Chicken and Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese

You already know that I'm a huge mac and cheese fan. Look over there to the left - I have a whole tag full of variations, and though I definitely have my favorites, I'm always up for trying something new.

This Chicken and Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese was adapted from Cooking Light, but I'm not really sure what's so light about it. Sure, it could be a lot worse, but this doesn't really scream healthy dinner to me.

Anyway, fat content aside, this was a seriously delicious dinner that both of my children gobbled up. I doubled it, which left plenty for leftover lunches for a couple of days. I also took Danielle's suggestion and added broccoli.

Chicken and Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
adapted from Dinner with Danielle, who adapted from Cooking Light

• 8 ounces uncooked Fusilli pasta
• 3 slices pre-cooked bacon, cut into small pieces (reserve 1/3)
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 breast)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces skim milk
• 1 can condensed 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 4oz shredded cheese
• 3 teaspoons Ranch dressing mix
• 1 steamer bag of broccoli florets, cooked
  
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to the pan and warm through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add cheeses and dressing mix, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in broccoli, pasta and chicken.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake covered for 10-15 minutes; remove cover and bake for another 10.

Cheesy Bacon Pierogie Bake

I have never, before this meal, eaten a pierogie.

I don't know why... I just don't think we ever had them growing up, which means they weren't something I actively sought out in my own cooking.

That will change, though, because this Cooking Light meal was too good to leave as a one-hit wonder.  It's been popping up throughout my food blog world, and for good reason.  This was barely enough for all four of us, though; next time I will double.

Cheesy Bacon Pierogie Bake

barely adapted from Cooking Light

• 1  (16-ounce) package frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)
  
• Cooking spray
  
• 3  slices turkey bacon,  chopped
  
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1/3  cup  (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 1/4  cup  thinly diagonally sliced green onions
  
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
  

1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Arrange the pierogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.

3. Add garlic to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies. Top evenly with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

Recipe Swap: Chicken with Cherry Tomato Sauce

Last week I posted Sweet and Sour Chicken as my part in the Cooking Light Chicken Challenge, hosted by Lisa's Cooking Adventures.  I loved participating in her challenge and have thoroughly enjoyed the other recipes that fellow bloggers have posted.

The first recipe in the the challenge was posted by Lisa herself - Chicken with Cherry Tomato Sauce.  It looked delicious and I saved it right away, secretly bummed that it was no longer an option for the challenge.

But lo and behold, when I signed up for a Recipe Swap online, I was assigned this delicious meal.  Yay!

I didn't change too much - I did realize as I was prepping that I had NO fresh basil in the house.  How did that happen?!  I can't wait until the summer when I have to go no further than my own backyard for some fresh herbs.

Anyway.  To try to compensate, I seasoned the chicken with some dried basil before cooking, and then topped it with a little bit of reduced fat shredded mozzarella.  Delish - can't wait to try it again with real basil!

Chicken with Cherry Tomato Sauce

from Cooking Light

• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
  
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
  
• 5  garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  
• 1  pint cherry tomatoes
  
• 1/3  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  

Garnish: 1/4 cup small basil leaves

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan. Add chicken; sauté for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a serving platter. Add coarsely chopped garlic cloves to pan; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cherry tomatoes and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon over chicken. Garnish with small basil leaves.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

My friend and fellow blogger Lisa started a really cool chicken challenge on Lisa's Cooking Adventures. After receiving an email from Cooking Light with 25 Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes, she decided to host a reader-participation blogging event to cover all 25 recipes.

I jumped at the idea to become involved, and pretty soon I was all signed up to make Sweet and Sour Chicken. We liked this a lot, though didn't LOVE it. It's my own doing, though, I'm sure; I've grown into a non-measurer in the kitchen. This usually works out well for me, especially when making familiar dishes, but not so much when I try something new. I definitely want to try this again soon and measure correctly to make sure that I'm balancing the yummy flavors correctly.


Sweet and Sour Chicken
from Cooking Light

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons Thai chile paste (I omitted)
  
• Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Add chicken broth, apricot preserves, and soy sauce to pan; bring to a boil. Stir. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in fresh lime juice and Thai chile paste. Spoon over chicken; garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

Barbecue Stuffed Potatoes

I found this recipe while searching through a section on fast and easy meals on myrecipes.com. This was definitely fast and easy, though I'm not too sure the short-cuts were worth it.

In the future, I will bake the potatoes for sure. Even though I had to microwave them longer than the listed 20 minutes, I still couldn't get the typical baked-potato consistency. I'd bake them in the oven for sure.



I also didn't love the actual chicken. I used the brand they recommended and just wasn't impressed. Next time, I will either use my own or try a different brand.

Aside from those two complaints, I really liked the idea of these potatoes and will give them another shot.


