A weekly Column by Chef Daniel Orr

Daniel Orr is Executive Chef at Kitchen Stadium, Santorini Restaurant, Famiglia and the Tapas Lounge and Rum bar at CuisinArt Resort and Spa and is working on “A Chef’s Diet” Cookbook and Cooking in Paradise.

PORTION SIZE

Calories, calories, calories. . .

Chef Daniel Orr

Studies have shown that restricting calorie intake to 1,500 to 2,000 calories per day is a good way to increase health and longevity. This current research dictates that keeping your weight down, along with increasing exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less is the way to achieve this healthy lifestyle. The question is how do we do it.

First of all there are so many diets that it’s difficult to keep decide which one is right for you. All you really need to do (which may sound trite) is decrease portions to half of what you usually eat. I don’t know the exact figures for Anguillians, but every year the average American consumes forty pounds of white bread, thirty-two gallons of soft drinks, forty-one pounds of potatoes, and a couple of gallons of vegetable oil to fry the potatoes in. That sounds terrible. Per capita consumption of food increased about eight percent from 1990 to 2000, according to the Department of Agriculture. That translates to 140 extra pounds of food a year, according to the New York Times (July 7, 2002). Fast-food restaurants serve super-size portions. Other restaurants serve twenty-ounce steaks – five times what a portion of meat should be. More than about three to four ounces of meat, fish or poultry – the size of a small fist – and you’ve overdone it. Couple large portion sizes with snacking and a high intake of starchy carbohydrates and you’ve probably gone way over the recommended 2,000-calorie a day limit. Beware of those fast-food places moving in!
As children, we were told to clean our plates. Told not to throw away food because it’s wasteful. In addition to that, there’s the mind-set that encourages bad eating habits – eat when you are hungry, eat when you need quick energy, eat when you need a psychological lift. It doesn’t take a lot of food under these circumstances to see the pounds accumulate. Anorexia isn’t a pretty picture either, but somewhere between overeating and undereating there’s a balance that would keep the average person far from joining the obesity statistics.

Eating more fiber helps to decrease hunger, as it takes longer to digest fibrous foods. This means that to eat more fiber you have to eat more fruit, vegetables and whole grains. This also means if you are eating more of these foods, you are eating less of the food that can make you hungry sooner, and maybe less food that is fried, fast, sweet, and just bad. The healthy food pyramid constructed by Walter C. Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, encourages vegetables in abundance; fruit two to three times per day; nuts and legumes one to three times per day. Whole grains, healthful oils, fish and poultry make up the bulk of your daily calories. That leaves red meat, butter, white rice, potatoes, flour, pasta and sweets to be used “sparingly.”
Eating less is actually eating more. Three small meals a day and two snacks can keep you going, especially if you are eating tasty, healthful foods that can satisfy even the most diehard fast-food eater. Fewer calories mean less weight, less weight means better health. Eating fewer calories and less food doesn’t mean you have to compromise taste. It just means you learn to eat smaller portions of everything all the time, and learn how to be creative and adventurous about new foods.
This week my recipe is for acorn squash with soy, local greens and garlic chips. The stuffing goes into the squash halves – limiting the portion size – an automatic exercise in self-control.

Acorn Squash with Soy, Local Greens and Garlic Chips

I love this late-night dinner for two. It takes very little time if you use a microwave, that great invention that makes healthful dinners possible even after a long day at the office. (If it weren’t for microwaves I would probably eat something I shouldn’t.) The contrast in textures between the tender sweet squash, the slightly bitter and crunchy broccoli rabe and the custardy tofu totally satisfies.

Remember – recipes are guidelines, so adapt them to your own taste. Have fun and remember, don’t be afraid of flavor!

Makes 2 portions

1 large acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
½ pound soft tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon chili paste with garlic
1 bunch local greens such as kale, mustard, broccoli rabe or collards
2 tablespoons garlic chips (see recipe below)

Wash the squash well under very hot water (they are often sprayed with a thin layer of wax to help them last longer). Pierce with a skewer or paring knife and steam or microwave until tender, about 20 minutes in a hot steamer or 8 to 10 minutes in a microwave.

When the squash is just cool enough to handle, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl toss the tofu with the chili paste, salt and pepper and stuff the squash with it.

Steam or microwave the greens with a little water until just wilted and toss with the garlic chips. Season if needed with salt and pepper.

To serve, place the stuffed squash on a dinner plate. Scatter the greens and garlic chips over it. Drizzle a little more olive oil around and serve with half a lemon.

Garlic Chips
Thinly slice the garlic and cook slowly in olive oil until lightly brown and crisp. If you overcook them they will become bitter. Drain on paper towels and season with a little salt and pepper.

You can keep garlic chips and the oil they cooked in for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, to flavor all types of dishes, dressings and marinades.

I’d love to hear from you. I am collecting recipes and stories for future articles and books and would love to include your favorite family recipes and food memories from the kitchen, the garden or the sea. You can reach me at dorr@cuisinart.aior stop me on the road if you see the CuisinArt Chef Mobile.

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