OCTOBER
OUR 25 ALL-TIME FAVORITE RECIPES
We combed the archives, grilled readers, polled online users, and interrogated staff with one goal in mind: Find the all-time favorite Cooking Light dishes.
Define “favorite,” you say. It turns out there is more than one definition. Some cited no-fail standbys, dishes they make over and over. Others nominated recipes that represent an ideal expression of a dish, be it casual, fast, or fancy. Eventually we had a too-long list, so we retested everything. Some fell out under hard judging; some got flavor tweaks or nutrition makeovers. A few passed with no alterations at all. The final 25 are, no matter the definition, true favorites.
Kid Friendly • Freezable • Make Ahead
1 Beef Daube Provençal
The definition of a meaty stew: great today, even better tomorrow
Hands-on: 40 min. Total: 3 hr. 15 min. We just love this recipe, and according to the online reviews, so do many of you. It’s foolproof, surefire, an absolute winner. We wouldn’t change a thing.
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
11/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
11/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)
1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil.
3. Cover and bake at 300° for 21/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.
Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or until beef is tender. Serves 6 (serving size: about 3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)
CALORIES 367; FAT 12.8g (sat 4.3g, mono 5.8g, poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 29.1g; CARB 33.4g; FIBER 3.9g; CHOL 105mg; IRON 4.3mg; SODIUM 678mg; CALC 76mg
Kid Friendly • Freezable • Make Ahead • Vegetarian
2 Brioche Rolls
Best expression of pure yeasty perfection
Hands-on: 35 min. Total: 12 hr. 16 min. When we retested these rolls (originally a recipe makeover) for this story, we were unanimous in our praise: They are perfect as is. Each roll has about 75% fewer calories and 80% less fat than classic brioche rolls, but all the flaky, buttery essence is thankfully still there. An overnight proof in the fridge builds depth and flavor; don’t be tempted to skip that step.
1 package dry yeast (about 21/4 teaspoons)
1/3 cup warm 1% low-fat milk (100° to 110°)
15.75 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 31/2 cups)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
81/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white
1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; let stand for 5 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, sugar, salt, and eggs to milk mixture; beat at low speed until smooth, scraping sides of bowl with spatula as needed. Remove paddle attachment; insert dough hook. Beat dough at low speed 5 minutes or until soft and elastic and dough just begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Cut 61/2 tablespoons butter into large cubes; add half of cubed butter to dough, beating at medium speed to blend. Add remaining butter cubes to dough; beat at medium speed until incorporated. Beat dough at medium speed 4 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; form into a ball. Return dough to bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
3. Uncover dough; let stand 90 minutes or until room temperature. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 11/2-inch ball. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 dough portions to make 24 rolls total. Place rolls in muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white; stir with a whisk. Gently brush rolls with egg mixture. Bake at 350° for 14 minutes or until golden. Place pans on wire racks. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until butter melts. Brush butter onto rolls. Serves 24 (serving size: 1 roll)
CALORIES 128; FAT 4.9g (sat 2.8g, mono 1.4g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CARB 17.2g; FIBER 0.6g; CHOL 41mg; IRON 1.1mg; SODIUM 94mg; CALC 13mg
Kid Friendly • Quick & Easy
3 Crispy Fish with Lemon-Dill Sauce
Ultimate crispity, crunchity satisfaction
Hands-on: 15 min. Total: 30 min. Crispy breaded fish is a weeknight favorite, and you can have it without reaching into the freezer case. What we love about this recipe is that you don’t even need to pan-fry the fillets; they get breaded and go right under the broiler. Be sure to use a broiler pan; the air vents keep the fish from getting soggy. Our only change was to slightly decrease the amount of salt—it’s still fantastic.
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (6-ounce) skinless cod fillets
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise (such as Hellmann’s)
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
4 lemon wedges
1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Combine panko, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish evenly with pepper and salt. Dip fillets in egg white, and dredge in panko mixture; place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Combine mayonnaise, pickle, lemon juice, and dill. Serve fish with sauce and lemon wedges. Serves 4 (serving size: 1 fillet, about 2 tablespoons sauce, and 1 lemon wedge)
CALORIES 245; FAT 5.2g (sat 0.2g, mono 2.7g, poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 34.5g; CARB 11.5g; FIBER 0.8g; CHOL 63mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 580mg; CALC 18mg
Kid Friendly • Freezable • Make Ahead • Vegetarian
4 Catalonian Pepper and Nut Sauce (Salsa Romesco)
Most versatile condiment
Hands-on: 15 min. Total: 64 min. Making this recipe is time well spent: You’ll be rewarded with lots of smoky-garlicky-peppery sauce, which keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for a couple of months. There are lots of delicious ways to use it: Dip veggies or steamed shrimp in it, use it to flavor omelets, thin it with a little vinegar and water for salad dressing, try it as a sandwich spread, or smear it over pizza dough for a Spanish pie.
