The phrase "recommended instead of" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase when you are indicating that one thing is a better or more preferred option than something else. For example, "The teacher recommended studying for an hour each night instead of cramming for the test the night before."
All told, "Birdseed Cookies" was recommended instead of more than a dozen best sellers.
Gov. Mitch Daniels, in his Republican response speech, recommended, instead of the president's proposal, reforms to Medicare.
Based on its low operational cost, the electrocoagulation method could be recommended instead of the conventional one.
In order to assure reliable, trouble free operation, pump mechanical seals are recommended instead of shaft packing.
Trans-bladder pressure can be used and recommended instead of abdominal pressure due to its simplicity and low cost [10].
Finally, stealth-mode PR is highly recommended instead of an open all-out PR strategy where all details are disclosed publicly.
Twitter today is unveiling a new Twitter timeline that shows tweets at the top that the service recommends, instead of the most recent tweets.
We would make the kind of methodical decisions career advisers recommend instead of just jumping at whatever we're offered because our Visas or fellowships or advisers are expiring.
And when it comes down to it, I'd rather take dieting tips from a real person (hopefully with a similar body type to mine) who has actually had to eat the foods they're recommending instead of relying on the word of some famous bodybuilder who probably uses liposuction and steroids to maintain their physique.
As the Hollywood Prayer Network recommends, instead of making Hollywood the enemy, let's consider Hollywood a mission field.
In the 1950s, parenting manuals advised parents not to touch their children too much -- recommending, instead of hugs and kisses, giving kids a "pat on the head".
