Many people cannot imagine their daily diet without consuming mayonnaise. They add it to absolutely all dishes, even to those that are incompatible with it: borsch, soup, hodgepodge. And few people think about how to replace mayonnaise. What will be just as tasty, but less greasy? But before we get to know the answers to these questions, let's learn a little more about this product.
History of Mayonnaise
The name of the sauce comes from the French "moyeu" - yolk. Another version tells us that it got its name in honor of the capital of the island of Menorca in Spain, the city of Mahon. After the capture of the city by the Duke of Richelieu in 1757, the locals had a limited supply of food, and the cooks were forced to cook food from eggs and olive oil. One of the cooks whipped these ingredients, seasoned with fragrant herbs and got a delicious sauce, which was called mayonnaise. On this island, mayonnaise is still called mahon sauce or salsa mahonesa.
There are at least two versions of the appearance of the sauce. One of them claims that the birthplace should be considered the Mediterranean, where eggs and olive oil are also popular. Another one is inclined to the fact that the prototype of mayonnaise was the ali-oli sauce, popular in many countries, which includes garlic, mashed with olive oil. Initially, mayonnaise was a delicacy, a delicacy that was served only to noble people. But in the end, he went beyond the walls of palaces and rich houses and firmly entered the diet of ordinary residents, where to this day he enjoys great popularity.
Sauce modernity
The mayonnaise that some housewives cook at home on their own is completely unsuitable for long-term storage.
To meet the needs of the population and put the sauce on sale, the so-called industrial mayonnaise was invented. In the post-Soviet space, it is divided into classes according to GOST. High-calorie, medium-calorie and low-calorie are distinguished. “Fatty” mayonnaise contains from 55% fat and less than 35% water. In medium-calorie - 40-55% fat and 35-50% water. In lean mayonnaise, fat is up to 40%, while water is more than 50%. What is the technology for making mayonnaise? Since the sauce itself is nothing but an oil-in-water emulsion, its primary ingredient was egg lecithin, that is, yolk. Now, this natural product has been superseded by cheaper soya lecithin, as well as other emulsifiers. Doesn't that sound not very appetizing? Therefore, it is better to know how to replace mayonnaise in dishes that are prepared daily.
For a healthy diet
The main attribute of all holidays are salads such as Olivier and herring under a fur coat. Yes, for many it’s tasty and symbolic, but few remember that initially fatty foods should not be mixed with fatty sauce. To protect our stomach and liver, let's find out how to replace mayonnaise in a salad? There are at least three options.
- Natural yogurt sauce. Grind unsweetened cottage cheese of 5% fat and yogurt with a blender, add herbs and garlic.
- Beat in a blender a tablespoon of mustard with vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Lemon Sauce. Lemon juice, vegetable oil, a spoonful of cream and beat the same amount of sugar in a blender, add ground pepper, herbs and salt.
And what to replace mayonnaise in a salad of vegetables, you should not think at all. Feel free to season with olive oil, soy sauce or just lemon juice. It is much healthier and tastier than mayonnaise.
Pizza
Another product that, it would seem, cannot exist without ketchup and mayonnaise, is everyone's favorite pizza. But remember: in a real pizza from Italy there is not a gram of this product!
It is only in our fast-food cafes that a piece of fragrant pastries is generously flavored with fat sauce, which completely interrupts the taste of the filling. But before replacing mayonnaise in pizza with other sauces, do not think to be upset: without it, it will actually become tastier! Let's think about why they put it in this dish. To make the dough and filling more juicy. But other products will be able to cope with this function. For example, you can grease the dough with tomato sauce or simply lay out thinly sliced tomato slices at the very beginning. But canned corn and a large amount of grated cheese give juiciness to the filling. Generously sprinkle pizza on them five minutes before readiness and be sure: next time you won’t have a question “how to replace mayonnaise”, you will know that without it baking is much tastier.
A couple more pizza secrets
There are at least two sauces that help make pizza juicy but not greasy.
- Tomato Sauce Mashed potatoes are made from fresh tomatoes . To do this, they need to be rid of the peel with boiling water and grind in a blender. Add olive or sunflower oil, spices, garlic, herbs and boil over low heat for 20 minutes. After thickening, cool the sauce and grease the pizza with it.
- Peanut sauce. Grind walnuts with a blender or coffee grinder, mix with sour cream, spices and heat. Dilute the flour with warm water and introduce into a sour cream-nut mixture, achieving the desired consistency. This sauce will add spice to your pizza.
Experiment with different products, and it is possible that you yourself will invent your own original pizza sauce recipe .
How to replace mayonnaise when baking
Sometimes mayonnaise is called the killer of taste. Indeed, it is worth adding it to any dish - and that’s all, its real taste is irretrievably lost. The same applies to dishes that are supposed to be baked in the oven. For example, what is the recipe for the well-known meat in French? Cheese, mayonnaise, onions ... How to replace mayonnaise in this case? Bechamel sauce comes to the aid, which is prepared on the basis of sour cream and butter with the addition of products such as flour, milk, lemon juice and spices. The meat baked in such a sauce will be both tastier and healthier, because it will not receive an additional portion of fat.
Kebab sauce
Recently it has become fashionable to pickle meat for barbecue in mayonnaise. Why do this? It is believed that it is he who makes the meat tender. However, to soften the fibers, an acidic environment is needed, or more simply, vinegar. Thus, mayonnaise is not quite what you need for a real barbecue. There are many options for which sauce you can replace mayonnaise, a variety of different marinades, so do not rush to give preference to this fatty sauce. The kebab marinated in a large amount of chopped herbs and spices with a small addition of mineral water with vinegar will turn out great. Another sauce is a simple red or white wine, preferably dry or semi-dry. Tartaric acid will make the meat tender, and the grapes will give it an unusual taste and aroma.
For those on a diet
First of all, you should avoid using mayonnaise for those who care about the beauty of their figure. For those who are struggling with extra pounds, this product should be the first in the list of prohibited. How to replace mayonnaise with a diet? Vegetable salads are best seasoned with vegetable oil, such as olive. Refills based on balsamic vinegar and lemon juice are also good. Mayonnaise, like fat sour cream, is successfully replaced by unsweetened yogurt, which can be seasoned with spices and herbs. But when baking, it is better to avoid various sauces altogether if you are on a diet. Just put the meat or fish in the foil, sprinkle with lemon juice, grate with spices, and preferably use fresh herbs, and bake: this way the product will retain not only its taste, but also useful properties. If you still can’t imagine your life without mayonnaise, cook it yourself. The home recipe includes olive oil, chicken yolks, mustard and a number of other ingredients, the quality and quantity of which you can adjust yourself.
In conclusion: how to choose?
Now you know how to replace mayonnaise in various foods and dishes.
However, if you are still not ready to completely abandon it, try to follow some simple rules when choosing it in the store. So, always pay attention to the fat content, giving preference to lean, check the tightness of the packaging, find the inscription on the label that the product complies with GOST. When studying the composition, carefully look for the additive E951 in it. Having found, set the jar aside. Olive oil-based mayonnaise, which contains healthy acids, is considered the best. And, when using mayonnaise as a food, remember moderation: a couple of teaspoons is enough to lubricate the products and give them the very desired taste.