The Sun (San Bernardino)

Pasta can be low in calories if you hold the rich sauce

- Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@Heloise.com.

DEAR HELOISE >> I just found out that there are actually about 300 types of pasta! Cooked pasta, without any kind of sauce or filling, is actually very low in fat and calories. It’s what we put on top or mix with the pasta that makes all the difference. Pasta with a rich sauce will naturally have more calories than a lemon, olive oil and herb sauce. So go ahead and eat pasta, but remember to get creative when preparing the sauce if you want to keep calories down.

— Rose B., Pueblo, Colorado

DEAR ROSE >> When I want to serve a pasta dish just as a side, I sometimes use a commercial­ly prepared vinaigrett­e salad dressing and add black olives chopped up with a dash of Parmesan cheese. It’s quick and easy, and my guests always seem to enjoy it.

DEAR HELOISE >> The other day, my husband asked me if I could make a dish he hadn’t had in some time, and that was your Chinese Beets. I looked all over the place and cannot find the recipe, so I assume I misplaced it or lost it somehow. Would you please reprint that recipe for me and others who love tasty beets? I would really appreciate it, and I know my husband would, too.

— Ruth D., Jonesboro, Arkansas

DEAR RUTH >> You can use this recipe for beets as a side dish, in salads or even over white rice. However, it can be rather tangy, so adjust it to your taste. Here it is:

INGREDIENT­S

6cups cooked, sliced beets or 316-ounce cans sliced beets 1cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

2tablespoo­ns cornstarch 24whole cloves (if this is too strong, start with 12) 3 tablespoon­s ketchup 3tablespoo­ns cooking oil (optional)

1tablespoo­n vanilla extract Dash of salt

PROCEDURE

Drain the beets, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the beet liquid. Place the beets in a medium saucepan with the reserved liquid and the remainder of the ingredient­s. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, or until the mixture thickens. Let it cool; then store in the refrigerat­or.

DEAR HELOISE >> I thought I was being clever by washing my dishes by hand when I only had to clean a few dirty dishes. Turns out, I was wrong. I needed to get those dishes into the dishwasher and turn it on when it was full. Why? By not using my dishwasher regularly, I had managed to clog the working parts due to our hard water here in San Antonio. I only used the dishwasher when I had a large dinner party, and that wasn’t enough. I thought I was saving water, but today’s dishwasher­s use much less water than they did years ago. Now I use it once a week.

— Patsy W., San Antonio

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