Me, Myself & Pie

Portobello, Shiitake and Fontina Quesadillas

2011-10-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

I’m baaaaaaack! And I have news. Life-altering news. News that changes everything. News that explains my unannounced, yet totally necessary 8-month blogging hiatus. I’ll give you a hint: Lately, I’ve been craving strange food combos like avocado ice cream, sweet potato burritos and garbanzo bean cupcakes. And that's because I'm...I'm...vegan! (Sorry mom and dad...not pregnant yet!)

It may seem from far left field, but, in fact, since mid February I’ve converted over to a vegan and mostly processed-free lifestyle. (What??!!!)

How does a lover of all things butter and bacon find herself ordering oatmeal at brunch? What on earth would propel a notorious fruit and veggie HATER to scarf down carrots, beets and greens by the pound? With a smile I might add? And how can a self-proclaimed cheese connoisseur dare consider replacing her beloved mozzarella with cheese made of cashews and seeds?

Well, let me tell you a little story.

It all started one snowy flu season day when the hubs and I found ourselves complaining to our doctor once again about our laundry list of health problems, from acid reflux and allergies to high cholesterol and every cold/flu virus in between.

Our doctor, who’s healed himself of multiple diseases and many of our issues through a natural, plan-based lifestyle instead of pill popping, told us we might want to consider nutrition as a pathway to health. Go figure!

He handed us a documentary called Eating, a book called The China Study and a page of website references to get us started down the right track. But with words like “vegan,” “raw” and “no milk” popping out all over the place, I did what any self-respecting carnivore would do – rolled my eyes and shoved it all in a drawer with a “forget that! I’m not giving up pizza!”

And so the holidays came. We downed mountainous amounts of buffalo chicken cheese dip, stuffed our faces with Polish pierogis, and popped buttery Christmas confections like pills. And we felt the way we always do. Like crap.

So, after we packed away the holiday decorations, we unearthed the documentary. And let’s just say, the truths that were revealed about nutrition were so shocking, so eye-opening, I almost choked on a mouthful of mac ‘n cheese. (For anyone that’s interested, the new movie Forks Over Knives is an excellent, more updated take on the same subject.)

And so, Pandora’s box was pried wide open, and I became a research hound, scouring the web, documentaries and anything I could get my hands on about nutrition and food. And statistic after statistic, the truth was all too real: meat and dairy are just not good for you. Especially not in the large amounts most Americans like myself considered normal. (For far too many reasons to fit into this post lest it turn into a novel. That is for another time, friends.)

So, in the dead of winter, while friends and family shook their heads in disapproval, we stopped eating meaty, melty comfort food and started scarfing down smoothies and salads. And more salads. And more smoothies. And copious amounts of hummus. After all, what else do vegans eat?

Desperate for delicious food, vegan blogs became my life source. Then I bought a couple vegan cookbooks. And a juicer. And slowly, but surely, I began learning to cook all over again. My food processor has never seen so much action and my knives are delightfully dulled thanks to all the crunchy colorful produce that fills our fridge.

And although we may be a mere dreadlock away from full hippy-dom, we feel absolutely amazing. We’ve both lost weight (I’ve lost over 20 lbs to date) have replaced our after-meal groggyness with bounds of energy, and we’ve managed to dodge EVERY cold and flu that’s infected our office. That is a miracle in iteself, let me tell you. My acid reflux has improved without meds, Luke’s allergies have subsided, and I’m guessing that when we get his cholesterol re-checked, we’ll both be floored.

And the best part? We both LOVE the way we’re eating now. I’m finding some truly delicious, natural plant-based recipes, and I’m not sure I could ever go back to my old meat ‘n cheese ways.

But my blog, well, I guess in all this lifestyle changing, cheese denying enlightenment, was begrudgingly moved to the back burner. First, I had to figure out what the heck I was doing. Where I stood. What kind of food I was going to live off. You know, the basics. Then I could get back to sharing recipes with the world.

But just what on earth do I do with the 20 or so posts I have left on this blog, none of which are vegan? And far from it at that! I’ve already made all the food. Taken and tweaked hundreds of photos. Should I just trash them? What a waste! But would I be a hypocrite for posting recipes I don’t eat myself? Can you see my dilemma?

After a long mental battle (seriously, I’ve written and re-written this post about 12 times, each with a different outcome), I’ve decided that I will post the rest. Because not everyone is a vegan. And even I cannot be as strict as my health would want me to be. A taste here and there is inevitable in today’s world. And to stay sane.

But most importantly, because this blog was such a huge part of my life for over a year, and I can’t bear to just throw away months of work. Those recipes and photos were practically my diary, and just browsing through them brings back memories of meals made with the hubs and new experiences in the kitchen.

But I do have plans for a new vegan blog. Because I think that along this journey through veggie land, I found my real food passion. I just have to learn my way around the beans and legumes a bit more. But for now…there will be lots of deliciousness coming your way.

Like these quesadillas. And while they may not be vegan, they are vegetarian, so that's a plus. Filled with fresh chopped Portobellos, shiitakes and fontina cheese, they’re heavenly and far better than your average chicken and cheddar.

Aside from the somewhat tedious shroom chopping, they’re a breeze to throw together, and taste wonderful with a side of salsa or guac. They remind me of a delicious wild mushroom quesadilla I had in Santa Monica. Definitely a tasty way to change things up. I suggest you double or triple the batch, because at only 58 calories for two wedges, you can afford (and will want) to eat seconds and thirds. (And fourths and fifths!)

I know I definitely have plans on making these again. Only this time…I’ll use a little soy cheese.

Portobello, Shiitake & Fontina Quesadillas

Cooking Light, MAY 2007

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper

2 1/2 cups finely chopped portobello mushroom caps

4 cups finely chopped shiitake mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese, divided (Or Daiya non-dairy mozzarella style shreds)

Preparation

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and salt; sauté 5 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Remove mushroom mixture from pan; keep warm.

Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Return pan to heat; add 1 tortilla. Cook 1 minute; turn tortilla over. Arrange about 1/3 cup mushroom mixture over half of tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon cheese. Fold in half; cook 30 seconds on each side or until cheese melts and tortilla is golden. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, mushroom mixture, and cheese. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.

Nutrition Info: Calories 58 (48% from fat); Fat 3.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g); Protein 3.8g; Cholesterol 4mg; Calcium 0.7mg; Sodium 232mg; Fiber 2.1g; Irom 0.7mg; Carbs 5.5g.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Monkey Bars

2011-02-13T18:55:00.001-05:00

Snack cakes. Arguably, two of the best words in existence, melded together to make one irresistible munchie. Unfortunately, they have a bad wrap, thanks to dummies like Ding Dongs and Ho Hos.

But can you blame them? Whoever bestowed the names "Twinkie" and "Ring Ding" did no favor to make them sound appetizing. In fact, they don't even sound like food. And according to some sources, they're not.

In his book "Twinkie, Deconstructed," Steve Ettlinger discloses that 5 of the 39 (39!) ingredients in a Twinkie come from rocks. So America's beloved cream-filled sponge cakes not only don't contain cream of any kind, but are stuffed with ingredients mined from oil fields and phosphate mines. What?!

But snack cakes don’t have to be the plastic-wrapped, preservative-packed nuclear war-surviving carb cakes that fill the lunch boxes of America. They can be homemade, nutritious, and heck, even spiked!

This here, is a snack cake for adults: A moist, spiced banana bread-like cake speckled with rum-soaked raisins and walnuts and dusted with sweet powdered sugar. Just peaking over one hundred calories a serving, they're a deliciously guiltless way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

And the best part about adult snack cakes? Aside from the lowered risk of bully thievery, you can eat them whenever you want, although they really shine alongside a mug of morning Joe.

So put down that indestructible Twinkie and pick up something healthier. Something made with real ingredients that doesn't need faux frosting swirls to be enjoyed. Just a fork.

Monkey Bars

Cooking Light, October 2001

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum or apple juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana

3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the raisins and rum in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high for 1 minute, and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 3 ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add banana and next 3 ingredients (banana through egg whites), beating well. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in raisin mixture and walnuts.

Spread the batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool the bars completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 135 (31% from fat), Fat: 4.7g (sat 2g,mono 1.1g,poly 1.3g), Protein: 2g, Carbohydrate: 21.8g, Fiber: 0.9g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Iron: 0.8mg, Sodium: 136mg, Calcium: 27mg.

----------------------------------------------------

Mini Meat Loaf Muffins

2011-01-20T08:55:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder what men do when they find themselves alone when the clock strikes dinnertime? After a little research, I've discovered that you can basically classify men into four groups based on the answer to this very question.

First, you've got "The Freak Out," who, in a sweaty-palms panic, dials for emergency pizza or Chinese (or both) to ward off starvation with greasy goodness. You'll find him glued to a couch at colleges and bachelor pads around the world.

Then there's "The Settler." Thanks to a traumatizing grocery store experience where he accidentally brought home tofu hot dogs and baked Doritos, this man insists that a meal can be made without leaving the house. Thus he will dine on milkless cereal, Fritos covered in ketchup and a beer.

Next is "The Cook," with an emphasis on those quotation marks. Although his intentions are good, after hours in the kitchen and a few dozen dirty bowls and pans, he'll eat something to the effect of an undercooked pork chop, microwaved tater tots and brownie batter. (Men can’t rationalize waiting thirty minutes for something to bake that’s perfectly tasty in five.)

And finally, there's the "The Unicorn," or so called by his friends who don't believe in his existence or his frivolous dinnertime stories. Supposedly, when alone, he prepares a delicious meal from scratch, complete with non-canned sides and *gasp* a homemade dessert!

Now, for all you single ladies picturing a shirtless, apron-clad cutie donning a “Mr. Perfect” embroidered chef hat, take a cold shower. Those unicorns only exist in food blogs and reality cooking shows. And in Paris.

We're talking about everyday unicorns. And they're never single. Never. Because that delicious, homemade food was prepared in advanced and left by no other than...their loving wives.

And if you happen to be a wife, like me, who from time to time finds herself flying across the country for work or a wedding, or you simply like the idea of a weekend with the girls, these little mini meatloaf muffins are the perfect stash-away meal for your man. They're quick to make, packed with protein and nutrition (also a sneaky way to make ~~husbands~~ kids eat carrots) and wonderfully freezable.

To save your homemade love for later, bake and let cool, then wrap each serving (two muffins) in plastic wrap and store in freezer bags in the freezer. When your hubby gets hungry, a quick nuke in the microwave is all it takes for a full belly. Alongside a salad and some homemade cookies or his favorite pie, he's set for a while. At least until breakfast. Thank goodness for Pop-Tarts.

P.S. I'm back! I've enjoyed the most wonderfully long Florida/Bahamas vacation, and a lot of nice time with family. But I'm back in the kitchen...and back in blog land with lots of great recipes to share. Stay tuned!

Dinner Meat Loaf “Muffins”

David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup ketchup, divided

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)

1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

Cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Info: Calories: 276 (28% from fat), Fat: 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g), Protein: 28.7g, Carbohydrate: 21.7g, Fiber: 1.8g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Iron: 3.9mg, Sodium: 759mg, Calcium: 48mg.

-------------------------------------------------------

Warm, Stuffed Peaches & Oatmeal Cookie Peach Cobbler

2010-11-19T09:38:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I realize I am one gigantic tease right now, dangling delicious peach recipes in front of you when your grocery stores and farmers markets are most likely fresh out. Sadly, our fuzzy friends have been replaced long ago with pumpkins, pears and gourds and won't be returning for quite some time.

So why? Why am I doing this to you? Because I love you. Because I want you to have these amazing peach recipes. And because I know that these dishes are entirely too delicious to be thrown on the back burner until next summer, where they will inevitably get lost in the shuffle of all the new grilled, frosty and tropical treats I'll be touting.

