The Whole Enchilada, Issue #009

The Food Lover's E-zine

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The Whole Enchilada

What's cooking this month ...

• New website pages
• Recipe of the month
• Chocolate Angel Food Cake
  with Coffee Liqueur Glaze
• Sorbet au Kiwi
• Low Fat Banana Bread

New Website Pages

The holiday season has begun and you know what that means ... lots of food - especially desserts.  To avoid having to make that New Year's resolution to lose all the extra weight I gained in December (again!), I decided to practice a little preventative medicine. 

I did some research on dietary fats and the health effects, especially heart disease and adult Type II diabetes.  Some info was expected and is generally well-known, but there were some surprising results as well.

Here is a summary of the new pages:

Low Fat   Many people know that too much saturated fat in their diet can cause clogged arteries and other heart diseases.  Did you know that some fats are essential for critical body functions?  Learn about good fats and bad fats, plus low fat recipes.

Mediterranean Diet   Australian nutritionists - in a ten-year study of seven Mediterranean countries - noticed that natives of Crete, a Greek island, had an astonishingly low rate of death due to cardiovascular disease. I have included a daily meal plan and sample recipes.

Their traditional diet is not low fat as you might expect ...

More Low Fat Dessert Recipes  I only included 3 recipes in this issue.  Check out this page for more delicious dessert recipes:  Chocolate Banana Cream Pie, Black Forest Trifle, Banana Pudding, & Carrot Cake.

Recipe of the Month

This year I'm going to have a healthy holiday season - without giving up those wonderfully sweet desserts.  You really can prepare special treats that taste delicious and are good for you.

This month's recipes are tasty and healthy.  All are low fat or no fat, but you wouldn't know it if you hadn't made them yourself. Your family, guests, and friends certainly will never know ... these desserts taste fantastic.

Low fat doesn't mean low taste!

0 grams fat per serving

Ingredients

Cake

1-1/2 cups   egg whites (10 to 12 large)
1-1/2 cups   powdered sugar, sifted 
1 cup          all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup       unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup          sugar
1 1/2 tsp     cream of tartar
1 tsp          vanilla

Glaze

1 cup    powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp  vanilla
2 Tbsp  coffee liqueur

Directions

Cake

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sift the flour, cocoa, and 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar together 3 times and set aside.

Add cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on medium to high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).

Sift about one-fourth of flour mixture over the beaten egg whites; fold in gently. Repeat, folding in remaining flour mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Gently cut through the cake batter with a narrow metal spatula or knife.

Bake on the lowest rack in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert cake (leave in the pan) and cool thoroughly. Using a narrow metal spatula, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Remove cake from the pan.

Glaze

Combine the 1 cup powdered sugar, the 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and enough of the coffee liqueur (about 2 tablespoons), 1 teaspoon at a time, to make of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over top of the cake.

Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.

Sorbet au Kiwi

0 grams fat per serving

Ingredients

1 cup    water
4          kiwis, peeled
1/2 cup  sugar
5 tsp     lemon juice
1/2 cup  light corn syrup
1/4 tsp  grated lemon zest (peel)

Instructions

Add sugar, corn syrup, and water to medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Stir continuously to prevent scorching. 

Puree kiwi in food processor or blender and add lemon juice, lemon zest (peel), and sugar mixture.

Pour into shallow metal pan and place in freezer until firm, approximately 1 hour. Be sure to remove from freezer before it becomes solid.

Spoon into chilled bowl and beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Return to freezer, freeze 2 hours or until firm enough to scoop.

Low Fat Banana Bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x5x3 inch tall loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

Beat the sugar and margarine in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, water and bananas with the sugar mixture until it is well blended.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder and add to mixture. Mix thoroughly and place in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 1 hour. Banana bread is done when the top is firm to the touch and has a golden brown color.

Remove bread from oven and allow to cool on its side for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy your recipes.

Alan Howard
Mexican & Barbecue Recipes

http://www.mexican-barbecue-recipes.com/

alan@mexican-barbecue-recipes.com