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SCMP Reporter

I USUALLY wince when I encounter vegetarian dishes on a restaurant menu because they are invariably high in fat and not the healthy alternative to a meatless entree you might imagine.

  It always helps to quiz the waiter in detail about any entree, but particularly a vegetarian one, before ordering.

   Ask whether the dish contains cream, cheese, butter, egg yolk or whole eggs. If so, can the particular high-fat ingredient or sauce be left out or served on the side?    If not, don't order it.

  This type of inquiry should be made whenever you dine out, particularly in European and Indian restaurants.

   Usually, the least suspecting foods (for example, vegetarian and baked fish dishes) are drenched in high-fat sauces.

   Remember, just because it is a vegetarian entree, does not mean that it is low in fat. The best place to have a low-fat vegetarian meal is, of course, at home.

    Sue Kreitzman - an author well known for her series on 'slim cuisine' - has produced a marvellous book, Sue Kreitzman's Low-Fat Vegetarian Cookbook (Judy Piatkus Publishers), full of delicious and simple recipes for low or non-fat cooking with detailed notes on how to minimise the use of oil and saute without fats.

  Want to make fat-free potato crisps, the classic French duxelles (sauteed minced mushroom) without the fat and butter, and soups, dips, chutneys, casseroles, grains, pulses, and potatoes with intense rich flavours and little or no fat?   This is a good introduction to the methods and ingredients that will allow you to branch off on your own once you've prepared a few of the basic recipes and tasted the rich flavours.

  Many of the recipes have no added fat; some add whole eggs (which may easily be modified by using egg whites) and others contain low to medium-fat cheeses, which may either be left out or substituted by non-fat equivalents.

  Here are two recipes modified from the book: a wonderfully refreshing, spicy tomato sorbet starter bursting with flavour and interest; and a very tasty vegetarian pasta which is so versatile, the sauce may be used as a vegetable stuffing (mushroom, squash, aubergine) or over any variety of pasta you choose.

Lentil Bolognese (Serves four) 4 oz (100 ml) dry red wine 33/4 cups (900 ml), plus 3 oz (75 ml) stock (vegetable or clear chicken stock) 8 green onions, sliced 2 dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes, diced 3 black olives, seeded and diced Dash crushed chilli flakes 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) dried oregano 2 cloves garlic, crushed 8 oz (225 g) brown or green lentils, rinsed and sorted 2 14-oz (400 g) cans of chopped tomatoes 1 tsp (5 ml) salt 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) black pepper 1 lb (454 g) thin spaghetti or capellini 2 quarts boiling water   Boil wine, one cup of stock, onions, dried tomatoes, olives, chilli, oregano, and garlic in a non-stick saucepan. Simmer until liquid has almost evaporated.

  Stir in remaining stock, add lentils, canned tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer for 40-60 minutes.

  Remove about a third of the sauce and dilute it with 75 ml of reserved stock. Puree this portion in food processor or blender and return thickened mixture to the saucepan, combining the pureed with the unpureed sauce.

  Bring two quarts of water to boil, add pasta, and cook until just done; drain, add sauce with lentil mixture, serve immediately.

Tomato Sorbet (Serves four) 2 14-oz (400 g) cans tomatoes, drained, halved and frozen 1 lime, juiced 4 tblsp (60 ml) fresh basil or mint (shredded) 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) red pepper sauce 1 tsp (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce Salt to taste 1 tsp (per serving) vodka (optional)   In a food processor equipped with a steel knife, blend all ingredients together to form an icy sorbet with a smooth texture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  Using an ice-cream scoop, serve at once; decorate with mint or basil leaves as desired.

  Add a teaspoon of vodka to each serving, if desired.



Spicy pasta solves the entree dilemma