Re: My favorite recipes

20-minute Pasta Sauce
From Sunset


As the pasta business has grown, so has the number of sauces. Many prepared sauces are of good quality, and they're certainly fast and convenient. But it's incredibly satisfying to make your own simple tomato sauce. It takes just 20 minutes--only slightly longer than heating a prepared sauce. Start with canned tomatoes and dress them up with whatever you have on hand. The results taste surprisingly fresh. Here's a favorite combination--delicious over anything from capellini to ravioli, and great in lasagna.

1 chopped onion
6 minced cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 can (28 oz.) pear-shaped tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan, combine chopped onion, minced cloves garlic, and olive oil. Stir often over medium-high heat until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
2. While onion cooks, mince basil leaves. Add to onion along with tomatoes with their juice, red wine, and chili flakes.

3. Boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes, stirring often and breaking tomatoes into small pieces. Use hot.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Re: My favorite recipes

Blueberry Granita with Berry Compote
From Cooking Light

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The more frequently you stir granita, the slushier it will be. The less you stir it, the icier it will be. You can use raspberries, blackberries, or any other delicate fresh berries instead of the blueberries in the compote. Make both the granita and the compote up to a day ahead.

Granita:
2 quarts fresh blueberries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups water, divided
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Compote:
2 cups quartered small strawberries, divided
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 (2-inch) piece lemon rind (removed with vegetable peeler)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice

To prepare granita, place blueberries in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. With food processor still on, slowly pour 1 cup water through food chute; process until well blended. Strain blueberry mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
Combine 1/2 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir sugar mixture and 3 tablespoons juice into blueberry mixture. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish; let cool to room temperature. Freeze 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until ice crystals begin to form. Remove mixture from freezer; stir well with a fork. Return dish to freezer; freeze 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or until slushy. Cover and freeze 1 hour.

To prepare compote, place 1 cup strawberries in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Strain strawberry mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.

Combine 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, and rind in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat. Discard rind. Add puréed strawberries, quartered strawberries, blueberries, and 1 teaspoon juice to pan; stir gently to combine. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill. Spoon compote into each of 8 bowls; top with granita.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup granita and about 1/3 cup compote)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 174 (3% from fat); FAT 0.5g (sat 0.0g, mono 0.0g, poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 0.9g; CARB 44.5g; FIBER 3.5g; CHOL 0.0mg; IRON 0.3mg; SODIUM 7mg; CALC 12mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Cashew-and-Golden Raisin Biscotti
From Cooking Light

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The ultimate travel cookies, crunchy biscotti are perfect for picnic-packing. They make a great not-too-sweet snack or dessert.

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup chopped dry-roasted cashews
3/4 cup golden raisins
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 300°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through mace) in a large bowl. Beat the sugar, vanilla, and eggs with a mixer in a large bowl at medium speed until thick. Stir in the flour mixture, cashews, and raisins. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 12-inch roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and pat to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 300° for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Cut roll diagonally into 24 (1/2-inch) slices; stand the slices upright on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 biscotto)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 102 (23% from fat); FAT 2.6g (sat 0.6g, mono 1.4g, poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 2.2g; CARB 18g; FIBER 0.7g; CHOL 18mg; IRON 0.8mg; SODIUM 52mg; CALC 14mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Altuna Melt
From Cooking Light


If the citizens of Altoona, Pennsylvania, want to adopt our world-class variation on this classic café sandwich, we grant them full latitude.

1/2 cup drained canned artichoke hearts, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (6-ounce) can albacore tuna in water, lightly drained and flaked
2 English muffins, split and toasted
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated provolone cheese

Preheat broiler.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide evenly among muffin halves; sprinkle with cheese. Place on a baking sheet; broil 5 inches from heat for 4 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 muffin halves)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 374 (26% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 4.7g, mono 4.3g, poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 27.6g; CARB 41.8g; FIBER 0.5g; CHOL 38mg; IRON 3.3mg; SODIUM 845mg; CALC 303mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Tuna Sandwich
From Coastal Living


4 (4- to 6-ounce) tuna fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 loaf unsliced French bread
Vegetable cooking spray
Basil Mayonnaise
Bibb lettuce
2 large tomatoes, sliced
8 slices bacon, cooked

Brush tuna fillets with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill, without grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork, turning once.

Cut bread on the diagonal into 8 3/4-inch slices, reserving remaining bread for other uses. Coat slices with cooking spray. Grill or toast each side until golden.

Spread Basil Mayonnaise evenly on one side of each bread slice. Layer 4 bread slices with tuna, lettuce, tomato, and bacon; top with remaining bread slices.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Re: My favorite recipes

Barbara's Big Juicy Burgers
From Southern Living

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Shape into 12 patties for smaller, quarter-pound burgers.

