Twice-as-light pot roast … and other recipes to use every day - recipes

Sunset, Nov, 1990

Relax, lighten up this is the thrust of Sunset's new Light and Healthy Cook Book (Sunset Publishing Corporation, Menlo Park, Calif., 1990; $22.95). It's not a book to reserve for diet binges, but one to use every day for achieving goals of eating well and staying fit.

Recipes for the more than 220 dishes in this 240-page book make use of a wide variety of fresh, wholesome ingredients; you assemble them with a light touch and good-tasting results. Suggested menus help put you in the spirit for planning meals around the choices. The book is filled with dishes dense in nutrients, low in fat and cholesterol, and high in fiber. Bonuses like guilt-ftee snacks, lean marinades and sauces, and low-fat dressings are tucked in regularly.

To get you started, the book explains nutrition basics in clear, easy-to-follow language. You'll find information on reading food labels, determining recommended dietary allowances (RDA), and creating a personal profile and weight chart. And because being fit involves more than just good nutrition, the text helps you decide how much exercise you need, and how to incorporate it into a busy schedule.

As you shift to better-balanced eating, you needn't wistfully put aside favorite foods. This book shows steps to follow for lightening them. Here we present two examples of traditional dishes transformed in this manner.

A serving of pot roast done the old-fashioned way typically contains 600 to 700 calories, of which 75 percent might come from fat. In this version, a portion has about 350 calories, and only 28 percent of the calories come from fat.

Switching from a classic cheesecake to a low-fat version is equally dramatic. The original easily has 600 calories a serving, with more than 60 percent of the calories from fat. A low-fat serving has about 200 calories, only 25 percent of them from fat. Even tortilla chips can be lean.

New Pot Roast

1/2 ounce (about 1/4 cup) dried porcini mushrooms (optional)

1 boneless beef bottom round or rump roast (3 1/2 lb.), fat trimmed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 cup dry red wine

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1 1/2 pounds small red thin-skinned potatoes

1 1/2 pounds carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick sticks

In a small bowl, pour 1/3 cup boiling water over mushrooms; let soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Pour mushrooms and liquid into a cheesecloth-lined strainer, reserving liquid. Squeeze mushrooms to extract liquid. Finely chop mushrooms. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.

Meanwhile, combine meat, Worcestershire, and 1/2 cup water in a 5- to 6-quart pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook, turning meat to brown evenly, until liquid has almost evaporated (if drippings begin to burn, stir 2 to 3 tablespoons water into pan). Skim off and discard fat.

Add onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water to pan. Reduce heat to medium-high, and stir until vegetables are glazed with drippings, about 5 minutes.

Add beef broth, wine, tomato paste, and mushrooms and their liquid. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, turning meat once or twice. Tuck potatoes around meat and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Add carrots; continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender when pierced, about 20 minutes longer.

With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and meat. Skim and discard fat from pan juices. Slice meat and arrange on individual plates with vegetables. Moisten with pan juices. Makes 10 servings.

Per serving: 351 cal; 38 g protein; 25 g carbo; 11 g total fat (4 g saturated fat); 290 mg sodium; 94 mg chol.

Low-fat Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons margarine, melted

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

2 cups unflavored nonfat yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups raspberries, other berries, or sliced fresh fruit

Stir together graham cracker crumbs and margarine until well combined. Press firmly over bottom and partway up sides of an 8-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim. Bake in a 350[deg] oven for 7 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300[deg].

In a blender, whirl cottage cheese and yogurt until smooth and glossy, at least 1 minute. Add sugar, flour, egg, egg whites, and vanilla; whirl until smooth.

Pour filling into crust and bake until top feels dry when lightly touched and center jiggles only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Wrap airtight and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or until next day. Top portions with berries. Makes 10 servings.

Per serving:211 cal; 8 g protein; 6 g total fat (0. 9 g saturated fat); 31 g carbo.; 292 mg sodium; 23 mg chol.

Water-crisped Tortilla Chips

12 corn or flour tortillas (6- to 7-in. diameter)

Salt

Dip tortillas, 1 at a time, in water; let drain briefly. Season to taste with salt. Stack and cut into 6 or 8 wedges.