This is just a fantastic little thread here! Thanks for starting it and yes, I do love to cook because I love to eat. I don't think there are any really fine cooks who dislike food are there? That said though, I started trying to go low/no fat years ago and my cholesterol never goes above 150 (currently 127) and my LDL cholesterol runs about 75. It was never the food, but there are no heart healthy cigarettes. I smoked almost 3 packs a day for 35 years and cannot think of a waking activity that didn't involve having a cigarette in my hand. I used to love having a hot, steamy shower in the early morning, relaxing in the corner of the stall with a cup of coffee in one hand and a Winston in the other. I don't know how intelligent I am, but I am smart enough to know that that's insane! I'm also willing to sadly admit how weak I am and what a strong addiction smoking is. So Guest, I'm glad you're not a smoker, good for you! I wouldn't wish all this on anyone. But can the sanctimonius attitude. The only people that ever anger me anymore are zealots on any subject. So have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up.

Now let's talk heart healthy cooking!!!!

Probably the hardest thing to get across to some people is that some fats are just fine. A bit of oil can enhance and richen the flavor of many dishes but know your oil and learn the dangers of trans-fatty acids. Both in flavor and health issues, two oils lead the pack.....Canola and Olive, with Canola winning on the health and Olive ahead in flavor. The real thing here is that using a bit of Sesame or Peanut oil for a specific recipe won't kill you and often leaves the dish bland without them. The same is true of real butter. As many of you have noted, the key here too is moderation.

All of the things which are known as "bad" actually are if they are your staple diet, but personally a couple of real eggs poached and/or the occasional real ones fried in butter aren't going to matter a whit and I'd prefer a couple of tasty over-lights of the occasional omelette to an entire warehouse full of Egg Beaters! Hard cheeses are rarely a problem, but soft ones are. I come from a part of the country that produces more Swiss than Wisconsin and I love many foreign and domestic cheeses. Once again, I'd prefer to save my brownie points and enjoy a little great cheese than to ever have to eat most of the fat free's or low-fats I've encountered. Karen and I are constantly buying a new one in the hopes that it may be a substitute, but we haven't found one yet.

Some products do work well in their fat free variety in cooking or as part of the mix........ricotta cheese comes to mind so let me make my first recipe suggestion based on that. Now I love Manicotti and in the classically prepared version, it will eat you up with fat and cholesterol. But if you take one container of fat free ricotta and a one pound baggie of frozen spinach (thawed of course--fresh is simply exotic if you have it) and mix them with three teaspoons of garlic, two teaspoons of oregano, two of basil, three of parsley, one of fennel, a half cup of Parmensan or Romano (a blend is nice here) and a quarter cup of very finely diced onion, you will have enough to stuff about 14 shells, which is what's in most boxes.....why, I have no idea.

Use a good quality pasta and stuff the shells without cooking them. Lay them out in your dish and cover them with your favorite lo/no fat red sauce. Everyone has what they think is the best and I've already read a couple of good ones here, so I'll not belabor you with mine. If you don't amke your own, you'll find that most meatless commercial sauces can be flavored up a bit and are almost fat free, so use one of those if you like.

Cover the "sewer pipe" completely with a quarter inch extra on the top. You can thin down the sauce a bit if you like because it will thicken from the pasta starch.....and that is the key thing here. While you may pick up a bit of unwanted starch, the overall flavor of cooking the pasta IN the sauce as it bakes makes it an easy flavor trade-off and adds to the "rich" taste. Sprinkle one cup of mozzarella over the top and bake at 375 for an hour (preheat your oven). This dish is almost fat free and indeed the ENTIRE pan is less than two pieces standard Manicotti. If you are familiar with Weight Watcher's latest "Point System"...each piece with the accompanying sauce is two and two-thirds points. So for an eleven point supper you can have FOUR pieces!!! Add a salad with a good no/lo fat dressing and you'll be in heaven for something under 14 points and virtually no fat or cholesterol!!!!

Hey SusAR>>>>Many thanks for the quick Phad Thai recipe!!!

Let's get some more in here gang!

Spaw