Ingredients

• 6 6oz baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions, finely chopped and divided
• 1 1/3 cups shredded barbecue chicken (such as Lloyd's)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange in a circle on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until done, rearranging potatoes after 5 minutes.

2. While potatoes cook, combine sour cream and 2 tablespoons onions; set aside.

3. Place chicken in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap (do not allow plastic wrap to touch food). Remove potatoes from microwave; place chicken in microwave. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

4. Slice potatoes lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side; fluff with fork. Top each potato evenly with chicken, sour cream mixture, cheese, and remaining onions.

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You cannot possibly imagine how giddy I was when I was nonchalantly flipping through the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine and came across this cookie recipe.


I didn't feel guilty at all about chowing down on these (then again, I rarely feel guilt when eating something yummy. Ha!) because of the banana, oats, etc.

I altered the flour and chocolate slightly, so click on the link above for the original recipe. But make these today!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 5.6 ounces whole wheat flour
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add egg; beat well.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture in bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I've made sweet and sour chicken before, but I feel it's kinda like chocolate chip cookies or something - you can just never try too many variations.

I got this Cooking Light version in one of my daily "Dinner Tonight" emails and thought it was really good; next time, I will totally add some sauteed mushrooms to it.

(Sorry for the weird picture; I didn't realize that my f-stop was set so low until later. At least, I think that was the problem. Sometimes I like to randomly throw around the photography terms I know, even if I have no idea what I'm talking about. It makes me feel smart.)


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted chopped cashews (I omitted)
  

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper, and chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken mixture from pan; set aside.

Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to pan, and sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Add 1 cup pineapple chunks to pan; cook 30 seconds. Reserve remaining pineapple for another use. Combine the reserved 1/2 cup juice, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and sugar in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Return chicken mixture to pan. Stir in juice mixture; bring to boil. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with cashews.

Three Cheese Penne and Chicken Florentine

Brooke posted this Three Cheese Penne and Chicken Florentine dinner awhile ago, and I starred it right away. I, too, get "Dinner Tonight" from myrecipes.com, but I don't know how this one escaped being saved by me!


I followed many of Brooke's adaptations and made some of my own. This is perhaps one of my favorite things about cooking; you make minor changes, and then someone else makes minor changes, and then someone else... and you have all of these cool variations on the same dish. I really enjoy making a dish "mine"!

Anyway, this dinner was so amazingly delicious. It was very comfort-food-ish, but I didn't feel super guilty about it. I will absolutely be making this again.


Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms - omitted only because I forgot to buy them
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
  
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) carton skim ricotta
• 4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup fat free half and half
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat, add mushrooms, garlic, and onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, basil, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Combine spinach mixture, ricotta cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Turkey-Spinach Lasagna

I loooooove lasagna. LOOOOOOOVE IT. I think I get it from my dad - he loves it too. :)



While nothing really beats a good ol' plain lasagna, sometimes I like playing around with it just for something different. I found this Cooking Light version in Brooke's blog and really couldn't wait to make it. I'm glad I did, because it was amazing - definitely a keeper. I can't wait to make this again! I love having spinach in it, because it makes me feel like my bowl full of noodles and cheese is a healthy dinner. ;)



Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (26-ounce) jars low-fat marinara sauce (or equivalent homemade)
• 1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 cooked lasagna noodles or no-boil
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, onion,red pepper flakes and garlic; cook until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add 5 3/4 cups marinara sauce; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Combine ricotta cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan, parsley, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and spinach; stir well. Spread remaining marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over marinara; top with cottage cheese mixture and half of the mozzarella.

Spoon half of the turkey mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the remaining noodles over turkey mixture. Top with remaining turkey mixture and mozzarella.Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Stove-Top Mac and Cheese

I'm a bit skeptical about posting this in light of all of the recent drama Elizabeth encountered regarding myrecipes.com, but I am going to do my best to follow the "philosophy" of my blog while avoiding receiving a similar email. ;)

I made this dish at the very last minute, when my attempts at a crockpot Beef Stroganoff failed miserably. I already had the whole wheat egg noodles boiling but didn't have any sauce defrosted. I remembered getting a mac and cheese email from myrecipes.com and decided to make that instead.

This really wasn't as good as it could have been, but that was simply due to the changes I had to make at the very last minute. I had no regular flour and had to use whole wheat, and a yucky brand at that. I had no cheddar and used mozzarella. For an on-the-fly dinner it was okay, but I would love to give it another go without having to make substitutions.

Ingredients
4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni (or any pasta)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Cook the pasta according to package/personal taste; set aside.

In a large saucepan, make a roux (how the hell do you spell that??) with the flour, salt, pepper, and milk. Once blended, add the cream cheese and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and allow to thicken for a few minutes. Add the mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic and simmer.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese; combine with pasta.

