OK I admit, I do like Mayo (no, not the fake stuff, I go for the real deal). I really discovered the creamy, rich taste of full-fat mayo when I visited Brussels years ago. Since then I’ve been longing for a real good mayonnaise with a similar mouthfeel and taste. While it’s hit and miss – I’ve only had it in certain restaurants – that homemade pleasure to the tastebuds, I have had yet to discover it in a bottle.
Well Hampton Creek has done it — and surprisingly without the yolk. Yep, no eggs at all. Instead plant-based nutrients including pea protein and beta carotene. And the oil used is NonGMO, even better! It’s called Just Mayo – but it’s more than just a rich, creamy spread. And it’s not too sweet nor too vinegary (a problem I find with commercial blends). Now I don’t mind eggs – the egg yolk actually contains a lot of heart-healthy nutrients. (See why eggs are not so bad for you – scroll down to bottom of article.) But for someone watching their cholesterol, eggless products can be a helpful thing, especially if your looking forward to enjoying a whole egg (the egg yolk alone has 186 mg cholesterol – – 300mg / day is the limit for healthy people, according to the American Heart Association).
So the first day I tried a little of the Just Mayo Garlic on a leftover baked chicken thigh. Well, that little bit had a lot of good flavor – it was like an Aoli spread, creamy, garlicky and oh so good. But since I really wanted to review this product using a recipe I decided to use it in a spread to coat my fish for a delicious baked salmon.
Move over processed mayo (leading brand), Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo has arrived!
Years ago, I discovered a recipe that had way too much added fat. But oh it was so delicious. Basically you coat salmon filets with 1/4 inch thickness of real mayo before baking. It melts into the fish and voila – loaded with fat and calories. Not what I want! So here’s my version:
This recipe isn’t what you think. Although I love Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo, it still has 100 calories and 10 gram of fat per Tablespoon. (Don’t get me wrong – even heart-healthy Olive oil has a lot of fat per volume). The good news, it doesn’t take a lot to satisfy.
It I turned to my plain, nonfat Greek yogurt and figured I’d give this same treatment a go using part Mayo / part nonfat yogurt. The result, well as sinful as it looks – it really isn’t that loaded (in fat/calories), but all that great flavor is in their. That’s because I used 3 parts Just Mayo – Garlic and 2 parts plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. And to make the meal even richer (without a lot of added fats) I baked my coated fish over a bed of processed Cauliflower with rosemary & sea salt. That way a bit of the mayo/yogurt blend would drain into it to bring out the seasonings.
Recipe:
- 3 Tablespoons Just Mayo – Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt, plain
- 3 (6 oz) Salmon filets
- 1 head of purple Cauliflower
- 3 Tablespoons slivered almonds
- 1 loose handful of fresh Rosemary + 4 sprigs
- Zucchini sliced
Preheat oven to 425º F. pray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Blend Hampton Creek JustMayo – Garlic with yogurt. Spread evenly over salmon, set aside. In a Cusinart, process cauliflower, sliced almonds and rosemary until resembles rice. Pulse in a pinch of sea salt. SLayer bottom with the Cauliflower mixture. Place coated salmon filets on top. Bake in 425º oven for about 25 minutes or until you can smell the tasty dish and the mayo starts to brown a little. Ten minutes before its done – top with Rosemary sprigs carefully dipped in the au jus drippings formed from the melted Mayo mixture. Serve with steamed or lightly sautéed zucchini.
Now this dish looks like it came out of a fairy princess story feast. Truth be told, my kids choose the purple cauliflower – they were excited to see Purple cauliflower (let alone the golden yellow and light green). And with pink salmon – well we’ve covered their favorite colors in this rainbow fish dish.
ENJOY!
Learn more about Hampton Creek Products here.
Filed under: diet, healthy lifestyles, Nutri-Savvy, Nutri-Savvy's picks, nutrition, Product Review, Recipes, Simple Meals, Taste-full Thursdays
