ROSE REISMAN is one of today's leading authorities on the art of eating and living well.  What began in the 1980s with an interest in bringing home recipes from North America's top restaurants has grown into a major publishing and media career. Rose Reisman's credits now include best-selling cookbooks with a total of over 750,000 copies in print, a cooking video, a monthly newspaper column, product spokesperson and, most recently, motivational speaking, sharing with appreciative audiences her enthusiasm and expertise in great food, nutrition and healthy living.  Rose holds a number of university degrees and professional qualifications, including a B.A. and M.B.A. (York), a B.Ed. (Toronto), and an R.N.C. (Registered Nutritional Consultant).  Rose speaks with intelligence, energy and the real-life experience that comes from being the mother of four active children. Visit her website at www.rosereisman.com.

All of the recipes except the dessert are from Rose Reisman's The Art of Living Well, and the dessert is from her Weekday Wonders.
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Menu:

• Old-Fashioned Split-Pea Soup
• Tex Mex Kosher Flank Steak with Corn Salsa
• Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole with Molasses and Pecans
• Old-Fashioned Date Squares

Old-Fashioned Split-Pea Soup
Makes 6 servings

Nothing represents comfort food like split-pea soup. It's rich and filling because the peas are high in fibre, a source of protein, and low in fat.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2/3 cup chopped carrots
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped, peeled potatoes
• 3/4 cup split peas
• 1/4 tsp each: salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a nonstick saucepan sprayed with cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat; add onions, carrots, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.

2. Stir in stock, potatoes, split peas, and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes, or until peas are tender.

3. In batches, pure? in blender or food processor.

Tips:  This soup can be prepared a couple of days in advance; just add more stock to make it the right consistency.  For a change, use yellow split peas.

Tex Mex Kosher Flank Steak with Corn Salsa
Makes 6 servings                

Ingredients:

• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1-1/2 lbs flank steak or London Broil

Corn Salsa (optional):

• 1 cup canned and drained corn niblets
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, vinegar, molasses, and hot pepper sauce.  Place flank steak in a shallow glass baking dish.  Pour sauce over steak.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

2. Salsa: In a nonstick skillet sprayed with vegetable spray, saut? corn and pepper for 5 minutes or until corn begins to brown.  Add beans, onions, and coriander.  Set aside.

3. Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade.

4. Preheat barbecue.  On grill sprayed with cooking spray, cook beef over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes per side or until desired doneness.  (Or cook in a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat.)

5. In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to a boil; boil for 5 minutes.  Serve steak with sauce and salsa if desired

Tips: Just as easy to marinate flank steak the night before.  Cut flank steak against the grain or the meat will be stringy. Leftovers are great for sandwiches or tossed into a pasta salad the next day. 

Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole with Molasses and Pecans
Makes 6 servings

I adapted this recipe from my first low-fat cookbook Rose Reisman's Light Cooking. If you can find fresh sweet pineapple, use it instead of the canned. You're getting a double blast of beta carotene from the sweet potatoes and carrots.             

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes
• 1 lb carrots, thinly sliced widthwise
• 1-1/4 cups fresh or drained canned pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp orange juice concentrate
• 1 tbsp margarine or butter
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp chopped toasted pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350? F.  Spray a 9" square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a saucepan, combine sweet potatoes and carrots with cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Cook for 7 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

3. In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes and carrots with pineapple and cranberries.  Place in a prepared baking dish.

4. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, margarine, molasses, and cinnamon; cook, stirring, over medium heat for 1 minute, or until melted and smooth.

5. Pour sauce over vegetables.  Bake covered for 15 minutes or until heated through.  Toss, then sprinkle with pecans.

Tips: A great dish to prepare up to a day in advance and heat just before serving.  To toast the nuts, heat them in a skillet and toast until just browned, approximately 3 minutes; be careful not to burn them.

Old-Fashioned Date Squares                     

Date squares, often known as matrimonial squares, have been a classic for decades. The oatmeal crust often contains a cup or more of butter or vegetable shortening. My version only uses 1/3 cup oil mixed with water, and the squares are still incredibly delicious and rich tasting.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1-1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar, and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, or until dates are soft and liquid is absorbed.  Mash mixture and let it cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350? F.  Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

3. In a bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, including remaining 1/4 cup of water, until combined.  Press half onto bottom of prepared dish.  Spread cooled date mixture over top.  Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of dates.

4. Bake in centre of oven for 25 minutes or until top is golden.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Tips: Buy dried foods in bulk and freeze them.  You can chop dates easily with scissors sprayed with vegetable oil.  Toast pecans by cooking in a small skillet on high heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.