Just promise me you'll flag...bookmark...print...whatever you have to do to assure these recipes are in your hands when peaches are once again within grasp. Promise me that, and I'll promise you a delicious breakfast and dessert.

In my opinion, these stuffed peaches are one of the few bearable ways to start a morning. Who doesn't love waking up to a house filled with autumn spices and a plate of warm, soft peaches? They're stuffed with toasted almonds, graham cracker crumbs, dried fruit, brown sugar and spices, baked, and topped with warm peach nectar and creamy vanilla yogurt. They're packed with nutrition, delicious, elegant and great for company on a chilly fall morning. (Just not too late…ahem....into fall.)

The only modification I made was to use different dried fruits. The recipe calls for tropical fruit, but I opted for a mix that included cranberries, strawberries, cherries and blueberries. (Delish!) I'm sure whatever mix you have on hand would work as well, even raisins.

And the cobbler, now my all time favorite (and I’ve had my fare share of Grandma’s homemade cobblers) is super easy and super cute, served in individual ramekins and dolloped with a delicious oatmeal cookie batter. That's cobbler and cookies...topped with ice cream. Three desserts in my very own personal dish? Which means I don’t have to share a single bite because that’s the whole point of the personal dish? Um, yeah, it's my all-time favorite cobbler.

If you simply cannot wait, I suppose you could use canned peaches for the cobbler, (eek!) although I don’t recommend using canned peaches for anything but food drives. I intend to experiment with other fruits myself. Apple cobbler...berry cobbler...I assume they all could benefit from a chewy, spiced oatmeal cookie crust, don't you?

But for the stuffed peaches, well, I’m sorry, you’ll definitely have to wait a bit to taste this heart-warming breakfast. Like I said…I’m a tease.

But I promise…from here on out, it’s all foods that you can not only look at and read about, but also make. Imagine! Isn't that just...ahem...peachy?

Warmed, Stuffed Peaches

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, JULY 2006

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 peach half and 1 tablespoon yogurt)

Printable Recipe Card (Does not include my notes)

Note: You can prepare and refrigerate the stuffing before you go to bed, then assemble and bake the peaches in the morning. Enjoy one peach half as a pre or post-workout snack. Or have two stuffed peach halves with an eight-ounce glass of skim milk or one ounce of string cheese for breakfast. The peach halves also are a nice addition to a brunch buffet.

Ingredients:

4 peaches, halved and pitted

1/2 cup dried tropical mixed fruit (such as Sunkist brand)
(I used a mix of dried strawberries, cranberries, blueberries and cherries)

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 (12-ounce) can peach nectar

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, divided

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Scoop out peach pulp to form a 2-inch circle in center of each half. Reserve pulp, and finely chop. Combine pulp, dried fruit, toasted almonds, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and allspice. Divide the pulp mixture evenly among peach halves. Place stuffed peach halves in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Add nectar to pan. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until peaches are tender. Drizzle peach halves evenly with liquid from pan. Top evenly with yogurt.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 134 (17% from fat), Fat: 2.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 2.2g, Carbohydrate: 27g, Fiber: 2.1g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Iron: 0.5mg, Sodium: 30mg, Calcium: 39mg.

Oatmeal Cookie Peach Cobbler

Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Printable Recipe Card

Note: You can make this in individual ramekins with one dollop of dough on top of each. The baking time remains the same.

Ingredients:

Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

11 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 5 pounds)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare topping, place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Weigh or lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup flour, oats, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

To prepare filling, combine sliced peeled peaches, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and fresh lemon juice in a bowl; toss to coat. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dollop 12 mounds of chilled dough over peach mixture at even intervals. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 307, Fat: 9.1g (sat 5.1g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.7g)

Protein: 4.5g, Carbohydrate: 54.1g, Fiber: 3.8g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Iron: 1.6mg, Sodium:177mg, Calcium: 43mg.

------------------------------------------------------

My Halloween Costume Made You a Snack (Grilled Portobello Burgers)

2010-11-05T09:04:00.001-04:00

Today, I’m writing about my Halloween costume for a chance to score a sweet camera from the lovely ladies over at The Secret’s in the Sauce. But instead of just showing you my costume, I thought I’d let my costume do a guest post.

Meet Rain, a non-conforming, ironic fashion wearing, patchouli-reeking dirty hipster. And her boyfriend, Noah.

RAIN:

i almost didn't agree to do this post because blogging is so mainstream and conformist. but then i thought, blogging from my iphone while sipping a fair trade latte at a nontraditional coffee shop/venue/turtle farm is like, totally deck, so I’ll drop a few lines.

(p.s. i only use lowercase letters because their value is totally underestimated, just like mine. isn't that poetic? shuhhh...)

last night, after the greasy haired girls concert, i was majorly craving something vegan and nontraditional, but I was fresh out of soy chips. good thing my boyfriend noah had some shrooms in his window garden, so we made these.

i love the fact that they're burgers, but there's no burger. so ironic.

i hear these are like, totally tasty and everything, but I actually didn't eat one. i try to keep to a strict diet of American Spirit cigarettes and brunch. It keeps my skin nice and pasty and helps me grow rainbow colors in my hair. but for all you three-meal-a-day conformists out there, don't worry, this recipe is so easy, you can make it with one hand tied behind your back holding a pabst.

first, make a marinade with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and soy. mmm. i had soy sauce last night at a hole-in-the-wall, underground thai joint. yeah, i'm cultured.

while the shrooms are marinating, put the peppers on the grill. make sure they're organic peppers carried in a reusable hemp bag from whole foods or trader joes or I'll shoot judging laser beams your way through my gigantic black-rimmed glasses.

finally, grill the shrooms and the buns and smash it all together. you're done at this point, so it's perfectly cool to burn some incense, put on an indie electrocrap vinyl record and hold a small vigil to remember what you've just gone through.

oh, and please ignore the non-slr camera pics and the totally traditional food styling on this blog. i wanted to put the burger on the sidewalk, step on it, add some vintage buttons and take an off-centered, de-saturated photo with my Polaroid camera, but Rachel made me use her photos. Such a poser.

I’m out. Noah and I are going to down a few bronsons, then ride to the thrift store on our fixed gear bikes to buy some ironic t-shirts. Peace.

Wow, thanks, Rain. Now, while Ms. Hip didn't try these burgers, I absolutely did and WOW. Simply awesome. My hubby, Noah…err…Luke, inhaled them even though they don’t contain meat, which is pretty much the one requirement for a good burger in his book.

The mushrooms are super tender and juicy, the red pepper mayo has a wonderful smoky pepper flavor and the onion rolls are THE PERFECT bun for this sandwich. All in all, it's an awesome burger. If it's too chilly to grill, your broiler should work just fine, or a stove-top grill pan.

or you could just grill outside when it's cold, cause that's like...so nontraditional...shuuhhhh...

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Mayo

Yield: 4 servings

Bill and Cheryl Jamison, Cooking Light, May 2003

Printable recipe card

Note: Meaty and versatile, marinated portobello mushrooms make great burgers. Half of a roasted bell pepper is stirred into mayonnaise for the sandwich spread. Use the leftover bell pepper as a pizza topping, in salad, or tossed with pasta.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 (4-inch) portobello mushroom caps

1 small red bell pepper

Cooking spray

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 (2-ounce) onion sandwich buns

4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

4 curly leaf lettuce leaves

Preparation:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add mushrooms to bag. Seal and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove mushrooms from bag; discard marinade.

Prepare grill to medium heat.

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 15 minutes or until blackened, turning occasionally. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Reserve 1 pepper half for another use.

Finely chop 1 pepper half; place in a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon oil, and ground red pepper; stir well.

Place mushrooms, gill sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until toasted.

Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture on top half of each bun. Place 1 mushroom on bottom half of each bun. Top each mushroom with 1 tomato slice and 1 lettuce leaf; cover with top halves of buns.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 251 (30% from fat), Fat: 8.4g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.7g,poly 2.1g), Protein: 7.3g, Carbohydrate: 37.9g, Fiber: 2.4g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 2.2mg, Sodium: 739mg, Calcium: 81mg.

---------------------------------------------------------

Spicy Snack mix

2010-11-04T09:15:00.000-04:00

I’m celebrating Halloween with The Secret’s in the Sauce for a chance to win a sweet camera. Today it's all about something we made for Halloween. Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------

Halloween is all about candy. Lots, and lots of candy. The holiday itself is practically a piñata, bursting at the seams with chocolate bars, caramels and tootsie pops. But what about those of us with a salty tooth? The sort of people who would happily down a plate of nachos over a bowl of ice cream? The weird ones who top their chocolates with salt? The annoying dates like yours truly that go out for dessert and coffee and end up ordering fried mozzarella sticks and beer? What does Halloween have to offer these people?

Well, among the caramel apples and the cider mill donuts and the overflowing bags of candy, there’s one salty treat that I couldn’t get enough of this year.

Now, I’m not huge a fan of popcorn. And I loathe pretzels. Cereal sans the milk? Blah. And let’s just say in my opinion, plain ‘ol peanuts are much better suited for peanut butter than straight-from-the-jar popping. But all mixed together and coated with a garlicky, spicy, buttery sauce and baked to crispy perfection? Delicious.

So, I hereby give to you, a falltastic snack that will satisfy even the biggest salty snack addicts out there, and may even lure in few sweet freaks for a much needed sugar high hiatus.

And while it may have been the perfect snack for toting under butterfly wings or witch capes to a hopping Halloween party, it’s also delightful for munching on any day of the year, whether in front of the TV, behind a hand of cards, or on top of a pillow during a slumber party gossip sesh.

And to make things even better, the recipe is wicked easy, although I did make a few alterations to the original recipe. I added the protein-packed peanuts so I could pass it off as a meal (ha!), reduced the popcorn and maybe...just maybe... I cheated and used butter-flavored popcorn when I was supposed to use popcorn "without fat." So sue me.

Try it. You’ll love it. It’s like Chex Mix, but way better, healthier and cheaper than the bagged stuff. And far better for our poor post-Halloween bodies than raiding the candy stash of those younger and weaker than us. Although, I say go for both: salty and sweet. Bite of candy. Bite of snack mix. Smile. Just leave a few tootsie rolls for the kids.

Spicy Snack Mix

Yield: 4 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

Cooking Light, January 1993

Ingredients:

3 cups popped corn (air or microwave popped without salt or fat)

(I reduced the popcorn and added dry-roasted peanuts)

1 cup crispy corn cereal squares

1 cup tiny salted pretzels

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag; set aside.

Combine butter and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; add mixture in bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat.

Spread mixture evenly into a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Cool completely; store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 64 (25% from fat), Fat: 1.8g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.8g), Protein: 1.4g, Carbohydrate: 10.8g, Fiber: 1g, Iron: 0.7mg, Sodium: 256mg, Calcium: 6mg.

-----------------------------------------------

A Halloween’s Past

2010-11-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

I miss being a kid in the fall.

I miss drinking hot apple cider after a long day of leaf jumping in the chilly autumn air. I miss the crepe paper-draped school parties and the pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies and the construction paper bats. And I miss the homemade costumes.

While other kids paraded around in overpriced sparkly fairy princess getups, I was at the mercy of whatever creation my mother concocted. Fortunately, I was not left in the hands of a substandard seamstress. My mom’s sewing skills landed me some pretty sweet costumes like this cat, complete with candy corn tail, ears and vest (which I must not have put on before my grandpa snapped this photo). A little dab of lipstick and a few strokes of eyeliner and I was as happy as a clam…err…cat. I didn’t have glittery wings or dollar store plastic wands, but my crafty costume was just perfect. It got the job done, scoring me more candy than I could eat in a year.

