ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996 TAG: 9610300008
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR
TRADITIONAL HALLOWEEN treats fly, like goblins, in the face of health. But Carilion's Food and Nutrition Services staff says it doesn't have to be that way.
On Thursday, employees and visitors to the cafeterias at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and Carilion Community Hospital will be treated to several low-fat, low-calorie dishes that are so to-die-for delicious, they'll think it's some kind of trick.
The recipes were developed by food production manager Jay Brinkley and nutrition services manager Susan Carter in conjunction with Carilion's ongoing Healthy Options promotion of overall wellness for its employees.
On a recent morning, Brinkley was in New York being honored for winning a menu-planning competition. In his absence, cafeteria/retail sales manager Jack Harteis, himself a certified executive chef and the executive chef of Roanoke Memorial Hospitals kitchen before the Carilion merger, and lead executive chef Clarence Hale had put the recipes through a trial run. The diverse assortment uses up the pumpkins that many people will have left over the day after Halloween.
"The recipes keep within the Healthy Options low-fat guidelines, with 30 percent or less of the calories from fat," Harteis explained. "They look difficult, but they're easy enough that I think people will try them at home."
Hale assured that even the spaetzle, which looks intimidating on paper, is a snap to fix. Just use your hands to force the dough through a colander into the boiling stock. Shock the noodles with cold water to stop their cooking, then saut them, he said.
Hale, who started working in the hospital's kitchen before graduating from Patrick Henry High School in 1991, has held the post of lead executive chef for about two months. His favorite part of cooking is presentation, he said, as he and Harteis painstakingly applied last-minute touches to the already-delicious looking plates.
"We're trying to move to using more natural products instead of mixes," Hale said.
And what could be more natural this time of year than pumpkins in all their many shapes and sizes?
If you don't feel like seeding a pumpkin, or if you don't have a pumpkin to seed, you can still make pumpkin seed brittle using seeds purchased at the Roanoke Natural Foods co-op or from many supermarket produce sections, Harteis suggested. He admitted that the glossy treat, although tasty, probably can't compete with chocolate as a kid-pleaser. But, then, few things can.
If you do have a pumpkin, the October issue of Vegetarian Times magazine offers a wealth of additional information and recipes for using the abundant gourds.
The magazine points out how versatile pumpkins can be, coming in colors such as the familiar orange, as well as variegated green, yellow, white or cream. They are equally delicious baked, steamed, boiled, microwaved, stewed, braised, sauteed and deep-fried. Pumpkin can also be frozen in pieces and as puree.
To cut and peel raw pumpkin, the magazine says, balance the pumpkin on its side, stem end facing away. Use a large French chef knife, blade point toward stem, handle toward you. Hold the knife by its handle, keeping fingers of both hands away from blade. With a rubber or wooden mallet or hammer securely padded, rap firmly on the knife's blade near the handle until you drive it into the pumpkin, splitting the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and fibers and discard or save for another use. Then halve and/or quarter the pumpkin using the same technique.
To peel, cut pieces into narrow strips. Pare with a sharp paring knife. Chop slices into desired size and shape.
To freeze puree, put it in airtight plastic bags or containers with expansion room and freeze. To freeze pieces, seed, peel and chop pumpkin into chunks or slices. Blanch briefly in boiling water, plunge into cold water, then drain. Pat dry. Place pieces in airtight containers with expansion room. Chill, then freeze.
Three-quarter pound of raw pumpkin, seeded and cleaned but not peeled, yields about 1 cup puree when cooked; 11/2 pounds raw pumpkin, seeded and peeled, yields about 3 cups diced flesh.
Pumpkins are high in vitamin A (52,000 International Units per cup), low in sodium and calories. A 1/2-cup serving, cooked, has less than 50 calories.
Cut pieces of pumpkin will keep, wrapped and refrigerated, about three to four days.
When true pumpkin is not available or out of season, substitute winter squash, listed in order of most pumpkin-like flavor and texture: buttercup, golden nugget, carnival and butternut.
Harteis said pumpkins will play a prominent part in Carilion employees' healthy Halloween activities. The cafeterias will be decorated with pumpkins carved by workers from different departments, and prizes will be awarded for carving and decorating and for guessing the weight of a big pumpkin on display at each cafeteria site. Recipes for the dishes also will be available. And since Carilion so generously shared its recipes, even nonemployees can get in on these Halloween treats.
recipes for:
CHOWDER OF PUMPKIN WITH OYSTERS
SAUTEED PUMPKIN CHIVE SPAETZLE
ROAST APRICOT-STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH THYME, HONEY AND MUSTARD SAUCE
PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE
CREEPY-CRAWLY GELATIN
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. 1. Carilion's Jack Harteis (left) andby CNBClarence Hale prepared Roast Apricot-stuffed Pork Tenderloin and
Sauteed Pumpkin Chive Spaetzle. 2. The seasonal squash makes Chowder
of Pumpkin with Oysters (top) and Pumpkin Seed Brittle (above).
color.