Summer promises

Everyday Kitchen -

Have you already started to fret about taking off clothes this summer? Sometimes I think we mark the seasons more by our anxiety level than by the temperature.

You're out of winter excuses now, so let's get down to business with some light spring fare you promised yourself, I know you did, so let's follow through together.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Soup is a great way to fill up and avoid those unwanted calories. Choose recipes with more vegetables and less meat and add lots of flavour for a result that will stay with you until your next meal. Cooking the black beans from scratch results in significantly superior taste in this recipe, but if you're not inclined, then go ahead and use two cans of beans.

2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight in cold water

3 bay leaves, fresh if you have them

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 large onions, diced

2 red peppers, seeded and chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. each ground cumin

1 tsp. each salt and pepper

1 tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup dry sherry (optional but really good)

1 medium red onion, minced

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Place beans and bay leaves in a large heavy pot and add enough cold water to cover by three inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, two hours or until beans are tender. In a frying pan, fry onions until soft but not brown. Stir in peppers and garlic and cook until everything is tender. Add oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook another five minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor and stir into cooked beans. Add sugar and simmer 30 minutes longer. Remove bay leaves, stir in sherry and top with red onion and cilantro to serve.

Halibut in White Wine Caper Sauce

We pride ourselves on knowing everything there is to know about cooking fish, but I have to admit that on a recent business trip to Alaska I learned a thing or two. The deliciousness of the meals was at least partly due to the freshness of the fish, of course.

This is as close as I can come to the halibut I enjoyed in Anchorage. The restaurant served it with tons more butter on top of a mound of cream-and-garlic mashed potatoes, but we're trying to lighten up here. Fortunately there's plenty of flavour in this sauce, so leave the cream out of the mashed potatoes and you can feel self-righteous about the whole meal.

4 large halibut fillets

(about 1-1/2 lbs. total)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 or 2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. rinsed, drained capers

Dredge halibut in flour to which salt and pepper has been added.

Shake off the excess flour and fry in olive oil or medium-high heat until halibut is golden and fish flakes, about eight minutes total.

Remove from pan and keep warm. Add shallots to pan and cook until starting to soften.

Add garlic and cook another two or three minutes - do not brown.

Add wine and allow it to reduce by half, stirring up any brown bits.

Stir in butter and capers and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over fish to serve.

Almond Meringues

Eating light does not mean depriving yourself. I speak from experience when I say if you deny yourself all sweet pleasures, it won't be long before you break out big time. This recipe will satisfy all your cravings, but with none of the guilt. This recipe makes great individual meringue cookies or spread it in two nine-inch circles and cover with low-fat pudding for an exceptional tart. If you're having a chocolate crisis, stir in a handful of chocolate chips .

6 egg whites, at room temperature

2-1/2 tbsp. sugar

2-1/2 cups icing sugar

3/4 cup ground almonds

Beat egg whites to the soft peak stage. Gradually add 2-1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar and continue beating until whites are stiff. Whisk together icing sugar and ground almonds and fold into egg whites. Spoon or pipe onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325F about 20 minutes for individual meringues, 25 to 30 minutes for meringue rounds.

Cynthia Stone is a writer, editor and teacher in St. John's. Questions may be sent to her c/o The Telegram, P.O. Box 5970, St. John's, NL, A1C 5X7.