2 dried ancho chiles
2 small red bell peppers
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (1-ounce) slice bread, toasted
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Place ancho chiles in a small saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain well. Remove stems, seeds, and membranes from chiles; discard. Place chiles in a medium bowl.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add bell peppers to chiles.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
5. Arrange hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until toasted. Turn nuts out onto a towel. Roll up towel; rub off skins. Place hazelnuts in a food processor. Add almonds, garlic, and bread to food processor; process 1 minute or until finely ground. Add chile mixture, vinegar, tomato paste, paprika, and ground red pepper; process 1 minute or until combined. With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute; process until well blended. Add 1/4 cup hot water and salt; process 10 seconds or until combined. Serves 40 (serving size: about 1 tablespoon)
CALORIES 59; FAT 5.7g (sat 0.7g, mono 3.9g, poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 0.9g; CARB 2.1g; FIBER 0.7g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.3mg; SODIUM 36mg; CALC 8mg
Kid Friendly
5 Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Feeds the picnic instinct—outside or on the living room floor
Hands-on: 20 min. Total: 40 min. This recipe received multiple nominations for its family friendly appeal. It’s lick-your-fingers good, with a sweet-spicy sauce draped over spice-rubbed chicken. We tweaked it just a bit to make it a little less sweet, and we love it even more.
Chicken:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Cooking spray
Sauce:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Remaining ingredients:
8 (11/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
16 hamburger dill chips
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients; rub evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally. Let stand 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.
3. To prepare sauce, while chicken grills, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and next 5 ingredients (through ground red pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes.
4. Place 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom half of each bun; top each with 2 pickle chips and top of bun. Serves 8 (serving size: 1 sandwich)
CALORIES 325; FAT 9.7g (sat 2.3g, mono 3.8g, poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 23.9g; CARB 35.4g; FIBER 1.6g; CHOL 106mg; IRON 2.7mg; SODIUM 786mg; CALC 99mg
Freezable • Make Ahead
6 Pork Posole
Comfort food, Mexican-style
Hands-on: 25 min. Total: 1 hr. 35 min. It’s amazing how much flavor there is in such a humble (and, by the way, inexpensive) dish. The star of the soup is hominy, with its chewy texture and toasty-corn character; you’ll find it with the Latin foods in the supermarket. Updates were minor: We simply omitted some oil and meat drippings for a cleaner broth.
1 teaspoon olive oil
12 ounces boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup beer
2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 (28-ounce) can hominy, drained
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
4 radishes, sliced
4 lime wedges
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add pork; sauté 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove pork from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return pork to pan; stir in cumin and pepper. Add beer; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 9 minutes).
2. Add chicken stock, salsa, and hominy; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 10 minutes or until pork is very tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 11/3 cups soup into each of 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves and 1 sliced radish. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4
CALORIES 231; FAT 5.5g (sat 1.3g, mono 2.3g, poly 1g); PROTEIN 14.2g; CARB 30.3g; FIBER 5.5g; CHOL 27mg; IRON 2.9mg; SODIUM 581mg; CALC 70mg
Make Ahead
7 Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños
Irresistible pick-me-up app
Hands-on: 30 min. Total: 40 min. With their cheesy bacon filling, these poppers are addictive. While we didn’t want to futz with this recipe, we recognize that jalapeños vary wildly in heat level—sometimes incendiary and sometimes mild. So here’s a suggestion: If you’ll have guests who are sensitive to heat, try doing half the batch in jalapeños (for the chile-heads) and half in mini sweet peppers. That way, everyone wins!
