The French Enlightenment

As nutrition-conscious cooks around the world change their cooking methods to create lighter meals, certain cuisines seem to present more of a challenge than others. French food, with its customary reliance on cream, lard and butter is an obvious example. Yet, by emphasizing the inherently healthy aspects of French cuisine, including a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables in everything from soups to desserts, it's possible to enjoy all of its traditional flavors without abandoning a well-balanced diet.

Classic French cooking techniques like sauteeing, for example, can be modified to produce lighter meals by using non-stick pans and very small amounts of olive oil, instead of lard or large amounts of butter. Many traditionally fried French dishes can be baked, steamed, poached and grilled, and leaner cuts of meat can be substituted and trimmed closely. When chicken dishes are on the menu, such as coq au vin, remove the skin to lose a significant amount of the dish's fat and calories.

The French are famous for "existing to eat" rather than "eating to exist." Their appreciation for the pleasures of food is mirrored in the broad range of herbs, spices and other seasonings they use. These flavorings are a wonderful way for cooks in search of lighter fare to maintain flavor when reducing fat. The most popular French herbs are parsley, thyme, bay leaf, mint, rosemary, chives, chervil and sage. Favored spices include fennel, coriander, cumin, caraway and juniper berries. The French also employ a spectrum of savory non-fat flavorings, including fragrant vinegars, garlic, mustards, and lemon juice.

Connoisseurs of French soups enjoy light vegetable-based potages, which can made simply by cooking chopped carrots, leeks, potato, turnip and parsnips in chicken broth until the vegetables are tender, stirring in fresh sorrel to provide a fresh tart accent. If you prefer thicker soups, stir in pureed vegetables, which will also lend a deeper flavor without adding fat.

Fruit is a year-round French favorite for dessert. Make a macedoine, or marinated mixed fruit salad, by tossing thinly sliced apples and bananas with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Then add thinly sliced peaches, pineapple chunks, seedless red grapes and orange sections, and toss with 1/4 cup orange juice and a tablespoon of orange liqueur or white wine. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, until well chilled.

Cold Lentil Salad is often served in French homes as a first course, or on an hors d'oeuvre tray along with other selections. It makes an appealing accompaniment for grilled lamb.

COLD LENTIL SALAD

• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, at room temperature
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 2 c. cooked lentils
• 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped mint
• 1/2 c. very thinly sliced celery
• 2 scallions, white part only, cut lengthwise in fine strips

1. Stir vinegar and salt together in a glass salad bowl. When the salt is dissolved, mix in the mustard until the mixture is smooth. Drop by drop, whip in the oil until the mixture is thick and pearly in appearance. Add the onion and stir together briefly.
2. Using your hands, dress the lentils with the onion vinaigrette, lifting the lentils softly and letting them drop from your fingers until all of them are coated with dressing.
3. Add the lemon juice, thyme, parsley, mint and celery, working them through the lentils in the same fashion with your fingers. Scatter the scallion ribbons over the top, cover the bowl, and let the salad sit in a cool place for 15 minutes before serving.

Each of the 4 servings contains 194 calories and 7 grams of fat.