Sweet Heart - recipe - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 1999 by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

A Valentines Day tart packed with strawberries--not calories

The old saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach has taken on new meaning lately. While we used to think the best method for enticing a lover was to ply him with rich, buttery sauces and decadent chocolate desserts, these days we're more likely to protect the heart of the one we love by serving lighter foods that won't clog the coronary arteries or raise cholesterol levels.

So for our special heart-healthy issue (with a nod to Valentine's Day), we've whipped up a seductive dessert that brings a healthy serving of romance to the table without the excess fat, calories or sugar.

For a deliciously flaky crust, we use a combination of vegetable oil and skim milk in place of butter. We also added almond flour (available at natural food stores) for some extra flavor and texture. Once the crust is baked, it's brushed with a glaze of melted fruit spread and topped with ripe, juicy strawberries.

While it's true that love is ultimately less about what you eat than whom you eat with, a little help from the dessert plate certainly doesn't hurt.

Fresh Strawberry Tart

10 SERVINGS LACTO

If you really want to wow your valentine, try giving this delectable heart-shaped tart. You'd never guess it's both sugar-free and low in fat. You can also serve it with a scoop of frozen yogurt.

Almond Pastry Crust

2 cups unbleached flour
5 Tbs. almond flour (see Note)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 to 5 Tbs. skim or low-fat
milk, as needed

1 pint fresh ripe strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup sugarless strawberry fruit spread
1 to 2 tsp. apple or orange juice

Crust: In large bowl, mix both flours, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add oil, tossing mixture with a fork until it is crumbly. Stirring with a fork, add milk until the mixture comes together to form a ball. Shape into small disk.

Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. Roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper to a large circle and 1/4 inch thick. Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough, without stretching it, into a 9 or 9 1/2-inch heart-shaped tart pan with a removable bottom. Carefully peel off top piece of wax paper. Fit dough along bottom and up sides of tart pan and trim edges.

Loosely line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake 15 minutes more or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack and let cool.

In small saucepan, combine fruit spread and juice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until melted. Brush about half the glaze over bottom of cooled tart. Arrange sliced berries in tart and brush remaining glaze over berries.

Note: If you cannot find almond flour, use 1/4 cup ground toasted natural almonds mixed with 1/3 cup whole wheat flour.

Per serving: 275 cal.; 4g prot.; 13g total fat (1g sat. fat); 36g carb.; 0 chol.; 124mg sod.; 2g fiber

VT recipe        275 calories   13 gram fat
Typical recipe   537 calories   35 grams fat

Kathy Farrell-Kingsley is food editor of Vegetarian Times.