Spain: Old and New : Snacks That Are Good for You

Everybody’s talking about tapas. But most people have missed one important point: Tapas are not only attractive and delicious, but also adapt easily to the requirements of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

First of all, tapas are made from a wide variety of vegetables and beans--peppers, garbanzos, white beans and mushrooms, to name a few.

Second, seafood plays a major role in the Spanish diet. At one time, nutritionists banned shellfish because some kinds contain so much cholesterol. Now that they distinguish between different kinds of sterols, they suggest that moderate amounts of some shellfish are acceptable for people on low-fat diets because shellfish is so low in fat in general, and in saturated fat especially. Scallops and mussels, by the way, are the shellfish with the lowest cholesterol content.

Black mussels grown on the East and West coasts of the United States are most like the mussels served in Spain. For best results, buy them as fresh as possible. Make sure they close when you touch them (that means they are still alive). Discard any that do not open after cooking.

Spanish fish and seafood dishes add a lot of variety to the otherwise limited repertoire of low-fat, low-cholesterol preparations. For instance, if you are trying to cut down on your consumption of red meat, you don’t have to give up party meatballs. Use fresh tuna instead of meats such as beef, veal or pork. Flavorful tuna-ball tapas are a welcome addition to any appetizer table. If fresh tuna isn’t available or is too expensive for you, make this recipe from canned white tuna packed in water, not oil. Squeeze out all the water or the taps will come out mushy.

Tapas’ small size also works toward a diet lower in fat and cholesterol. Doctors, nutritionists, and weight counselors for a long time have suggested portion control as a means of weight (and then cholesterol) reduction.

Tapas are particularly appealing because by sampling various little tapas you feel that you’ve eaten a lot when you’ve just had a few small bites.

Historically, olive oil was so plentiful in Spain that frying was the accepted cooking method. Happily, many Spanish favorites lose little when you poach them in nonfat chicken broth instead of frying them in olive oil. If you don’t keep a supply of homemade nonfat chicken broth on hand, use canned. Refrigerate it overnight so the usually homogenized fat congeals and is easy to remove.

Since all these recipes are quick and easy to make, benefit from advance preparation and need no last-minute touches, having a tapa party should be simple. And since tapas are meant to be finger foods, you don’t even need plates or silverware. Have plenty of wood picks on hand. Fill a big basket with thinly sliced French bread or any other bread made without eggs and oil, to catch the delicious sauces. (Avoid crackers made with lots of oil or lard.)

Amazingly, if each guest eats one serving of each tapa, accompanies the tapas with the equivalent of a one-ounce serving of sourdough bread and sips a glass of Spanish Sherry, total calories will be merely 324, with only 6% coming from fat.

SCALLOP AND WHITE BEAN SALAD

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup nonfat chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Salt, pepper

1 pound bay scallops, rinsed and drained dry

2 (15-ounce) cans great northern beans (or any other white beans), drained

1 cup baby zucchini, sliced into rounds

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Combine wine, chicken broth and bay leaf in shallow pan just large enough to hold scallops. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Add scallops and poach about 5 minutes, just until scallops are done. Do not overcook. Drain scallops from poaching liquid and let cool. Discard bay leaf. Save poaching liquid.

Place beans in medium mixing bowl. Add zucchini, capers, shallot, green onions, garlic, 1/4 cup chopped parsley and cooled scallops. Mix gently, but thoroughly. Add some of poaching liquid for seasoning, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with remaining chopped parsley. Makes 24 tapas, about 1/3 cup each.

Each tapa contains about: 56 calories; 6 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrate; 0.3 gram fat; 6 milligrams cholesterol.

SPICY SAUTEED MUSSELS

3/4 cup nonfat chicken broth

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

24 black mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

3/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Spray non-stick skillet with vegetable oil spray. Place over medium-high heat. Add chicken broth, onion and garlic. Bring to boil. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Add prepared mussels, paprika and crushed pepper. Stir to spread seasonings. Cover and simmer until mussels open. Remove mussels from cooking liquid when they open. Serve at once or refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, break shells in half. Fill half shell with cooked mussel, spooning some sauce over each. Garnish with chopped parsley. Arrange on platter. Makes 24 tapas.

Each tapa contains about: 9 calories; 1 gram protein; 0.6 gram carbohydrate; 0.2 gram fat; 0 cholesterol.

GARBANZO BEAN SALAD

1/2 cup nonfat chicken broth

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Spray non-stick skillet with vegetable oil spray. Place over medium-high heat. Add chicken broth, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cook briefly, until onion is tender and bay leaf starts giving off aroma. Add tomato puree and crushed hot pepper. Stir, cover and simmer slowly about 15 minutes. Add garbanzo beans, salt and cumin.

Mix gently but well. Continue cooking, uncovered, until pan liquids have almost evaporated. Refrigerate until serving, or at least 4 hours, to combine flavors. Remove bay leaf before serving. Makes 24 tapas, about 1/4 cup each.

Each tapa contains about: 31 calories; 1.5 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrate; 0.5 gram fat; 0 cholesterol.

POACHED TUNA BALLS

1/4 cup unseasoned sourdough bread crumbs

1 cup nonfat chicken broth, about

1/3 cup dry white wine

12 ounces fresh tuna fillet, fat removed

1/3 cup egg substitute

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped parsley

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Moisten bread crumbs with 3 tablespoons chicken broth and 1 tablespoon wine. Toss lightly and set aside so crumbs absorb liquid.

Combine tuna, egg substitute, onion, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in food processor bowl. Process until tuna is finely ground and mixed well with other ingredients. Add prepared bread crumbs and process until mixture begins to form ball. Wet hands with cold water. Shape processed tuna into 24 walnut-size balls (re-moistening hands as necessary).

Spray large, deep non-stick skillet with vegetable spray. Place over high heat and add 1/2 cup chicken broth and remaining wine to pan. Bring to boil and add tuna balls. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Add more chicken broth if necessary. Tuna balls puff up during cooking. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 24 tapas.

Each tapa contains about: 26 calories; 4 grams protein; 1.5 grams carbohydrate; 0.2 gram fat; 6 milligrams cholesterol.

MUSHROOMS IN SPICY GARLIC SAUCE

8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup nonfat chicken broth, about

1 pound mushrooms, washed and quartered, if large

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup Spanish Sherry

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Spray large non-stick skillet with vegetable oil spray. Place over medium heat. Add garlic and saute briefly. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and bring to boil. Add mushrooms and cook over high heat about 5 minutes.

Add lemon juice, Sherry, paprika and crushed hot pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add remaining chicken broth, if necessary. Continue cooking until most of pan liquid has boiled away and mushrooms begin to brown. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 24 tapas.

Each tapa contains about: 11 calories; 1 gram protein; 1.5 grams carbohydrate; 0.1 gram fat; 0 cholesterol.

CHICKEN BREASTS POACHED IN SAFFRON SHERRY SAUCE

8 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup nonfat chicken broth, about

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 24 pieces

1/2 cup Spanish Sherry

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Generous dash saffron

1/3 cup chopped parsley

Spray large non-stick skillet with vegetable oil spray. Place skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute briefly. Add chicken and broth. Bring to boil and poach gently, just until meat turns white.

Add Sherry and additional broth if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, covered, until done, about 10 minutes.

Crush saffron in small bowl. Add some of poaching liquid, stir well and then return liquid to pan. Add parsley, stirring well to combine. Bring to simmer again, then remove from heat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 24 tapas.

Each tapa contains about: 35 calories; 7 grams protein; 0.6 gram carbohydrate; 0.4 gram fat; 16.5 milligrams cholesterol.