IMPOSTORS WITH GREAT TASTE November 3, 2004 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

To be an impostor is usually not considered to be a good thing. In fact, some of the synonyms for impostor sound downright sinister. There's quack, charlatan, humbug, and my new word for the day, mountebank.

Given this string of negative words, can the act of imposture ever be a good thing? Sure, deceit can be good . . . if it tastes good. Many popular high fat foods can be recreated with less fat -- and the addition of a few tricks -- to fool the taste buds.

The recent Heart Healthy Cooking Class I taught along with staff of the Robeson County Health Department and Southeastern Regional Medical Center was full of good fakes. Some of the class favorites follow. Check them out and I believe you'll be very satisfied with these frauds. These dishes will be perfect for the upcoming holidays and can help prevent the waistline spread that often accompanies our celebrations.

The Sweet and Sour Bean Salad recipe came from my best friend who is really into low-fat eating. When she described the recipe to me, it reminded me of the bean salad served at one of our local steak houses that I like for its sweetness. Her recipe came very close . . . and without any of the oil traditionally used in marinated salads. Apricot preserves provide the sweetness and the mouth feel of oil.

The Marble Cheesecake Squares use reduced- and no-fat cream cheese to reduce fat and calories. Reduced- and no-fat cream cheese (and sour cream) contain more water than their "full octane" counterparts. Thus, if you substitute these in your recipes for baked goods, you will not get the texture or firmness you expect.

Even non-baked items, such as cheese balls, can give you a surprise. A cream cheese ball made with reduced-fat cream cheese will not be firm enough to shape into a ball; it will be a soft spread. But if you're watching fat and calories, does the shape of the "ball" matter more than your shape?

So it is generally best to use recipes that have been designed for reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream. Let the makers of reduced-fat products and recipe developers spend their time and money experimenting with recipes.

But sometimes I break my own rules. The Black-Eyed Pea Dip originally used "full fat" mayo, sour cream, and cheese. We substituted the reduced-fat versions of these items and the result was fine with us. The twang of the artichokes helps replace some of the flavor lost by the removal of fat.

The last impostor is a healthy version of the Monte Cristo sandwich. Traditionally, this sandwich of cooked chicken or turkey and Swiss cheese is grilled in butter till golden brown. Ours turned out golden brown without the butter. It's amazing what you can do with cooking spray and a nonstick skillet. Dijon mustard is used in our version to replace some of the flavor that is lost by not using butter.

Call me at 671-3276 to learn about the upcoming holiday version of our Heart Healthy Cooking Class.

Using a wire whisk or fork, mix preserves and vinegar in a small bowl. In large bowl, combine all beans and onion. Add preserve mixture to beans and toss well to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate salad for at least 6 hours or overnight for flavors to blend.

Yields 12 servings.

Preheat oven to 325°. Place crumbs in a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle crumbs with melted butter and toss with a fork till moist. Press crumbs into bottom of pan. Bake at 325° for 9 minutes; cool on wire rack.

Place cream cheeses in large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed till smooth. Add sugar, then flour; beat well. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat till well blended. Pour cheese mixture over prepared crust.

Place chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or till soft, stirring after 45 seconds (chocolate should not completely melt). Stir till smooth. Drop melted chocolate onto cheese mixture to form 9 mounds. Swirl chocolate into batter using tip of a knife. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or till almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Yields 12 servings at 239 calories each.

Mix peas, mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch dressing packages, artichokes, and pepper in a large casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or till heated through. Remove from oven and spread cheese over top of casserole; let cheese melt. Serve at once with reduced-fat tortilla chips or large fat-free thin wheat crackers. (If you have leftovers, stir often as you reheat.)

Beat egg, egg white, and milk in a pie plate or wide shallow bowl. Spread mustard on 4 slices of bread. Layer with cheese and meat, top with remaining bread slices, and press together tightly. Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray; heat skillet. Working with 1 sandwich at a time, dip sandwiches into egg mixture to coat; then place on hot skillet. Cook, pressing down occasionally with a spatula, till lightly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yields 4 servings at 336 calories each.

Adapted from Weight Watchers magazine.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 11/10/04