I remember bouncing down the street, loot in tow, begging each step of the way to have "just one more piece of candy...please!" Then swinging into the old folk's home, where all the sweet old ladies sat in a circle, offering pennies from their tiny coin purses. Then we'd make our way home and dump out all our candy so my mother could check for needles and sketchy confections, while my brother and I sorted the Snickers and Reese's away from the sub par Tootsie Rolls.

Oh, to be a kid again! I guess I'll just have to wait until I have my own children to experience the same excitement. Although I have learned a thing or two on how to make my own penny-pinching, laugh-conjuring costumes. For details on this year's outcome...you'll just have to come back for another post!

------------------------------------------

I’m celebrating Halloween with The Secret’s in the Sauce for a chance to win a sweet camera. I'm in desperate need of a real camera as darker days threaten to make my tiny front porch photo shoots move indoors where the lighting is just a shade better than office fluorescent. So today was all about a memory from Halloween's past. Hope you enjoyed!

------------------------------------------

Tomato-Basil Salsa & Fresh Berry Daiquiris

2010-10-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

I wish I could tell you that these super summery treats were meant to be posted in chilly October. That it was my purposeful plan to exclusively accommodate the parched Floridians and West Coasters, or those lucky enough to be enjoying the warm breezes of an Indian summer.

But no. I’m simply a slacker. A procrastinator. An overworked advertising writer who finds her weekends filled with the same things that fill her weekdays. Work. Not to mention the apple orchards and the out of town guests and the trips around the country that far beat the eye twitch inducing staring competition with a blank Word doc.

But amidst the pumpkins and the parties, I have good news... I finished my cooking project! I successfully cooked through a year of Cooking light recipes. But like most good news, mine is inevitably followed by bad news: I won’t allow myself to celebrate until I’ve posted all of my hard work on this here blog, because somewhere along the way, documenting the project became just as important as the actual project itself.

So while my crammed calendar has been robbing me of the time my perfectionist nature needs to meticulously pick photos and write entries, fear not! I’ll soon be caught up and the champagne will surely flow.

In the meantime, clap silently for my secret victory and take a break from your pumpkin-spice confections to enjoy a fresh, fruity drink and a summer salsa I made back in….err…July.

This salsa recipe creates a super easy, six-ingredient, 11-measly-calorie dip that’s far…FAR… better than the bottled stuff. It was my first attempt at peeling a tomato (you can peel tomatoes!) and let me tell you – a vegetable peeler is not the way to go, my friends. Instead, this method is great for sanity-saving peeling and this trick gets every last seed out in seconds.

Once you’ve made it past that step, a few chops, a splash of red wine vinegar and a dash of S&P are all you need to put garden-fresh salsa on your table. And if you're going to eat salsa in October, you might as well have a frosty cocktail to wash it down, right?

These daiquiris take a little more patience than the salsa, but I promise they’re worth it. If you’ve ever found yourself craving the icy, fruity sweetness of a seaside cabana daiquiri in the comfort of your own home, but hate the corn syrup-filled and artificially flavored crap that lines the grocery store shelves, you’ll love these fresh treats.

First, make simple syrup (boiled and cooled sugar water). Then, puree your berries of choice (raspberries, blueberries or strawberries), sieve them to remove skins and seeds and blend them with ice, lime juice and rum.

Then drag your lawn chair out of storage, pretend this frigid fall weather is really a summer heat wave and enjoy your fresh salsa and chilled tropical drink. Mind over matter, right? Think warm…feel warm. And then say a prayer that I can post a few dozen more recipes before the snow falls so you’re not enjoying frozen treats in the presence of icicles.

Tomato-Basil Salsa

Yield: 2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Cooking Light, JULY 1998

Note: Aside from tortilla chips, this salsa is also great served with grilled vegetables, beef, or poultry. Or try it as a condiment on a grilled-chicken sandwich or toasted bagel with cheese.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 11 (16% from fat), Fat:0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 0.5g, Carbohydrate: 2.5g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.2mg, Sodium: 77mg, Calcium: 5mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Fresh Strawberry Daiquiris

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

David Bonom, Cooking Light, JUNE 2008

Ingredients:

1 cup halved strawberries

1/2 cup Simple Syrup (recipe to follow)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 cups crushed ice

1/2 cup rum (Captain Morgan spiced rum is perfect.)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and discard solids.

Combine strawberry mixture, 3 cups crushed ice, rum, and lime juice in blender, and process until smooth.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 107 (1% from fat), Fat: 0.1g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g), Protein: 0.2g, Carbohydrate: 16.7g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.1mg, Sodium: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg.

Blueberry Daiquiri Variation

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup).

Substitute 1 cup blueberries and increase simple syrup to 3/4 cup.

Nutritional Info: Calories: 140 (1% From Fat), Fat: 0.1g (Sat 0g, Mono 0g, Poly 0g), Protein: 0.2g, Carbs: 25.3g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Iron: 0.1mg, Sodium: 1mg, Calcium: 4mg.

Raspberry Daiquiri Variation

Yield: 6 Servings (Serving Size: 2/3 Cup).

Substitute 1 (6-Ounce) box raspberries and increase simple syrup To 3/4 Cup.

Nutritional Into: Calories: 141 (1% From Fat), Fat: 0.2g (Sat 0g, Mono 0g, Poly 0.1g); Protein: 0.4g, Carbs: 25.1g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Iron: 0.2mg, Sodium: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Simple Syrup

Yield: 1 1/2 cups (serving size: 3 tablespoons)

David Bonom, Cooking Light, JUNE 2008

Note: This Simple Syrup recipe makes enough for three batches of strawberry daiquiris or two batches of the blueberry or raspberry variation. The syrup is also handy for sweetening iced tea.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup water

Preparation:

Combine sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 1/2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate until chilled.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 121 (0.0% from fat), Fat: 0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g), Protein: 0.0g, Carbohydrate: 31.3g, Fiber: 0.0g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.0mg, Sodium: 1mg, Calcium: 1mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Jamaican Jerk Beef Kebabs

2010-10-21T12:16:00.000-04:00

I'll never forget the first time I tried Jamaican food. I was on a date. A very awkward first date.

It remember that Tuesday afternoon like it was yesterday. My date and I were making nervous small talk as we drove through town, both staring straight ahead, only glancing at each other for brief moments at a time. Still, I noticed his over-gelled spiky hair and I'm sure he noticed my overly done up face.

We arrived at Coconut Grove, a brand new Jamaican restaurant that stood out like a soar thumb amidst the frat boy bars and grease traps that lined the vicinity of our college campus. Maybe that's why we were the only customers in the place. Or maybe I was just too nervous to notice anyone else.

We sat down in a tiny two-seater booth and began the unconscious game of avoiding direct eye contact while fiddling with straw wrappers. Thankfully, being the only customers meant our chipper waiter checked on us often and was soon rattling off daily specials. I scanned the menu, full of weird fruit chutneys and foreign pork dishes until I found something that my uncultured taste buds could hopefully choke down, a jerk chicken sandwich.

While we waited for our food, the date went something like this: He’d tell a joke. I’d laugh. Then we’d both take sips of our sodas and pretend to read the table toppers to avoid an inevitable awkward silence. Silence wasn't something we wanted. Silence meant we might have to acknowledge the one thing we’d been avoiding since he picked me up that afternoon. The subject of the night before.

Less than 24 hours earlier, we’d put on a fundraiser for our school's ad club. Did I mention that we were classmates? Buddies? We were, in fact, two people who normally would've joked the night away in a circle of friends, complete with arm jabbing and teasing.

But this fundraiser had free beer. And for those of you who don’t know, free beer has been known to come along with an overdose of confidence. And that’s why I kissed him.

Alas, after several beers and a few fruity blue-colored shots, two good friends had their first kiss, surrounded by all their confused classmates. From there, the night was a whirlwind of confessions. “I’ve liked you for so long." "Me, too." And we both assured each other this was the beginning of something perfect. And that the best relationships start out as friendships. And that things wouldn't, just couldn't, be weird the next day. No, we would surely dodge the curse of most friends-turned-something-more. So we planned a lunch date to prove it to ourselves.

So there we were. On our lunch date. It felt surreal that the same man who used to make me laugh was now was making me nervous, and I knew things would forever be different. We’d kissed, and there was no changing that. I'd just have to try and get over the weirdness of it all.

The arrival of our food, usually a comfort on awkward dates, added only more weirdness. The spicy sweet jerk flavor was all too new to my taste buds, which at that point in my life were loyal only to chicken fingers and the occasional quesadilla, 86 the onions. Yes, at a time in my life I didn’t like onions, which I now eat straight out of the pan when I’m carmelizing them. So you can’t blame me for not jumping for joy over the exotic sandwich staring back at me. But in all honestly, I couldn’t taste much anyway because my brain was too focused on the man across the table to allow my gustatory system full function.

Needless to say, I accidentally left my leftovers on the table when we left.

After lunch, we decided to skip class and watch Fight Club back at my apartment, which really meant we sat there over thinking what to do and how to sit, wondering if we looked ok and had anything in our teeth, all the while making sure we still reacted to the important parts of the movie to maintain our cover that we were actually watching it.

Then, finally, in another act of boldness, we kissed again. Sober. And we knew it was real. All our nerves were put at ease and the world made perfect sense. I could date my friend. I really could.

In fact, in just a few days, we’ll be celebrating our two-year wedding anniversary.

So now that I'm married to the jerk-loving man, I thought I'd give Jamaican flavors a second chance. Thankfully, my tongue has come along way since my college years, because these fragrant kabobs are to die for. Just blend up the quick sauce and throw them on the grill or cook them under the broiler.

The sauce, a sweet-spicy mix of Christmas and the Caribbean, pairs perfectly with the juicy beef, red pepper and plantains, which get nice and crunchy on the grill. We ate our meal with toasted pita, black beans and rice and a few slices of grilled pineapple, which I totally recommend. It's absolutely delicious. And this time, there were no leftovers to leave behind.

Jamaican Jerk Beef Kebabs

Cooking Light, August 2001

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 kebab)

Note: Jerk is a Jamaican seasoning blend used on beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and fish. Traditionally, jerk is a dry rub, but you can mix it with liquid to form a paste or marinade. Choose yellow plantains with black spots to ensure that they're ripe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 habanero or serrano peppers, seeded

1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin, trimmed and cut into 30 cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into 18 pieces

2 black-ripe plantains, peeled, and each cut into 9 pieces

Cooking spray

Diagonally cut green onions (optional)

Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare grill.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Place onion mixture, beef, and bell pepper pieces in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Remove beef and bell pepper pieces from bag; discard marinade. Place beef, bell pepper pieces, and plantain pieces in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Thread 5 beef cubes, 3 red pepper pieces, and 3 plantain pieces alternately onto each of 6 (12-inch) skewers. Lightly coat kebabs with cooking spray. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cook 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until desired degree of doneness. Garnish with green onion pieces and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 260 (25% from fat), Fat: 7.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 26.9g Carbohydrate: 21.3g, Fiber: 2.4g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Iron: 3.4mg, Sodium: 358mg, Calcium: 20mg.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps

2010-09-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, you just want chocolate. But you don’t want to turn on the oven. You don’t want to crack eggs. You don’t want to sift flour...and cocoa...and sugar. And you certainly don't want to tie on an apron and waste away the afternoon in a hot, sweaty kitchen, only to be left with a mountain of batter-dripping dishes and endless minutes of painstaking waiting. You just. Want. Chocolate.

And the days you really need chocolate are most likely the days you lack the ambition to decorate 24 darling little cupcakes, perfectly frost a three-tiered masterpiece or do anything with a knife other than take out your aggregation.

