LOCAL COOKS WHIP UP WINNERS IN HEART HEALTHY CONTEST

Local cooks mixed healthy ingredients with easy preparation and good taste to whip up winning entries in the first Heart Health Recipe Contest.

The Heart Institute at St. Francis Medical Center sponsored the contest as part of American Heart Month.

Recipes were judged in three categories: main dishes, vegetables, soups and salads, and desserts and breads.

Entries were judged by a panel of area health and nutrition specialists on the basis of taste, ease of preparation, appearance and fat content, said Vicki Frank, RN, cardiac rehabilitation supervisor at St. Francis.

And the winners were announced Feb. 5 during HeartBeat '94 activities at West Park Mall.

Prizes included a pasta maker for the best recipe, grocery gift certificates for first place winners in each category, and "Cooking Light" cookbooks for second place entries in each category.

Grand Prize

Eileen Schlicting, Cape

Broccoli-Caulifower Salad

1 head cauliflower

1 bunch broccoli

1 onion

1/3 cup golden raisins

1 cup Fat-Free Miracle Whip salad dressing

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons vinegar

Break broccoli and cauliflower into pieces. Slice up the onion. Add raisins. Mix together the salad dressing, sugar and vinegar. Pour over vegetables. Best if ingredients set in the dressing for a while before serving.

SOUP & SALAD

First Prize

Linda Lawrence, Jackson

Ambrosia Salad

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

2 c. miniature marshmallows

1 cup fat free yogurt

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Drain juice from pineapple and oranges. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Chill and serve. Serves 8-10 people. Based on 10 servings, contains 67 calories, 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbodhydrates, .5 gram fat. Less than 1 percent fat.

DESSERTS

Gay Pilsner, Cape

Gingerbread Stain-Glass Cutouts

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

10 to 12 hard candies, finely crushed

Beat together margarine and sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, and 2 tablespoons water. Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt. Add to beaten mixture. Divide dough in half. Cover: chill until easy to handle. On floured surface roll dough, half at a time, 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on foil-lined cookie sheet. Cut out shapes in centers. Fill centers with candies. Bake at 375 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes or until candies melt. Cool in pan; remove to rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

MEATS/MAIN DISHES

Wanda Lorenz

Chicken Stir-Fry

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 cup broccoli flowerets

1 cup matchstick-thin carrot strips

1/2 cup onion wedges

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup

2/3 cup water

2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

4 cups hot cooked rice, cooked without salt

1. Spray nonstick skillet with vegetable cookie spray. Heat 1 minute. Stir-fry chicken in 2 batches until browned. Remove.

2. Remove skillet from heat, spray skillet with cooking spray, stir-fry vegetables until tender-crisp.

3. Add soup, water, soy and ginger; heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet. Heat through. Serve over rice. 4 servings.

Calculated Nutritional Values Per Serving: calories 466, protein 34g, carbohydrate 69g, fat 5g, cholesterol 70mg, sodium 464mg.

Second Prize

SOUP & SALAD

Jill Venezian

Broccomole

1 small bunch broccoli, approximately 1 lb.

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise

3 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 green onion, minced, along with part of the green top

1/8 cup chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley, coriander - optional)

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped green chili - optional

Trim broccoli ends and discard (or use for another purpose). Cut broccoli into 1 inch pieces. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add broccoli, lower heat and simmer about 8 minutes. Add peas and continue to simmer another 4 minutes or so until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables and process them, while still warm, in a food processor with lemon juice and mayonnaise until the mixture is smooth but still retains vegetable flecks. Remove to bowl, add remaining ingredients, and stir blend. Serve with veggies or other dippers of your choice.

Makes about 2 cups.

Nutritonal breakdown: unknown.

DESSERTS

Bernadette Bamberger, Cape

Banana Bread

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

Nonstick spray coating

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon applesauce

Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together egg whites, sugar, and banana. Add applesauce and mix well. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture. Gently fold in chopped walnuts (if desired).

Spray an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan with nonstick coating. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serves 10 to 12.

Based on 10 servings: 225 calories, 4.0 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 64 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 percent fat.

MEATS/MAIN DISHES

Bernadette Bamberger, Cape

Chicken Spinach Manicotti

2 cups cooked chicken meat

1/2 cup well drained spinach

1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

2 egg whites

pepper

12 manicotti tubes

Sauce:

2 tablespoon melted margarine

1 1/2 tablespoon flour

1 (13 oz.) can evaporated skim milk

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

pepper to taste

nutmeg to taste

Saute mushrooms in a little oil. Chop together with chicken and spinach until fine. Stir in Parmesan cheese, egg, and pwpper. Fill tubes and place in oiled 11 x 7 inch shallow baking dish.

Sauce: Blend flour and margarine in small skillet. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Heat till sauce bubbles, then season with pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese. Pour over manicotti. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese browns. Serves 6.

Contains 368 calories, 47 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fat, 92 mg cholesterol, 211 mg sodium, 9 percent fat.