2 center-cut bacon slices
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (about 1/2 cup)
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 1/2 cup)
1 ounce extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small garlic clove, minced
14 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped seeded tomato
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Combine crumbled bacon, cheeses, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl, stirring well to combine. Divide cheese mixture evenly to fill pepper halves. Place peppers, cheese sides up, on grill rack or grill grate coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill peppers 8 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Place peppers on a serving platter; sprinkle with cilantro and tomato. Serves 14 (serving size: 2 pepper halves)
CALORIES 56; FAT 4.1g (sat 2.2g, mono 1.1g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 2.9g; CARB 2.1g; FIBER 0.5g; CHOL 13mg; IRON 0.2mg; SODIUM 157mg; CALC 55mg
8 Fresh Pear Cocktail
Fall flavors in a martini glass
Hands-on: 10 min. Total: 10 min. We adore this drink, with fresh pear juice (easy to make!) lending its unmistakable sweet flavor and fragrance. It still makes us swoon exactly as we first published it.
1 medium Bosc pear
2 tablespoons citrus-infused vodka
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon agave syrup (or sugar syrup)
3 tablespoons hard apple cider or cidre doux
Pear slices (optional)
1. Shred pear; place shredded pear pulp on several layers of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together, and squeeze over a glass measuring cup to yield 1/3 cup fresh pear juice. Discard solids. Combine pear juice, vodka, pomegranate juice, lime juice, and agave syrup in a martini shaker with ice; shake. Strain about 3 tablespoons of the vodka mixture into each of 2 martini glasses. Top each serving with 11/2 tablespoons cider. Garnish with pear slices, if desired. Serves 2
CALORIES 131; FAT 0.1g (sat 0g, mono 0g, poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 0.4g; CARB 24.4g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.2mg; SODIUM 2mg; CALC 10mg
9 Herbed Cheese Pizzas
A Turkish twist on classic street food
Hands-on: 50 min. Total: 2 hr. 10 min. The recipe makes eight individual pizzas, enough for an interactive cooking party. The original recipe didn’t meet our current sodium and calorie guidelines, so we adjusted a few ingredients. Great news: The pizzas are still show-stealers.
Dough:
9.5 ounces bread flour (about 2 cups), divided
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages dry yeast (about 41/2 teaspoons)
11/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°), divided
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups), divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
Topping:
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot paprika
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 (28-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
8 ounces kasseri cheese, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. To prepare dough, weigh or lightly spoon bread flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 4.75 ounces (about 1 cup) bread flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup warm water in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 7.5 ounces (12/3 cups) all-purpose flour, remaining 4.75 ounces (about 1 cup) bread flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add yeast mixture, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon oil to flour mixture; stir well. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; divide dough into 8 equal portions. Cover and let rest 20 minutes.
4. To prepare topping, combine oregano, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.
5. Preheat oven to 450°.
6. Working with 1 dough portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), roll each portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; place circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions.
7. Top each crust with 1/4 cup tomato mixture, 1 ounce cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until crusts are lightly browned. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Serves 8 (serving size: 1 pizza)
CALORIES 402; FAT 11.4g (sat 5.4g, mono 3.6g, poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 16.6g; CARB 57.9g; FIBER 4.6g; CHOL 30mg; IRON 3.7mg; SODIUM 676mg; CALC 247mg
10 Brazilian Feijoada
A slow-cooker miracle
Hands-on: 47 min. Total: 9 hr. 47 min. Slow-cooker recipes can be a little disappointing—flavors a bit exhausted, textures a bit too soft. Not so with this recipe, a standout in every way. It’s a classic Brazilian dish (pronounced fay-ZWAH-da) that is pure porky perfection, one we’ll happily enjoy whenever we get the chance. Serve over rice, and spritz with the orange wedge for a fresh, sweet finish.
2 cups dried black beans
4 applewood-smoked bacon slices
1 (1-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
3 cups finely chopped onion (about 2 medium)
11/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (9-ounce) smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon white vinegar
8 orange wedges
1. Place black beans in a small saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil; cook beans 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pork to drippings in skillet; sauté 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer pork to a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Sprinkle ribs evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add ribs to skillet; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in slow cooker. Add drained beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion, and next 3 ingredients (through ham hock) to slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until beans and meat are tender.
3. Remove ribs from slow cooker; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred meat with 2 forks. Discard bones. Discard ham hock. Return beef to slow cooker. Stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Serve with orange wedges. Serves 8 (serving size: 11/4 cups bean mixture and 1 orange wedge)
CALORIES 458; FAT 17.4g (sat 6.8g, mono 6.7g, poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 39.5g; CARB 35.8g; FIBER 11.6g; CHOL 96mg; IRON 6.4mg; SODIUM 533mg; CALC 102mg
11 Saucy Chicken Marsala
“They’ll never know it was so easy” dinner-party dish
Hands-on: 28 min. Total: 45 min. When we revisited David Bonom’s 2010 recipe Chicken and Mushrooms with Marsala Wine Sauce, we loved it but wanted more of the earthy, wine-licked sauce. Our update keeps the soul of the original dish, but with more luscious, ’shroomy goodness. You simply must serve it over mashed potatoes, polenta, or spaghetti to catch all the sauce.