But with cooking and baking out the door, there really aren't many options, unless you're willing to settle for an over priced, preservative-packed candy bar (guilty) or a handful of chocolate chips straight from the bag (guilty).

Ahh...but have we forgotten about the microwave and its magical powers to, in just minutes, turn ordinary chocolate chips into hot, swirly bowls of melty chocolate that can be quickly molded into just about anything our cocoa-craving hearts desire? It's true!

These surprisingly low-cal, delicious little candies are basically a grown-up version of chocolate-covered Rice Krispies treats. (And by grown-up, I really just mean more chocolate and less cereal.) Or maybe more like a crunch bar on steroids. Either way, sweet-tart dried cherries, slivered almonds and vanilla pair perfectly with white and dark chocolate and the airy crunch of Rice Krispies. Delicious!

For your own little candy bars at a moment's notice, just melt a little chocolate, stir in the rest of the ingredients, shape, and throw into the fridge to chill...for an hour.

Seems there is a little waiting in this recipe. But well worth it, I assure you. And hey, there's always that chocolate-covered bowl and spoon to "clean up" while you wait. After all, sometimes, you just. Want. Chocolate.

Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps

Laura Zapalowski, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007

Yield: 36 servings (serving size: 1 crisp)

Note: Prepare up to two days in advance, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can also experiment with different types of chocolate, nuts and dried fruit.

Ingredients:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)

3/4 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper.

Place semisweet and white chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 45 seconds. Stir, and microwave an additional 45 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add cereal and remaining ingredients; stir quickly to combine. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; chill 1 hour or until firm.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 68 (44% from fat), Fat: 3.3g (sat 2g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g), Protein: 0.6g, Carbohydrate: 9.7g, Fiber: 0.7g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 6mg, Calcium: 7mg

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hot Crab Dip

2010-09-17T09:12:00.000-04:00

If my husband ever had a reason to be jealous, it wouldn't be because of another man. But dip, now there's something to worry about. See, at some point in my life, I gave my heart to hummus, spinach artichoke dip, and anything else that plays well with pita. And now, nothing can be done to stop this love affair.

There’s just something so irresistible about the combination of crunchy, salty chips and creamy dip. One bite throws me into a trance, with glazed over eyes and zombie-like arm-to-mouth movements that do not...will not...subside until every last bit is gobbled up, scraped and licked clean. That's when I look up from my empty plate and realize that the last fifteen minutes of meaningful conversation with my husband had been one-sided. On his side. And jealousy ensues, without a doubt.

One of the most addictive dips I've ever had, fittingly called "crack dip," is sadly something I just have to restrict from my kitchen because the recipe comes with a death sentence. Cream cheese, ranch dressing, blue cheese, hot sauce, canned chicken and cheddar. Yes, that is the recipe. Not a list of every condiment in my fridge.

But I've been craving it. A lot. So I riffled through recipes and finally turned to this hot, cheesy crab dip instead. With a few lightened ingredients, but plenty of zesty, creamy goodness, it seemed to fit the bill without the added ridiculousness.

It really did hit the spot. Creamy, cheesy, crabby. Perfect with melba toast. And a little extra hot sauce adds just the right amount of kick. In fact, I’m sure I could sit for hours, a bowl of this dip in my lap, armed with only a bag of melba toasts and a remote control and be quite happy with life. Just don't tell the hubby. He's already begun to give our jar of salsa the evil eye.

Hot Crab dip

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, November 2006

Yield: 20 servings (serving size: about 3 tablespoons)

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more if you like more zest.)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Combine cottage cheese mixture, cream cheese, and onion in a large bowl; gently fold in crab.

Place crab mixture in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve warm with melba toast or pita chips.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 63 (53% from fat), Fat: 3.1g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.0g), Protein: 6.8g, Carbohydrate: 1.9g, Fiber: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 264mg, Calcium: 29mg.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey, Ginger & Lime Sauce

2010-09-10T09:48:00.000-04:00

Feel that? That crisp, chilly breeze that’s been swirling around us lately, filling our heads with the hope of golden-leafed, sweater-clad, apple-cinnamon-infused autumn days? Seems everyone is getting antsy for cooler weather and festive décor, but as we relish in this first taste of fall, stop for a minute and realize what is really happening here... Summer as we know it is slipping through our fingertips. And we don’t even care!

In a matter of weeks, we’ll all be welcoming spiced candles, wax leaf wreathes and warm hues into our homes with wide, goofy grins. We’ll happily pack up our sandals and swimsuits and replace them with the scarves and boots we’ve been waiting all year to don. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, we’ll start each brisk morning with silky, frizz-free hair and Starbucks pumpkin lattés and we’ll go for rosy-cheeked walks around our neighborhoods. And we’ll be happy.

But before long, brisk will turn into downright cold. The snow will fall. The ice will creep over our windshields. The heaters will eat away at our shopping funds. Our husbands will stab us with icy toes and our parched knuckles and lips will chap until they crack. There we’ll be, scuffing across frigid kitchen floors on three pairs of wool socks with afghan-draped shoulders to fumble through canned peaches and peas, in hopes of a decent dinner that doesn’t involve braving a blizzard.

And just as we're tempted to take a bite of our holiday beaded faux fruit, we’ll realize how precious those last few days of summer really were and how wistfully we wasted them. Those days when fresh, vibrant fruit filled our bowls and dinner meant something sizzling on the grill instead of caked in a casserole dish.

So hold on to summer, people! It will be long gone soon enough. Then we can buy our pumpkins and gourds and embrace fall with open arms. But for now, I’m not yet done with zucchinis and watermelons and pots of fragrant herbs. And I am certainly not done with my dear farmer’s market.

Where else can you find yourself riffling through baskets of fresh plucked peaches one minute, and the next, a bin of vintage scarves? Detroit's Eastern Market, to be exact, is the lovely place I finally discovered this summer. I went for peaches and blueberries and came back with four armfuls of goodies, some of which I wasn't sure what to do with (zucchini), some I wasn't sure if I even liked (radishes), and some bought out of pure guilty nostalgia (orange blossom honey, which I bought from the sweetest old beekeeper who reminded me of my grandpa, even though the stand two feet away sold the stuff for less. I'm a sucker).

And what to do with four armfuls of fruits and veggies? Become vegetarian, of course, at least for a while. That weekend, I was enslaved to the kitchen, making avocado-radish salad (turns out I do love radishes), grilled corn with lime butter, wild mushroom quesadillas, homemade hummus and salsa, two huge fruit salads and fried, golden zucchini.

Orange blossom honey, by the way, was perfect combined with lime and fresh ginger for this amazing hold-on-to-what-you-got summer fruit salad. Sweet and tangy with a little kick, the sauce really takes juicy peaches, plump blueberries and sliced green grapes to a whole new level of deliciousness. For the perfect summer afternoon, I have an inkling this salad would be awesome served up with a nice grilled pork chop and a glass of sangria.

So, don't jump into fall prematurely, folks. Soak up every last drop of summer. Keep the lemonade flowing. Keep the grill grilling. Take advantage of every fruit and vegetable before it goes out of season.

Although, I must admit...all this talk about fall is making me want to bust out just one glittery pumpkin for the bookshelf. And just a little candy corn isn't going to spoil summer all that bad. And what's so wrong with burning a few cinnamon candles and wearing a few scarves and breaking in my brown suede boots and all my fuzzy sweaters and...

...so it begins.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Ginger Lime Sauce

Marie Meyer, Greensboro, NC, Cooking Light, JUNE 2006

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 2)

1 cup blueberries

1 cup seedless green grapes, halved

Preparation: Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine peaches, blueberries, and grapes in a bowl. Drizzle juice mixture over fruit mixture; toss gently to coat. Chill at least 1 hour.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 53 (3% from fat) Fat: 0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 0.7g, Carbohydrate: 13.8g, Fiber: 1.3g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ginger-Peanut Chicken Salad Wraps

2010-08-27T11:52:00.006-04:00

As far as I’m concerned, this post could very well be titled “ginger peanut lime sauce.” Because one taste of this sauce – this amazing, Asian-inspired, creamy dreamy sauce – will cause you to forget all about making wraps and instead instinctually ladle it into a gigantic soup bowl and slurp to your heart’s content, stopping only to wash it down with an icy cold pint of more wonderful ginger peanut lime sauce.

After all, what’s not to love about peanut butter, aromatic fresh ginger, lime juice, soy, garlic and red pepper whirled together into a fresh, citrusy, heavenly sauce? If you’re worried that a liquid meal would deprive your teeth of their God-given potential, give them something to sink into by filling in the blank.

“_____ with ginger peanut lime sauce.”

You choose. Beef? Pork? Tarantulas? I’m not one for exotic fare, but I swear, even raw, slimy snails would be nothing short of stupendous smothered in a sauce like this.

Or, of course, you could make these chicken salad wraps, because after all, they’re delicious, no matter how outshined they are by their own sauce. Chicken, cucumber, red pepper and cilantro make a perfect combo of flavors smothered in peanut butter based goodness and swaddled in lettuce and tortilla.

I recommend making a double batch of sauce. Since this is a light recipe, the wraps surely won’t be drowning in sauce and if you like a little extra for dunking, you’ll be left empty handed. Plus, once you taste it, you’re going to wish you had extra to pour over veggies, noodles or shrimp later in the week.

Another tip: Store leftovers separately or all your sauce will soak into the chicken and the water from the cucumbers will dilute the flavors. Instead, store cucumbers and peppers together, and store the sauce separate from the chicken, then mix right before serving.

We absolutely loved this dish. I’m already contemplating future additions and tweaks. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that fresh, crunchy bean sprouts, matchstick carrots or chopped peanuts would be heavenly in this wrap. Next time, I’m definitely adding a little of each, maybe in lieu of the red pepper as it’s not my all-time fave veggie.

And for an extra healthy lunch, I may just loose the tortilla and make lettuce wraps. (No tortilla means room for more sauce!)

As I licked every last drop from my plate and fork, I wondered to myself if the chicken was a little jealous that the sauce, something that is supposed to merely enhance it, but instead stole the show? One will never know. However, I for one got jealous (enraged) when my hubby took it upon himself to lick the sauce bowl clean. He can have the brownie batter-lined bowl and the frosting-coated spoon, but don’t come between a girl and her ginger peanut lime sauce.

Ginger-Peanut Chicken Salad Wraps

Cooking Light, June 2000

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)

Cookbook Note: You can substitute slices of breast meat from prepackaged rotisserie chicken, which makes the preparation easier, but the dish will be a little higher in fat and sodium.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves

1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the chicken from pan; cool. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place chicken, cucumber, and bell pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

Place sugar and the next 6 ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a blender, and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water; process until smooth, scraping sides. Add peanut butter mixture to chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro, and toss well. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; top each serving with 1/2 cup lettuce, and roll up.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 280 (19% from fat), Fat: 5.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.6g), Protein: 25.8g, Carbohydrate: 30.5g, Fiber: 2.4g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Iron: 2.5mg, Sodium: 572mg, Calcium: 29mg.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Butter Crunch Lemon-Cheese Bars

2010-08-12T09:49:00.005-04:00

As much as I love summer, and all the potlucks, picnics and family reunions that come standard, there’s one thing I believe should be banished forever, as it’s the true bane of bikini season...

The dessert buffet.

Maybe plate upon plate of glorious, gluttonous goodies are ok in the presence of super skinny self-control toting types, but put a homemade confection-clad table in front of me, and my fat five-year-old inner child will surely go buck wild, piling her flimsy styrofoam plate with a superfluity of sweetness.

