
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 4, 1994                   TAG: 9501040059
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LIGHT AND LUSCIOUS

Now that the holiday eating binge is behind us - literally, in some cases - many people are vowing to get back on track in the new year with healthy, low-fat, low-calorie foods. This group of recipes allows you to do just that, while still retaining taste and even a little of the decadence enjoyed during the past several months.

Pasta with clam sauce is naturally low in fat, just the way it's been cooked for generations. The secret lies in using only enough olive oil to cook the garlic. The rest is easy, cooking down the chunky clam-tomato sauce until it reaches the exact thickness you want.

And vegetables - in their natural or near-natural state, paired with poultry or in a zesty soup - are inherently high in nutrients and low in calories and fat. Ditto for the satisfying, energy-sustaining complex carbohydrates found in pasta and rice.

In other instances, a little altering of ingredients lets you keep a much-loved food on your "can-have" list. For example, pumpkin moistens and tenderizes these blond brownies, reducing the need for fat. Egg whites also pinch-hit for a whole egg, while cocoa stands in for melted chocolate. Or, this Black Forest chocolate fudge cake uses the combination of pectin, malic acid and sorbitol found in prunes that allows a simple mixture of prunes and water to simulate a full-fat texture and taste. Prune puree replaces the butter and oil and results in a cake that is rich and moist and contains only 4 grams of fat per serving.

Of course, the latest studies show that to get the best results, cutting calories and fat must be combined with an exercise plan. As always, consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise/diet regime.

For more foods to help you lighten up this year, request free "Tried and True" recipes from the Horseradish Information Council, P.O. Box 720299, Atlanta, Ga. 30358, or send $2.50 for the 100-recipe cookbook to "Light, Lean & Low Fat" recipes, USA Rice Council, P.O. Box 740121, Houston, Texas 77274.

Recipes for:

PASTA WITH RED CLAM SAUCE

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN BROWNIES

BLACK FOREST CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

BROILED CHICKEN WITH RISOTTO AND COLLARDS

CREAM OF HORSERADISH AND VEGETABLE SOUP

PASTA STEW WITH ROSEMARY PORK

BLACK BEAN AND RICE SALAD

FAT-FREE MACARONI AND CHEESE

by CNB