David Joachim doesn't want to scare anybody, but he does want to talk about healthy cooking.

A third of Americans are overweight, he says. "We're exploding. We need to be getting back to eating foods we're more equipped for."He knows what this talk conjures in many minds: "They think they'll lose flavor in traditional dishes, the things they love. And they think they'll have to eat foods they don't like - unfamiliar foods like curries."

Joachim is recipe editor of a new book aimed at winning over those people who think healthy cooking is no good.

Prevention's "The Healthy Cook," (Rodale, $27.95) has recipes such as Stuffed Shells Florentine and Hot Chocolate Souffle, not tofu this and chickpea that.

"We're not talking about switching completely what you eat. That's what scares people," Joachim says. "We're talking about a focus on fruits and vegetables. We're talking about moving the meat to the side of the plate a little bit or adding vegetables to the meat - like the meatloaf recipe."

In that recipe, a pound of extra-lean grown beef has with it 2 cups of shredded cabbage, a cup of chopped onions, a cup of shredded carrots, green peppers and a cup of brown rice or barley - plus a host of herbs and spices. Each serving has 7.2 grams of fat and 165 calories.

"The Healthy Cook" is aimed at the mainstream - easy recipes with shortcuts built in. Again, trying not to frighten people away from what's good for them.

The three recipes I tried were indeed straightforward and easy.

Pasta Shells Florentine has a filling of spinach, reduced-fat ricotta cheese, low-sodium tomato, Parmesan, basil and nutmeg. The stuffed shells are baked with a canned spaghetti sauce and then topped with fat-free mozzarella cheese. It's quite tasty, suitable to serve guests, and would be even better with fresh basil and a homemade tomato sauce, given the time. All for 5.8 grams of fat per serving.

Hot Chocolate Souffle uses cocoa powder instead of real chocolate to reduce fat tremendously. The result is a rich-tasting dessert with 168 calories and 3.4 grams of fat per serving.

The White Bean Souffle is a sophisticated dish that could be a main course or a side dish for a big meal. It uses canned Great Northern beans, making it very quick to make. The beans are combined with cornmeal, flour, reduced-fat Cheddar and sauteed red pepper and onion. Buttermilk and egg substitute are poured over. And then beaten egg whites are folded in. Serving 4 (as a main course), you get 6.8 grams of fat and 322 calories.

"The Healthy Cook" explains basic principles such as how many grams of fat and how many milligrams of sodium are too many.

Does Joachim count his fat grams and calories?

"No, I don't count. But I have a basic idea of what I'm eating over the day."

For example, granola, fruit and yogurt for breakfast means there's plenty of room for good eating during the rest of the day.

"Sure, you can eat that big steak for dinner. You just have to be aware of what else you're eating over the day, or over the entire week. It's about raising awareness."

*****

RECIPES

WHITE BEAN SOUFFLE

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 small shallot, minced

1 cup canned Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup flour

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute

2 tablespoons seasoned dry bread crumbs

4 large egg whites

In a medium no-stick skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add scallions, pepper and shallot and saute for 4 minutes, or until pepper is soft. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine beans, Cheddar, cornmeal, flour and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and egg substitute, and pour over the bean mixture. Add scallion mixture, then gently mix and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 3-quart souffle dish with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides of dish with bread crumbs.

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff but not too dry. Gently fold into bean mixture. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serves 4.

- From Prevention's "The Healthy Cook," Rodale, $27.95, 1997.

STUFFED SHELLS FLORENTINE

2 cups reduced-sodium spaghetti sauce

16 jumbo pasta shells

11/2 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup coarsely chopped reduced-sodium stewed tom-a-toes

1/4 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon skim milk

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9- by 13-inch nonstick baking dish. Cook shells in large pot of boiling water according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, tomatoes, Parmesan, milk, basil, nutmeg and half of the mozzarella. Spoon equal amounts of filling into each shell. Place shells, filling side up, in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the remaining 1 cup spaghetti sauce over the top.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more. Serves 4.

- From Prevention's "The Healthy Cook," Rodale, $27.95, 1997.

HOT CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons dark rum (or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract and 2 table-spoons water)

2 egg yolks

5 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, dissolve cornstarch, sugar and cocoa powder in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

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In a small bowl, combine the rum with egg yolks. Stir about a quarter of the cornstarch mixture into the egg mixture. Then stir back into the remaining cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and then beat until stiff peaks form.

Gradually stir a quarter of the egg-white mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into a 1-quart souffle dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until souffle is puffed and lightly browned. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately. Serves 4.

- From Prevention's "The Healthy Cook," Rodale, $27.95, 1997.

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