. You can skip the carb and calorie heavy flour-based crust and use a vegetable instead.

Just like with open faced sandwiches, you can also use grilled or roasted portobello mushrooms as a pizza crust. Fill with a little tomato sauce and top with cheese or other toppings, like broccoli and onion.

If you want a more crust like pizza, try using cauliflower. Once grated and cooked, you can mold the cauliflower into a flat circle and top with sauce and cheese.

3. Make rice out of vegetables. If you normally have a side of rice with your dinner, consider using grated vegetables instead. It's a great way to decrease your carbohydrate intake.

One very popular swap for rice is cauliflower. By swapping in this low-calorie vegetable, you save yourself about 150 calories per serving.

Use a food processor to grate and finely chop the cauliflower. It should be similar in size to rice or couscous. You can use this in any recipe that calls for rice.

Another vegetable that you can use as a substitute for rice are parsnips. These look like white carrots, but when grated and finely chopped also serve as a great rice substitute.

4. Use vegetables as pasta. If you love a big bowl of pasta or a cold pasta salad, you'd be happy to know there are plenty of vegetables that can be substituted in place of noodles and macaroni.

One great tool to help you make a variety of vegetables into a spaghetti or linguine shape is a spiralizer. There are a variety of variations of this tool, but they all help turn veggies (or fruits) into spaghetti.

Great vegetables to try in your spiralizer are butternut squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, beets, or cucumbers.

These noodles can be quickly boiled or steamed or eaten raw depending on what the recipe calls for.

If you like a baked pasta dish like lasagna, try using eggplant, red peppers, zucchini or yellow squash in place of the noodles. Slice length-wise into long, thin planks and layer with sauce and cheese.

Another option is to make your own gnocchi with either sweet potatoes or pumpkin. There's little to no flour in these and they're full of a nutrient-dense squash.

5. Bake with nut or bean flours. Outside of items like rice, pasta and bread, there are foods that use grain-based flours. Whether it's cakes, cookies or muffins, many foods contain flour.

Baked goods and pastries can still be enjoyed if you're following a low- or no-grain diet. Substitute regular wheat flour for nut or bean flours.

Many different nuts and beans can be ground into a fine flour-like consistency. You can use them in a variety of baked goods. You can try: almond flour, cashew meal, garbanzo bean flour and fava bean flour.

The proportions of other ingredients may change when you use these types of flours. Make sure you follow a recipe to help get the end product turn out correctly.

You can also use coconut flour, though this is fairly high in calories.

6. Use vegetables in place of chips or crackers. If you enjoy having crackers or chips as snacks, you can use vegetables as a swap for these flour based treats. Make your own using vegetables at home.

Many types of chips and crackers usually contain some sort of flour which makes them a grain-based food.

If you like crunchy, salty chips, trying make chips from kale. Washed, dried and baked in the oven, kale becomes crispy and light.

You can also use raw vegetables in place of chips and crackers. This is especially good when you have a dip like hummus or ranch dip. Both are great with raw vegetables.

If you want a more chip-like consistency, use starchy root vegetables instead. Thinly sliced, vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots turn into crispy chips when baked in the oven.

Part 2 Using Vegetables in Place of Grains.

1. Try spaghetti squash marinara. A great option to try if you love spaghetti and meatballs is using spaghetti squash instead. This vegetable, when cooked, shreds into spaghetti-like strands and makes the perfect pasta replacement

To cook a spaghetti squash, carefully slice the squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F (204.4°C) for about 40 minutes or until fork tender.

Allow the squash to cool to room temperature. Once cool, use a fork to shred the flesh of the squash. It should come out easily and naturally fall into little spaghetti strands.

Toss the cooked squash with warmed marinara sauce. Serve with your favorite meatballs and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

2. Make a cold cucumber noodle salad. If you enjoy those cold soba noodle salads with peanut dressing, you'd be surprised at how well cucumbers do in this salad. Spiralized into spaghetti shape, they make this salad delicious.

Start by washing and drying a cucumber. English or hot house cucumbers are the best as their skin is tender and the seeds are small.