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
2 cups boiling water
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
11/2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)
11/2 cups thinly sliced button mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
11/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsalted chicken stock
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves
1. Place porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl; cover with 2 cups boiling water. Cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving soaking liquid. Thinly slice mushrooms.
2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper over chicken. Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt; porcini, shiitake, and button mushrooms; and oregano. Sauté 6 minutes or until mushrooms release moisture and darken. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in stock, wine, and porcini soaking liquid; cook 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes or until heated, turning chicken once. Sprinkle with basil. Serves 4 (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, about 2/3 cup sauce, and 1 tablespoon basil)
CALORIES 336; FAT 11.5g (sat 1.9g, mono 6.2g, poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 40.5g; CARB 12.1g; FIBER 2g; CHOL 109mg; IRON 2.1mg; SODIUM 585mg; CALC 39mg
12 Slow-Roasted GrapeTomatoes
Best way to get summer flavors year-round
Hands-on: 10 min. Total: 3 hr. 10 min. Though we adore the recipe these are based on (David Bonom’s Aromatic Slow-Roasted Tomatoes from December 2009), we wanted a faster update. So in place of plum tomatoes we went with little grape tomatoes, which roast to concentrated sweetness in less than half the time. Serve as they are for a side dish, on crostini with ricotta for an appetizer, or tossed with pasta and oil for a main dish.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
11/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 200°.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients, tossing gently to coat. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast at 200° for 3 hours. Serves 8 (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
CALORIES 55; FAT 1.7g (sat 0.2g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.4g; CARB 8.9g; FIBER 2.8g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.1mg; SODIUM 157mg; CALC 35mg
Kid Friendly • Quick & Easy
13 Cumin-Crusted Sablefish
Most crazy-delicious reader-submitted recipe ever
Hands-on: 5 min. Total: 20 min. We made an important update to this recipe. It originally called for Chilean sea bass—and although you can sometimes find a sustainable type of that fish (longline-caught in the McDonald and Falkland islands), sablefish (also known as black cod) and white sea bass are consistently good choices with a similarly rich, buttery texture. It’s worth the tiny bit of effort to toast and grind your own cumin seeds—the flavor payoff is huge.
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) sablefish or white sea bass fillets
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 lemon wedges
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Cook cumin seeds in a large skillet over medium heat 2 minutes or until toasted. Place cumin, salt, and pepper in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Rub cumin mixture over top and bottom sides of fillets.
3. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add fillets; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Wrap handle of pan with foil. Bake at 375° for 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley; serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4 (serving size: 1 fillet)
CALORIES 331; FAT 26g (sat 5.3g, mono 13.8g, poly 3.5g); PROTEIN 22.3g; CARB 0.9g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 80mg; IRON 3.3mg; SODIUM 391mg; CALC 75mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead • Freezable
14 Chicken, Kale, and Quinoa Soup
Best mash-up of all your favorites
Hands-on: 59 min. Total: 59 min. We took four of the top recipe search categories from our website—chicken, kale, quinoa, and soup—and combined them into one tasty dish that we think will become your new favorite. Rinse the quinoa to ensure that any bitter coating is removed.
4 center-cut bacon slices
11/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
6 cups chopped kale
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside.
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, carrot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Remove mixture from pan.
3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté 6 minutes or until chicken is browned and done. Stir in onion mixture, chicken stock, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil.
4. Place quinoa in a fine sieve; place sieve in a large bowl. Cover quinoa with water. Using your hands, rub grains together for 30 seconds; rinse and drain. Repeat procedure twice. Drain well. Add quinoa to pan; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add kale and thyme to pan; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Discard bay leaves. Ladle about 12/3 cup soup into bowls; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon bacon. Serves 6
CALORIES 262; FAT 6.2g (sat 1.7g, mono 1.4g, poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 26.6g; CARB 26.3g; FIBER 3.9g; CHOL 77mg; IRON 3.2mg; SODIUM 650mg; CALC 147mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead
15 Chicken Enchiladas
Superb casual casserole
Hands-on: 47 min. Total: 1 hr. 52 min. For many staffers, this is the go-to make-for-company dish—a sure bet. Once you taste the mix of spicy jalapeño, tangy salsa verde, tender chicken, and luscious cream cheese, you’ll be as hooked as we are.
