Cooking with Renée Loux | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Cooking with Renée Loux | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Cooking with Renée Loux

•	Green living, good eating

Advertiser Staff

Here two sample recipes from Renée Loux's "The Balanced Plate: The Essential Elements of Whole Foods and Good Health" (Rodale Press, $22.95). The Maui-based chef and eco-educator proves "healthy" can equal "delicious."

ROASTED BEET CARPACCIO WITH FRISÉE

4 medium beets

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon truffle oil

1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar (or 2 teaspoons balsamic plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup)

3 teaspoons lemon juice, divided

1/2 teaspoon yuzu (or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice plus 1/8 teaspoon wasabi powder)

1/2 teaspoon smoked salt or sea salt, divided

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups roughly chopped frisée (mache or chopped endive may be used)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scrub the beets. Rub with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place in a baking dish. Roast beets for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tender and able to be pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. While still warm, but comfortable to handle, trim the top and bottom off of each beet. Peel away the skin with your fingers if possible; use a paring knife if necessary.

Slice the peeled beets thinly into 1/8-inch pieces.

Place the beets in a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the truffle oil, aged balsamic (or balsamic plus maple syrup), 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, yuzu (or lemon juice and wasabi powder), 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt or sea salt, and a few twists of pepper. Fold together gently with your fingers. Let stand 15 minutes to 1 hour to absorb and develop flavor.

A few minutes before serving, toss the frisée with the remaining olive oil, the remaining lemon juice, the remaining smoked salt or sea salt, and a few twists of pepper.

Arrange the beets on serving plates overlapping in a 4-inch to 5-inch circle. Top with a nice little mound of tossed frisée. Season with pepper, if desired.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 130 calories, 10 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 300 mg sodium

Among Loux's most popular dishes is Chocolate of the Gods Mousse with Raspberries and Mint. "I made it in the movie, 'Go Further' with Woody Harrelson, and the Web site for the film got more hits inquiring about the chocolate mousse made from avocado than anything else," Loux jokes in her book.

CHOCOLATE OF THE GODS MOUSSE WITH RASPBERRIES AND MINT

2 cups Hass avocados (about 2)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 to 4 tablespoons organic evaporated cane juice or organic sugar (optional, for the sweeter tooth)

2 tablespoons Omega Nutrition coconut butter (optional)

1 to 2 teaspoons non-alcohol vanilla extract

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aged balsamic is best)

1/2 teaspoon shoyu

1 cup pure cocoa powder (green and black is choice)

1 pint raspberries

handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

Scharffenberger's cacao nibs (option, for garnish)

In a food processor, blend the avocados, maple syrup, cane juice or organic sugar (if desired), coconut butter (if desired), vanilla, balsamic, and shoyu until smooth and creamy.

Add the cocoa powder and blend until smooth. Sifting the cocoa powder before adding it is a good idea to prevent lumps. A simple metal strainer works well.

Distribute half of the raspberries evenly among 4 to 8 wine goblets or martini glasses. Follow with a dollop of mousse, a sprinkle of mint, the remaining raspberries, and more mint. Top with cacao nibs, if desired.

Leftover mousse can be stored in a tightly sealed container for up to a week in the fridge or frozen for up to a month.

Serves 8.

Per serving: 170 calories, 7 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 3 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber, 25 mg sodium

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