• Pear Crisp with Oat Streusel Topping

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    This recipe is adapted from a recipe in the Cooking Light, October 2007 issue. It was really good. The original recipe calls for leaving the skin on the pears (for extra fiber), which I did, but neither -s nor myself cared for the flavor or texture of the cooked pear skin. Next time I’ll remove the skin.

    Ingredients:

    Crisp:

    • 7 3/4 cups Bartlett or Anjou pears, pealed and cubed
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • Cooking spray

    Topping:

    • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup regular oats
    • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • Dash of salt
    • 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
    • Whipped cream

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375°
    2. To prepare crisp, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
    3. To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and dash of salt in a small bowl; stir to combine. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over pear mixture. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned on top. Serve with whipped cream.

    Pear Crisp with Oat Streusel Topping:

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  • Fish with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce

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    We’ve made this recipe since it first was published is Cooking Light, September 2002. It’s one of our favorite recipes, and everyone we’ve ever made it for loves it too. It’s delicious and spicy, so if you’re not a spice fan, go easy on the curry paste. We love spicy food, and we put in a heaping teaspoon of the curry paste, although I do add in more fresh ginger than the original recipe calls for. The original recipe calls for using Tilapia, which is good, but we often use Salmon, and that’s really good. Some might argue that the sauce is too strong for such a flavorful fish as Salmon, but I love the texture and butteriness of the Salmon.

    The curry sauce is also an excellent curry sauce for chicken. Simply season chicken and veggies of choice (I use onion, eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper) with salt and pepper and stir fry (I stir fry each item separately and then remove from pan and keep warm while cooking the rest) in sesame oil, garlic, and ginger until done, then remove from pan. Make sauce using ingredients from curry powder through Thai basil; then squeeze some lime in and serve over rice. Delicious!

    I didn’t have any coconut milk on hand tonight, so instead I used 1/2 cream and 1/2 2% milk and it was delicious.

    The sauce comes together in no time at all, so you should have a game plan when you make this meal, and here’s mine:

    1. Preheat the oven
    2. Chop all ingredients for sauce
    3. Lay out all other ingredients for sauce
    4. Prepare fish
    5. Start rice
    6. Put fish in oven
    7. Make sauce

    Ingredients:

    • Dark sesame oil
    • 3 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
    • 1 c. chopped green onions
    • 1 tsp. curry powder
    • 1-2 tsp. red curry paste or massaman curry paste
    • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 2 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
    • 1 TBSP brown sugar
    • 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
    • 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
    • 2 TBSP of Thai basil (optional)
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 (6-ounce) tilapia or salmon fillets
    • Hot cooked rice
    • Lime wedges

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350.
    2. Heat sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.
    3. Put enough foil on a baking sheet to wrap your fish. Place fish on foil, and drizzle with sesame oil, and squeeze 1/2 of a lime onto fish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Wrap fish in foil, sealing the edges. Bake until fish flakes. Depending on the thickness of your fish it can take anywhere from 12 minutes to 18 minutes for the thicker pieces. The nice thing about steaming fish is that you can’t really over cook it. Alternatively you can broil the fish.
    4. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

    Fish with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce:

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  • Turkey Tamale Potpie

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    I adapted this recipe from the Cooking Light, October 2006 issue. I changed it up a bit from the original recipe, and the one thing I will change for next time is to drain the tomatoes, because putting the can of tomatoes with the juices in made it too watery for my taste. Think of this dish as a chili with a cornbread topping.  Overall, this is excellent, and it took less than 40 minutes from start to finish.

    Ingredients:

    Filling:

    • 1 TBSP olive oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 pound 97% fat free ground turkey breast
    • 2 chipotles, diced
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 tsp. cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
    • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup of corn
    • Garnish with sour cream, cheese, or cilantro

    Topping:

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
    • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 425°.To prepare filling, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey; cook 10 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color. Add chipotle chili powder, oregano, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, corn, and beans; cook 3 minutes. Spoon turkey mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
    2. To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until topping is golden.
    3. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, or cilantro.