Because why settle for just one cookie when I can have three cookies and a brownie? And…a lemon bar? Oh, and a cupcake. And a teeny, tiny slice of apple...pumpkin...and lemon meringue pie. And c'mon, it just isn't summer without Aunt Marcy's banana trifle and grandma's pumpkin roll! Heck, I can even squeeze room for that green Jell-o fluff that I don’t even like. A few more wedges of this and smidgens of that and you can bet I'll turn from the table with a teetering five-pound plate of sugar and not an ounce of self restraint.

So with all my friends and family to bear witness, I take my seat ala the walk of shame, fending off stares and smirks with an “Oh this? Of course it’s not just for me,” then scarf down that mountain of sugary shame until my belly is boated and the smears and crumbs on my plate resemble a homicidal crime scene at a bakery.

Am I the only one who gives in to this torturous temptation? Is there any hope to change my summer dessert destiny?

Why yes, actually. Enter, the two-in-one dessert dream bar. Part cool, creamy cheesecake. Part tangy, gooey lemon bar. All atop a crumbly, buttery pastry crust, this is TWO desserts, cleverly and deliciously disguised as ONE. So you feel like you're pigging out, when in reality, you're staying quite human. And at just 140 calories, it comes with a much appreciated side of self-control, too.

And you can make this fabulous dessert faster than you can load up a plate with ten others! Just a quick crust blended with a hand mixer, followed by an even quicker filling whipped up in a food processor. Bake, let it chill and you're ready to gorge...err...daintily nibble.

Top with blueberries, sliced strawberries or a little fresh lemon zest and I bet these would make beautiful little desserts at an afternoon tea or baby shower. Although, the pregnant guest of honor will most assuredly prefer the aforementioned dessert buffet.

Fruit topped or naked, you won't be disappointed. These are delicious. Perfectly lemony, wonderfully creamy and cheesecakey. They really do taste like two amazing summertime desserts melded into one. And the crust is ahh-mazing. I will be definitely be making these again and again, especially for all those family gatherings this summer. That way I can secretly splurge while still looking all proper and ladylike. (Well, maybe just one brownie...and a cupcake...and...)

Butter Crunch Lemon Cheese Bars
Adapted from…Greg Patent, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2001
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 square)

Cookbook Note: You can substitute fresh orange juice and grated orange rind for lemon, if you wish. These are best served chilled.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour to butter mixture, and beat at low speed until well-blended. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough excess at the edges to create handles to later lift out. Spray with cooking spray, and press crust firmly onto foil. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

To prepare filling, place cottage cheese in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and remaining ingredients, and process until well-blended. Pour filling over crust. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set (the edges will get lightly browned), and cool. Cover and chill for 8 hours.

While holding the edges of the foil, carefully remove dessert from pan and place on cutting board. Cut into 16 squares. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information: Calories:140.5, Fat: 4.5g (sat 52.6g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.3g), Protein:3.35g, Carbohydrate:22.25g, Fiber:0.25g, Cholesterol:24.5mg, Iron:.55mg, Sodium:149mg, Calcium:20mg.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grilled Jalapeño Poppers with Goat Cheese

2010-07-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

A fair warning: This recipe is not intended for fickle stomachs, young taste buds or digestive tracks teetering the golden years.

That being said…

Are you the type to throw back raw chilis and shots of Tabasco to watch others squirm? Do you laugh in the face of triple pepper icons on Mexican menus? Devour platters of Indian and Thai at heat levels only Indian and Thai locals can tolerate?

Tell me…must your pizza hide under a blanket of red pepper flakes, your nachos drown in hot sauce and every bite be saturated in something spicy to merely gain entrance into the rockin’ hot party that is your mouth?

Then fire-loving friend, read on, because these little poppers are one heck of a delicious punch in the mouth.

Never once did I dare ponder improving the jalapeno popper. Who doesn’t love a deep fried, cream cheese-stuffed pepper just the way it is?

Well...my waste line, that’s who.

Thankfully, this lightened version ditches the oil and takes raw, unbattered peppers to the grill, stuffed with a mouthwatering mix of goat cheese, cream cheese, cheddar (or parmesan), tomato and sage. A smokey-charred pepper with gooey, melty, flavorful cheese and a sprinkling of cilantro? Um, yes, poppers can definitely be improved.

To start, wash and slice the jalapenos in half, then rip out the seeds and tap the back of the peppers over the sink to release any strays. Those babies are hot and you want them all out of there. You may also want to wash out the peppers' insides to reduce the heat.

And remember that your taste buds are not all that can be burned from this meal...please, please wear rubber gloves when cutting and cleaning the peppers. Especially if you wear contacts. No one likes a burning eye socket. Or anything else for that matter. (See below.)

When I was a teen, my youth pastor’s wife told me the story of her husband’s near death-by-salsa experience. He was chopping peppers, ungloved, when nature called. So after a quick hand rinse with soap-less water, into the bathroom he went. Remember that he is a guy, and guys are a little more hands-on in this department. His screams still haunt the family at night.

So wear gloves.

While the peppers drain on a paper towel, mix the stuffing. It's quite effortless, really, if you don't mind chopping a tomato and a few green onions. I used rather large jalapeños, so I doubled the filling recipe to ensure proper mile-high cheese mountains.

And for those who simply can’t take the heat (wussies!) you can tame the torture by baking the peppers before you stuff and grill them. Basically, the longer the peppers cook, the less severe they become. We baked some of our leftovers and they were much milder.

When the peppers are stuffed, hand them off to the grill master in your domain and let those babies sizzle. They tend to be a bit wobbly, so leaning them on each other for support will help prevent any cheese from escaping.

Once the peppers are black on the bottoms and the cheese is melty, you'll have something serious to bite into. Think “stuffed pepper meets jalapeno popper.” At a smoky bar. In hell. Where they plotted revenge on your mouth for every distasteful, foul, mocking, saucy and sarcastic word ever sputtered.

But as hot as they are, they're equally as addicting. Bite after torturous bite, I couldn’t find an ounce of restraint in my being. My eyes were watering. My face was flushed. My sinuses were beyond cleared. But I ignored my body's surrender signals and continued to stuff my face with gooey, cheesy, peppery grilled goodness like my life depended on it, stopping only to fan my eyes and gulp down water, which, by the way, only fed the flame.

Seriously, don’t blame me if you singe your nose hairs with every plate-to-mouth motion. And if you dare try these delicious peppers, I recommend you first make sure you have on hand an icy cold glass of milk, a starchy food, and above all, a ton of guts.

Grilled Jalapeño Poppers with Goat Cheese

(Grilled pepper poppers; Jill Hough, Cooking Light, June 2009)

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (or shredded cheddar)
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half. Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 84, Fat: 4.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.2g)
Protein: 7.1g, Carbohydrate: 3.5g, Fiber: 0.9g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Iron: 0.6mg, Sodium: 334mg, Calcium: 117mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

2010-07-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

My name is Rachel and I'm addicted to crunchies.

What are crunchies? They're the tidbits of burnt cheese left on the pan after you bake a pizza. The fried-to-a-crisp fries that sneak their way into the carton. They're anything poppable and crisp that I can get my hands on, be it in a box, a bag, or scraped from a casserole dish.

The name was coined by my worried husband, who many a night followed the faint noises of a rat crunching away at crumbs, only to find me, eyes gleaming in a dark kitchen as I nibbled away on burnt bacon from that night's omelet or the broken remains at the bottom of a Doritos bag.

What's wrong with me? Why can't I be content with the actual meal on my plate instead of scrounging for things that go crunch in the night?

I didn't realize how serious my crunchies problem was until one afternoon at my grandmother's house. There I was, neglecting her delicious roast chicken while maniacally sneaking crunchies from the platter when no one was looking. I thought I was enjoying delicious pieces of crisp, fallen meat. I later found out it was burnt lard. Oh the shame.

Yes, sadly, my taste buds are about as refined as those of a street dog. But alas, I've learned to curb my crunchies cravings with an elegant, more acceptable food. One that can be followed with sips of iced tea. Not Pepto Bismol.

These cookies are great. They're actually a little chewy on the inside, with a wonderful crisp crust and crunchy cornmeal bits throughout. Along with their great lemony zest, they make the perfect summertime cookie.

And they're so simple to make. Just a little zesting, a little mixing, and a little baking for a light lemony cookie fitting of a lazy afternoon.

And yes, I rolled each spoonful of batter into balls instead of just dropping them like a normal person. That's because I'm also addicted to things that look as close to perfect as possible. But that's for another post.

So grab a plate of cookies and ditch the milk. These are perfect with ice-cold lemonade or tea. And there's no shame! Such a lovely cookie at only 55 calories, I didn't have to crunch away at them in the dark. In fact, I think they're best enjoyed in the fresh air of a front porch.

They definitely satisfied my crunchies craving. Although, I did sneakily scrape off some of the crust that stuck to the pan. And ate it. And it was wonderful. (Please don't tell Luke.)

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, Cooking Light, MAY 2008
Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through ground ginger); stir with a whisk. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape sides of the bowl occasionally. Add egg; beat well. Beat in grated lemon rind. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat at medium-low speed just until blended.

Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons batter 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned and almost firm. Remove from oven. Cool on pans for 2 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 55 (34% from fat), Fat: 2.1g (sat 1.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 0.7g, Carbohydrate: 8.6g, Fiber: 0.2g, Cholesterol:11mg, Iron: 0.2mg, Sodium: 49mg, Calcium: 2mg.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce & Coconut-Cilantro Rice

2010-07-07T09:17:00.002-04:00

Lately, you could say my presence in the blogosphere has been a little MIA. I've gone AWOL. Rogue. But not by my own doing, I assure you. See, I was seduced. The cloudless days. The shimmering pool. The garage sale-lined streets. It’s all been a little too much to resist, and in the end, summer inevitably won me over.

Like a lovesick teenager, I’ve spent every free second of precious weekend time scavenging for five-cent deals, sipping frosty drinks and glued to an inflatable pool raft at a closeness even the ruler of a prom chaperone couldn’t separate.

I tried to resist, really. I sat down to upload photos. I attempted countless times to write something…anything... about the food I've been making. But that sneaky sun slithered its way through my curtains and blinded me with the promise of sultry tan lines and natural highlights.

So I gave in. I strapped on my suit, slathered on the SPF and decompressed.

But I’m still here.

Thankfully, in all my summer lovin', I still managed to slide on an apron over my swimsuit and spend a little time in the kitchen. It’s just the sharing with you all that’s been a bit delayed. So I now have a mile-long list of grilled, chilled, stacked and speared summer recipes that I’m dying to tell you about. Grilled jalapeño poppers…blueberry almond lemon coffee cake…Jamaican jerk beef kabobs... Oooh yeah. We’ve been eating quite well.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

This dish definitely screams summer. A specific summer, actually, where I fell in love with more than just the sun.

Summer, 2006. Clearwater Beach. The sun was blazing, the air was salty, and the seagulls were the only things I could hear over my pounding heart. I was drunk on love, you see, with the man who would one day become my husband.

After spending the day lounging in the sand, we headed to a beach side seafood shack just in time to watch the sun dip below the horizon. Toasted from the sun, we somehow managed to stop gushing over each other long enough to peruse the menu, and that’s when we realized that there was only one thing that could make the day more perfect. A heaping platter of deep fried, crunchy coconut shrimp.

And perfection was definitely reached. Nothing beats a sweet-spicy sauce mellowed by shrimp coated in a crisp, sweet, coconut-panko crust. Making the meal at home is a bit more involved than pointing to a word on a menu, but well worth the major decrease in moolah and calories.

First, shell and devein your shrimp. You just need a knife, a little patience and a husband. That's right. Put him to work. The job involves raw meat, sharp objects and an intestinal track. He'll love it. Check out this simple tutorial.

