Going low calorie goodies!

DNA asked the food cognoscenti to put together a a light, low calorie meal and this is what they came up with

Caldo verde soup
Pavana Boga Noorani, foodie
This soup contains potatoes, so you get the goodness from the potato without any added calories.

Ingredients 
- Old potatoes, peeled, diced –  3 
- Spinach, washed and roughly chopped – 1 bunch
- Leeks, chopped – 2
- Celery, chopped – 1 stick
- Mushrooms or mushroom trimmings (optional) – few
- Sprigs of parsley – few
- Mixed dried herbs (optional) – 1 tsp
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Water/chicken stock – 1 litre
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
 
Method
Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat down to the lowest possible simmer, cover and cook till the potatoes are done.  Using a potato masher, mash all ingredients until you have a puree with a few chunky bits in it.  Continue to cook for a few more minutes to blend the flavours.
Note: You can add just about any leafy greens to the base.

Low calorie wines
Sonal Holland, wine advisor
There are some wines that have lower calories than others. A wine which is dry (not sweet) and relatively low in alcohol will therefore be your best bet for a low calorie intake.  Excellent examples of such wine in whites are German Rieslings,  sparkling wines from Italy like Dezzani Asti Spumante and Bardolino.

Som tam
Ananda Solomon, chef

Ingredients
Raw papaya – 120g 
Garlic – 5g
Bird chillies – 2g       
Long beans – 20g    
Cherry tomatoes – 4 nos
Peanut Crushed – 25g
Lime juice – 15ml
Som Tam Dressing
Palm Jaggery – 15g
Lime juice – 15 g
Bud chilly – 2 nos
Soya sauce – 2ml                                                
 
Method
Grate the raw papaya and make juliennes of it. Cut long beans into one inch size. Pound
together garlic clove, bird chillies, long beans and cherry tomatoes. Add raw papaya juliennes to it and pound it a bit. Add Som Tam dressing and lime juice to it and mix well. Mix in a crushed peanut and mix well. Garnish with crushed peanuts and serve.