4 cups cold water
2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 jalapeño pepper, halved
1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 (7-ounce) can salsa verde
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon; let stand 10 minutes. Shred chicken; set aside. Drain cooking liquid through a sieve over a bowl; reserve liquid. Discard solids.
2. Combine reserved cooking liquid and salsa verde in a wide saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 11/2 cups (about 30 minutes). Reduce heat to low; stir in whipping cream. Place pan over low heat.
3. Preheat oven to 400°.
4. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add tomato and next 5 ingredients (through cream cheese) to chicken; toss. Dip each tortilla in sauce mixture for 10 seconds. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup chicken mixture; roll up. Arrange filled tortillas, seam sides down, in an 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon sauce over tortillas; top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serves 6 (serving size: 2 enchiladas)
CALORIES 262; FAT 10.8g (sat 5.7g, mono 0.2g, poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 18.3g; CARB 22.8g; FIBER 2.5g; CHOL 65mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 715mg; CALC 79mg
Quick & Easy
16 Green Curry Fritters
Global flavors favorite
Hands-on: 25 min. Total: 25 min. Talk about flavor! Green curry paste (found in the Asian-foods section) and chile paste impart tons of savory-spicy-fragrant hits to ground chicken. Only a tiny tweak to this recipe: Our fritters got a little too browned, so we reduced the cooking temperature from medium-high to medium and cooked them a little longer.
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions
1 pound ground chicken breast
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
11/2 tablespoons green curry paste
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1. Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise and next 7 ingredients (through egg). Add mayonnaise mixture to chicken mixture; mix lightly until combined. Divide into 12 equal portions; gently shape each portion into a small patty (do not pack).
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 6 patties to pan; cook 31/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and patties. Serves 6 (serving size: 2 fritters)
CALORIES 206; FAT 11.9g (sat 1.2g, mono 6.3g, poly 3.4g); PROTEIN 18.4g; CARB 6g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 75mg; IRON 0.2mg; SODIUM 368mg; CALC 8mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead • Vegetarian
17 Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze
Most tempting of all our quick breads
Hands-on: 12 min. Total: 1 hr. 52 min. Mom’s Banana Bread, a recipe dating back to 1996 when it was submitted by reader Stacey A. Johnson, has been a consistent staff and reader favorite. The new chocolate topping makes it even more irresistible.
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
12/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 large egg whites
9 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
21/2 tablespoons half-and-half
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended (do not overbeat). Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch metal loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool on rack.
4. Place half-and-half and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 20 seconds. Cool slightly; drizzle over bread. Serves 16 (serving size: 1 slice)
CALORIES 184; FAT 5.2g (sat 3.1g, mono 1.4g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 3g; CARB 32.6g; FIBER 1.3g; CHOL 11mg; IRON 1mg; SODIUM 190mg; CALC 18mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead • Vegetarian
18 Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip
Mob-worthy, large-batch party-pleaser
Hands-on: 13 min. Total: 46 min. This has been a staff favorite ever since we first tried it 13 years ago. It’s rich, savory, and super-creamy, with a nice hit of garlic. We made a few small tweaks—increased the amount of spinach and decreased the mozzarella to lower the sat fat to an acceptable level. Serve with tortilla chips.
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
6 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided (about 11/2 cups)
1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, grated and divided (about 1/4 cup)
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Add 4 ounces (1 cup) mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan; stir well. Spoon mixture into a broiler-safe 11/2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
3. Preheat broiler to high (leave dish in oven). Broil dip 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Serves 22 (serving size: about 1/4 cup)
CALORIES 75; FAT 4.2g (sat 2.4g, mono 1.1g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 5.9g; CARB 3.7g; FIBER 0.4g; CHOL 15mg; IRON 0.5mg; SODIUM 216mg; CALC 150mg
Kid Friendly • Vegetarian
19 Whole-Wheat, Buttermilk, and Orange Pancakes
Sunday-morning-in-your-jammies breakfast
Hands-on: 30 min. Total: 40 min. Here we’ve updated Bill and Cheryl Jamison’s fantastic Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes from 2002 with a little citrus zest. Allowing the batter to sit before cooking gives the leaveners a chance to work, creating light, fluffy pancakes.
