Do you like BLT sandwiches? If so, you just might want to try this Summer BLT Spread. We found the recipe in an ad for Town House crackers. No, it's not a sandwich, but the flavors may remind you of the classic favorite. It's a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise, and is brimming with diced tomatoes and chopped bacon.

        Served on lettuce leaves and accompanied by low-fat crackers, it's perfect for entertaining. Each serving contains a hefty 10 grams of fat. For this recipe, two simple changes made dramatic fat reductions. We:

        • Used fat-free sour cream.

        • Reduced the amount of mayonnaise from 1 cup to 1/3 cup, and added 2/3 cup low fat (2 grams fat per tablespoon) mayonnaise.

        We made four versions of this spread using various combinations of light and fat-free sour cream and regular and low fat mayonnaise. The best of the four combinations consisted of fat-free sour cream and a mixture of mayonnaises. The sour cream flavor was not as intense, but you actually tasted the bacon and tomatoes more.

        Reduced to 4 grams of fat per serving, this easy to make BLT Spread doesn't have to be reserved for summer. Enjoy it year-round.

        • Recipe Rehab Tip of the Week: This recipe calls for plum tomatoes that have a firmer, more meaty flesh. Other tomato varieties can be used, but seed them and drain them first.

BLT Spread

       6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained well, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
       1 cup fat-free sour cream
        1/3 cup regular mayonnaise
        2/3 cup low fat (2 grams per tablespoon) mayonnaise
       3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded, chopped (about 1 cup)
       Minced parsley and lettuce leaves

        Reserve 1 teaspoon crumbled bacon for garnish. In medium bowl, combine remaining bacon, fat-free sour cream, mayonnaise and tomatoes. Cover; refrigerate at least one hour.

        To serve, spoon into small bowl or hollowed tomato. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and minced parsley. Place on lettuce leaves and surround with low fat crackers. Makes 3 cups or 24 servings.
Before and after

        Values based on 1 serving (1/24 of recipe)
       Summer BLT Spread...Adapted
       Calories ...97 ......53
       Fat ........10 g ....4 g
       Carbohydrate ...1 g ...4 g
       Sodium .........83 mg ...112 mg
       Cholesterol ....11 mg ...4 mg
       Fiber ..........1 g ....1 g
       Calories
       from fat........92%....66%
        Nutritionists recommend those on a daily 2,000 calorie diet limit their fat consumption to 65 g or less, cholesterol to 300 mg or less and sodium to 2,400 mg or less per day.
        Karen Weber, Pat Streicher and Ellen Illig are registered dietitians at Jewish Hospital's Cholesterol Center. Recipe Rehab Cookbook, containing 250 recipes published in the Enquirer over the last eight years, is available by mail. Send check or money order for $40 to: RR Cookbook, P.O. Box 58100, Cincinnati, OH 45258.
       

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