Cool Your Carbs: Say Yes to Leftovers
Remember that friend who claimed to prefer cold, leftover pizza the next morning to the real thing fresh out of the box? Well, it turns out, they might have been on to something. Science shows that cooking and cooling carbs like pasta, rice, and potatoes unleashes their nutritional benefits and lowers glycemic impact. Yes, you read that correctly. This means that the leftover pasta you enjoyed for lunch today was actually better for you the second time than it was yesterday when you first made it. What?!
Here’s how it works:
In a process called starch retrogradation, cooked and cooled carbs transform into resistant starch. This resistant starch, as the name suggests, is much harder for us to digest, acting more like fiber than a carbohydrate. This, in turn, allows the resistant starch to reach our gut-bacteria (the good kind!) and feed them, leading to a whole host of benefits. The other cool part? Studies have found that those with prediabetes and diabetes are able to improve insulin resistance and lower glucose spikes by incorporating resistant starches into their diet.
So, in short, by cooling your carbs in the fridge, you are unleashing otherwise untapped health benefits and lowering their impact on your blood sugar (which, as discussed, is an important health goal for all of us). It’s a pretty simple hack that takes “lazy leftovers” and puts them to work as a healthier-for-you meal.
With that, here are a few easy-to-make recipes that spotlight cooked and cooled carbs.
My sister-in-law first made this for me in the weeks after I gave birth to Elsie. It is every bit as delicious as it sounds! Ginger, bacon, sesame oil, and – you guessed it – cooked and cooled white rice. The recipe actually calls for leftover rice because it’s nice and dry, making it crisp beautifully when combined with sesame oil in a hot pan. Add a little turmeric (great for healing!) and a medley of veggies and voilá – you have a resistant starch laden masterpiece you can enjoy for lunch on repeat (even when taking care of a newborn).
Recipe from The First Forty Days by Heng Ou
Ginger Fried Rice
Serves 2
2 cups (410 g) cooked white rice (leftover rice will work best here)
3 tablespoons sesame oil, plus more as needed (see Tips, below)
3 pieces of 2-inch (5 cm) bacon slices (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 slice of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large pasture-raised eggs, beaten with a pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Using 2 cups of leftover rice, proceed to fried rice directions: Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, add bacon (if using), garlic, and fresh ginger, and cook until tender and fragrant. Add the cooked rice to the pan and spread it out evenly, making a thick layer, and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour the beaten eggs into the rice and continue to stir frequently, until the eggs are cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes, uncovered, until the rice is golden in color and the eggs and onions are cooked. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.
TIPS
I like to keep the rice fluffy. As you fry the rice, add more oil to the pan if necessary to keep it from drying out or sticking.
It’s easy to toss in a medley of vegetables like carrots, onions, peas, corn, broccoli, and mushrooms.
I made this recipe from CAP Beauty this week and discovered that it’s even better the next day! Reheat them or keep them cold - they’re delicious either way. I added a few to a Green Goddess salad for lunch, and it was incredible.
Potatoes Anna
Serves 4-6
Recipe from Kerrilynn Pamer via CAP Beauty
15 new potatoes
2 teaspoons The Magic Spice (I didn’t have this so I skipped it and… still delicious)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Pink Mountain Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Generous grind of pepper
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes, then slice thinly with a mandoline (didn’t have, promptly purchased) and drop them into ice water. Let them sit in the water for about 15 minutes, then drain. Lay out on towel and cover with another towel to dry them off. Add to bowl and generously coat with olive oil and sprinkle paprika, the Magic Spice, Pink Mountain Salt, and pepper over all potatoes. Lay concentrically in a tart pan, covering up the previous potato until the whole pan is covered with potatoes.
Put in oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, checking to see how the tart is looking. Once browned, remove from oven, sprinkle more Magic Spice, olive oil, and salt and pepper as needed and dust with your choice of cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.
I discovered this recipe through one of those click-bait-y reels on Instagram that you pin with the intention of revisiting and never do (anyone else or is that just me?). I actually did come back to this one, and am glad I did. It’s shockingly delicious given the ingredients. Gut-healthy resistant starch (cough, sweet potato) is the star, but you’d never know it. The ingredients come together to make a rich, almost mousse-like dessert.
No Bake Chocolate “Cake”
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
200g dark chocolate
For the frosting (optional)
100g dark chocolate
1/2 cup coconut milk
Add the sweet potato to a steamer and steam for 20 minutes or until soft. Melt your chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. Add the sweet potato and chocolate to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a lined baking tray and place in the fridge to set. Make the frosting by adding the chocolate and coconut milk to a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water on low. Pour on top of the cake and place back in the fridge to set overnight. Serve with fresh berries.
So there you have it — cool your carbs and, for once, embrace the leftovers!
Oooh that cake looks yum! Need to give it a try 🍰