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind
3/4 teaspoon fresh orange juice
3.5 ounces white whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
3.4 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons sugar
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
3/4 cup maple syrup
1. Combine first 3 ingredients.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, 1/4 cup juice, oil, and 1 egg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist; let stand 15 minutes. Place egg white in a medium bowl; beat with a whisk until medium peaks form. Gently fold egg white into batter.
3. Preheat a griddle to medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Cook 3 minutes or until edges begin to bubble and bottom is browned. Turn pancakes over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Serve with orange butter and syrup. Serves 6 (serving size: 2 pancakes, 1 teaspoon butter, and 2 tablespoons syrup)
CALORIES 336; FAT 8g (sat 3.2g, mono 3g, poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 7.4g; CARB 59.1g; FIBER 2.5g; CHOL 44mg; IRON 1.5mg; SODIUM 477mg; CALC 182mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead
20 Fresh Lemonade Cake
Most “Pinned” dessert ever—improved
Hands-on: 35 min. Total: 1 hr. 30 min. Lemonade Layer Cake, developed by Ann Taylor Pittman as a recipe makeover, has been loved by readers since it debuted in April 2002. When we retested it for this story, we felt we could make big improvements in the texture and flavor. Instead of using a lemonade product, we’ve made a concentrated fresh lemonade syrup that adds zippy citrus hits to the more-tender cake.
Cake:
Baking spray with flour
11 ounces cake flour (about 23/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Lemonade syrup:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon sections
1 tablespoon water
Frosting:
8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
21/2 cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, lightly coat 2 (8-inch) round metal cake pans with baking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with baking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine buttermilk and low-fat milk. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, butter, and oil in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 tablespoon rind. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until combined.
4. Place 3 egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form, using clean, dry beaters. Gently fold egg white mixture into batter. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks. Loosen edges with a knife, and invert cake layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper, and discard.
5. To prepare lemonade syrup, while cake layers bake, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and next 3 ingredients (through 1 tablespoon water) in a 1-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 45 seconds or until mixture boils; stir until sugar dissolves. Cool slightly. Pierce warm cake layers liberally with a wooden pick. Brush syrup over warm cake layers until all of syrup is absorbed. Cool completely.
6. To prepare frosting, place chilled cream cheese, 2 teaspoons rind, and 1 teaspoon juice in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of frosting over top. Top with remaining layer. Spread remaining frosting over top. Store, loosely covered, in refrigerator. Serves 16 (serving size: 1 slice)
CALORIES 314; FAT 10.3g (sat 4.6g, mono 3.7g, poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 4.7g; CARB 51.8g; FIBER 0.5g; CHOL 44mg; IRON 1.6mg; SODIUM 244mg; CALC 64mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead
21 Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie
A pie with real sass
Hands-on: 35 min. Total: 4 hr. No changes here: We love the combo of deep, rich chocolate and the tingly pinch of cinnamon and red pepper. We also enjoy the ease and forgiving nature of a graham cracker crust, which is less fussy than pastry. If you can’t find espresso granules with the coffee, look in the Latin-foods section (that’s where we sometimes find them).
Crust:
11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 cookie sheets), divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons egg white
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso granules
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
13/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
11/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. To prepare crust, reserve 1 tablespoon crumbs for topping. Combine remaining crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl, stirring well. Stir in egg white and butter. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 9 minutes or until lightly toasted; cool completely on a wire rack.
3. To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup sugar and next 7 ingredients (through egg yolk) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place milk in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until milk reaches 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth.
4. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until mixture cools, stirring occasionally. Spoon filling into crust; cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill 3 hours or until set; remove plastic wrap. Spread whipped topping over pie; sprinkle with reserved cracker crumbs. Serves 8 (serving size: 1 slice)
CALORIES 278; FAT 10.3g (sat 5.8g, mono 2.8g, poly 1g); PROTEIN 5g; CARB 42.1g; FIBER 1.3g; CHOL 57mg; IRON 1.5mg; SODIUM 231mg; CALC 81mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead
22 Mocha Cake with Fluffy Meringue Topping
A luscious cake perfect for wowing a crowd
Hands-on: 23 min. Total: 1 hr. 38 min. Since 2006, readers have professed their love for contest winner Anna Ginsberg’s One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake, touting it as the moistest cake ever. We agree—the cake is incredible. But online reviews suggested that the topping could use some tweaking. Instead of the original “mocha cream” of whipped topping, marshmallow creme, and coffee, we now have a creamy, less-sweet meringue. We also replaced reduced-fat mayonnaise (yes, mayo—it’s the secret ingredient that makes for a fantastically moist cake) with canola mayo, our current product of choice.