Orange Mandarin Chicken

Well, I am FINALLY getting around to the Orange Mandarin Chicken that I selected for August's Dinner Divas. Took forever, but... well-worth it!

This dinner was SO GOOD! I admit that I totally cheated and used microwavable rice and frozen snow peas, but who cares. Delish!

Due to time, I had actually fed Ryan some leftovers before I even cooked. But he kept trying to steal peas and oranges while I was snapping photographs, so I gave him a bowl... and he ate almost everything! I guess this dish is a winner...

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, undrained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

While chicken cooks, drain oranges in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Add oranges, 2 tablespoons liquid, onions, jalapeño, and garlic to pan. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes. Combine broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 212 (16% from fat)
Fat: 3.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 27.2g
Carbohydrate: 15.2g
Fiber: 0.7g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 562mg
Calcium: 27mg

Robin Vitetta-Miller Cooking Light, JULY 2002

Chai Latte Brownies

My good friend Jennifer and I had babies 6 weeks apart and were on maternity leave together. We'd meet up pretty much weekly to walk our darlings around the mall, grab lunch, or just take a load off in each other's living rooms.

One of our favorite places is a little coffee shop near her house where the iced chai's are to DIE for (Starbucks is a fabulous second best). Ultimately, no get-together was complete without some sort of chai.

So you can imagine my sheer glee when I found this recipe for Chai Latte Brownies over at CookingLight.com. Jen and her gorgeous daughter Stella were coming over for a little playdate today, so I whipped these up as a little tasty surprise.



I must confess, however, that I was very disappointed. Don't get me wrong; these were good. Fudgey, a little cake-like, and gooey. But they were severely lacking in the "chai" department.

When I first read the reviews of this dessert, I was adequately forewarned that they would end up dry, considering that there is an unbalanced liquid-to-dry ratio. Several of the reviewers offered solutions, including upping the amount of milk and decreasing the amount of flour.

I was then hit with a moment of culinary brilliance, and since those are rare, I knew I needed to act. I already knew I needed more than the 1/4 cup of milk; I also knew that I needed to buy most of the spices. What if I added some concentrated Tazo Chai with the milk?

Of course, buying the box was easier said than done, and I ended up with a box of teabags instead. I heated up some milk (about a cup) and steeped 3 teabags in there for about 15 minutes.

I don't know if I needed more tea... or maybe I should have used water... but I was a bit let down by this. I don't think I'll make these again- at least, not without trying another improvisation.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk (I used about a cup of skim.)
• 3 cardamom pods, crushed
• 3 whole allspice, crushed
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick (I swapped out the above 4 ingredients in favor of 3 Tazo Chai teabags steeped in the milk.)
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a large microwave-safe bowl; discard solids. Add chocolate chips and butter to milk mixture; microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until chips and butter melt, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly; add eggs, stirring with a whisk.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread evenly into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 20 pieces.

Yield: 20 servings (serving size: 1 brownie)
CALORIES 130 (26% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 1.9g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.2g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 27mg; CALCIUM 29mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.5g; SODIUM 110mg; PROTEIN 2.2g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2007

Lemon Risotto with Asparagus

I have so very very much fallen in love with risotto! I know I should stop because it can't be the healthiest side, but I can't resist. It is sooooo good...

Last night I wanted to make something to go along with the grilled chicken, and this recipe for Lemon Risotto with Asparagus from Cooking Light seemed perfect!

It seemed like an awful lot of broth, but I used every drop. Next time I will probably use a combination of broth and water just cut back a little on the sodium. Overall, however, it was fantastic! Ryan pretty much only ate that... minus the asparagus. Hee hee! And I have to confess that my risotto-to-chicken ratio was more than a little unbalanced. :)

(It's a lame picture of my leftovers because I accidentally deleted the real shot!)

Ingredients:

• 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Bring broth to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and rind; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 3 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add 3 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Stir in asparagus. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese and juice. Sprinkle with thyme.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 307 (14% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 154mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.2g; SODIUM 532mg; PROTEIN 11.7g; FIBER 2.7g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2002

Multigrain Pancakes

I was very excited this morning to use the mix I made last night to cook these up for Ryan and me. I think it may have even been easier than Bisquick! Awesome.

I made three kinds - blueberry, strawberry, and of course, chocolate chip for me. :) I wonder if it'd be weird to throw some dried fruit into the mix...

(The picture isn't any good. I took a really nice one before we ate, but then accidentally deleted it and had to take a quick one with what was left...)

Here's Ryan enjoying his "blue" pancake:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups Multigrain Pancake Mix
• Vegetable cooking spray

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Add pancake mix, and stir until smooth (batter will be slightly thick).

