Be Kind to Your Heart: Low-Fat, Low-Salt Sauces

Cooking and eating the right food is a challenge in health-conscious times. Although we are slowly changing the kinds of food we eat, surveys still indicate that our consumption of fat has not significantly decreased.

Many groups have responded to the need to educate the public about healthy diets: The American Cancer Society and American Heart Assn. have been at the forefront, as have the Kaiser Foundation’s Lean Campaign and the American Institute of Wine & Food’s Resetting the American Table.

Restaurants are also doing their part. I asked Russell Bry, executive chef for Lettuce Entertain You (a company that owns 29 restaurants spread across Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Japan, and offers healthy options on every menu), to recommend some healthy recipes for home use.

Bry suggested that sauces, vehicles for flavor, fat and salt, would be a good place to start. The two savory sauces are versatile enough to be served over grains, rice and pasta as well as vegetables and small portions of chicken, fish and seafood. The sweet berry sauce makes a wonderful low-fat sundae when served over frozen yogurt or light ice cream.

This tomato sauce is more complex than most, but the different nuances of flavor make it distinctive. You can double or triple the recipe since it freezes beautifully. It’s great over pasta, chicken, fish and seafood. If you add enough tomato soup, it turns into a hot or cold soup; the cold version is similar to gazpacho.

HEART-HEALTHY TOMATO SAUCE

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 medium onion, minced

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds, minced in coffee grinder or crushed with knife on board

1/4 teaspoon crushed hot pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small carrot, peeled and minced

1 small stalk celery, minced

3 sundried tomatoes (dry-packed, sodium-free), softened in boiling water, drained, minced

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, undrained

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, preferably imported

Heat heavy 2-quart non-aluminum saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, tipping pan to coat bottom. Add garlic, onion, fresh and dried basil, oregano, fennel seeds, hot pepper and black pepper. Cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add carrot, celery and sundried tomatoes. Cook until hot and fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, white wine and sugar.

Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Makes 3 2/3 cups.

Sweet garlic puree thickens this vinaigrette ever so slightly, making it a great sauce to dab onto grilled fish, meat and vegetables, baked potatoes, pasta and rice salads or sliced tomatoes. To make it a textured salsa cruda, cut the shells (outer part only) of tomatoes into a fine dice and mix them into the dressing.

HEART-HEALTHY TOMATO VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

1/2 cup Heart-Healthy Garlic Puree

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon black olive paste or 1/4 teaspoon finely minced Nicoise or Kalamata olives

1 1/2 teaspoons sundried tomatoes (dry-packed, preferably sodium-free), softened in boiling water, well-drained, minced

1 1/2 cups tomato juice, preferably low-sodium

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Scant 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper

Combine and process Garlic Puree, garlic, olive paste, sundried tomatoes, tomato juice, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, basil, oregano and pepper in blender or, in batches, in food processor. Can be stored up to 1 week in refrigerator although flavor is at its prime day after it’s made. Makes 2 cups.

Because the garlic is simmered in milk, the puree is a sweet and mild thick mixture. Combine this garlic base with nonfat yogurt and fresh herbs for a creamy - style dressing. Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

HEART-HEALTHY GARLIC PUREE

2 large heads garlic, each clove peeled

1 cup nonfat milk

Combine garlic and milk in 1-quart saucepan. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, 25 minutes. Puree mixture in blender or food processor until very smooth. Can be refrigerated up to 5 days. Makes 2/3 cup.

Tart and full-flavored, this tantalizing sauce enhances a mix of berries that can be served in a shallow soup dish as a fruit dessert or as a sauce over sliced fresh fruit, frozen nonfat berry yogurt or angel cake. The recommended proportion of sauce to berries is 3/4 cup sauce to 1 1/2 cups mixed fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

HEART-HEALTHY BALSAMIC BERRY SAUCE

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Boil vinegar, uncovered, in non-aluminum 1-1/2 quart saucepan (needs to be large to avoid sauce boil-over) until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add water, raspberries, strawberries and cinnamon. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree in blender or, in batches, in food processor. Press through fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. Stir in vanilla. Can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 3 months. If sauce is frozen, thaw and boil briefly to restore original consistency. Cool completely before using. Makes about 1 3/4 cups.