Cake:
9 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola mayonnaise (such as Hellmann’s)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup hot strong brewed coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray
Meringue:
9 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large egg whites
1/3 cup light chocolate syrup
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon salt) in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and oil; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Slowly add brewed coffee and vanilla; beat with a mixer at low speed 1 minute or until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips; pour batter into a 13 x 9–inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
3. To prepare meringue, combine 9 tablespoons sugar and next 3 ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water 2 minutes or until candy thermometer registers 150°, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Beat egg mixture with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form; beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over cake. Store cake, loosely covered, in refrigerator. Drizzle each serving with 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup. Serves 16 (serving size: 1 piece)
CALORIES 289; FAT 8.2g (sat 1.2g, mono 4.5g, poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 4g; CARB 52.1g; FIBER 1.8g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 1.6mg; SODIUM 412mg; CALC 47mg
Kid Friendly • Quick & Easy • Vegetarian
23 Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter
Weekend elegance in a weeknight-easy side dish
Hands-on: 7 min. Total: 25 min. We’ve adored this recipe for more than a decade. Something magical happens when asparagus picks up a little toasty flavor, and then gets tossed in nutty browned butter with a splash of sweet balsamic vinegar: The vegetable outshines the entrée.
40 thick asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.
3. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately. Serves 8 (serving size: 5 spears)
CALORIES 45; FAT 3g (sat 1.8g, mono 0.9g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.9g; CARB 3.9g; FIBER 1.7g; CHOL 8mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 134mg; CALC 18mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead • Vegetarian
24 Mashed Potato Casserole
Ultimate potato comfort
Hands-on: 25 min. Total: 49 min. We changed the procedure from using a food mill to a ricer, but you can use either one, or a standard potato masher.
11/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
11/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
11/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
6 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)
Cooking spray
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place potatoes, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
3. Press mixture in batches through a ricer into a bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and cream cheese.
4. Spoon mixture into a broiler-safe 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
5. Preheat broiler.
6. Combine Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko; sprinkle evenly over top of potatoes. Broil 4 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with chives. Serves 8 (serving size: about 2/3 cup)
CALORIES 243; FAT 6.5g (sat 3.6g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 8.3g; CARB 37.9g; FIBER 2.6g; CHOL 20mg; IRON 1.2mg; SODIUM 361mg; CALC 93mg
Kid Friendly
25 Bistro Roast Chicken
A Sunday dinner centerpiece
Hands-on: 15 min. Total: 1 hr. 55 min. Five ingredients (not counting salt, pepper, and cooking spray), and you have an absolutely delicious, roast chicken. Fresh tarragon is crucial; don’t leave it out. Our only update was to decrease the salt just a bit to bring the sodium within our current nutrition guidelines.
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
4 teaspoons butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (41/2-pound) roasting chicken
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients.
3. Remove giblets and neck from chicken; discard. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub herb mixture under loosened skin and over breast and drumsticks. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Place chicken, breast side down, on rack of a broiler pan or shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place in pan.
4. Bake chicken at 375° for 40 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over (breast side up). Bake an additional 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165°. Place chicken on a cutting board; let stand 10 minutes before carving. Discard skin. Serves 5 (serving size: about 4 ounces meat)
CALORIES 262; FAT 8.7g (sat 3.3g, mono 2.5g, poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 42.5g; CARB 0.6g; FIBER 0.1g; CHOL 143mg; IRON 2.2mg; SODIUM 556mg; CALC 32mg
OUR NEW COOKBOOK
LOCAL HEROES, DONE LIGHT
Lighten Up, America! serves up favorite regional foods and the stories behind them.
For our latest cookbook, we sent ebullient and tireless contributing editor Allison Fishman Task on a food-finding mission: to crisscross this great land in search of favorite regional treats. The result of her road-tripping culinary anthropology is an almost dizzying collection of classic dishes from the diners, county fairs, cocktail parties, and hotel dining rooms of our collective yore.
Between the Reuben sandwiches, Waldorf salads, sweet-and-sour meatballs, red flannel hash, and apple pie, there’s enough comforting nostalgia here to butter all of New England’s lobster rolls. But Task also had her mind on a bigger theme: lightening these American classics for a country that is starting to think hard about what it eats, even as it reaffirms what it loves from its past. Task’s food journeys and recipe tinkering add up to a new sort of cultural preservation: classic flavors reimagined for a healthier generation. This is important because the recent push toward megaburgers, bacon bombs, five-cheese pizzas, and other over-the-top glop isn’t doing much to honor and advance our national food culture, let alone our national health.
