spread the word - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, May, 2000 by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Hold the cream cheese! Bagel toppings get a healthy spin

The bagel has come a long way. A top Austrian baker, recruited to honor the King of Poland, made the first batch in 1683--a noble beginning indeed. The king was an accomplished horseman, so the baker shaped the dough in an uneven circle to resemble a stirrup or beugel, and it's been spreading to the masses ever since. Today, Americans spend more than $800 million a year on the donut-shaped snacks. You may be interested to know that the No. 1 flavor is plain, followed by cinnamon-raisin.

But there's more to a bagel than just a roll with a hole in the middle. As the only bread that's boiled before it's baked, it has the distinguished quality of being crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. Bagels are also naturally low in fat. Yet most of us slather them with cream cheese, which can increase the fat grams by a whopping 60 percent. To transform this popular combo into a healthy breakfast or snack, we simply replaced the cream cheese with firm tofu and added some flavorings. The result is a smooth creamy topping with great flavor--but much less fat. So treat yourself like royalty. It's a healthy and delicious way to start your day.

Tofu-Chive Spread

MAKES 1 CUP EGG- & DAIRY-FREE (30 min.)

12 oz. firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt

1. In food processor or blender, combine all ingredients. Process until smooth.

2. Transfer to storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Do not freeze.

PER TABLESPOON: 28 CAL.; 1G PROT.; 2G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 1G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 41MG SOD.; 0 FIBER

Nutty Tofu Spread

MAKES 2 CUPS EGG- & DAIRY-FREE (30 min.)

12 oz. firm tofu, drained
6 Tbs. natural nut butter, such as peanut,
  sesame or cashew
1 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt

1. In food processor or blender, combine all ingredients. Process until smooth.

2. Transfer to storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Do not freeze.

PER TABLESPOON: 26 CAL.; 1G PROT.; 2G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 1G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 37MG SOD.; 0 FIBER

KATHY FARRELL-KINGSLEY is food editor of Vegetarian Times.