10% fat, 100% flavor - low-fat cooking; includes recipes - Cover Story

Vegetarian Times, March, 1995 by Jean-Marc Fullsack

Dr. Dean Ornish has made headlines and history by successfully reversing heart disease in many of his patients. As part of his program, his patients exercise, reduce their stress and eat a vegetarian diet with no more than 10 percent of calories from fat. That's not very much, considering the average American gets 38 percent of calories from fat. In order for the program to succeed, people have to follow it, so the food has to taste good; we all know it's much harder to stick to any diet if the food tastes bad or bland.

That's where Chef Jean-Marc Fullsack comes in. Fullsack manages the menu at Ornish's Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., where no one complains about the food. He pulls it off by using fresh herbs, the best produce, an experimental attitude toward seasonings and a secret he shares here-roasting vegetables to bring out their sweetness and flavor.

Whether or not you're striving for a 10 percent goal, you'll love these great-tasting recipes.

Lavash Pinwheel

Lavash is a large, rectangular flatbread. Spread with a tangy sauce, sprinkled with vegetables, rolled and sliced, it makes an impressive lunch.

Sauce:

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt 2 Tbs. stone-ground mustard 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. miso (see glossary) 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste (optional)

Sandwich:

1 piece lavash bread 1 medium potato, peeled, sliced and steamed (1 cup) 8 leaves arugula (see glossary) 1/2 cup diced tomato (about 1 small) 1/4 cup sliced red radish 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley or basil

SAUCE: Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.

Sandwich: Lay bread on work surface. Spread sauce evenly on top of bread, and sprinkle ingredients evenly over sauce. Roll up bread like a jelly roll. Let rest at least 20 minutes to I hour to prevent bread from unwinding and to ensure easy slicing. Cut roll crosswise into slices a little more than 1 inch thick. Serves 4.

Variation: Shredded carrots, chopped green onions, sliced mushrooms and sprouts also work well on this sandwich.

PER SERVING: 198 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 3G FAT; 33G CARB.; 1MG CHOL.; 282MG SOD.; 2G FIBER. VEGAN

Lentil Soup

This tasty, hearty and nutritious soup has only 1 gram of fat per serving.

1 cup lentils 5 to 6 cups vegetable stock or water 3/4 cup potatoes, peeled and diced about 1 medium) 1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 medium) 1 medium onion, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 medium carrot, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1 tsp. ground coriander 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lemon Zest of 1/4 lemon 1 tsp. salt Pepper to taste

Combine lentils, stock or water, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, celery, carrot and garlic in a soup pot; simmer 30 minutes. Add cumin and coriander; simmer 15 minutes more. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.

PER SERVING: 129 CAL.; 6G PROT.; 1G FAT; 26G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 338MG SOD.; 3G FIBER. VEGAN

Roasted Eggplant

Sandwich

Aioli is garlic mayonnaise, a common accompaniment to meat and vegetable dishes in Provence. This low-fat version is made rich with miso.

Aioli:

2 Tbs. nonfat mayonnaise 2 Tbs. mustard seeds 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. chopped garlic (about 1 large clove) 1 tsp. miso (see glossary) 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Pinch cayenne pepper

Sandwich:

8 slices whole grain or sourdough bread or bread of your choice 1 large eggplant, roasted and chopped (see helpful hint) 2 red bell peppers, roasted and julienned (see helpful hint) 8 leaves arugula (see glossary) 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely sliced 2 tomatoes, sliced 1/4 cup nonfat mozzarella cheese (optional)

Aioli: Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well.

Sandwich: Spread aioli on bread slices; divide remaining ingredients among slices to make sandwiches. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Helpful Hints: To roast eggplant, place whole eggplant under broiler until charred and soft, about 30 minutes.

* To roast a pepper, trim, wash, seed and flatten pepper onto a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil. Place under broiler until pepper is completely charred. Place blackened pepper in a small paper bag, seal, and set aside 15 minutes. Remove from bag. To remove charred skin, hold pepper under cold running water and peel off with fingers.

PER SERVING: 233 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 2G FAT; 44G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 290MG SOD.; 8G FIBER. OVO-LACTO

Roasted Eggplant

Pizza

For vegan pizza, eliminate the cheese or use a soy cheese. Either way, the roasted vegetables provide the flavor.

Nonfat pizza, spaghetti or tomato sauce

1 pizza crust 3 large eggplants, roasted and chopped (see helpful hint) 3 red bell peppers, roasted and julienned (see helpful hint) 2 cups sliced mushrooms 2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano (1 1/2 tsp. dried) 1 Tbs. minced garlic 6 oz. grated nonfat regular or soy mozzarella cheese

Prevent oven to 450 degrees. Spread layer of sauce onto pizza crust. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients and top with mozzarella.

Bake until crust is browned and cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 8 slices.

Helpful Hints: To roast eggplant, place under broiler until charred and soft, about 30 minutes.