While Luke did surgery on the shrimp, I made the aromatic sauce, a delicious mix of ginger, onion, garlic, lime, mango nectar and scotch bonnet or habanero peppers. (Don't rub your eyes...they're hot!) I chopped, sautéed, simmered and blended my way to a sauce so good it'd make a grasshopper taste delicious.

While the sauce chilled in the fridge, I prepared the coconut rice and breaded and fried the shrimp. Have you ever used Japanese panko breadcrumbs? Oh. my. crunchies. Brilliance, actually. The light crunchiness of panko has made it my go-to choice for breading shrimp and chicken.

(The most perfect chicken fingers: dredge chicken into flour, then beaten egg, then panko...then back in egg and back in panko... fry in a little oil....then enjoy. And thank me later.)

Coconut rice makes the perfect compliment to coconut shrimp, if you ask me. And while this lightened up recipe is definitely not as indulgent as the full fat version, it works. After all, it's just rice. The real stars of this dish are pictured below.

So Luke and I took a seat on our patio as the sun began to set, still crazy in love, and once again enjoyed a heaping plate of fried coconut shrimp. And it was delicious. Definitely as good as the restaurant's version we had years before. Sweet, crunchy, saucy, spicy. Perfection.

In fact, the only thing different was the manner in which Luke ate the meal. I guess marriage tends to make you loosen up your manners a bit because he literally licked that sauce bowl clean. But since I was the one slaving over the dish this time, I'll take it as a compliment.

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, January 2010

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 7 shrimp and about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (12-ounce) can mango nectar
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, unseeded (Habanero makes a perfect substitute.)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
28 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Cooking spray

Preparation:
To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add nectar and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir in juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; discard shells.

Place coconut in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely chopped. Add panko; pulse to combine. Place coconut mixture in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg whites; dredge in coconut mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 7 shrimp to pan; coat tops of shrimp with cooking spray. Cook shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining oil and shrimp.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 367, Fat: 13.5g (sat 2.4g,mono 6.5g,poly 3.7g), Protein: 31g, Carbohydrate: 29.5g, Fiber: 1g, Cholesterol: 252mg, Iron: 5.6mg, Sodium: 731mg, Calcium: 76mg.

Cilantro-Coconut Rice
Cooking Light, April 2008
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 cup water
3/4 cup basmati rice
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:
Combine 1 cup water, rice, coconut milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

*This recipe was part of another recipe by Cooking Light, so I do not have specific nutritional info for the rice. But there's no bacon in it, so must not be too bad.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

2010-06-19T10:35:00.030-04:00

Sometimes I think everything is just better in its old-fashioned form. Old-fashioned phones didn't cause car accidents or stunt teenagers' vocabulary to three-letter words. Old-fashioned clothes actually clothed people. (Ever been to Miami Beach?) And old-fashioned recipes weren't made of chemicals. They were made of food. Tasty, nutritious, real food.

So what exactly makes this recipe old-fashioned? The made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits that thankfully replace those sticky, preservative-packed, nuclear war-surviving Twinkie-like “shortcakes” you’ll find disgracing the mere existence of strawberries these days.

No prepackaged shortcuts here. For this dessert, you'll actually have to get your hands in some dough. Knead it. Form biscuits. Slice and smash strawberries... But in the end, every buttery, flaky, sweet berry-cream bite will be well worth the trouble.

You start by making the sauce, a perfect mingling of strawberries and sugar, fancied up with the flavors of orange juice and vanilla. A definite win with the taste buds.

While the strawberry mixture is chilling, you can make the old-fashioned biscuits. If those words paint horrid images of lard, shortening and three-pound bags of sugar, have no fear. This is a Cooking Light-inspired blog, after all, so this treat will give you old-fashioned flavor without an old-fashioned gut.

Low fat buttermilk and just a tidbit of butter do the trick and make biscuits truly worthy of strawberries. (And sausage gravy if you make a double batch.)

Once the biscuits are baked, cooled and sliced, you can start assembling your homemade creation. You can get all fancy with artistic saucy drizzles and perfectly balanced berries, or just throw it all in a bowl, pass it to your husband's happy hands and call it a day.

A tip: if that middle biscuit layer (the crown) is too rounded to stack, just slice off the edge and you'll have a flat surface to keep building. And hey, a snack!

The end result? Fantastic. I actually had initial doubts about replacing angel food or pound cake with a biscuit. (I prefer my biscuits layered with egg, sausage and cheese.) But these had a wonderful crumbly crunch on the outside and a soft fluffiness on the inside. A perfect compliment to the sweet, flavorful sauce.

Now if only I'd made my own old-fashioned whipped cream instead of using Cool Whip’s whipped oil. (Did you know that? Ridiculous.) But that’s for another day and another post.

Overall, it was the perfect summer treat. And let me tell you, we definitely ate it the old-fashioned way…

...we didn't waste a crumb.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
Cooking Light, June 1998
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups halved strawberries, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
Whole strawberries (optional)

Preparation:
Combine 1 cup strawberry halves, 1/3 cup sugar, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in 2 1/2 cups strawberry halves. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 6 squares. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife; place each bottom half on a dessert plate. Spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each bottom half. Top with shortcake tops; spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each top. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon whipped topping; garnish with whole strawberries, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 270 (24% from fat), Fat: 7.2g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.7g,poly 2.1g), Protein: 4.3g, Carbohydrate: 47.3g, Fiber: 3g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 1.7mg, Sodium: 183mg, Calcium: 93mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rosemary Chicken Salad

2010-06-11T08:47:00.003-04:00

While some kids grew up fearing dusty, cobweb-laden attics filled with looming shadows and stinky mothballs, the attic that I remember paints quite a different image. Aside from being keeper of the infamous toy trunk, it was a haven for my mother's beautiful, sweet smelling flowers and herbs, delicately hung from the ceiling to dry and preserve.

Thyme, lavender, statice, sweet Annie, sunflowers, rosemary...

All hovering high above our heads, filling that small space with the most wonderful smells. Who wouldn't love spending time in a place like that? (Although, I'm sure the three-dozen Barbies are truly what made me a regular.)

But even now, 14 years after moving out of my childhood home, I’m instantly taken back to my days in LaPorte, Indiana with the simple act of chopping fresh rosemary for this delicious chicken salad.

And what an awesome chicken salad it makes! Flavor-packed smoked almonds, chopped green onion, Dijon mustard and fragrant rosemary compliment each other perfectly, creating a delicate, earthy taste in quite possibly...no, most assuredly...the best sandwich I've ever made.*

*Unless you count that one sandwich with bacon, cheese and uh, fried chicken.

To start, I roasted the skinless, boneless chicken breasts by brushing them with olive oil, sprinkling with S&P, and baking at 350-degrees until done. (30-45 minutes - the perfect amount of time to chop the rest of the ingredients, and heck, even take a nap if so inclined.)

Then everything comes together beautifully with a little light mayo and fat free yogurt. Yogurt? Yep, surprised me, too, but wonderfully so. A little lettuce and fresh rosemary sourdough bakery bread and I was in business.

What a great sandwich. So thick and creamy, and bursting with flavor. I'm sure you could add all kinds of things to suit your taste buds, too. Next time I may try sliced grapes or small chunks of peeled apple.

The husband agreed with the awesomeness of this meal. He said it tasted like something you'd find at some fancy bakery. (Or, thankfully, in your very own kitchen.)

And so with every bite, every creamy, rosemary-infused bite, I was brought back to a simpler place and time. A place full of cascading flowers and herbs. And a time where the only thing on the agenda was making sure Barbie's golden hair was braided just right before Ken picked her up for the ball.

Rosemary Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Brandy Long, Cooking Light, April 2005
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped smoked almonds
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 slices whole-grain bread

Preparation:
Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring well. Spread about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture over each of 5 bread slices, and top with remaining bread slices. Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 360 (29% from fat), Fat: 11.6g (sat 2.1g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.8g), Protein: 33.6g, Carbohydrate: 29.9g, Fiber: 4.4g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Iron: 2.9mg, Sodium: 529mg, Calcium: 104mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crunchy-Chewy Sesame Cookies

2010-06-01T08:28:00.001-04:00

If I were allergic to peanuts...

(And just let me take this time to thank God that I am in fact not allergic, because a life without Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate-peanut butter ice cream and Thai peanut curry sauce is no life at all.)

...I would at least find comfort in the fact that peanut butter cookies, those sugar-coated, fork-pressed crave-able confections that are inhaled instead of eaten, could in fact still find their way to my mouth. How, you ask? With these little guys.

It's tahini to the rescue! The same miracle ingredient that makes hummus possible is now bringing peanut butter-like cookies to the allergy-inflicted masses! Along with a little dark sesame oil, brown sugar and the usual baking suspects, you too can have peanut-free, yet equally tasty cookie dough balls ready to be rolled into a bath of sweet sugar crystals. Just try to resist popping them in your mouth. They make great cookies, but lousy truffles.

Lightly smash them with a cup, skip the forking all together and throw them into the oven. I rescued mine a bit early as I usually do, and they came out perfectly crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and absolutely delicious all over.

The sesame flavor is a bit odd in a cookie, I'll admit, but in a good way I assure you. Very tasty. Alongside a cold glass of milk, these little wonders really do taste similar to their peanut butter counterparts. In fact, I think I could have fooled my husband had I not been singing the praises of tahini all morning. (It makes hummus and cookies!!)

So go make these. Your peanut allergy suffering friends and children will thank you. As for me, it's about time I go hunt down a spoonful of peanut butter. All this talk about tahini has surely made him jealous.

Crunchy Sesame Cookies

Cooking Light, December 2007

Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Cookbook Note: Roasted sesame-seed paste and dark sesame oil deliver a deep, nutty flavor. A touch of corn syrup and cornstarch ensure crispness.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup tahini (roasted sesame-seed paste)
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk; set mixture aside.

Place brown sugar, tahini, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.

Lightly coat hands with cooking spray. Shape dough into 36 balls (about 1 inch each). Place granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information: Calories:71 (27% from fat), Fat: 2.1g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.9g), Protein: 1.1g, Carbohydrate: 11.9g, Fiber: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Iron: 0.5mg, Sodium: 53mg, Calcium: 17mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2010-05-25T08:49:00.002-04:00

You say potato... I say creamy potato soup loaded with bacon, cheddar and green onion.

After the bacon & chipotle twice-baked potatoes left me with a tempting surplus of cheddar, bacon and russets, I decided to make this awesome soup in order to prevent a three-hour bacon-to-face-stuffing session.

And what a treat it was. This meal was simple, quick and quite dreamy. "But, can a soup really be dreamy?" you ask. I'll answer that with another question. Is it loaded with cheese and bacon?

To make this can't-believe-it's-light creation, I baked, peeled and mashed a few potatoes, and started the thick, creamy base with flour and milk.

Next, I added the potatoes, cheese and a little salt and pepper and let that cook, then mixed in a bit of sour cream and chopped green onion. And whaddya know, I had soup!

But of course, it's not dreamy soup until you top it with the real stars of the dish – chopped green onion, sharp cheddar, a little cracked black pepper and of course, the aforementioned BACON.

The soup was absolutely delish. Ultra creamy, rich and definitely better than potato soup I've had at any restaurant. And the best part? Getting to eat a cheese and bacon-filled dinner while only putting back a mere 329 calories. Miracles in the kitchen do happen, friends.

And what about my Polish, potato-raised, soup-loving husband? Well, he remained speechless, head hovering over his bowl, with no time to spare on chatter. Even his spoon was abandoned in the end and replaced with bare hands in a last-ditch effort to let no drop escape.

A light soup that makes a man melt? Yeah...definitely dreamy if you ask me.