“I had a ball doing this,” Task says. “What’s powerful about American cooking and food culture is that we are a country of so many people and regions, all contributing threads to the great American culinary tapestry.”
Task’s approach gives lots of love to regional character and tradition but makes room for vastly lighter versions. “Love what you eat today” is her message, but with a healthy future in mind. Keep an eye out, as Task did, for the new favorites—the Mexican fish tacos, the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches, the shakshuka featured here—that continue the evolution of American food through the gifts of immigrant cooks.
Learn more about the Lighten Up, America! cookbook at CookingLight.com/LightenUpAmerica.
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead
Ohio Buckeyes
Hands-on: 33 min. Total: 2 hrs. In this classic confection from the Buckeye State, creamy peanut butter and chocolate combine to create an adorable replica of an Ohio tree nut.
2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
11/2 cups reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
8 ounces dark chocolate (60–65% cacao), chopped
1. Place first 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs; beat until blended.
2. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape peanut butter mixture by tablespoonfuls into 38 balls. Place balls on baking sheet; refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler; place over simmering water, stirring until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.
4. Place each ball on a fork, and dip ball in chocolate until partially coated; return to parchment paper to harden. Serves 38 (serving size: 1 buckeye)
CALORIES 141; FAT 8.3g (sat 3.5g, mono 2.9g, poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 2.7g; CARB 14.7g; FIBER 1.1g; CHOL 6mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 95mg; CALC 6mg
Quick & Easy • Vegetarian
Shakshuka
Hands-on: 13 min. Total: 25 min. Don’t let the funny name deter you; this dish is a delicious way to get vegetables with your breakfast.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup (1/4-inch-wide) strips red bell pepper
1 cup (1/4-inch-wide) strips green bell pepper
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) vertically sliced red onion
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 large eggs
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup baby basil leaves
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bell peppers, onion, and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in marinara sauce and paprika. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Form 4 (2-inch) indentations in sauce, using the back of a spoon. Crack eggs, 1 at a time, into a small custard cup, and gently slip into each indentation. Cover and cook 6 minutes or until eggs are done.
3. Place rice into 4 shallow bowls. Spoon egg mixture over rice, and sprinkle with basil and cheese. Serves 4 (serving size: 1/2 cup rice, 1 cup sauce, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon basil, and 11/2 teaspoons cheese)
CALORIES 305; FAT 11.3g (sat 3g, mono 5.2g, poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 11.9g; CARB 39.5g; FIBER 5.2g; CHOL 190mg; IRON 3.4mg; SODIUM 354mg; CALC 108mg
Kid Friendly • Make Ahead
Chicken and Dumplings
Hands-on: 47 min. Total: 11 hr. 21 min. This lightened-up version of a classic—beloved in both the South and the Midwest—is satisfying enough to be a one-dish meal.
1 (4-pound) whole chicken
10 cups water
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 6 ounces)
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 ounces)
2 bay leaves
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges (about 10 ounces)
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced celery
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Remove giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Place chicken, 10 cups water, and next 7 ingredients (through parsley bunch) in an 8-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, skimming foam from the surface as necessary. Remove from heat, and let stand 20 minutes.
2. Remove skin from chicken; remove chicken from bones, discarding skin and bones. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Strain stock through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool stock and chicken to room temperature. Cover and chill stock and chicken separately for 8 to 24 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 8 cups stock and chicken. (Refrigerate remaining stock in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.)
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup celery, and sliced carrot to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and ground pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 8 cups reserved stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces flour (about 1 cup) into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring until moist.
5. Drop dough in 24 portions (about 1 teaspoon each) into stock mixture. Cover and cook 8 minutes. Gently stir in reserved shredded chicken and thyme. Simmer over very low heat 6 minutes or until thoroughly heated and dumplings are done. Remove from heat, and ladle into shallow bowls. Sprinkle evenly with chopped parsley. Serves 8 (serving size: 11/4 cups chicken mixture, 3 dumplings, and 1 teaspoon parsley)
CALORIES 258; FAT 7.4g (sat 3.5g, mono 2g, poly 1g); PROTEIN 26.2g; CARB 20.7g; FIBER 2.2g; CHOL 77mg; IRON 2.5mg; SODIUM 629mg; CALC 69mg