1 (11.5-ounce) can lightly tangy vegetable juice
3 white sandwich bread slices, torn into pieces
3 pounds ground chuck or ground round
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
10 hamburger buns
Vegetable cooking spray

Microwave vegetable juice in glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute. Add bread pieces; let cool. Combine, using hands.
Combine vegetable juice mixture, ground chuck, and next 3 ingredients. Shape into 10 patties.

Grill patties, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until beef is no longer pink.

Spray cut sides of buns with cooking spray; place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve hamburgers on buns.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used V-8 for vegetable juice.



Yield: Makes 10 servings

Re: My favorite recipes

Egg Salad Club Sandwiches
From Southern Living


Substitute fresh arugula for the spinach if you prefer its spicy bite. For a checkerboard effect, you can use both white and wheat breads. If you want to serve only the salad, just omit the bread, spinach, and 1/3 cup mayonnaise.

2/3 cup mayonnaise, divided
4 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 celery rib, diced
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced sweet onion
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 very thin white or wheat sandwich bread slices, lightly toasted
1 cup firmly packed fresh spinach
Garnish: whole fresh chives

Stir together 1/3 cup mayonnaise and next 7 ingredients.
Spread remaining 1/3 cup mayonnaise evenly over 1 side of each bread slice. Spread 4 bread slices, mayonnaise side up, evenly with half of egg salad. Top evenly with half of spinach and 4 bread slices.

Repeat procedure with remaining egg salad, spinach, and bread slices. Cut each sandwich into quarters; garnish, if desired.

Sweet-Pickle Egg Salad Club: Omit bacon and chives. Add 2 tablespoons instant potato flakes and 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish; proceed with recipe as directed.

Shrimp-Egg Salad Club: Omit bacon. Add 2/3 cup finely chopped boiled shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, and 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Re: My favorite recipes

Fried Hot Dogs
From Southern Living


4 hot dogs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard
4 hamburger buns, toasted
4 tomato slices
4 onion slices
4 lettuce leaves

Cut a slit lengthwise through each hot dog, cutting to, but not through, other side. Place hot dogs, flat sides down, in a skillet, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Drain hot dogs on paper towels.
Stir together mayonnaise and mustard; spread evenly on hamburger bun halves. Place 1 hot dog on bottom half of each bun; top each evenly with tomato, onion, lettuce, and remaining bun halves.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Re: My favorite recipes

Almond Cake
From Cooking Light

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Since this cake is not too sweet, it's perfect for brunch. For a nonalcoholic version, omit the amaretto and substitute an equal amount of apple juice, or use 1/4 cup water plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. A wire whisk and rubber spatula work fine here; you won't need your electric mixer.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped sliced almonds, toasted and divided (about 2 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1/4 cup amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, 1/4 cup almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine milk, butter, amaretto, and eggs; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle batter with remaining almonds. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Note: The Almond Cake freezes well. Bake it ahead, cool completely, and store in a freezer bag. To serve, thaw at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 286 (35% from fat); FAT 11.1g (sat 4.4g, mono 4.6g, poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 5.8g; CARB 42g; FIBER 1.4g; CHOL 71mg; IRON 1.7mg; SODIUM 349mg; CALC 108mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Alaska Mocha
From Sunset


It does get hot in Alaska--really--and when it does we like to sit on the deck, sip a cold drink, and enjoy the flowers before the moose eat them, says the Sunset reader of Anchorage. She whizzes up this low-fat drink using leftover breakfast coffee frozen in ice cube trays.

1 1/2 cups cold strong coffee
1/3 cup chocolate syrup
1/3 cup nonfat dried milk

1. Pour 1 1/4 cups coffee into an ice cube tray or trays and freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
2. To a blender (through opening in lid) or food processor with motor running, add frozen coffee cubes, chocolate syrup, nonfat dried milk, and 1/4 cup cold coffee. Whirl until mixture is a thick slush; if thicker than you like, add a little more cold coffee. Pour into tall glasses.

Yield: Makes 2 servings

Re: My favorite recipes

A Cool Drink
From Cooking Light


My maternal grandmother had wonderful glass pitchers that were always filled with something she called 'a cool drink.' Here's my variation on her theme. --CL Reader

6 cups cold water
4 cups fresh orange juice (about 10 oranges)
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup grenadine
4 teaspoons orange-flower water (optional)
20 lime slices (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a pitcher, stirring until sugar dissolves. Chill. Serve over ice; garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 124 (1% from fat); FAT 0.2g (sat 0.0g, mono 0.1g, poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 0.8g; CARB 31.5g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 0.0mg; IRON 0.2mg; SODIUM 5mg; CALC 14mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Cucumber Asian Greens
From Southern Living


1/4 cup sesame seeds
4 large cucumbers
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 cup Asian dressing
20 enoki mushrooms

Place a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add sesame seeds, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until toasted. Set aside.
Cut ends from cucumbers. Peel cucumbers with a stripper, leaving alternating strips of green and white. Cut each cucumber into 1 1/2-inch, 2-inch, and 3-inch pieces. Cut 1 end of each piece diagonally. Hollow out cucumbers with a sharp knife or melon baller, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells.

