New Ways to Cut Calories Sensibly

The I’m Sick of Carrot Sticks Cookbook by Kathy Gallagher (Macmillan: $14.95)

Kathy Gallagher was a top fashion model and now is one of Los Angeles’ top restaurateurs.

The restaurant named after her is a gathering spot for Beverly Hills’ constant dieters, the trim, the fit and the gorgeous.

Dishes for Every Diet

She has always introduced dietary concepts in her menus--things like featuring dishes for people on the latest diet craze, as well as dishes she deemed sensible, yet low-calorie.

Since the publication of her book, “The I’m Sick of Carrot Sticks Cookbook,” she has included in her restaurant menu recipes from her book, such as Spaghettini Primavera and Greek salad, among many others.

But the value of the book lies in providing health-conscious eaters new ways to cut calories in a sensible manner, menus with recipes that are as well coordinated as a good wardrobe. Recipes that make minimal use of fat.

One-Course Meals

There are menus with calorie counts for quick, light, one-course meals, using omelets, souffles, blintzes, one-pot meals and tuna dishes--all low in calories.

Complete dinner menus include poultry, fish, shellfish, pasta and meat: shrimp curry (215 calories), seasoned rice (120 calories), honeydew melon with lime (125 calories), chicken with orange sauce (340 calories), spinach salad (85 calories) and baked bananas (60 calories).

There is even a chapter on recycling leftovers and tips for quick meals on the run. Calorie counts for drinks give the reader an idea of high- and low-calorie cocktails. A three-ounce glass of white wine is only 58 calories, compared to 310 calories for a Margarita.

SPAGHETTINI

PRIMAVERA

2 tablespoons oil

2 small cloves garlic

5 shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon dried basil

5 large mushrooms, sliced

1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced

1 pound zucchini, blanched and diced

1 1/2 cups Chinese pea pods, blanched

1 1/2 cups broccoli, blanched and sliced

Salt, pepper

1 pound spaghettini

Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic, shallots, basil, mushrooms and tomatoes. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add blanched zucchini, Chinese pea pods and broccoli. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cook spaghettini in boiling salted water until just tender and drain. Add sauce to spaghettini. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings at about 322 calories per serving.