Cookbook Review

Gourmet Light (1993) Underwood, G.

This award winner (the Duncan Hines 1985 Best Cookbook of the Year Award, among others)
is basically a lightened version of the Joy of Cooking. The author lived in Europe for years and, she describes herself as "small", had to find lower calorie versions of the classic European dishes. All dishes come with caloric information. And they sound quite tasty and appropriate for diets.
These recipes come from them.

Cauliflower "Cream" with Yellow Pepper Puree

Basically this is a cream soup made without cream.

3 small leeks, white part only
3 cups blanched cauliflower (about 1/2 head)
1 1/2 cups skimmed milk
1/2 cups skimmed evaporated milk
1 small potato, peeled and diced
3/4 tsp salt
freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish
2 yellow peppers
a cup loosely packed snipped fresh basil leaves, or 2 tsp dried basil
4 tbsp romano or parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Makes 4 cups (140 cals per cup, 11 g protein, 1 g fat, trace of sat fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 534 mg sodium 3 g fiber)

To prepare the soup slice the leeks and rinse them. Place in a 1 qt saucepan with water to cover them half way. Cover the pan and turn heat to high. Reduce heat to simmer when boil is reached. Uncover after 10 min and cook till leeks are soft, about 5 min more.
Meanwhile, core the cauliflower and blanch it in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain it and chop it, combining it with the 2 kinds of milk, the potato, salt, pepper, and leeks in a two qt saucepan.
Cover the pan, bring to a boil and simmer 20 min.
Puree. If the mixture is too thick thin with milk. Add nutmeg and adjust flavor. Soup should be overseasoned if it will be served cold. Serve with one tbsp of the yellow pepper puree swirled in.

Yellow Pepper Puree
Cut the peppers in half and flatten with the hand. Place on a baking sheet skin side up under a broiler. Broil till blackened and charred, up to 10 min. Place them in a plastic or paper bag rolled tightly shut and place in refrigerator until chilled.
Peel the skin off and discard. Chop and puree the peppers. Add basil, cheese and olive oil to the peppers. The puree will be thick and chunky. It will store one week chilled.

Roasted Three-Onion Soup

yields 2 qts. 55 cal per cup, 2 g protein, trace fat, no cholesterol, 11g carbohydrates, 226 mg sodium and 1g fiber, all per 1 cup)

2 spanish onions
1 medium yellow onion
2 shallots
6 cloves garlic
2 13.5 oz cans beef broth, plus and additional cup
1/4 cup full-bodied red wine
1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp liquid beef bouillon
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp instant-blending flour
1 tbsp cognac, optional
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional

Roast one spanish onion and the yellow onion in a baking dish in a 350 degree oven for 30 min. No preheating is needed. Add the shallots and bake 30 minutes more. Add the garlic and roast 30 min more. Let cool and discard skins. (this part can be done early in the day).
Place the onions, shallots and garlic in a food processor with 1 cup broth and puree.
Put the puree in a 2 1/2 qt saucepan. Add all but 1 cup of the broth, the wine, thyme, bay leaf, salt and bouillon. Simmer.
Thinly slice the last onion in a food processor or by hand. Spray a nonstick 10 inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Saute the onion over medium high heat, stirring often, until the onion is brown and limp (about 10 min). Sprinkle with sugar and flour and stir 1 min.
Add remaining broth and simmer 4 minutes, stirring occassioally. Add to the onion/broth mixture in the pan, stir in the cognac and simmer 10-30 min. Remove the bayleaf and serve. Have cheese at the table.