Light Cooking: Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle

A reader e-mailed me recently asking for recipes with fewer calories and less fat. Before I fulfill that request, let me give a little of my philosophy on this subject. Like most of you, I have been on many diets and done all kinds of things to keep my weight down with varying results. You may have read about my “Cruise Diet” in this column, but a brief synopsis is: I have lost weight on both of the cruises I have been on and I attribute it to the abundance and availability of all kinds of food. It created in me an anti-deprivation mentality that kept me from eating too much while enjoying anything I wanted to eat. Coupled with increased activity and excitement, my metabolism was in full gear and knowing that another feast was around every corner made me a nibbler.

I learned an important lesson from these cruises that I brought back to the mainland. Don’t deprive yourself because it sets up cravings that will not be denied. Stay active and happy, enjoy food, stop worrying about what you’re eating, eat quality food (i.e. the best of whatever you’re choosing to eat), and eat less of everything.

Having said that, I do believe there is a place for “light cooking”--eating less fat and calories--and since we’re not all on cruises we have to deal with the day-to-day concern about meals. I find that when I eat a lot of junk food or high-fat food or fast food or convenience food is when I am fatigued and busy. And who isn’t? So here are my best tips for cooking light and a recipe.

Eat and cook in a manner that you can sustain for a lifetime. No other way to eat healthy and lose or maintain weight will work. You know the drill: great enthusiasm in the beginning of a new diet, a costly output for odd ingredients and reduced fat or diet versions of old standbys, a month (more or less) of eating, cooking and then—you’ve had it! Craving comfort foods, going out to dinner with friends, sneaking chocolate bars, dreaming of doughnuts—whatever your weakness it rears its ugly head with a vengeance.
Use quality ingredients. Most reduced fat or diet foods are not quality, but the exceptions that I like are: fat-free sweetened condensed milk. In dessert recipes, it looks, tastes and cooks the same as the high-fat version; fat-free half and half (only for cooking), or fat-free evaporated milk—same as half and half, only for cooking. I also like reduced-fat mayonnaise and reduced-fat sour cream.
You can successfully replace some fat in recipes by sautéing in much less fat (even just a quick spray of Pam), stir-frying, baking and roasting most foods. Fruit purees such as applesauce or baby food prunes work well in place of some of the fat, but never all. Low-fat buttermilk is the liquid of choice instead of plain milk or water.
Use flavor boosting tricks for all your recipes such as herbs, spices, lemon juice and low-calorie condiments (salsa, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, mustard and hot-pepper sauce.

I have about 75 cookbooks devoted to low calorie food. I also get the magazine “Cooking Light” In addition, I have several “Cooking Light” cookbooks put out from time to time by the magazine. The recipes and philosophy of cooking (very healthy, fresh ingredients, gourmet) are right up my alley. So I give you one of the all-time great recipes from their newest book. Stay tuned for more of these in future columns.

Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles

Cooking spray
2 Tbsp. sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
½ cup Dutch process cocoa
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp. salt
½ cup 1% milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Coat 8 (4 ounce) ramekins with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Combine ½ cup sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt in a small saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until thick (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 3 minutes. Gradually stir in vanilla and egg yolks. Spoon chocolate mixture into a large bowl; cool. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gradually add ¼ cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture and chopped chocolate. Spoon into prepared ramekins. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings

Calories 206 per soufflé; Fat 5.5g; protein 5.2g; Carb 34.1g; Fiber 2.3g; Sodium 75 mg; Calc 33 mg.