THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410040031
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BETTY DOUGLASS, SPECIAL TO FLAVOR
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
LOW-FAT SOUR CREAM. Non-fat mozzarella. Reduced-fat peanut butter.
It seems a new product boasting low fat chews up space at the supermarket every day. Some even replicate the ``mouth-feel'' of their creamy high-fat counterparts.
For dieters and the health-conscious, reduced-fat foods are a welcome menu addition. But get these products into the kitchen - as ingredients in cakes or sauces, for example - and the results can be less than appetizing.
Substituting low- or nonfat foods in standard recipes doesn't always work. Sometimes, the fat has been replaced by gelatins or starches. And, often, it's the fat that makes the cake.
So we experimented. We toyed with several products in traditional recipes. And we asked some manufacturers to share recipes for their reduced-fat products.
Shirley Corriher, an Atlanta cooking instructor and writer specializing in food chemistry, suggested boosting flavors with grated lemon rind, herbs, spices and other strong tastes.
Some nonfat cheeses curdle when heated, she said, so it can help to add a starch such as flour or cornstarch. Also, some margarine spreads are as high as 60 percent water and cannot be used for baking.
Most products list 800 numbers on their containers, so you can call for information or recipes. Here are a few tips gleaned from our experiments, and from several labels:
Fat-free cream cheese. Packages suggest bringing the cheese to room temperature before using. For your favorite cheesecake recipe, add 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch.
No-Fat Sour Cream. Naturally Yours brand suggests adding sour cream to such dishes as stroganoff and goulashes. Removing the dish from heat, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then stir in the sour cream. For casseroles, mix sour cream into the recipe before cooking. Other brand labels suggest using nonfat sour cream on baked potatoes and on dips and casseroles.
Alpine Lace. The pioneers of low-fat cheese now have 20 varieties of fat-free, low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-calorie cheeses. Healthy Choice, which also offers many reduced- and nonfat cheeses, offers a recipe book on its products' back panels.
Cholesterol-free, nonfat egg products. Use these where eggs are called for in recipes. The exceptions: souffles or cakes that use beaten egg whites for leavening.
Reduced-fat peanut spread. Several brands are now on the market. I used Jif, which contains 190 calories per 2-tablespoon serving - the same as Jif Peanut Butter. But it contains only 12 grams of fat instead of 16 for the regular product.
Other products, new and old, include nonfat chicken broth, nonfat vegetable broth, evaporated skim milk, nonfat yogurt, and low- and nonfat margarine.
I had success using fat-free cream cheese in the New York-Style Cheesecake; reduced-fat sour cream in Lemon Poundcake; reduced-fat peanut spread in Peanut Raisin Bran Treats; and cholesterol-free, nonfat egg products in Good Morning Muffins.
And I turned out tasty casseroles with nonfat yogurt, nonfat sour cream, nonfat cottage cheese, low-fat canned soups and evaporated skim milk. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos
[Various low-fat recipes]
by CNB