Comfort Food : Breakfast: The MealYou Can Count On : Make It Low Cholesterol

Ruby Fruit Compote With Barley Crunchy Five-Grain Granola Glazed Yogurt Coffee Cake With Cranberry-Walnut Swirl These days, a lot of people feel even a leisurely weekend breakfast needs to be low in fat and cholesterol. But this doesn’t mean you have to eat egg substitutes or drink health shakes.

The breakfast recipes here, for instance, are low in cholesterol, easy to make and they taste delicious.

Fruit compote may sound dull, but in this form with dark sweet cherries, dried fruit and the addition of barley and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, it’s one of the most unusual and good-tasting breakfast foods you can make. The colors are rich and the texture slightly chewy from the barley.

The granola is made from four different grains. Honey, maple syrup, apple juice concentrate and cinnamon are added to the mix, and the granola bakes to a deep mahogany brown. Use the granola for breakfast as a cereal with milk or as a topping on yogurt or fresh fruit. It is also a great snack food as well as a delicious dessert topping on ice cream, frozen yogurt and puddings.

Only a few grams of cholesterol (from nonfat yogurt) are in the coffee cake, which has a deliciously tender crumb. Inside is a cranberry-walnut swirl, and the whole thing is brushed with a raspberry glaze. Be sure to serve the cake warm.

You might augment these recipes with freshly squeezed orange juice or fresh winter fruit (apples, pears, grapes and orange segments tossed with grated orange peel, a little sugar and pomegranate seeds), and, if you dare, eggs, bacon and ham.

FRUIT COMPOTE

WITH BARLEY

8 ounces pitted prunes

4 ounces dried apricots

2 cups raisins

3 cups water

1 orange, thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed

1/4 cup pearl barley

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 pound frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed

Combine prunes, apricots, raisins, water, orange, lemon and barley in 3-quart saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, until barley is just tender, about 30 minutes. Add brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and cherries. Cook 5 minutes longer.

Cool and refrigerate at least 1 day before serving. Fruit will keep as long as 1 month in refrigerator. Serve hot, chilled or at room temperature. Makes 8 cups.

CRUNCHY FOUR-GRAIN

GRANOLA

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup thawed frozen apple juice concentrate

1 1/2 cups thick-sliced oat flakes

2 cups wheat flakes

1/2 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup oat bran

1 cup dried apples, finely snipped

Combine cinnamon, lemon and orange zests, honey, maple syrup and apple juice concentrate in 1 quart saucepan. Bring to boil, uncovered, then simmer 5 minutes.

Place thick oat flakes, wheat flakes, flax seeds, oat bran and dried apples in large mixing bowl. Add mixture from saucepan. Toss until well-combined. Divide mixture evenly between 2 foil-lined baking sheets.

Bake in center of 350-degree oven until well toasted, about 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Reverse baking sheets if granola seems to be baking unevenly. Cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight container in cool place as long as 4 weeks. Makes 8 cups.

Note: Grains listed should be available in most health food stores. If desired, substitute 4 1/2 cups other grains of choice.

GLAZED YOGURT

COFFEE CAKE

WITH CRANBERRY-

WALNUT SWIRL

1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted margarine

1 1/4 cups sugar

6 large egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla

Cranberry-Walnut Swirl Mixture

Raspberry Glaze

Generously grease 12-cup bundt pan. Dust lightly with flour and tap out excess.

Combine yogurt and baking soda. Stir well. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cream margarine and sugar until light. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Add yogurt mixture and mix well. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing well after each addition.

Spread 1/4 of batter in bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of Cranberry-Walnut Swirl Mixture evenly over batter. Using knife, swirl mixture gently into batter in 4 evenly spaced places. Add 1/2 remaining batter. Spread smooth and sprinkle remaining Cranberry-Walnut Swirl Mixture over. Swirl again in 4 places. Add remaining batter. Spread smooth.

Bake in center of 350-degree oven until lightly browned and wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 42 to 45 minutes. Do not overbake. Let rest in pan 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Brush Raspberry Glaze over warm cake. Makes about 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Cake can be made day ahead and kept at room temperature, covered airtight. It can also be frozen, then wrapped airtight. Thaw in wrappings.

Warm cake for serving on baking sheet in 300-degree oven until heated through, about 15 minutes, or alternatively in microwave oven at MEDIUM power about 3 to 5 minutes. Individual slices can be reheated in microwave in 10 seconds.

Cranberry-Walnut

Swirl Mixture

1 1/4 cups cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon flour

Process cranberries, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and flour in food processor just until cranberries are ground, about 10 seconds.

Raspberry Glaze

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jelly

1 tablespoon unsalted margarine

Gently melt jelly and margarine together on stove top or in microwave oven.