Recipes for a vibrant life.

Recipes for a Vibrant Life

It seems everyone is cholesterol-conscious these days. Sylvia wants to know how much is in a certain food, and Uncle Joe wants to know how much is in his blood. Most of us would like to know what we can do to keep our blood cholesterol levels down. In fact, it's much easier today to find foods and recipes that meet these goals. Just about everyone likes pasta, and you can even find salad bars in fast-food places. But beware, what you put on them may add calories, fat, and cholesterol!

We want to share with you some recipes that provide a good alternative to the usual choices. They are low in cholesterol and low in saturated fat, and feature either oats or legumes. These are some of the foods that are high in the soluble fiber that helps to lower serum cholesterol.

First, for breakfast let's go back to the old-time standby--oatmeal. Only now it takes just a few minutes to cook the "quick" kind, and you can dress it up with some raisins or chopped dates. Top it with low-fat or nonfat milk and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Add some fruit, whole-wheat toast, and orange juice, and you've got a great start to the day and a great start to lower cholesterol levels.

Some years ago I saw an article about breakfast in a farming journal. It suggested we need to "get out of the rut" when we think about what to eat for breakfast. It doesn't have to be eggs and toast, or cornflakes, or even oatmeal. Why not try Breakfast Beans?

BREAKFAST BEANS

1 lb. white beans

6 cups boiling water

2 tsp. salt

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbsps. oil

Whole-wheat toast

Sort and wash beans. Add to boiling water and bring back to the boiling point. Turn off heat and let stand for 1 hour. Cook at a simmer until beans are nearly done; add salt, and finish cooking.

Saute onion in oil and add to beans. Simmer gently until beans are soft and liquid is thickened and soupy. Serve over whole-wheat toast.

Another favorite also relies on oats and makes a great breakfast or supper. This recipe can be varied by using white sugar and adding your favorite herb. In this form it makes a nice cracker to serve with a hearty soup.

SCOTCH OATCAKES

  4   cups quick dry oats
  2   cups white flour
  2   tbsps. light brown sugar
  1   rounded tsp. salt
  1   scant cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup low-fat or nonfat milk

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil and mix thoroughly. Add milk and mix lightly, only enough to moisten dry ingredients. Form into 4-inch flat rounds about 1/3 inch thick. Score not quite through in fourths. Bake about 20 minutes at 350 [degrees] F until golden. Oatcakes may need longer baking to be crisp. Makes about 24 oatcakes, each with about 160 calories and 2 grams protein. Serve with canned fruit thickened with cornstarch. A nice fruit combination is equal amounts of peaches and pears, with individually frozen raspberries added just before serving. Top with toasted almonds.

The main meal of the day also features fiber-rich beans, this time baked in a flavorful sauce that fills the whole house with its mouth-watering aroma. When the beans have about an hour to finish baking, potatoes and acom squash can be placed in the oven. Add a green salad, and your meal will be ready. Or they are great for a picnic with salads and corn on the cob.

DOT'S BAKED BEANS

2 cups (1 lb.) dry Great

Northern beans

2 dry onions

3 tbsps. molasses

3 tbsps. light brown sugar

3 tbsps. catsup or tomato

sauce

1 tsp. salt

Wash dry beans and precook until partially done (skins will wrinkle if you blow on them). Add onions cut in quarters, and remaining ingredients. The molasses, sugar, catsup or tomato sauce, and salt can all be adjusted to taste. Place in bean crock or Pyrex bowl. Cover and bake slowly at 325 [degrees] F at least 4 hours. You may need to add additional liquid. Remove the cover for the last 30 to 40 minutes. The long, slow baking assures a well-developed flavor.

Why not try an alternate to sour cream for the baked potato? Blend 1 cup low fat cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons lowfat or nonfat milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice at medium speed until smooth and creamy. The difference in calories, fat, and cholesterol is dramatic.

              Alternate Sour Cream
               1 cup       1 cup
Calories       162         496
Fat (grams)    2.4         48

Cholesterol

(milligrams) 10 104

If it's just too hot to bake beans, here's a great salad that can go on the picnic.

FOUR-BEAN SALAD

  1   16-oz. can green beans
  1   16-oz. can wax beans
  1   16-oz. can kidney beans
  1   16-oz. can garbanzos

1/4 medium onion, finely

chopped

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup white sugar or 1/3 cup

honey

2/3 cup lemon juice

Salt to taste

Drain beans well. Mix in onion. In small bowl, whiz or beat together oil, sugar or honey, and salt. Pour dressing over bean mixture and toss lightly. Let marinate overnight for flavor to be absorbed. If salad is not completely immersed in dressing, stir once several hours before serving. Drain salad before serving.

To top off your meal, fill this oatmeal piecrust with your favorite fresh fruit.

CAROL'S OATMEAL PIECRUST

  2   cups dry quick oats
  2   cups white flour
  1   tsp. salt
  1   cup oil

1/2 cup water

Mix dry ingredients together. In measuring cup, mix oil and water and add to flour with a fork, mixing as little as possible. Using fork, press into two pie plates to about 1/8 inch thick. Prick with fork. Bake at 325 [degrees] to 350 [degrees] F until golden. One-eight piece of this piecrust contains 200 calories and 14 grams fat, most of which is polyunsaturated. You may wish to adjust the proportions of water and oil. For example, you may use equal amounts of oil and water, 3/4 cup of each. Different types of flours may also be used. For example, you may use part barley or rice flour. Suggested fillings: FRESH FRUIT: Sliced peaches with blueberries scattered throughout, fresh strawberries with sliced bananas, etc. Top with small amount of whipped cream. Try using coconut or almond or vanilla flavoring in the cream, as this will help the pie to taste sweeter. One-half pint whipping cream plus 2 tablespoons sugar will easily cover two medium pies. This will amount to only 1 tablespoon cream per serving (one eighth of the pie). When you use sweetened cream, you don't have to sweeten the fruit.

HARVEST FILLING

1 cup raisins

3 cups diced apples

1 tbsp. brown sugar

Pinch salt

1 cup orange juice

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Grated rind of one orange

Wash raisins in colander, drain. Cook raisins, apples, brown sugar, salt, and orange juice until apples are tender. Moisten cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water; add to hot fruit, stir gently. Cool and pour into baked pie shell. Serve warm or cold. May be topped with yogurt. Serves 8. Contains 68 calories, 0.5 grams fat per serving.

Patricia K. Johnston, Dr. P.H., R.D., M.S., is director of the Doctor of Public Health program, and associate professor of nutrition at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.