ASHEVILLE — ?Dessert? and ?diet? don't often co-exist in meal planning. But Mission Health System is working to change that.
For four weeks, ending last month, Mission and Asheville Independent Restaurants, an organization of more than 50 eateries, co-sponsored the Lighten Up Your Dessert recipe contest, in which healthy recipes were judged on their taste appeal.
?We wanted to show people that if you are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle or lose weight, you don't have to cut out dessert entirely,? said Becky Brown, marketing manager for Mission Health System.
?You can eat dessert, but just one and a smaller piece.?
The recipe contest is the latest addition to Mission's Lighten Up 4 Life, a weight-loss program started in 2008 to teach the community about the importance of healthy living.
More than 50 people entered the contest, but the Lighten Up committee narrowed the field down to three submissions, and Vinnie's Italian Restaurant, an AIR member, hosted the contest's finale event.
Traci McConnell's chocolate zucchini cake won first place, Samantha Geary-Jones' pumpkin spice and everything rice received second and David Eck's redux chocolate brownies placed third. A panel of four judges, including a nutritionist, local food writers and a chef, determined the rankings.
Five AIR restaurants ? Corner Kitchen, Tingles, Vinnie's, Frankie Bones and Tupelo Honey Caf? ? are showcasing their pick from among the three final desserts on their menus through April 11.
Lighten Up Perks members will receive the dessert for free if they bring their card to one of the restaurants and order an entr?e. (To get a Perks card, register as a Lighten Up member at lightenup4life.com.)
?With the cake, you get your veggies and sweets at the same time,? McConnell said. ?I found my grandmother's old zucchini bread recipe (and) I cut back on the butter.?
As the contestants proved, ingredient substitutions can often reduce the calories and fat in a dessert.
?You can replace sugar with a sweetener like Splenda or applesauce, cream cheese with low-fat fat or no-fat cream cheese and skim instead of whole milk,? Brown said.
Both the zucchini cake and the brownies use applesauce in their recipes.
Apart from substituting low-calorie or no-fat ingredients in traditional recipes, eating locally grown food is another way to design a nutritious diet, Brown said.
She stressed that you can still dine out without breaking your diet by making good choices and specific requests, such as asking for ?less salt or no salt or less sugar,? she said.
The relationship between Lighten Up 4 Life and AIR is an ongoing, supportive partnership committed to advocating and providing healthy menu choices, said Steve Frabitore, AIR president and owner of Tupelo Honey Caf?.
?Many of the area restaurants focus on bringing healthier cooking and healthier food choices on our menu,? Frabitore said.
?Asheville's culinary scene is top-notch and trend-setting, and some of the biggest trends in the country are all about buying local (and) using natural ingredients.?
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small box fat free/sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee or instant espresso
3 large eggs, organic if possible
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1/4 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
2 cups unpeeled zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)
1 cup good-quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips
Confectioner's sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch round springform pan or an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan lined with parchment paper and also greased to be able to remove the cake easily.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant pudding mix. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and butter, mix on medium speed until fluffy. Then add vanilla, coffee, eggs, applesauce, and sour cream mixing well after each addition.
In another large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, chocolate chips and about a third of the flour mixture, making sure the zucchini strands are well coated and not clumping too much.
Add the rest of the flour mixture into the egg batter, mixing until just combined; batter will be thick. Fold the zucchini mixture into the batter and blend with a spatula without over mixing.
Pour into the prepared cake pan and level the surface. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 min. or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Transfer onto a rack to cool for at least 10 minutes, run a knife around pan to loosen and unclasp sides or carefully pull out parchment paper.
Serve slightly warm with a dusting of confectioner's sugar on each serving.
Yield: 12 servings
Source: Traci McConnell, Weaverville
At press time, Tupelo Honey and Tingles were undecided on their dessert selections, and the pumpkin rice pudding had not been added to any menu.
