Category Archives: LIGHTER FARE

BROILED HERBED CHICKEN BREASTS

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2 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 (7 oz) chicken breast halves, skinned

in a medium bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper. pierce each chicken piece several times with a fork and add to bowl. turn to coat. marinate at room temperature, turning once or twice, 30-60 minutes.

preheat broiler. set chicken, bone side up, about 6″ from heat and broil 10 minutes. turn, baste with any marinade remaining in bowl, and broil 10-15 minutes longer, until chicken in white thoughout but still moist.

serves 4

SLOW COOKER CHEESEBURGER SOUP

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1 med clove garlic, minced
1 med onion, chopped
1 med rib celery, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbs flour
3 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
8 oz reduced-fat velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
24 baked corn tortilla chips, crumbled

coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.

add garlic, onion and celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender, about 5-10 minutes.

coat a 3 qt or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in veggies.

place same skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5-6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.

in a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump-free.

pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2 1/2 cups broth.

bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, and then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper.

cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 2 hours.

serve soup topped with crumbled chips.

8 (3/4 cup) servings

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TACO SOUP

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1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz) can OR bottle beer
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 oz) pkg taco seasoning
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. add taco seasoning and stir to blend. lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slighlty until just covered by the other ingredients. set slow cooker to LOW, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

remove chicken breasts from the soup and allow to cool long enough to be handled. shred the chicken and stir it back into the soup. cook an additional 2 hours. serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

8 servings

BLACK BEAN, CORN AND TURKEY CHILI

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1 tbs vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 lg onion, chopped
2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa
1 tbs sugar
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

heat the oil in a 4 qt saucepan over medium-high heat. add the turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper and garlic powder. cook until turkey is well browned, stiirring frequently to break up meat.

stir the broth, salsa, sugar, beans and corn into the saucepan. heat to a boil. reduce the heat to LOW.

cover and cook for 30 minutes. stir the chili occasionally while cooking.

6 servings

FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP

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3/4 lb fresh asparagus
5 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of cayenne
2 tbs light creme fraiche (recipe noted below) OR plan low-fat yogurt

break tough ends off asparagus. cut remainder into 1″ pieces in a large saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil over high heat. add asparagus and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. drain into a colander set over a bowl. measure out and reserve 2 cups cooking liquid.

place asparagus and reserved cooking liquid in a food processor or blender. puree until smooth. pour puree into a medium saucepan. stir in chicken broth, black pepper, and cayenne and bring to a boil. remove from heat and stir in light creme fraiche or yogurt.

4 servings

LOW-CAL POTATO CHIPS

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2 lg baking potatoes
salt OR seasoned salt
paprika

preheat oven to 300 degrees. scrub and very thinly slice potatoes (easily done in a food processor or mandoline if you have one). spread out potato slices in a single layer on a large wire rack set over a baking pan.

season lightly with salt and paprika. place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until potato chips are crisp and brown. to speed crisping after chips begin to brown, place on paper plate and microwave on HIGH for 1 minutes. store in a bag or tin.

makes about 70 chips

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

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1 (16 ounce) package angel food cake mix
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray a 9″x13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray.

in a large bowl, combine cake mix and pineapple (with juice). mix until well blended.

pour batter into prepared pan. bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. let cool.

cover with whipped topping.

POLENTA PIZZA

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1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cornmeal
1 tbs olive oil
1 med red onion, finely sliced
1 lg clove garlic, chopped
2 med carrots, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely sliced
3 med tomatoes, chopped
6 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 lb part-skim mozzarella cheese, very finely sliced
1 tbs grated parmesan cheese

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. lightly oil a 13″x9″ baking pan.

in a large saucepan, combine 9 cups of water with the salt and bring to a boil over medium-heat. sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. reduce the heat to medium and cook the polenta, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the polenta is quite stiff, 10-15 minutes.

spoon the polenta into the prepared baking pan and spread it out to a uniform thickness. cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. add the onion and saute until very tender, about 10 minutes. add the garlic, carrots, celery,and tomatoes, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

in a cup, combine the tomato paste and 3/4 cup of hot water, and stir to blend. stir the tomato paste mixture into the vegetable mixture. add the basil, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne. cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

when the polenta is ready, spread the sauce over it. cover the sauce with the mozzarella slices, then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. return the polenta to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. serve the pizza hot.

serves 4

GREEK-STYLE PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND FETA

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2 tbs olive oil
1 med onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned no-salt-added whole tomatoes in tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp bleck pepper
3/4 lb fettuccine
3/4 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 cup pitted sliced black olives
1/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled

in a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon. stir in the oregano, basil, and pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil. reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, while you cook the pasta.

in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions.

uncover the tomato sauce, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the sauce to a boil. add the shrimp, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. add the olives and half of the feta cheese, and stir to combine. remove from the heat.

drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. spoon the shrimp mixture on top and toss to combine. divide the mixture among 6 shallow bowls and crumble the remaining feta cheese on top.

6 servings

BREADED FISH WITH LEMON BUTTER

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1 cup fine unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 lbs flounder OR sole fillets
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp celery seed
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil

place the bread crumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls or pie plates. break the eggs into another shallow bowl and beat with a fork. one at a time, dip the fillets in the flour, coating both sides. gently shake off the excess and dip into the egg. let the excess drain off and dip the fillet in the bread crumbs, coating both sides. place the fish on a plate, cover, and chill until ready to proceed.

in a medium bowl, beat 1 stick of the butter until well softened. add the lemon juice, celery seed, cloves, salt, and pepper, and beat until blended. transfer the sauce to a small serving bowl.

in a large nonstick skillet, warm the oil with 2 tbs of the butter over medium-high heat. when the butter and oil begin to foam, add the fillets and reduce the heat to medium. cook until the fillets are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. add the remaining 2 tbs butter as necessary. transfer the fillets to paper towels to drain.

arrange the fillets on a serving platter. serve hot with the lemon butter on the side.

serves 4