TASTE
Reduced-fat summer tart retains flavor
| • | Principles of washoku |
By Elaine Magee
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Q. I found this recipe for Savory Summer Pie in Southern Living magazine. I really need to lighten this up because almost everyone in my family eats lower-fat meals because of various health conditions. But I really want to try this dish!
A. I'll lighten it as far as I can and still have it look and taste terrific, that's my promise.
The first thing we have to do, if we are truly trying to make this dish low-fat, is lose the refrigerated pie crust. Instead we will make a thinner crust using 8 wheat crackers (each about 1 1/2-inch square, about 2 ounces). The crackers are ground into crumbs and tossed with some shredded parmesan, spices and a little oil to form a loose crust.
We are lightening the rest of the summer tart by using half eggs and half egg substitute, fat-free half-and-half instead of the real deal, switching to reduced-fat cheese jack cheese and cutting the olive oil from 2 tablespoons to one. To help punch up the flavor, we doubled the fresh basil, purple onion and garlic, and to bring down the sodium I cut the salt in half.
The original recipe contains 475 calories, 35 grams of fat, 14 grams saturated fat, and 198 milligrams cholesterol per serving.
SAVORY SUMMER TART
Crust:
Filling:
Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Blend cracker crumbs with Mrs. Dash and shredded parmesan by running it through a food processor or in a mixer. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Scatter crumbs in pie plate and tilt plate to spread crumbs on bottom and up sides. Bake in oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, place a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic and saute until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil.
In a large mixing bowl, blend eggs and egg substitute along with the fat-free half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Beat on medium-low speed to combine.
Stir in the vegetable mixture and jack and parmesan cheeses. Pour mixture into wheat cracker crust. Lay tomato slices on top in circles. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until nicely brown on top and set in the middle. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian; find out more at www.recipedoctor.com.