Baked Potato Soup
Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings

(serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon)

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 329 (30% from fat), Fat:10.8g (sat 5.9g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.7g), Protein: 13.6g, Carbohydrate: 44.5g, Fiber: 2.8g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Iron:1.1mg, Sodium: 587mg, Calcium: 407mg.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nathan's Lemon Cake

2010-05-19T08:55:00.005-04:00

When one thinks of cake, "refreshing" is probably not the first word that comes to mind. Usually, what makes cake, well, cake, a good drenching in buttery frosting, an uber-sweet filling, and a hefty sprinkling of something yummy, like toasted nuts. In fact, a mouth full of cake will most assuredly leave you reaching for a glass of milk…water...anything...to wash it down so you can clear your gob and go back for more.

Unless, of course, your cake happens to be comprised of two super moist and lemony layers that are delicately iced with a light, sweet, lemon icing and sprinkled with tangy lemon rind. Then, I guarantee that "refreshing" will ring with every bite.

Enter, the lemon cake, a cake delicious enough to line the store window of a good bakery, simple enough to make quickly at home, and refreshing enough to enjoy on even the hottest days.

Cake lovers, rejoice! Now, amid the wide array of tortes, pies and ice creams that pop up this time of year, cake can finally stake its claim in springtime. Now, I'm sure there are plenty of other dainty, fruity cakes out there, but this was my first time making such a treat, so humor me, please.

This recipe starts with simple lemon layers, which I have to say, turned out to be some of the moistest cakes I’ve ever eaten. So buttery, sweet and packed with lemony punch, you won’t believe it’s light. Just be sure to keep an eye on them while they bake. Mine were done a bit early.

Once the cakes are cool, a quick whip of powdered sugar, fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon rind and melted butter equal a finger-licking good frosting. Although, I must have been a little too distracted on the finger licking part, because I read “1 cup” of powdered sugar, when it clearly said "3 cups."

So at first, my frosting was a clear glaze, paling in comparison to the bright white icing in the Cooking Light photo. I sadly dripped the watery goo onto the first layer, watched it immediately soak into the cake, and knew something was wrong. But too frustrated and sticky to reach for the measuring cups, I just added more powdered sugar until I had the right consistency. That’s the great thing about this frosting. You can wing it.

And you'd never know that I messed up. Frosting has a lovely way of covering up any mistake, making my final product almost too pretty to slice into...

With a major emphasis on the almost part of that sentence, because while I love looking at pretty food, I love eating pretty food even more.

Thank you so much to Meghan, fellow Cooking Light blogger for suggesting this delicious cake! It's sure to become a springtime-summertime-anytime-staple around here.

So, when you get a hankering for something citrusy and sweet to wash down those cookout burgers and dogs, skip the overly sugared lemonade and reach for something even better. A big 'ol bite of cake.

Nathan's Lemon Cake
Nathan Coulon, Cooking Light, MAY 2008
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients:

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon rind
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon rind strips (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray. Dust pans with 2 tablespoons flour, and set aside.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and nonfat buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon rind and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack; remove wax paper from cake layers.

To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients (except lemon rind strips) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of icing on top of cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining half of icing over top of cake. Garnish with lemon rind strips, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 317 (27% from fat), Fat: 9.5g (sat 5.6g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 3.6g, Carbohydrate: 55.7g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Iron:1mg, Sodium:165mg, Calcium: 52mg. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bacon & Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes

2010-05-14T09:08:00.002-04:00

While I may not have the well traveled taste buds of a true food connoisseur, I like to think I have pretty good taste when it comes to one particular class of cuisine. Bar food. Wings dripping in hot sauce. Heaping piles of hot, salty French fries. Gooey deep fried mozzarella sticks. If there was an expert in such a field, it would be yours truly.

So when I recently made an amazing bar-worthy cilantro turkey burger with a spicy chipotle ketchup, I needed the perfect accompaniment. And what better way to tame the heat of a spicy meal, than by serving an even spicier side dish? (We definitely like it hot around here. But to those with sissy taste buds, omitting the chilis will yield a milder, yet equally delicious potato.)

This was my first experience making a twice-baked potato, and the creamy, cheesy, bacony deliciousness left me fervently regretting all those wasted dinners with sub par burger sides. Sorry French fries, but I've moved on to greener, tastier pastures...that are covered in bacon.

And even better, these potatoes are extremely simple, too. First, wash and bake your potatoes for about 50 minutes, then cool, slice in half, and scoop out the flesh. You want to make sure you leave some of the potato in the shells. If you attempt to scoop it all out, the shells will loose their shape and could fall apart.

Next, mash the potato with a potato masher to get the pulp nice and creamy, then mix in bacon, green onion, sharp cheddar, low fat buttermilk and spicy, flavorful chopped chipotle chiles.

And to really speed things along, it's pre-cooked bacon to the rescue. Just zap the strips in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Then stuff all that creamy, cheesy goodness back into the shells, top with more cheddar and bake for 15 minutes. (The perfect amount of time to cook your burgers.)

These potatoes were AWESOME. The skins were crisp and the filling, well, definitely didn't taste light. Heavenly is more of an appropriate adjective.

Luke and I majorly chowed down. Bite after bite, we stuffed our faces with delicious spicy cilantro burgers and creamy spicy potatoes, ignoring the fact that our tongues got no intermission whatsoever from the chipotle's heat. We didn't care. This meal was so good, we seriously felt like we were at a sports bar. (Note: The kind of sports bar that serves awesome bar food, not the kind that smells like a frat house.)

So while our tongues definitely took a hit with this ultra spice-filled meal, it was worth it. You just can't beat the combination of bacon, chipotle, green onions and cheese. Spicy. Creamy. Cheesy. And gone in seconds.

Bacon & Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes
Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light, December 2008
Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed shell)

Cookbook Note: If you don't care for the spicy chipotle chiles, omit them—these simple potatoes are good either way. Remember this side dish next summer; it is quite good with barbecue.

Ingredients:
6 medium baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes at 450° for 50 minutes or until done; cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, milk, 3/4 cup cheese and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon potato mixture evenly into 10 shells; discarding remaining 2 shells. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potatoes. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 241 (22% from fat), Fat: 6g (sat 3.1g,mono 2g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 9.6g, Carbohydrate: 37g, Fiber: 4.1g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Iron:1.9 mg, Sodium: 464mg, Calcium: 168mg.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cilantro Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup

2010-05-11T08:59:00.002-04:00

What you're looking at is one of the best burgers I've ever had. Now, I know what you're thinking. "But, Rachel! There's no cheese. No bacon. No special sauce. Not even any beef, for goodness sakes!"

I hear ya. As a child of health conscious parents, I grew up envying my friends not because their trunks were full of toys, but because of their plates full of white bread, nuggets and real beef. See, in our household, turkey was the meat of choice. Not necessarily the kid's choice, however.

I eventually came to love turkey. Turkey tacos. Turkey lasagna. Turkey sausage. With the right seasonings, you can’t even tell the difference. But turkey burgers? Those have always remained a thorn in my side. With so much of the spotlight on the meat, and no sauce to hide under, my poor attempts at turkey burgers have always fallen flat and remained dry, tasteless failures in the shadows of juicy beef. Even gobs of cheese and piles of veggies couldn’t cover the fact that I was, indeed, eating an impostor.

So I've always just stuck to what I can trust: A quarter pounder stacked with cheese and dripping with mayo. But this recipe gave me hope. Could cilantro put an end to the turkey burger discrimination? Could breadcrumbs and Parmesan save the day? Would a spicy chipotle ketchup change my mind forever? I think you know the answer.

Of course, anything with this much cilantro has got to be good, right? I doubled the recipe, so I used the entire bunch. After a few rounds in the food processor, I mixed the amazingly fragrant cilantro with Parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and ground turkey, rolled it all into eight balls and flattened them into patties.

Onto the pans they went, where they cooked perfectly at four-five minutes on each side. While they sizzled, I rinsed the purple lettuce and chopped the chipotle chiles for the spicy ketchup. The adobo sauce is glorious. Like a hot bbq sauce. But you may want to taste as you go - these peppers have some kick!

To say the least, I was drooling as I put these burgers together. Luke was off yelling at some basketball player on TV and I was tempted to hide in the pantry and eat his portion, too. He'd never know! But, like a good little wife, I brought him his burger. And a bacon-chipotle twice baked potato (recipe coming soon). And a beer. Am I good or what? That there is dive bar service right at home, folks.

And the food? Well, to say the least it definitely tasted like something you would find at a good bar or restaurant. And not from the healthy section, either. The heat from the chilis was the perfect compliment to the juicy, flavorful burger. So, so good. You just have to make this. I know I will be all summer long. (I imagine they're even more fantastic on the grill!)

And seriously...this burger really doesn't need any cheese. In fact, while I loved the spicy ketchup, it doesn't even need that, either. Or the lettuce. Or the bun. Those are all great, but really just icing on the cake. The only thing this burger really needs to fully enjoy it....is a fork.

Cilantro Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup
Cooking Light, APRIL 2002
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 (2 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns
4 red leaf lettuce leaves

Preparation:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/3-inch-thick patty.

Heat a large grill pan or large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add turkey patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove 1 chile and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can. Reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Mince the chile. Combine chile, adobo sauce, and ketchup.

Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each patty with 1 tablespoon chipotle ketchup and 1 lettuce leaf. Cover with top halves of buns.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 406 (30% from fat), Fat: 13.6g (sat 4.3g,mono 4g,poly 3.7g), Protein: 26.6g, Carbohydrate: 44.5g, Fiber: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Iron: 4.4mg, Sodium: 977mg, Calcium: 229mg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chocolate Berry Cream Pie

2010-05-03T00:53:00.009-04:00

In the last six months, I've made quite a collection of melty, gooey, rich chocolaty desserts. But explain to me how somehow, the one dessert that features fruit, not chocolate, gets a standing ovation from my cocoa-crazed husband.

Ok, so technically there is chocolate in this pie, but teddy grahams and a pinch of cocoa powder hardly settle my chocolate fix, nevertheless Luke's. But yet we both agreed that this dreamy dessert soared to the top with the first bite.

It's called a cream pie, but basically it's a creamy cheesecake with a chocolate crumb crust that's topped with triple berry curd – a.k.a. the most amazing thing to happen to fruit since....um, chocolate.

The crust is a snap, taking only minutes to prepare and putting all other complicated pastry crusts to shame. Just throw your teddy grahams/chocolate wafers in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin until every last bear is pulverized into powder. Then toss it with brown sugar, melted butter and an egg white. (Oh and save that yoke...you'll need it for the filling.)

Now, what in the world kind of cheesecake can you possibly make with fat free cottage cheese and fat free cream cheese? Surprisingly, an absolute delicious one. A few rounds in the 'ol food processor with a little sugar, flour and the usual suspects and you'll have a fluffy, creamy filling that's worthy of the crust those bears silently gave their life to create. And in 35 minutes or less, you'll have gold.

The pie needs to chill for at least four hours or overnight, which gives you plenty of time to make the triple berry curd.

Now, time for a story problem. If you need a cup each of frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but all of the frozen bags are measured in ounces and pounds, and the fresh in pints, how long will it take a 26-year-old, inexperienced cook to figure out what to buy?

Longer than I should admit, that's for sure. After two phone calls to my mother and a few poor attempts at unit conversions, I decided to check out the serving size on the bag. And whatdaya know...a 16 ounce bag of mixed berries comes out to exactly three cups. And it was written there all along for idiots like me.

So, once you get your berries, and I hope you get them quicker than me, into the blender they go, then into a sieve to remove all the seeds. It takes a little time, but the result...a perfectly smooth, seed-free puree...is totally worth it. Nothing could be better.

Until you add in that sugar and butter, of course. Mix it with a little cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and eggs and you'll create a thick, creamy berry mixture that will have you rethinking chocolate altogether.

