Eat To Your Heart's Content - Recipe

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 2000 by Janet Charatan

Six tasty international dishes with a soy secret

America's been accused of not having an indigenous style of cuisine. While that can be endlessly debated, there is one positive result of our cultural pluralism: It's spawned an appreciation of, and intense passion for, ethnic food. Of course, the traditional recipes for Italian, Chinese, Indian, Greek and Mexican dishes aren't particularly healthy. In fact, eating too many greasy tacos, deep-fried egg rolls or fat-laden pasta sauces can lead to increased levels of cholesterol, clogged arteries and, ultimately, heart disease. Fortunately, taking care of your health and your heart doesn't have to mean giving up all your old favorites.

Thanks to innovative chefs, today it's possible to enjoy some of the world's best-loved dishes without indulging in bad eating habits. Just ask Mike Milken, the Wall Street financier turned cookbook author who's learned how to pack both flavor and disease-fighting ingredients into fresh, wholesome vegetarian dishes. His latest effort, The Taste for. Living World Cookbook (CaP CURE, 1999), co-written with chef Beth Ginsberg, takes traditional recipes from around the world and reinterprets them, replacing high-fat ingredients with heart-healthy foods like fiber-rich fruits' and vegetables and soy. Research has shown that eating just 25 grams of soy protein a day lowers cholesterol levels and may reduce the risk of coronary disease--as well as certain cancers and other chronic diseases.

Milken's conversion to a low-fat vegetarian diet began when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 1993. Immediately he gave up his beloved cheeseburgers and French fries for tofu and tempeh and replaced fast-food shakes with ones made with isolated soy protein. He hired Beth Ginsberg, a professional chef with a keen interest in natural foods, to help him create delicious meatless dishes that contained a bare minimum of fat.

Like the recipes in Milken's first work, The Taste for Living Cookbook, these international favorites still emphasize soy because of its proven health benefits. Besides tasting great, all of the dishes are easy to prepare and made from readily available ingredients. When you try the following makeovers, you won't believe your taste buds. So dig in--you'll see why these recipes are grabbing the hearts of people everywhere.

Moussaka

10 SERVINGS

DAIRY-FREE

Lots of garlic and several zesty spices liven up this light and luscious casserole. A typical moussaka calls for a full cup of olive oil to fry the eggplant --grilling requires no oil and creates a much healthier dish.

3 large eggplants (4 lbs.), peeled and
  cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, chopped
5 large cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. fat-free ground soy "meat"
28-oz. can low-sodium Italian plum
  tomatoes, drained and chopped,
  liquid reserved
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup fat-flee egg substitute
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

COAT LARGE SKILLET or grill pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add eggplant slices in batches and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side; remove to large plate. Recoat pan between batches. Set eggplant slices aside.

Preheat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Coat 3-quart lasagna pan or other large baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Coat another large skillet once with cooking spray and place over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add soy "meat," breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with reserved liquid, rice, oregano, allspice, salt, pepper and half the parsley. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

In small bowl, combine egg substitute and remaining parsley. Mix well, then stir into "meat" sauce.

Line bottom of prepared lasagna pan with single layer of eggplant slices. Spread half the "meat" sauce on top. Cover with remaining eggplant and sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake until moussaka is starting to brown and is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

Preheat broiler. Coat top of moussaka with cooking spray. Broil until bread crumbs are browned, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

PER SERVING: 129 CAL.; 14G PROT.; 2G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 29G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 221MG SOD.; 8G FIBER

Greek Salad

10 SERVINGS

DAIRY-FREE (30)

For added goodness in this salad, we've included Yukon gold potatoes, bright bell peppers, pickled peppers and a little smoked tofu.

2 lbs. Yukon Gold or small red
  potatoes, peeled and cut into
  large dice
4 oz. green beans, trimmed (1 cup)
1 cup mixed yellow pear and red cherry
  tomatoes, halved
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium green or yellow bell pepper,
  thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, halved and very
  thinly sliced
4 oz. smoked or baked marinated tofu,
  diced
8 pepperoncini (Italian pickled peppers)