Count The Calories With These Updated Recipes

Copyright 1994 The Chicago Tribune
From Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services
Selected and Prepared by Tribune Media Services

Chicago Tribune 

Food that feeds both body and soul makes the best meals. In the spirit of backlash, here
are some updated versions of favorite recipes.



This recipe is adapted from ``Gourmet's America'' by the editors of Gourmet magazine
(Random House, $25).

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH PEPPERS

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/4 hours
Yield: 8 to 10 servings 

1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each: ground coriander seed, salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
3/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese with hot peppers, coarsely grated
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

TOPPING:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups fine, fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Chopped fresh cilantro 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a large, shallow baking dish (at least 4
quarts).

2. Cook the onion and bell pepper in the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat,
stirring, until they are softened. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in the
milk; heat the mixture to a boil, stirring, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cumin,
coriander seed and 1/2 teaspoon salt; remove from heat.

3. Cook macaroni in a kettle of boiling salted water until it is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain well and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the sauce, tomatoes, Monterey Jack and
salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Transfer the macaroni mixture to the prepared baking
dish and smooth the top.

4. For the topping, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bread
crumbs, cornmeal and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is
golden. Stir in cilantro.

5. Sprinkle the topping over macaroni mixture. Bake the macaroni and cheese until hot,
bubbly and slightly browned at the edges, about 1 hour.




This Sunday supper classic is adapted from ``The Silver Palate Cookbook.''

POT ROAST

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours
Yield: 6 servings 

1 beef shoulder roast, about 3 1/2 pounds, rolled and tied
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock or broth
2 cups dry red wine
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
7 whole cloves
5 small carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch chunks
8 red potatoes, scrubbed, quartered
1 can (16 ounces) plum tomatoes
1 cup diced fresh fennel or celery 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub roast with pepper.

2. Heat oil in a flameproof Dutch oven over high heat. Add roast and sear on all sides.
Stir in onions and cook 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups stock or broth, wine, parsley,
rosemary, salt and cloves. Heat to a boil. Add remaining ingredients. Add additional
stock or broth if vegetables aren't covered with liquid.

3. Cover casserole and transfer to oven. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and cook until meat
is tender, 1 1/2 hours longer, basting meat often.

4. Transfer roast to a serving platter and arrange vegetables around it. Spoon some of the
sauce over and pass the remaining sauce separately.




Here's a chocolate-lover's version of an American classic adapted from another classic
``The Time-Life American Regional Cookbook.'' The chocolate buttercream is optional.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE COCONUT FROSTING

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 to 20 servings 

CAKE LAYERS:

1/2 cup water
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted before measuring
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

COCONUT CREAM FROSTING:

4 egg yolks
1 cup each: granulated sugar, evaporated milk
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 can (4 ounces) flaked coconut (1 1/3 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour the bottoms and sides of
three 9-inch round layer-cake pans. Tap out the excess flour.

2. For the cake layers, heat the water to a boil in a small saucepan; add the chopped
chocolate. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool to room
temperature. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

3. Beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar in a large bowl of electric mixer until light and
creamy. Beat in the 4 egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the
cooled chocolate in a slow, thin stream and continue to beat until the batter is smooth.
Add about 1/2 cup of the cake flour mixture and when it is well incorporated, beat in 1/4
cup of the buttermilk. Repeat to alternately use up the flour mixture and buttermilk to
make a smooth batter.

4. Beat the egg whites and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in small bowl of electric mixer until
soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate batter. Pour the batter into the prepared
pans, dividing it equally among them and smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake in
the middle of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35
minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans 5 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to
cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, for the coconut-nut frosting, beat the egg yolks and 1 cup sugar together
in a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan for 1 or 2 minutes. When the mixture is smooth and
light, whisk in the evaporated milk. Add the softened butter and grated chocolate and
set the pan over low heat. Stirring constantly with a large metal spoon, cook the mixture
until it is smooth and thick enough to cling lightly to the spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Do not
let the mixture come anywhere near the boil or the egg yolks will curdle. Remove the
pan from the heat and stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Refrigerate, stirring often,
until frosting holds its shape almost solidly in the spoon, 1 hour or more.

6. To assemble, put one cake layer upside-down onto a serving platter. Frost with 1/3 of
the coconut-nut frosting. Top with another cake layer and another 1/3 of the frosting.
Top with the final cake layer and remaining frosting. Refrigerate to firm.

7. For chocolate buttercream, melt chocolate and butter together in top of a double boiler
set over simmering water or in a glass bowl in the microwave oven on medium (50
percent) power. Cool. Beat in milk, vanilla and enough confectioners' sugar to make a
smooth spreadable frosting. Use to frost sides of cake and to pipe decorations around top
and bottom edge of cake. Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer before serving.