Toss mixed salad greens with Asian dressing. Arrange various-size cucumber pieces vertically among salad greens on 4 individual plates. Fill cucumber shells with greens. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and insert enoki mushrooms.

Note: For Asian dressing we used S&W Vintage Lites Oriental Rice Wine Vinegar Dressing.

Yield: 4 servings

Re: My favorite recipes

Italian Chard Dressing
From Sunset

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A Sunset Thanksgiving Classic

3/4 loaf (3/4 lb.) French bread
2 cups nonfat milk
2 pounds Italian sausages
1 cup chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 onion (about 6 oz.), peeled and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 packages (10 oz. each) thawed frozen Swiss chard
Salt

1. Cut bread into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices in a bowl and add milk. Mix gently with a spoon to saturate with milk and let stand about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, place a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat. Squeeze sausages from casings into pan. Discard casings. Stir meat often to crumble and lightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes; discard fat. Add parsley, garlic, onion, and celery. Stir often until vegetables are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

3. With your hands, squeeze bread slices to break them into tiny pieces. Add cooked meat mixture, cheese, basil, sage, and rosemary.

4. Squeeze moisture from chard and add to bowl. Mix dressing and add salt to taste.

5. Spoon into a shallow 3-quart (9- by 13-in.) casserole. For moist dressing, cover with foil; for crusty dressing, do not cover. Bake in a 325° to 350° oven (use temperature turkey requires) until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes (1 hour if dressing is chilled).

Yield: makes 12 servings

Re: My favorite recipes

Banana Cream Pie
From Cooking Light


1 1/4 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 25 cookies, finely crushed)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon stick margarine, melted
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon stick margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sliced banana
1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
Chocolate curls

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Add 1 tablespoon of egg white (discard remaining egg white) and 1 tablespoon melted margarine; toss with a fork until moistened. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes; let cool on a wire rack.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg in a large bowl; stir well with a wire whisk, and set aside.

Heat milk over medium-high heat in a medium heavy saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Remove from heat. Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with whisk. Return milk mixture to pan. Add 1 tablespoon margarine, and cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 25 minutes or until egg mixture cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Remove pan from ice. Fold in the sliced banana, and spoon mixture into prepared crust. Spread whipped topping evenly over filling, and top with chocolate curls. Cover loosely, and chill 4 hours.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 253 (31% from fat); FAT 8.9g (sat 2.2g, mono 2.9g, poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 3.9g; CARB 40.8g; FIBER 1.2g; CHOL 34mg; IRON 1.1mg; SODIUM 161mg; CALC 81mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Banana Pudding
From Cooking Light


1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sliced ripe banana, divided
45 reduced-fat vanilla wafers, divided
4 large egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milks and yolks; stir well. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Arrange 1 cup banana slices in bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Spoon one-third of pudding mixture over banana. Arrange 15 wafers on top of pudding. Repeat layers twice, arranging the last 15 wafers around edge of dish. Push cookies into pudding.

Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue evenly over pudding, sealing to edge of dish. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Note: Banana Pudding may be a bit soupy when you first remove it from the oven. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 255 (10% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 1g, mono 0.9g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 7.9g; CARB 49.5g; FIBER 0.1g; CHOL 51mg; IRON 0.4mg; SODIUM 155mg; CALC 161mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

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Brownie Cheesecake
From Cooking Light


1 (10.25-ounce) package fudge brownie mix
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (2 1/2-ounce) jar prune baby food
1 egg white
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
2 (8-ounce) blocks Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block nonfat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Spread into bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Tear brownies into small pieces. Press half of pieces into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 300°. Place cottage cheese in a large bowl; beat at medium-high speed of a mixer until almost smooth. Add cream cheeses; beat until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate.

Pour half of cheese mixture into prepared pan; top with remaining brownie pieces. Pour remaining cheese mixture over brownie pieces. Bake at 300° for 40 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand for 40 minutes in oven with door closed. Remove cheesecake from oven, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 271 (30% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 5.3g, mono 0.6g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 9.6g; CARB 37.7g; FIBER 0.8g; CHOL 65mg; IRON 0.2mg; SODIUM 373mg; CALC 69mg;

Re: My favorite recipes

Cherry Dump Pudding

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups pitted sour cherries
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups cherry juice





1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10x10-inch baking dish.
2 In large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and 1 cup sugar; stir. Add butter, milk and vanilla; beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Pour mixture into pan and cover evenly with cherries.
3 Heat cherry juice in microwave or in small saucepan, until just simmering. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over cherries, and pour hot cherry juice on top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.


Makes 12 servings