Recipes for healthy gourmet living

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 8

Recipes for healthy gourmet living

YOUR FOODSTYLE

JANICE BREMER

DIETITIAN

A gourmet foodstyle involves not only extra cash .when shopping or dining out, but to be healthy I requires a highly discriminating gleaning of the freshest, least fatty and least salty of available “gourmet” fare. When embarking on gourmet cooking and food preparation at home, it is the fat content again that must be kept in check. The major problem when transforming the, most lavish gourmet cookery into a healthy, low-fat style, is how to make sauces and how to provide substitute textures for the richness of creamy, buttery pates and dips, desserts and sweetmeats. If it is not your style to go all plain and fresh without clutter and without the more sensational blendings of flavour, then the I following recipes may be of help. This extra-thick yoghurt makes a good low fat substitute for sour cream or creme fraiche in recipes (another substitute is to blend cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in the food processor), varying the proportions according to desired thickness. Use it in dips, pates, sauces, dressings and desserts. Ricotta and quark (or quarg) cheeses and this yoghurt can be used in icecream-type recipes to keep them lower caloI rie, low fat and less of a i burden on your guest’s | constitutions! Thick yoghurt Beat together: 1 cup non-fat milk 1 to iy 2 cups non-fat milk powder (depending on thickness required) 1 dessertspoon leftover (or commercial) yoghurt 2 cups boiling water Cover and leave in a warm place overnight (hot water cupboard). When thick store in refrigerator. I tablespoon equals 12 to 15 calories (50 kilojoules) and negligible fat. Cucumber and yoghurt dip This can be used as a dressing or increase the cucumber for a cucumber salad. Peel a small cucumber, chop very finely and leave to drain in a sieve

for half an hour. Dry on a towel. Add remaining ingredients all mixed together: 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, grated rind of one lemon, 200 ml of the thick yoghurt, 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional), 1 teaspoon vinegar, pepper, 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mint or parsley (and/or chives/diil), 1 teaspoon dry or Dijon-style mustard. Sprinkle chilli powder or paprika over the top. Chill. Eight calories per tablespoon. Mock vinaigrette dressing This is for salads and on your very small servings of avocado. Especially good for fresh pasta salad. Shake together in a screw-top jar (and shake before each use). 2 teaspoons liquid honey, grated rind of 2 lemons, lots of freshly ground black pepper, y 2 cup lemon or lime juice, (4 cup wine vinegar, y 4 cup wine, up to 2 teaspoons mustard (Dijon-style with seeds is nice), chopped garlic and/ or onion if desired, 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs as desired — fresh parsley or basil or dried oreganum or marjoram, etc.; just a dash of oil (high quality olive or grapeseed for best flavour) Keep in refrigerator. A slurp or two has few calories. Strawberry vinaigrette In a food processor, blend together: 1 tablespoon oil (your choice), 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, 10 to 15 strawberries (large) dash of honey if required, pepper (to taste). Serve with salads, avo-

cado, or over asparagus filo triangles (see below). — with whole strawberries and onion slices as side garnish. Six to 8 calories per tablespoon. Blueberry sauce For game meats. Simmer together until volume is reduced by half: grated rind of an orange (optional) 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 teaspoons grated root ginger; 1 teaspoon chopped garlic; y 4 cup red wine vinegar; V/ 2 cups port, juice of one lemon, pepper, 2 teaspoons juniper berries (optional) Add 1 cup blueberries and reheat. For a smooth sauce put all through a food processor. Negligible fat, less than 15 calories per tablespoon. Spinach sauce for entrees or vegetables. Puree together:

1 cup cooked spinach (well drained), y 2 cup cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon plain low-fat yoghurt, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, y 4 cup finely chopped green pepper, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, dash cayenne, other fresh herbs as desired/or nutmeg. Ten to 12 calories per tablespoon. Eggs Eggs are probably the most versatile ingredient for adding richness without too many calories or too much fat. They provide thickening and texture as well as emulsifying properties. Only those people with high blood cholesterol levels need to watch eggs very strictly on account of their cholesterol content. For the rest of us keeping to a healthy diet, a few eggs a week does no harm and the fat content of

eggs is no more saturated than that of chicken flesh. Eggs are a significantly better ingredient than butter or cream on account of the lesser saturated fat content. For those who have to watch cholesterol in food, the best way to have your one or two eggs per week is in cooking (if you are a gourmet) as they have such useful properties. Wine sauce Use red wine for red meats; white wine for white meats and fish. Reduce to half volume by boiling in uncovered pot, 50ml wine vinegar mixed with 250 ml wine and what you choose of the following seasonings: black peppercorns (whole), mustard seeds, thyme, bayleaves, ■rosemary, grated onion, crushed garlic, mustard, chopped carrots, celery and celerey tops. Strain the liquid and thicken, stirring over heat with 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoons water. Remove from heat and beat in one egg yolk (this step can be omitted for a less rich sauce.) Thin the sauce as necessary after it has cooled a little while you continue to beat in the egg.

Add 3 tablespoons of smooth apple puree for a milder slightly sweet sauce, or add y 2 cup pureed mushrooms (cooked in low fat milk) for a more savoury sauce. Add i/ 2 cup pureed blueberries for venison, fresh tarragon for fish, or whatever gourmet ideas you have ... For a more tart sauce increase the vinegar to 100 ml and reduce wine to 200 ml. If the original sauce is too tart, add a teaspoon of oil with the egg. Makes 1 cup. One tablespoon equals ten to 12 calories, negligible fat. Sabayon sauce' . For over sorbet or fresh* fruit The ingredients vary according to your base dessert. Cornflour sauces tend to be rather insipid, the egg yolks serve to give this basic “rich” sauce more body. Remember this is gourmet — not everyday — fare! Use up to 2 tablespoons sugar for 4 egg yolks and y 2 cup liquid. The liquid may be champagne, orange juice, lemon juice (my favourite), lime juice with rind; fruit juice with a tablespoon of liqueur, or pureed fruit. Cook over hot water until thickened. Serve warm or cold. Dilute as necessary. Twenty to 25 calories per tablespoon.