There will be plenty of leftover berry puree and berry curd, both of which won't stay leftovers very long. We ate up the puree for breakfast, and used the extra curd for a delicious topping on chocolate ice cream and then later as a sauce for stuffed French toast. Delish.

Once the curd cools, it has to chill for six hours or overnight in the fridge. This was a shocker to me, since I once again made the mistake of not reading both recipes before I started. So, waiting six hours meant we could eat the pie....at about half time during the Harlem Globetrotters game we had tickets to that night.

So when you make this, make the pie and the curd on the same day with plenty of time for both to chill. Then you'll never have to decide between dessert and basketball. (I would have chosen dessert, by the way, but you know how men are with their sports.)

Once your pie is finally chilled, you can slather on that sweet, creamy berry curd and slice 'er up. If you want to get all fancy shmancy, you can sprinkle on a little cocoa powder and top each piece with a few berries. As you can see, I chose this extra touch because I was serving this pie for a very special occasion. Dessert.

Luke and I ate our pie on the balcony, and for ten minutes straight, said nothing to one another accept for the occasional "Oh my goodness," a few "This is so amazing" and a couple "Are you tasting this?!" I have a feeling the neighbors out on their balconies were seriously judging us.

But when you're eating something that looks and tastes like this...who cares what other people think? They were probably just jealous because they weren't eating pie. And becase they don't have a husband that gives standing ovations at the dinner table. With a beard covered in berry curd.

Chocolate-Berry Cream Pie
Elizabeth Taliaferro, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Cookbook Note: This can be prepared a day in advance, but wait to spread the topping until you're ready to serve. (p.s. the cake and the curd take several hours or overnight to chill!)

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (about 20 cookies; such as Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers)
(I used chocolate teddy grahams.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 egg white
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup Triple Berry Curd (Recipe below)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a fork until moist. Press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, combine cottage cheese and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a food processor; process for 1 minute or until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk; process until smooth. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, spread Triple Berry Curd evenly over top.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 218 (26% from fat), Fat: 6.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.1g,poly 1g), Protein: 10.9g, Carbohydrate: 29.6g, Fiber: 0.8g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Iron: 1.2mg, Sodium: 249mg, Calcium: 56mg.

Triple Berry Curd
Elizabeth Taliaferro, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006
Yield: 2 1/2 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen blackberries, thawed
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:
Place all berries in a blender, and process until smooth. Press berry mixture through a sieve over a medium bowl using the back of a spoon, reserving 1 cup puree; discard seeds. Reserve any of remaining puree for another use; store in the refrigerator.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium, heavy saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1 cup puree, juice, and eggs. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add butter, stirring gently until butter melts. Cool.

Spoon mixture into a medium bowl; cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight (mixture will thicken as it cools).

Nutritional Information: Calories: 29 (31% from fat), Fat: 1g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g), Protein: 0.6g, Carbohydrate: 4.8g, Fiber: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 18mg, Calcium: 4mg

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

2010-04-29T09:42:00.001-04:00

Most people would agree that a salad is only as good as its ingredients. But to me, it's the dressing that truly makes or breaks the dish. I don't care if a salad is brimming with bacon and cheese...if it's covered in some low fat, tasteless dressing, it's not worth opening my mouth for.

Luckily, this salad rocks in both areas. Majorly.

In fact, a salad this good far outshines the name "taco" salad. After all, there's no lunch lady ice cream scoop of ground beef. No deep friend shell. No crumbled Fritos or cheddar cheese. Oh no. While those ingredients usually make other taco salads palatable, they would do nothing but disgrace the mere existence of this salad.

Bite into this alfresco-worthy meal and you'll find all kinds of fresh summertime ingredients. Juicy chicken. Avocado. Cherry tomatoes. Sliced red onion, corn and black beans. All on crisp romaine and tossed with a spicy, creamy cilantro-lime-chipotle dressing that's good enough to be a dip. And I'm talking the kind you eat with a spoon.

Like most, this salad requires a bit of prep, since practically everything in it is fresh and chopped. I started by baking six chicken breasts (I tripled the recipe) with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. When they cooled, I chopped the chicken, avocado, tomato, onion and lettuce, and drained and rinsed the black beans and corn.

Next I prepared the finger-dipping good dressing by chopping cilantro in a food processor and mixing it with sour cream, fresh lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt and the star of the show, minced chipotle chiles. These hot suckers come canned in adobo sauce, a thick, sweet bbq-like sauce that just begs you to sneak a taste. Just be warned. Unless you have a tongue of steal, I advice against this foolishness or you will surely scream like a little girl. Even if you are a grown man named Luke.

That being said, this dressing definitely has heat. We like a little spice around here, but you may want to taste as you go and add in just enough chipotle to suit your taste buds.

I won't lie and say I didn't "taste test" this creamy, dreamy dressing quite a bit myself while preparing it. And long after it was prepared. And while it was chilling in the fridge. And as I was adding it to the salad....

...but I paused long enough to give the salad a quick toss in the dressing, then headed for our balcony with lime wedges, corn chips and a couple ice cold Coronas. But I must say, the real complement to the meal was the fresh air, sunshine and chirping birds. There's just nothing quite like eating outside. Especially when you're eating something as delicious and fresh as this.

The hubby and I scarfed this salad down so fast, you would have thought it was chock full of something fried. All that sweet onion and tomato...the creamy, spicy dressing...the avocado and juicy chicken. Oh man. To the people below our balcony, we must have looked like nothing but four blurry arms as we shoveled it in at a frightening pace. But then again, you shouldn't keep a good thing waiting.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
David Bonom, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Preparation:
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 249 (30% from fat)
Fat: 8.2g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.7g), Protein: 23.3g, Carbohydrate: 25.1g, Fiber: 7g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Iron: 2.2mg, Sodium: 650mg, Calcium: 106mg.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six Months Behind the Apron

2010-04-26T22:40:00.011-04:00

Have you ever been so busy that you forgot something like an anniversary? Your own birthday? A daily shower? Well, that's me lately. But what I forgot, thankfully, is somewhat more forgivable. And that occasion, was my blogoversary.

So, without further ado, ladies and...ladies, I am pee-my-pants excited to announce that I am just over halfway through my one-year project!

On April 7, I reached the six-month mark of weekly making and baking. So far, I've conquered a whopping 56 Cooking Light recipes, from pierogies to pork chops, fudge cakes to French toast. And even though I'm making all this lightened up, reduced guilt stuff, I have to admit, I've never eaten better in my life.

It hasn't been easy finding time to make delicious food in-between a job that gives overtime new meaning and a bazillion other side projects I've thrown myself into. Believe me. I've decorated a cake at three in the morning. Realized I'm lacking pivotal ingredients halfway through a recipe. Threw tantrums that would make a two-year-old blush. Cried. Screamed. Pouted. And I almost lost my life to a few plastic wrap battles.

But, I've also begun to learn the basics of cooking and baking, which have produced delicious results. So now my tears come after I eat the food. Definitely worth it if you ask me. Especially to my husband, who now feels he should be my eternal slave to show his gratitude for so many amazing meals.

Every recipe I've made to date is pictured over on the left column. (Cobbler through blondies...which is everything...because I've also been too busy to post recipes that came after my blogoversary!)

And I'd also like to highlight some of the BEST recipes I've made so far. This is the cream of the crop, folks. The recipes that I can't wait to make again and again. The ones that are already a part of our regular rotation. The ones that are so delicious, light and simple, I would be inhumanely evil and greedy if I didn't try to push them into your recipe boxes.

So, here's the best of six months, in no particular order. Accept that dessert is first, as it should be.

BEST DESSERTS:

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes
One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake
Better than Sex Cake
Ooey-Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Chocolate Mint Bars
Maple-Walnut Spice Cookies
Hello Dolly Bars
Raspberry Strippers
Pumpkin Dip

BEST APPETIZER:

Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

BEST BREAKFASTS:
Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Fig, Basil & Honey
Banana Coffee Cake w/ Macadamia Nuts & Coconut
Breakfast Coffee Cake
Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole

BEST POULTRY:
Gruyère, Arugula, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce
Thyme & Feta Chicken w/ Peppers & Onions
Turkey & Basil Calzones
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Turkey Sausage & Spinach Soup

BEST SEAFOOD:
Sesame-Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Ponzu Sauce
Tilapia w/ Cilantro-Curry Sauce & Toasted Coconut
Gnocchi w/ Shrimp, Asparagus and Pesto
Shrimp & Avocado Sushi

BEST PORK:
Fig & Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
One Pan Whiskey-Flavored Pork Chops
Tomato-Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto

BEST BEEF:
Sirloin Steak with Tarragon-Garlic Sour Cream

BEST MEATLESS:
Three-Cheese Pizza w/ Mushrooms & Basil
Spinach & blue Cheese Calzones

BEST SIDES:
Sweet Potatoes w/ Brown Sugar Pecan Butter
Herbed Mashed Potatoes
Chive Green Beans
Sautéed Carrots

So, what's my plan for the next six months? Why, keep cooking of course! And bump it up a notch! I'm going to learn new techniques. Try new ingredients. And continue to search for those highly rated, widely adored lightened recipes that are budget friendly, easy, and above all, nothing short of amazing.

Thank you everyone for reading, commenting and supporting me. I can't believe I have almost 100 followers! That makes me happier than you'll ever know. Tear. Here's to six more months! *clinking of mimosas*

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Butterscotch Blondies

2010-04-22T08:57:00.004-04:00

This here is a dessert so rich and sweet, I almost couldn’t eat it.

I said almost.

For years, I’ve had a full-blown crush on Applebee’s maple-walnut blondie, which always came sizzling on a skillet with vanilla ice cream, maple sauce and chopped walnuts. And I'm not talkin' about one of those play-hard-to-get crushes, either. I worked at Applebee's. And even though none of my guests ever offered me a bite of their dessert (oh, the nerve), I had my fair share of after hour blondies back in the kitchen.

But alas, I've turned in my server's apron and now actually have to dish out cash if I want a taste of their infamous dessert. So, I thought I’d attempt to make my own blondies at home, following Cooking Light’s lightened up, butterscotch-topped recipe.

They were ridiculously easy to make. Just mix, sprinkle and bake. Something even a real blondie could do. Or heck, maybe even a man.

In less than a half an hour, I had a pan of delicious brownie-like bars with a crunchy crust and a sweet, chewy center. They were pretty tasty, but the butterscotch was almost a little too sweet for me. I know... I can't believe I'm even saying that, but it's true.

Of course, I've never been a huge fan of butterscotch to begin with, so I wasn't expecting to drool over these little treats quite like I would if they were slathered in chocolate or peanut butter. The hubby sure seemed to be enjoying them, especially with that mega sweet tooth of his, but I couldn't help but crave the maple-walnut flavors I had years ago.

But. Then.

I had the genius idea to follow Applebee's lead and warm a bar in the microwave for a few seconds, then top with cool vanilla ice cream.

And. Then.

I devoured it like it was slathered in chocolate and peanut butter. And caramel. It was that good. We ate every last blondie this way and I almost shed a tear with the last warm-gooey-creamy-cold bite.

So listen. If you make these, you MUST eat them warmed with ice cream. It is the only way. Because when something's just a little too sweet, the only reasonable thing to do is top it with something else just as sweet. At least in my book.

Butterscotch Blondies
Cooking Light’s “Butterscotch Bars”, January 2000
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat sugars and butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.

Spread batter evenly into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with morsels. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information: Calories:142 (27% from fat), Fat: 4.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.2g), Protein:1.6g, Carbohydrate: 24g, Fiber: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 8mg
Iron: 0.6mg, Sodium: 95mg, Calcium: 24mg.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------