    Turkey Tamale Pot Pie:

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  • Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Turkey Sausage

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    This recipe comes from the Cooking Light, October 2007 issue. It was pretty good, and the kids liked it. -s said it tasted like red beans and rice, which he likes, but he likes his spicier. So if we make it again, we need to buy regular Tobasco sauce for him to use. I wouldn’t want to make the actual dish spicier, because then it wouldn’t be kid friendly.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups dried small red beans
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 10 cup water
    • 2 tablespoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
    • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3/4 pound smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
    • 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
    • Chopped green onions (optional)

    Directions:

    1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours (I let them soak overnight). Drain beans.
    2. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté for 4 minutes. Stir in beans, 10 cups water, and the next 4 ingredients (through sausage); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until bean mixture thickens. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

    Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Turkey Sausage:

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  • Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread

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    This recipe comes from the Cooking Light, September 2007 issue. It was delicious! I couldn’t find pita bread in our local store, so we used tortillas and they worked really well. The recipe as is yields 4 patties, but I made smaller patties which yielded more patties. The patty recipe was just enough for 2 adults and 2 kids, so if you’re really hungry or serving more people, double the recipe. The recipe below reflects the changes (like doubling) I will make next time I make this dish.

    Ingredients:

    Patties:

    • 2 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    • 1/2 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce)
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
    • 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
    • 2 large egg whites
    • Olive oil

    Spread:

    • 1 mashed peeled avocado
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
    • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
    • 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    Remaining Ingredients:

    • Pitas or Tortillas
    • Thinly sliced red onion
    • Lettuce of mixed greens

    Directions:

    1. To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 6 ingredients (through egg whites); stir until well combined. Shape bean mixture into oval patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
    2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.
    3. To prepare spread, combine avocado and next 6 ingredients (through salt), stirring well. Place patty/patties in each pita/tortilla half. Spread about 2 tablespoons avocado spread over patty in each pita half; top with onions and greens.

    Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread:

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  • Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

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    This recipe comes from the November 2007 issue of Cooking Light. I really enjoyed this dish, unfortunately the rest of the family did not. It really did taste like something you’d get at a restaurant, but maybe that’s because I wouldn’t normally cook this kind of dish. -s said it was good, but he would’ve liked the filling to have more punch, but he did really enjoy the sauce and said he’d definitely like the sauce again. I liked the clean flavors and simplicity of the dish. My only big complaint is that I followed the recipe exactly-only putting 2 tsp. of mixture in each ravioli, and while the recipe says you get 30 raviolis, I only got 23.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
    • 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
    • 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted because I used seasoned breadcrumbs)
    • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
    • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 30 round wonton wrappers (I could only find egg roll wrappers so I just cut the egg roll wrapper in half)
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • Cooking spray
    • 1 cup fat-free milk
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
    • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
    • 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted (I used walnuts)

    Directions:

    1. Spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, minced sage, pepper, and nutmeg.Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into the center of wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing edges firmly with fingers to form a half-moon. Place on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers and pumpkin mixture.
    2. Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a simmer. Add half of ravioli to pan (cover remaining ravioli with a damp towel to keep from drying). Cook 4 minutes or until done (do not boil), stirring gently. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon; lightly coat with cooking spray, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
    3. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Gently stir in Gorgonzola.
    4. Place 5 ravioli in each of 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnuts (I also sprinkled sage). Serve immediately.

    Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce:

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  • Grilled Flatbreads with Tomatoes and Basil

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    This recipe comes from the July 2005 issue of Cooking Light. We made this back in 2005 and just made it again. Since we were having the flatbreads as our main course, I felt that the recipe needed just a little help. The big change I made to the recipe this time around is that I added fresh mozzarella cheese, which really put this recipe over the top. It’s exceptionally tasty!!!

    The flatbreads would work really well with hummus or any time you would use fresh pitas.  The flatbread is much better than any store purchased pita bread!

    Ingredients for Flatbreads:

    • 2.25 cups bread flour, divided
    • 3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP warm water (100 to 110 degrees), divided
    • 1 package dry yeast
    • 1 TBSP olive oil
    • 3/4 tsp. salt
    • 1 TBSP bread flour

    Topping:

    • 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
    • 1 TBSP olive oil
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 4 cups sliced tomatoes (I used grape and cherry tomatoes)
    • 1 cup finely chopped basil
    • fresh mozzarella, sliced

    Directions:

    1. Lightly spoon four into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup water and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; let stand 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour, remaining 1/2 cup water, 1 TBSP oil and 3/4 tsp salt. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; sprinkle with 1 TBSP flour (dough will feel slightly tacky). Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). You may need to add a small amount of water to your dough, depending on the weather conditions.
    2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with olive oil, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
    3. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
    4. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll each portion into a 6 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough circles on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp.
    5. To prepare topping, combine the vinegar, 1 TBSP oil, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add tomatoes and toss gently to coat.
    6. On each grilled flatbread, place fresh mozzarella, a 1/2 cup of tomato mixture, and 2 TBSP of the fresh basil.

