Cinco De Mayo : Primer on Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Mexican Cooking

Cinco de Mayo, probably the most celebrated Mexican holiday in the United States, is observed in Mexico only in Puebla, the town where the Mexican army, led by General Zaragoza, withstood a French onslaught in 1862. American restaurants and supermarkets have seized upon this victory to promote Mexican foods in the United States.

For the growing number of Americans who worry about dietary fat and cholesterol, this holiday poses a challenge. It’s lots of fun to celebrate, but authentic Mexican foods are high in fat. Lard, for instance, is what makes beans so sweet and delicious, and it’s the key ingredient of flour tortillas. Grated cheese, sour cream and guacamole, used as garnishes for many Mexican dishes, are all high in saturated fat. You could use up a week’s fat allotment in just one night. What can a party person do to join the festivities and still keep a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet?

The solution is simple if you cook your own Mexican dishes and adapt the recipes to fit your dietary needs. If you’ve never cooked Mexican food before, don’t be intimidated. The recipes are straightforward and delicious.

Start by making your own salsa. One that is a big hit in my family is jicama salsa. Jicama is a sweet root vegetable that often looks worn and unappetizing in the market, but don’t let that throw you. It is best eaten raw (peeled, of course) and frequently shows up on vegetable platters with dips. As a salsa you can serve it with chips, or as a salad with the entree.

If you serve the salsa as an appetizer, don’t use commercial chips. Make your own, using corn--rather than flour--tortillas. (Corn tortillas contain no added oil.) Instead of frying them, brush the tortillas with water and bake them in a hot (500-degree) oven to make them crisp. They just take a few minutes and the difference in calories is worth the extra work.

Corn tortillas are also used in enchiladas, but Mexican homemakers usually lightly fry the tortillas before filling them and covering them with sauce. You can simplify this process by dipping the tortillas in sauce to soften them and then layering them in a casserole between whatever filling you have chosen.

Ground white-meat turkey is a good substitute for shredded pork or ground beef, which normally fills enchiladas. (But beware of regular ground turkey: Like regular ground beef, it can contain 50% more fat in calories--the label may advertise 15% fat, but that is by weight.) Shredded roast turkey or chicken is another alternative.

Top the enchiladas with low- or no-fat cheeses--it’s actually more authentic. Restaurant Mexican food may be garnished with shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, but these high-fat cheeses are traditionally not used in Mexico. Mexican queso fresco , on the other hand, is made from skim milk.

You can make good low-fat beans at home with just a few little tricks. Instead of using a ham bone for flavor, add a good portion of chile powder or cumin. For the most authentic beans, drain off some of the cooking liquid and use it instead of oil to “refry” the beans. Alternate adding liquid and beans, mashing and stirring, until you have used up about half the beans. Then combine the mashed mixture with the rest of the cooked beans. You’ll have thick, wonderful refried beans. And pureed, the beans make a wonderful dip.

One of the most typical Mexican desserts is flan , a light, custardy mixture of eggs, cream and sugar topped by a sauce made of caramelized sugar. Even this dish can be adapted to the requirements of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Instead of using whole eggs, make your flan with egg substitute. Replace the cream or whole milk with nonfat evaporated milk or nonfat milk. This dessert is almost totally fat-free, and you still have the characteristic taste of caramelized sugar, which makes flan so wonderful.

If you follow the suggestions below, you will have a meal that is about 544 calories per serving and contains only 13% fat (by calories), less than the 30% recommendation by the U.S. Surgeon General.

LOW-FAT, LOW-CHOLESTEROL

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

1/2 cup nonfat chicken broth, about

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey white meat

2 cups Low-fat, No-Cholesterol Refried Beans

1 teaspoon salt

No-Fat Red Enchilada Sauce

12 corn tortillas

8 ounces shredded no-fat Cheddar cheese

In large skillet, heat 1/4 cup chicken broth. Add onion and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender and start to give off their own liquid. Then crumble in ground turkey. Continue cooking, adding more broth if necessary, until meat loses pink color. Add refried beans, salt, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Simmer until liquid evaporates and meat is thoroughly cooked.

Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with non-stick vegetable spray. Spread with thin layer of enchilada sauce. Dip 6 tortillas in remaining sauce, turning them so both sides are softened. Place in single layer in prepared pan. Cover with half bean-and-meat mixture and little sauce. Sprinkle with half cheese. Dip remaining tortillas in sauce and layer on top of mixture. Cover with remaining bean-and-meat mixture, more sauce, and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 30 minutes, until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving (without cheese): 317 calories, 22.3 grams protein, 46 grams carbohydrates, 3.3 grams fat, .12 milligrams cholesterol.

With no-fat cheese, add 35 calories, 8 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 9 grams fat, 5 milligrams cholesterol.

Low-Fat, No-Cholesterol Refried Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans, washed well

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne or ground black pepper

Salt

2 to 4 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Cover beans with water. Bring to boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Turn heat off and cover. Let stand 1 hour. Drain and discard water.

Place beans in large stockpot. Add onion, garlic and water to cover. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until beans are tender, at least 2 hours, stirring frequently and adding more water if necessary. Make sure water level is always at least 1 inch above beans.

When beans are tender, drain liquid and reserve. Pour about 1 cup liquid into large skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper and heat to simmer. Add 1/2 cup beans. Using wooden spoon or potato masher, press beans against side of pan, combining well with liquid. Add more liquid, then more beans. Continue until about 1/2 beans are mashed coarsely. Let mixture simmer gently until thick.

Then combine contents of skillet with remaining beans. Season to taste with remaining pepper, salt, chili powder and cumin. Makes about 4 cups, 16 servings.

Note: Same procedure may be applied to canned pinto beans. Use liquid packed with beans instead of oil.

Per serving: 57.5 calories, 3 grams protein, 10.9 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol.

No-Fat Red Enchilada Sauce

1/2 cup nonfat chicken broth

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

1/4 cup chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Heat 1/4 cup chicken broth in tall 3-quart saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender. Add tomato puree and heat to simmer. Stir chili powder into remaining chicken broth. Add to tomato mixture. Add cumin, oregano and salt.

Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add additional chicken broth if mixture is too thick. Be careful not to scorch. Makes about 3 cups.

Per 1/2 cup serving: 83.4 calories, 3.7 grams protein, 18.7 grams carbohydrates, 1.2 grams fat, .08 milligrams cholesterol.

NO-CHOLESTEROL JICAMA SALSA

1 pound jicama, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely diced

2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and diced

1 small yellow chile, seeded and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil

Dash freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Place jicama, carrots, red pepper, onion, chiles, garlic and tomatoes in large glass bowl. In small bowl, mix vinegar, oil, black pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano and salt to taste. Pour over vegetables and toss lightly. Marinate several hours. Toss with cilantro and serve. Makes 12 cups.

Per 1-cup serving: 61 calories, 6.2 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2.6 grams fat (including .3 grams saturated fat), 0 milligrams cholesterol.

ALMOST NO-CHOLESTEROL FLAN

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup egg substitute

2 2/3 cup nonfat evaporated milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Heat 2/3 cup sugar slowly in heavy skillet, stirring constantly. When browned, pour into 5-cup mold warmed in hot water. Using mitt to protect hands, coat sides with hot caramel.

Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar with egg substitute and milk. Add vanilla. Carefully pour custard into caramelized mold. Place mold in shallow pan. Add boiling water to depth of 1/2 inch up sides of mold. Bake at 350 degrees 60 to 90 minutes, depending on depth of mold, or until sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly and then refrigerate at least 4 hours.

To unmold, run knife around sides of mold and invert onto serving dish. Pour any extra sauce over top. Makes 8 servings.

Note: If nonfat milk is used instead of nonfat evaporated milk, calories will be less.

Per serving (with sauce): 166 calories, 8.3 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, .2 grams fat, 3.4 milligrams cholesterol.