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Yield: 10 (4-inch) pancakes

(serving size: 1 pancake)CALORIES 121 (36% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.3g,poly 2.2g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 56mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16g; SODIUM 203mg; PROTEIN 3.7g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1995

Multigrain Pancake Mix

I was looking through Cooking Light's website for some breakfast ideas for Ryan when I found this recipe for Multigrain Pancake Mix. I had most of the ingredients on hand, so after a quick stop at the store, I was in business.

I love that it's just a 2-step process to making the mix. So simple; I may never buy Bisquick again! I do wish that I had doubled (at least!) this recipe; it only makes enough to use twice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Place oats in food processor, and process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Store in a tightly sealed container in refrigerator.

Yield: 4 cups

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1995

Chocolate Mint Bars

I can't rave enough about my subscription to Cooking Light that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. It is so awesome, and really, who DOESN'T love food that taste amazing AND is good for you??

A few months ago, this recipe for Chocolate Mint Bars was on the cover. Of course, I tore it out and filed it safely away. It even taunted me when I'd see the magazine at the checkout line at the grocery store. I never got around to making them...

...Until now! Today was my last day of school (YAY!) and therefore, Ryan's last day of daycare (well, until September...). When he starts up again, he'll be in a new room, so I really wanted to bake something special for his teachers. They are so wonderful and loving and amazing... I cannot rave enough about these ladies. We will miss them! But I figured Ryan's departure from Infant C was the perfect occassion to break out this recipe.

I saved a couple for us, and they were divine. The bottom layer was so rich and fudgey, and the mint was just enough to have flavor without being overpowering. I will be making these again!

These were very easy to make, although it does a bit of time because of the layers. I had to bake them a little longer than the recipe says, but that's okay. And the edges were a little messy, but again - that's okay.

(Side note: Whenever I bake something, Pat is ALWAYS sniffing around the kitchen hoping for a beater or spoon to lick. I handed him the spatula with the mint layer and warned him that he wouldn't like it... oh, the expression on his face was priceless! He told me he much more prefers plain old brownie batter. Hee hee!)

Ingredients

Bottom layer:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
• Cooking spray

Mint layer:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 drops green food coloring

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bottom layer, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt; stir with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, egg substitute, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate syrup in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Pour batter into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

3. To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture over cooled cake.

4. To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 20 pieces.

Yield

20 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 264(30% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45g; SODIUM 139mg; PROTEIN 2.8g; FIBER 0.5g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2008

Pork Chops Marsala

I was kind of disappointed with this recipe from Cooking Light. I think much of it was my own fault, though; I shouldn't have used PAM to coat my pan like the recipe said. Also, I think I overcooked it, as it was rather tough. The flavor was good, though, so I'd like to try this again sometime.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• Cooking spray 1/3 cup minced shallots (about 2)
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Marsala wine or dry sherry
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pork from pan.

Add shallots, garlic, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add remaining 2 tablespoons flour and thyme to pan, and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Combine chicken broth and Marsala, stirring until smooth. Gradually add broth mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Return pork to pan; cook 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1/2 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 242(25% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 2.5g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.4g; SODIUM 299mg; PROTEIN 27g; FIBER 1.1g

Michele Powers
Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

I just made a fraction of this Cooking Light, but it was enough for the three of us. It was pretty good; nothing spectacular, but good. Ryan, however, ate almost the entire portion of what I dished out to photograph! This really is something I'd probably make again, although I wouldn't actually plan it out; I'd just kind of dump what I had in the bowl.

Ingredients:

• 13 cups cubed red potato (about 4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Place potato in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Place potato in a large bowl. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

CALORIES 197 (21% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.9g; SODIUM 206mg; PROTEIN 4.3g; FIBER 3.2g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Zesty Citrus Chicken

I can't describe to you how delicious this chicken from Cooking Light is. I chose to marinate it overnight rather than just for a few hours, and I would recommend that for sure. It was so tender and juicy and wonderful, and just thinking about it makes me want more.

Ingredients:

• 6 limes
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour or all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 12 thin orange slices

Grate rind from limes, reserving 2 tablespoons rind; set aside. Squeeze juice from limes to equal 3/4 cup.

Combine lime juice, lemon juice, and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving 2 tablespoons marinade. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add 3 chicken breast halves; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place chicken in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and chicken.

Combine lime rind and brown sugar; sprinkle over chicken. Combine reserved marinade and broth; drizzle around chicken. Top each chicken breast half with 2 orange slices. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Place chicken on a serving platter. Strain any remaining liquid in dish through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Discard solids. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

CALORIES 332 (14% from fat); FAT 5.1g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.8g); IRON 2.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 56mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.9g; SODIUM 533mg; PROTEIN 41.5g; FIBER 3.8g Cooking Light, MARCH 2007