The dean's list - soup, salad and stew recipes - excerpt from 'Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish'

Nutrition Action Healthletter, June, 1997 by Dean Ornish

If you ever feel like you have to choose between good food and good health, pick up a copy of Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish (1996, HarperCollins, $25). Ornish is a doctor and researcher who's proven that a vegetable-rich, very-low-fat diet can unclog arteries without coronary bypass surgery. He's also a lover of "fast, easy-to-prepare meals that are delicious and nutritious, made with familiar, inexpensive, and easy-to-find ingredients."

Don't believe him? Try this soup, salad, and main dish.

SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH LIME

1 1/3 cups thinly sliced leeks,
  white part only
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or
  more as needed
4 pounds sweet potatoes,
  peeled and cut into
  1/2-inch cubes
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  (optional)

Put the leeks and 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat and cook 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes and cook 4 minutes more. Add 6 cups of water, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, adding as much of the additional vegetable broth as you need to make a soup consistency. Return it to the pot and stir in the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Reheat.

Serve in warm bowls, garnishing each serving with a little chopped cilantro, if desired. Serves 12.

PER SERVING (recipe made with 1 tsp. salt) Calories: 180 Total Fat: 1 g (5% of cals.) Fiber: 5 g Sodium: 300 mg Sat. Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 41 g

TIP

The "Chickpea Stew" tastes even better if you make it a day ahead. Undercook the vegetables slightly to allow for further cooking when you reheat.

Make the couscous just before serving.

LENTIL, CUCUMBER, AND RADISH SALAD

1 cup dried lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced
  halved cucumbers, peeled
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup seasoned rice
  vinegar
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
2 tsp. non-fat bottled
  Italian salad dressing
Salt and pepper

Rinse the lentils in a sieve. Combine the lentils and broth in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, partially covered, until the lentils are just tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Combine the cucumbers, radishes, and vinegar in a medium bowl and toss to mix. Let marinate 15 to 20 minutes. Gently stir in the lentils, chiyes, and salad dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

PER SERVING (recipe made with 1/4 tsp. salt) Calories: 180 Total Fat: 1 g (5% of cals.) Fiber: 15 g Sodium: 350 mg Sat. Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 32 g

CHICKPEA STEW WITH COUSCOUS

1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 large sweet potato,
  peeled, in 1/2-inch dice
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced green bell
  pepper
1 cup diced peeled tomato,
  canned or fresh, with
  juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 (15-ounce) can (or 1%
  cups home-cooked)
  chickpeas, drained
2 cups couscous
2 Tbs. minced parsley or
  cilantro

In a large pot, combine the onion, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Cook over moderate heat until the liquid evaporates and the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.

Add the zucchini, sweet potato, red and green bell peppers, tomato, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth and lemon juice.

Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until the chickpeas are hot. Keep the stew warm.

Make the couscous: Bring 2 cups of water and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Uncover, transfer to a bowl, and fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

To serve, make a bed of the couscous on a serving platter. Spoon the chickpea stew over the top. Garnish with the minced parsley. Serves 4.

PER SERVING (couscous made with no salt) Calories: 510 Total Fat: 2 g (4% of cals.) Fiber: 8 g Sodium: 540 mg Sat. Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 107 g