Spiralize the entire cucumber and slice "noodles" into manageable pieces — about 6 –10 inches (15 – 25 cm) in length.

Place the "noodles" in a bowl and toss with your favorite peanut sauce or dressing. Stir to combine.

Add in 2 cups of diced chicken, 1 cup of steamed broccoli florets, 1/2 cup of thinly sliced red peppers, 1 cup of steamed snap peas and 1/2 cup of diced green onions.

Toss everything to combine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill thoroughly. Once chilled, serve and enjoy.

3. Make cauliflower rice. If you love rice, you might want to try making cauliflower rice instead. It's very low-calorie and low-carb and very easy to make.

To start, roughly chop up a whole head of cauliflower. Leave only the florets and discard the woody, tough stems.

Put half of the cauliflower in a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower breaks down into couscous or rice sized pieces. Set aside and process the remaining cauliflower.

To cook your cauliflower rice, add in a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium high and add the cauliflower. Cook for five to eight minutes or until tender.

You can also use your cauliflower rice raw if you'd like. This is a great idea if you want to do a cold salad.

4. Bring a Mediterranean kale wrap for lunch. If you enjoy having a sandwich or wrap for lunch, consider swapping out the bread for a big piece of leafy kale. It's high in vitamins and minerals and makes a great sub for a wrap

Start by washing and drying a large kale leaf. If it has a thick, woody stem, take a paring knife and carefully remove it. This won't taste good in your wrap.

Spread on about a 1/4 cup of your favorite hummus topped with 1/4 of a sliced avocado.

Top with 2 tablespoons of feta cheese and a 1/4 cup of thinly sliced roasted red peppers.

Drizzle on your favorite salad dressing if desired (like a balsamic vinaigrette). Wrap up the fillings tightly and slice your wrap in half. Enjoy!

Part 3 Eating Grains in Moderation.

1. Decide what "moderation" is for you. Even if a diet you're following suggests avoiding all grains, having these foods occasionally is still appropriate. You don't have to avoid these foods in order to have a balanced or nutritious diet.

If you eat large quantities of grains, eat them on a regular basis or choose items that are highly refined, this isn't a overly healthy choice.

However, having grains (even refined grains) in moderation is appropriate and healthy, as they provide energy and nutrients. If you want to include some grain-based foods every now and again, decide what your definition of moderation will be.

For example, will you only have grains one or two times a week? Or will you have one serving per day?

Stick to your definition of moderation to keep these foods in check and make sure you don't overdo it.

2. Stick to appropriate portion sizes. One thing that is very important to do (with any food) is to measure the appropriate portion. This will help you stick to eating a moderate amount of grains.

When you plan to have a serving of grains, make sure to measure the portion size. This will help keep the total calories and carbohydrates in check.

Even if you choose a whole grain or a dish that is very nutritious, eating too much of it can cost you too many calories or carbohydrates.

For grains, measure out 1 oz or 1/2 cup. If you're having rice or pasta, measure the food after it's been cooked.[

3. Go for 100% whole grains. In addition to eating grains on occasion and making sure the portion sizes are appropriate, it's also a good idea to choose the most nutritious type of grain.

If you're going to splurge and have some bread, rice, pasta or another baked good, choose a nutritious option. That way, you're at least getting some nutritional benefits when you eat it.

The most nutritious types of grains are 100% whole grains. These are minimally processed and contain all parts of the grain (the bran, germ and endosperm). These are high in fiber and other beneficial nutrients.

Refined grains are much more processed and the nutrient containing parts of the grain — the bran and germ — are removed during processing.

Stick to 100% whole grains only. Try items like: brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, barley, millet or farro.

Tips.

Swapping in more vegetables for grains is a great way to increase the total amount of nutrients you're eating everyday.

Although this can help improve your diet, eating 100% whole grains is a OK and a nutritious addition to your diet.

There are a ton of recipes available to help make this grain-free recipes taste great. Try a few to see what works best for you.

Refined grains are quickly digested into simple sugars and then absorbed into the blood system. This can cause blood sugar levels to go up.

April 08, 2020