    Grilled Flatbreads with Tomatoes and Basil:

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  • Polynesian Flank Steak

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    This flank steak recipe is excellent, and comes from Cooking Light’s June 2007 issue. We marinated the steak for about 8 hours, and in that time the ginger really infused the steak and gave it great flavor. We served it with potato salad and grilled up some pineapple and green onions as well.  Our only complaint was that it probably needed more salt; however, since we didn’t have the entire amount of soy sauce the recipe calls for, that may be the reason. This is definitely a keeper for our house, especially since the kiddos ate it!!!

    Ingredients:

    • 1/3 c. pineapple juice (we used canned pineapple, drained it, and then grilled the pineapple, which was superb)
    • 1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
    • 1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
    • 1 TBSP minced peeled fresh ginger
    • 1 TBSP honey
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1.5 pounds flank steak

    Directions:

    1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak to bag. Seal and marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours, turning once
    2. Prepare grill
    3. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade. Grill steak, about 20 minutes, or until desired degree of doneness, turning and basting frequently with the reserved marinade.
    4. Grill pineapple (my addition)
    5. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

    Polynesian Flank Steak:

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  • Sesame Noodles with Chicken

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    This recipe comes from Cooking Light’s June 2006 issue. It’s good, but we have better recipes for this same type of dish, so we won’t be making this one again. If you ask nicely enough I’ll post some of the other recipes 😉 I made a few additions as well.

    Ingredients:

    • 8 ounces uncooked linguine
    • 1 c. matchstick cut carrots
    • 8 ounces snap peas (my addition)
    • 2/3 c. broth
    • 1/2 c. peanut butter
    • 2 TBSP rice vinegar
    • 2 TBSP soy sauce
    • 1.5 TBSP fresh ginger, minced (original recipe calls for 1 TBSP)
    • 1/2 TBSP sesame oil (my addition)
    • 2 tsp. Sriracha (omit for a more kid friendly version then diners can add their own)
    • 2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast (could easily substitute tofu)
    • 1 c. thinly sliced green onions (I used a whole lot less)
    • 2 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted
    • Garnish with bean sprouts (my addition)

    Directions:

    1. Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt and fat. Add carrots and snap peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
    2. Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through Sriracha) in food processor; process until smooth. Combine pasta mixture, chicken, and onions in a large bow. Drizzle broth mixture over pasta mixture; toss well.
    3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bean sprouts

    Nutrition:

    • Calories: 456 (27% from fat)
    • Fat 13.9g
    • Protein: 31.1g
    • Cholesterol: 48mg
    • Calcium: 47mg
    • Sodium: 645mg
    • Fiber: 5.2g
    • Iron: 3.2mg
    • Carbs: 52.8g

    Sesame Noodles with Chicken:

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  • Indonesian Beef Curry with Coconut Rice

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    This recipe is from Cooking Light’s May 2007 issue. It’s very tasty, and a keeper. I changed the recipe a bit, and I note the changes. You can really use your imagination with this dish and substitute chicken, tofu, or veggies for the beef. You can also easily adjust the heat level by adding or decreasing the number of chiles. You can also try removing the seeds and ribs of the chiles, which leaves great flavor without too much heat.

    Curry:

    • 1.5 pounds lean top round, thinly sliced
    • 1.5 TBSP canola oil (I used olive oil, and eyeballed it)
    • 1/2 c. thinly sliced shallots
    • 2 TBSP minced peeled fresh ginger
    • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced (depending on how hot you want it adjust accordingly. I used 1 chile and removed the seeds, and the dish still had great flavor without being too spicy)
    • 2 tsp. ground coriander
    • 3/4 tsp. salt
    • 1.5 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
    • 1/2 tsp. pepper
    • 3 cardamom pods, crushed
    • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
    • 1 cup chicken broth
    • 1 TBSP. lime juice
    • I added the remaining coconut milk from the can used in the rice recipe and about 1 cup of cooked green beans at the end.

    Rice:

    • 1.25 cups water
    • 1 c. uncooked rice
    • 1 c. light coconut milk
    • 1/4 tsp. salt

    Assembly:

    1. To prepare curry, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Place half of the beef in the skillet; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Romove the beef from pan. Keep warm. Repeat process with the remaining beef.
    2. Lower heat to medium; add oil to pan. Add shallots, ginger, garlic, and chiles; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in coriander and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon); cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return beef to pan. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until beef is tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Discard cinnamon stick; stir in lime juice. I added the coconut milk and green beans here.
    3. To prepare rice, bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork.

    Indonesian Beef Curry with Coconut Rice:

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